Cassette Beasts Is What Pokemon Should Have "Evolved" Into

I have been playing Cassette Beasts, which is a monster-taming RPG that takes inspiration from Pokemon. Cassette Beasts is an indie video game made by Bytten Studio that I bought on sale during the Steam Summer Sale, because I heard good things about this game, and I wanted to check it out. I am glad I played this game, because Cassette Beasts is solid, and feels like an evolution to the long-outdated gameplay mechanics of the mainline Pokemon games. Before I compare the gameplay mechanics between Cassette Beasts and Pokemon, I will highlight the other aspects of Cassette Beasts and give my thoughts.

The whole story of the game revolves around your character getting transported and stranded on an island called New Wirral, and with the help of other stranded companions you meet along the way, you are trying to find a way to get back to your home planet. The story is simple enough, and not terribly deep, but the story is much better than "Go collect the eight gym badges and become the Pokemon Champion". There is some depth in the characters you meet, and you can even build your relationship level high enough with some companions that you can even engage in romantic dialogue (if you like that sort of thing).

I liked the overall 80s retro aesthetic and design of Cassette Beasts, with the objects and overall presentation representing pixel art. I also enjoyed the music of the game, and I particularly liked that the music transitions between vocal and instrumental versions of songs when you go in and out of buildings, or fuse your monsters during battle (more on that below).

Cassette Beasts follows the gameplay of Pokemon games where you transform into monsters using cassettes (which function as Poke balls) and battle against other monsters and trainers. The game implements a number of gameplay quality-of-life improvements over Pokemon games. For example, when in a battle, you can use a move from a selection of eight moves per monster (rather than four moves in Pokemon). Battles operate in a 2v1 or 2v2 format, which leads to having to use more strategy in trying to beat other monsters or trainers. Another gameplay mechanic is using fusion to fuse your two monsters' stats and moves to create one stronger monster in overcoming tough trainers or monsters. I found myself having to use different monsters and strategies to overcome type disadvantages and gain the upper hand. To "catch" monsters to join your team, you need to have blank cassette tapes in order to record wild monsters on your tapes (and then you can use them).

Overall, I think Cassette Beasts is a grown-up, more "evolved" version of the Pokemon games with its complexity, challenge, and more mature story. However, I do not think this game is a revolution in this genre, as in, I do not expect Game Freak to use any of these new and improved mechanics in future Pokemon games. Regardless, Cassette Beasts is still a lot of fun to play, and is an excellent alternative to the tiring and outdated mechanics of Pokemon games. There is much to enjoy in its aesthetic, story, music, and gameplay. I personally enjoyed discovering all of the new monsters and all the new types (and how they interact with one another). Cassette Beasts is an easy recommendation from me.