Monster-collecting games were popular even before Pokemon exploded in popularity in the 1990s. However, it is impossible to tell the story of the genre without mentioning Nintendo’s mega-franchise, as it has grown to be one of the biggest IPs in gaming and entertainment. Despite Pokemon’s success, the franchise has not changed much over the years or taken many risks storytelling-wise, electing to stick to the formula that’s been its bedrock since the days of the original GameBoy. Cassette Beasts is an indie title that looks to provide Pokemon fans who’ve grown up a bit and are ready for a more mature story and characters.
If you’re somebody like me who grew up loving the Pokemon games, chances are, you’ve also outgrown them. There are many gameplay and story reasons why fans of the series have experienced this, but the primary way to explain it is that the Pokemon games simply have not evolved, and boy is that ironic.
Cassette Beasts is a new indie game that aims to rectify this lack of innovation and significantly deviates from Pokemon. For starters, players don’t go out and capture monsters in the open world. The game introduces a novel concept where players record monsters on cassette tapes and use them in battles by transforming into them.
Beyond that, there is also a Fusion system where players’ beasts combine to create a more powerful hybrid. This mechanic is quite popular in fellow RPG games, but Cassette Beasts leans on it to provide a varying experience in that the designs of the beasts alternate based on what monsters you decide to fuse in combat.
Cassette Beasts offers a narrative-driven experience that focuses on world-building, character interactions, and uncovering mysteries in its setting. The characters in Cassette Beasts draw from philosophical history and love to offer up their own versions of famous quotes, so don’t be surprised to run into sophist types.
Cassette Beasts is on sale for 30% off on Steam until June 3 for $13.99 / £10.97. If you’re looking to take an even deeper plunge into the game, the Deluxe edition is also on sale but for 40% off for $25.71 / 20.16, which will net you the base game as well as an original soundtrack, art book, the cosplay pack, and the Pier of the Unknown DLC expansion.
If you’re interested in other similar games, check out our list of the best Pokemon games for PC.
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