In my 30 years of life, I’ve performed loads of Pokémon.
I’ve almost performed all of them, beginning with Pokémon Silver (and going again to Yellow) and all the best way to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. I wouldn’t say I’m an professional, however I positively have higher Pokémon data than the common common particular person. (My pals and I’ve spent nights doing nothing aside from naming each Pokémon by reminiscence.)
So once I say if you happen to like Pokémon, you need to check out Cassette Beasts, you need to positively take heed to me.
Cassette Beasts, an 8-bit-style monster catcher on Nintendo Swap, PC, Xbox Sequence X/S, and Xbox One, is an extremely attention-grabbing and enjoyable tackle the normal Pokémon system.
There are positively some Pokémon-like features to the title, however general, it has loads of distinctive concepts that maintain me coming again.
Cassette Beasts has an attention-grabbing aspect as you’re not catching these monsters however recording them onto cassettes. Whenever you play the cassettes, the character transforms into considered one of these monsters. Since you’re really turning into the monsters, you have got a typical Pokémon-style life bar, however your character additionally has an HP bar. This implies there are two elements to staying alive: all of your cassettes are defeated (damaged) in battle, or your character runs out of life. Nonetheless, every battle is a two-on-two or two-on-one as your character roams the world with a good friend. This accomplice may be managed by your self or a good friend for sofa co-op.
This facet of the sport provides an attention-grabbing aspect as you and your accomplice can obtain one thing referred to as ‘fusion’ if you happen to’ve created a robust sufficient bond with them — which naturally occurs by finishing the character’s quests. Finishing character quests, preventing alongside them, and spending time resting with them — the way you heal your self and your occasion — may cause your bond to develop, and you’ll finally romance the character.
Cassette Beasts solely has 120 monsters, lower than Pokémon’s unique 150; nonetheless, there are 14,000 doable fusions within the recreation. Every Cassette Beast is modular and, due to this fact, simple to mix with each other. Some mixtures have the identical components, however you will discover great-looking fusions.
One factor price mentioning is once you begin taking part in Cassette Beasts, you’re dropped in a brand new world, however your character is definitely from our world — the truth is, each human character in Cassette Beasts is from our world, however they get sucked into this new world at totally different time factors. This can be a typical trope in loads of anime referred to as ‘isekai.’
One character says they’re from 1981, whereas a extra fashionable one is from the 2010s. It varies based mostly on the characters, which I preferred as a result of some characters are utterly out of contact with the world.
Fight works equally to Pokémon with various kinds of strikes versus monsters with various varieties; nonetheless, as an alternative of strikes simply being ‘tremendous efficient,’ they have an effect on these monsters in numerous methods. For example, a fire-type transfer towards an ice-type monster will trigger it to soften, turning it right into a water-type. Nonetheless, an ice-type transfer towards a water-type monster will trigger them to freeze and be shocked for a flip. A metal-type transfer towards an ice-type monster will trigger the ice to interrupt, reducing the ice-type defences, whereas a water-type transfer towards an ice-type monster freezes, rising the ice-type’s defences. These have been attention-grabbing and I nonetheless discovered extra about them a number of hours into the sport. Nonetheless, loads of it simply makes frequent sense. For instance, I knew that my electric-type transfer would equally mess up water varieties and metallic varieties as a result of each are conductive to electrical energy.
I like that totally different strikes affected creatures as an alternative of all of them doing extra harm. This introduced a enjoyable problem and allowed me to develop totally different methods. I might typically soften ice varieties simply to freeze them the next flip inflicting them to overlook a flip.
My favorite facet of Cassette Beasts is which you could improve the levelling of enemy monsters and make the AI smarter, supplying you with a higher problem. Many have an issue with Pokémon being far too simple; nonetheless, permitting you to extend stage scaling and AI for each enemy actually modifications issues, and I want it’s one thing that Pokémon adopted.
Cassette Beasts additionally makes use of Pokémon’s Hidden Machines in a brand new means. As a substitute of needing to have the monster on you (like in older Pokémon video games), you simply must seize the monster able to permitting you to swim, float, climb partitions and extra; nonetheless, there’s just one form of Cassette Beasts able to educating the character these motion talents. Additional, these talents additionally use a stamina bar that may solely be elevated by defeating the sport’s bosses. I like this as a result of it doesn’t require gamers to maintain sure monsters on their staff.
Talking of the sport’s bosses, whereas Cassette Beasts has its equal to gymnasium leaders, there’s a complete story happening as properly about nice monsters referred to as ‘Archangels’ and a person with a triangle head that appears evil and jogs my memory of Invoice Cypher from Gravity Falls even with extradimensional powers. I just like the story. It’s form of attention-grabbing and provides a component of maturity. Characters can die; there appears to be a theme of betrayal and extra.
There’s a lot extra to say, however to maintain this brief, Cassette Beasts is a enjoyable Pokémon-like, and if you happen to’re within the temper for a monster catcher, give it a shot. The sport is presently a part of Xbox Sport Cross ($11.99/month), however can also be out there on Steam ($25.99) and Switch ($19.49)
