In January 2020, Temtem was launched to the world on PC by way of Steam Early Entry. It was an apparent competitor or an homage (relying on whom you’re asking) to the monster accumulating video games of the previous, however now on-line with crossplay and cross development. This implies you may really convey your pocket monsters (or Temtems) wherever you go, however how does it stand as much as the wealthy historical past of digital mons which have come earlier than? Merely put, Temtem is pleasurable however considerably misunderstands what makes these video games particular even whereas additionally pushing the boundaries of what was beforehand doable.
Temtem at its core is an MMORPG (Huge Multiplayer On-line Function Taking part in Sport.) It’s a web based monster catching recreation that tells a really acquainted story of a kid receiving an interactive index of monsters, a starter monster, and objects that assist them seize new creatures within the wild. You could have your traditional rival to battle all through your journey, dojos to finish, and villains in Clan Belsoto to thwart alongside the way in which. It’s all very cookie cutter in a method that may really feel soulless and generic. It’s a duplicate and paste job that does the naked minimal to distinguish itself so far as the story is worried. What does work to Temtem’s profit is that it actually rushes you thru that introduction to get to the core gameplay. From the beginning of the sport to the primary battles takes solely a matter of minutes, which is refreshing in a time of long-winded RPGs. The capturing system is much like different video games. Discovering monsters within the wild by way of random encounters, then attacking them till they’re low on well being so you may observe up by throwing a capturing card at them.
The 164 Temtems are principally distinctive whereas nonetheless feeling at dwelling on the planet of digital monsters. The designs begin out fundamental however actually start to face out the additional you go into the sport. As your creatures evolve, so does their design and that was one thing I used to be initially hesitant on however ultimately walked away impressed. The identical goes for the islands of the Airborne Archipelago. Our journey begins on the beachside property of Zadar however ultimately escalates to lava-spewing volcanoes, mines, mountain tops, and shrines. The locales are diverse and comparatively complicated, however they rapidly get previous as quests can have you revisiting these areas typically with no technique of quick journey.
Whereas a number of these presentational points might come off as egregious, there are some massive differentiators to Temtem. The primary distinction is the battle system. Temtems battles play out in 2v2 matches. Having two Tem groups opens up a complete different degree of technique with their skills and elemental kind. Pairing the correct Tems collectively will result in boosts in stats and assaults. Skills like Chain Lightning may even hit a number of targets. There’s additionally an added wrinkle of a stamina system instead of MP. Used stamina absolutely regenerates at first of each battle, however in case you are low on stamina mid battle, skills can nonetheless be used at the price of well being. In any other case, you may have your Temtems relaxation a flip to regenerate some stamina. There’s an actual risk-reward system in play that all the time made me agonize over rolling the cube for that remaining killer blow and hurting myself or enjoying conservatively. You can too equip objects to your creatures for passive boosts and extra technique.
The construction of the bottom recreation is about within the traditional type of roaming the lands of the Airborne Archipelago, finishing quests, capturing new monsters, and preventing in Dojos to show your self the highest Temtem tamer. It’s a tried and true template that not often differentiates from the classics. Whereas it wears its influences on its sleeve, the web nature of the world makes it really feel bustling. There are dozens of different Tem trainers roaming the lands for pleasant battles, staff ups, trades, and even only a chat. There are basic and commerce chats for these in search of suggestions or a dialog and even an public sale home for uncommon Temtems, although it may be difficult to entry.
The true attraction for Temtem doesn’t essentially come from the principle 60-hour story. The participating half lies within the endgame content material. Repeating Dojo battles comes with elevated issue for uncommon objects, a deep aggressive on-line scene (keep in mind, cross platform), breeding Temtems, and even a rogue-like tower that rewards additional loot to construct out your personal private dwelling house. There’s additionally a battle cross (naturally), although finishing it’s a little bit of a heavy grind at launch. For the longest time, Pokemon followers have pleaded upon deaf ears for updates, a supported aggressive scene, and wealthy endgame content material. Now there are alternatives for these clamoring for extra, in a cross-platform cross-progression format.
Temtem proves that there’s nonetheless room for competitors within the monster catching and battling house. There’s additionally proof right here that video games like Digimon or Pokemon, whereas doing quite a bit nicely, depart a number of issues on the desk and that’s the place Temtem shines. It’s straightforward to put in writing it off as a copy-pasted clone, however the further options of co-op battles, deep synergy fight mechanics, and wealthy endgame content material culminate in an actual diamond within the tough for these discovering the opponents missing. The principle story content material may be rote however for these hardcore followers wanting one thing deeper, Temtem could also be what you’re in search of. Temtem is each higher and worse than the opposition, and I believe that’s okay.