Still working my way through this, but it's such a gem that I felt compelled to write a review early. Rarely does a game come out that's so original, witty, fun, and unique. I really can't compare this to anything else because although it's a monster catcher like Pokemon, Temtem, and others, this game feels like such a breath of fresh air to be in a league of its own.
The music is fantastic. I love the decision to include vocal tracks and have them unlock at certain key story moments. It's all very well done and doesn't feel distracting at all.
The story is incredible. Within the first hour or so it's clear that this isn't a cute little monster catching game - something is seriously wrong with this world. The denizens of the world talk about apocalyptic scenarios from their own worlds. It doesn't shy away from telling the message it wants to tell, which seems to be a message centered around hope in spite of everything wrong going on around us. A small community banding together to survive, rather than profit. Even the "bad guy" team hammers home this message.
The mechanics are new and interesting. Rather than simple water beats fire, we have complex interactions from water gunking up ground units, plastic being melted by fire, grass on fire makes smoke which increases the fire unit's evasion. It's really cool! Also love that we are transforming into different forms rather than trapping creatures in little balls until we want them to fight for us. And everything being cassettes is incredibly clever. You use a pencil to rewind your tape to heal it!
The character designs are also wonderful. We have a diverse cast - a good number of Black and brown characters, neurodivergence is represented, we have a character with a bi flag colored rug. Right wingers are going to hate this game because it's unabashedly queer and left wing in its politics. Climate catastrophe is a common theme throughout. And honestly, good! They won't get to enjoy one of the best games I've ever played, because they are part of the problem in the real world that we live in. I think that's fantastic.
The music is fantastic. I love the decision to include vocal tracks and have them unlock at certain key story moments. It's all very well done and doesn't feel distracting at all.
The story is incredible. Within the first hour or so it's clear that this isn't a cute little monster catching game - something is seriously wrong with this world. The denizens of the world talk about apocalyptic scenarios from their own worlds. It doesn't shy away from telling the message it wants to tell, which seems to be a message centered around hope in spite of everything wrong going on around us. A small community banding together to survive, rather than profit. Even the "bad guy" team hammers home this message.
The mechanics are new and interesting. Rather than simple water beats fire, we have complex interactions from water gunking up ground units, plastic being melted by fire, grass on fire makes smoke which increases the fire unit's evasion. It's really cool! Also love that we are transforming into different forms rather than trapping creatures in little balls until we want them to fight for us. And everything being cassettes is incredibly clever. You use a pencil to rewind your tape to heal it!
The character designs are also wonderful. We have a diverse cast - a good number of Black and brown characters, neurodivergence is represented, we have a character with a bi flag colored rug. Right wingers are going to hate this game because it's unabashedly queer and left wing in its politics. Climate catastrophe is a common theme throughout. And honestly, good! They won't get to enjoy one of the best games I've ever played, because they are part of the problem in the real world that we live in. I think that's fantastic.