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Geek Review Coromon

Geek Review: Coromon

The popularity of the Pokémon franchise has grown over the years, and we were recently blessed with the excellent Pokémon Legends: Arceus, with more games on the way. With so many iterations, copies and clones, the formula of success is available for others to add their twist on it, and that is precisely what Freedom Games and developers TRAGsoft have done with Coromon, a more modern take on the classic monster-taming genre.

Battles in Coromon

Eschewing the young upstart origin, the game has players take on the role of an adult starting their first job as a Battle Researcher at research company Lux Solis. The technology of this world is powered by the creatures known as Coromon, and it is your job to explore the world, tame them, battle them, and become a master all in the name of science. 

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As a loving homage to the franchise that started it all, players are also given a choice between the fire turtle Toruga, the water shark Nibblegar, or the ice bear Cubzero as your starting Coromon, or let the in-game questionnaire be your guide. Either way, you will soon set off to make your mark on the world.

On your adventures, it is easy enough to get into scraps with wild Coromon by venturing into the tall grass, and battles are what one would expect for the genre. 

Exploring the world in Coromon

One of your six current Coromon will be tasked to battle, utilising any of its four moves to deal damage or inflict status effects like poison. Coromon does not necessarily reinvent the wheel, but it maintains the same entertaining nature of these battles. Just watch out for the SP meter draining too quickly, as that can leave you unable to execute the moves you want.

Should you find a wild Coromon that you fancy, then there is every chance you can capture them to add to your growing team. Instead of throwing balls, folks in this universe rely on Spinners that do the same job on weakened creatures.

While it may seem that Coromon is aping everything that Pokémon has to offer, the game does distinguish itself with some interesting progression systems that let it stand proudly on its own. Of course, battling, exploration, and taming creatures are part and parcel of what players will do, but the game incentivises the process with the use of the Milestones system.

Coromon has excellent creature designs.

It doles out constant XP rewards as you progress, and builds up towards free items that will only make your life in the game easier. In addition to the sense of accomplishment one would feel by making headway in Coromon, these timely notifications further add to the enjoyment and immersion in this adventure.

Exploration in Coromon also takes on new life, inviting players into varied biomes that each sport a distinct visual style. It might be a desert that comes with the threat of overheating, or a power station with interwinding conveyor belts and puzzles to solve, there is certainly much to see and to do in this world. That said, not every area is optimised to balance the time needed and the fun factor, so there may be certain areas that can start to feel like a slog.

The quality of life tweaks that Coromon makes are also great for the overall experience, with a proper quest log and fast-travel options being two standouts. In addition, the handy gauntlet used to store the Coromons is also capable of equipping different modules, each of which provides a useful ability to help with obstacles in the world. This could be burning plants, moving logs, and more, adding another layer of puzzle-solving goodness to the proceedings.

It is also a must to point out that the developers have included some great accessibility options in Coromon through the customisable difficulty system. Aside from several presets, there are other options to tweak your preferred experience, such as lower vendor prices or instant healing for your team when levelling up. You can always go the other way and take it up a notch, such is the flexibility provided.

Amidst the adventuring and discoveries, Coromon remains an incredibly beautiful game. The 2D sprites used are detailed and come to life in just a different way compared to the genre’s 3D counterparts, and the same quality extends to the creature designs, and Coromon definitely takes creativity to another level. Players will not be disappointed if they are looking for inspired creations in this living, breathing world.

For a game that wears its heart on its sleeve, Coromon does bring its own merits to the table, adding modern touches to a genre that has definitely set a high standard for players around the world. It is not without its frustrations, but everything else does a great job of keeping players focused on the job at hand. If you are a big fan of the pocket monsters but seeking a fresher perspective, Coromon is definitely worth throwing a spinner at to capture the magic once again.

Coromon is available on Steam for $18.50.

GEEK REVIEW SCORE

Summary

Familiarity breeds enjoyment in Coromon, with new twists on existing mechanics doing their part to deliver a new type of monster-taming entertainment for something new.

Overall
8.4/10
8.4/10
  • Gameplay - 8.5/10
    8.5/10
  • Story - 8/10
    8/10
  • Presentation - 9/10
    9/10
  • Value - 8/10
    8/10