The Pokémon franchise has been more prolific than usual lately, with multiple releases over the past year and another big entry soon. However, those who don’t have a Switch or are looking for a viable monster fighting alternative should focus on Temtem, which grew out of years of Early Access development. While borrowing heavily from the formula of Nintendo’s massive franchise, its world is fun to explore and satisfying to collect and learn all about the titular Temtem. Although the core adventure is a bit repetitive, Temtem is challenging and engaging, even for experienced trainers.
Your Temtem journey begins with you choosing a partner monster and setting out to challenge the various dojos (Temtem’s version of gyms) around the Airborne Archipelago. As you explore this series of vibrant floating islands, win rivalries, challenge dojos, and clink glasses with the dastardly Clan Balsoto. The bits and pieces of a classic Pokémon experience are here, for better or worse, and while that predictability bored me in the wee hours, the story eventually hits some cool places I wasn’t expecting, leaving Temtem more like an us vs the world” appear “JRPG as a typical monster collector tends.
For me, the greatest appeal of this genre is collecting as many of these cute and destructive creatures as possible. While I was disappointed in the first island’s lack of variety and abundance of memorable designs, each subsequent area introduces more enticing monster designs and element combinations. My favorites include the deceptively cute Adoroboros and the fiery electric scarab Scaravolt. Figuring out the location of a monster I needed to fill out my Tempedia or one that would complement my current competitive team was a blast.
Hunting new Temtems is exciting, but I’m even better at the combat system. These fights are strategic and challenging to the point where every tamer fight made me reconsider my team composition right down to my squad order. Contrary to how most trainers approach Pokémon battles, the default method in Temtem 2v2 is to knockdown. It’s a twist I enjoy that deepens the strategy in almost every fight. I often had to solve combat-based puzzles, e.g. B. whether my active team is the dominant duo on the board or whether they are quickly wiped out by well-matched opponents, the latter case being quite common.
Another weakness I love in combat is the stamina system. Each move consumes a portion of the Temtem’s stamina meter, with lighter hits consuming far less than Haymakers. However, using more stamina than is available will deplete HP, creating a high-risk, high-reward scenario for a desperate all-out attack at the expense of your team’s health. It’s a clever solution to spamming powerful attacks, and it leads to more deliberate combat, especially when you’re going head-to-head with other aspiring tamers.
The online functions thrive when I interact with others. Throughout the adventure, tamers are seen walking around with their partner ‘Tem in tow. You can challenge them to a fight, trade them, or chat about where to find a monster. Always-on rolling text chat also lets you speak freely to a world full of active players. The lack of a barrier to communicating or participating in battles and grouping up with others is refreshing for the genre and should be seriously considered a feature to strive for by companies like Nintendo.
After the main scenario has been completed, there is plenty to do with tamers online. In addition to competitive activities like joining a club and participating in Dojo Wars, I’ve dabbled in Temtem breeding, scrounging auctions for monsters and items, and exploring the neighborhoods of player housing, which are decorated with furniture bought everywhere can the archipelago. With all of the above and more to do, there’s plenty of endgame content out there for those looking to stick with the game long-term.
Temtem might look like a copycat on the surface, but its departures from the Pokémon formula pay off significantly. With unique combat elements and an immersive MMO structure, Temtem evolves into its own experience, offering a massive, challenging adventure that even those without a Nintendo console can enjoy.
