Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue. That’s where it all started for me. There was nothing anything like it at the time. There was something particularly alluring about chasing all 150 Pokémon, defeating each of the 8 gyms and ultimately battling for supremacy against the Elite Four. Hell, I’m not even going to touch the subject of Mew. Either way, and all of these years later, Pokémon stands in a league of its own. Now, why the hell is an Xbox-specific website hammering on about Pokémon? I’ll answer with one word my friends, Temtem.
It goes without saying that if you want to enjoy Pokémon (Pokémon-Go to the side) then you’re going to need to invest in a Nintendo system. However, one developer aims to bring that Pokémon-esque vibe to a wider platform audience. Crema has recently announced that their 2020-bound Temtem has been funded for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, in addition to Nintendo Switch and PC. By and large, you would be forgiven for believing that Temtem is simply cashing in on that Pokémon foundation, but in truth, it’s much more than just that.
Temtem is an MMO, meaning that the entire experience will always be played online. Unless anything changes between now and the game’s launch, Temtem will support cross-play and cross-save functionality between Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. Sadly, the PlayStation 4 is out of the question until, or unless, Sony change their stance on cross-play with other console platforms. Though, that’s a discussion for another time. So, with its framework and technical functionalities to the side, what the heck is Temtem all about?
Much like Pokémon, Temtem offers a world that’s full of wild creatures to capture. These creatures will vary in rarity and will be categorized by element; Fire, Water, Nature, Mental, Toxic, Crystal and so on and so forth. This comes on top of the neat ability to evolve each creature. The game will indeed offer deep character customization, which is a must for any MMO if you ask me. There’s going to be Dojo Leaders to defeat (à la Pokémon’s gyms) as well as a system that caters for player vs player battles and player vs player trading.
You can check out the trailer above to get a sneak peek of the action, or alternatively head on over to Kickstarter to read more about the project and its updates. Through and through, this is as close to Pokémon as you’re ever going to get on a system that isn’t Nintendo. Now, I love myself some Pokémon. It’s been a long time since I played one, mind, but I love the appeal and the core formula nevertheless. It’s hard to top. Temtem, on the other hand, will offer some impressive features that Pokémon fans have been demanding for years now.
This alone elevates the game far beyond that of a Pokémon-clone. In fact, I dare say that we could be seeing a hit on our hands, and no, I don’t say that lightly. The game is based with the world of the Airborne Archipelago. Creatures, known as the titular Temtem, have always played a part in the day-to-day life on the islands. Living alongside the humans in unity and peace, Temtem help out with chores, tasks and generally being loyal, faithful pets. Clearly the premise is one that aims to cater for a wide audience of gamers, and for good reason.
The world within has a long-running tradition of taming the wild Temtem and training them to fight in friendly battles against other Temtem tamers. However, due to a shift in technological advancement, this concept has exploded in popularity and now everyone wants to be the next best Temtem tamer. As alluded to above, each Temtem will come with unique techniques, strengths and weaknesses. Meaning that, for the most part at least, carefully choosing your party of Temtems will be absolutely paramount to your success.
Players will be able to house up to 6 Temtems in total in their squad, but only two Temtems can be sent out to battle at any given time. Tamers will take turns issuing commands to their Temtems until all of one player’s Temtems have been exhausted, leaving the alternate player as the victor. Battles will focus on 2v2, though there will b a few 2v1 battles against untamed Temtem or 1v1 battles against other players. The developer states that combat will rely 100% on skill and strategy, which will ultimately appeal to the competitive fans.
Breeding will also play a role in Temtem, being that when two compatible Temtems are put together, they will produce an egg, from which a new Temtem will be born. This system goes far beyond that, however, as Temtems will inherit some of their parent’s stats, as well as opening doors to new move-sets. There’s a flip-side, of course. There’s a generic degradation value that will lower for each new chain of egg, so you’ll need to think ahead on how you plan on spending Temtem’s breeding cycles. That’s quite some depth so far, right?
Well, it only gets deeper. Temtem will indeed have a fully fledged story campaign that’s spread across six vivid islands. Online components of Temtem will be an addition to the adventure and will allow you to travel through the islands alongside other tamers and battle, trade, or talk with them. Furthermore, Temtem’s campaign will be fully co-op compatible. This feeds into the game’s MMO aspects. Tamers from around the world can join in and you will be able to see them around you as you adventure through the game.
This comes on top of some other interesting features, such as the ability to buy your own home and decorate it as you see fit. There’s also the addition of clubs and in-game tournaments. There’s no denying that Temtem is going to be packed with vast portions of content. We don’t have a solid release date for it yet, outside of 2020, that is, but I can hardly wait to dive in. What do you think? Have you been following the game’s progress? Does it appeal to you? Hit the comment section below.
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