102) Nexomon (2017)

Originally released in 2017 exclusively on mobile, the game later found its way to Steam in 2020 and consoles in 2021. As the name may imply, Nexomon is another in a long line of games that's heavily inspired by Pokémon, featuring over 300 monsters to collect and battle with. Given the benefit of over two decades worth of Pokémon games from which to draw inspiration, how does Nexomon compare? Better than I'd have thought, it seems, but not as well as I'd hope.

We begin our journey with a bit of background about the world, learning that long ago, a being known as Omnicron threatened the very world we inhabit. It was thanks to a single Nexomon tamer, who took on the mantle of the Nexolord, that our world was spared and people could live peacefully alongside Nexomon. After choosing our character, we're thrown into our adventure, being given the choice of our starting partner from among seven cute critters, one for each of the seven types presented in the game. Unlike in Pokémon games, you don't have to fear missing out, as all of the starters are available to capture later on, which is neat. Thus we embark upon a familiar journey, accompanied by our Nexomon and a quippy robot companion, because why not.

The game plays out in much the same way you'd expect of a Pokémon clone, including tamer battles, fighting against an evil team, facing off against stronger tamers that specialize in specific types, and catching and evolving a myriad of creatures. While the writing will occasionally poke fun of the cliches and tropes, the game itself does little to subvert them. As we journey, we learn more about the current Nexolord and his nefarious plans, as well as just how weird and screwy this world is. The overall story itself is pretty generic and predictable, though the writing and humor help make it a bit more endearing.

I mentioned earlier that the starters represent the seven types present in the game, a number that is unfortunately low for the over 300 creatures we can collect. Unlike in Pokémon games, there are no dual typings, with every Nexomon having only one of the seven types available. While there's something to be said for simplifying the battle mechanics, it has the effect of making the game far too simple. As a means of correcting this, the developers decided that if you defeat a creature in a tamer battle, the next one will get to switch in instantly and get a free hit on you. This doesn't apply to the player, making battles a bit frustrating. The game is full of little annoyances like this that, on their own don't matter that much, but they pile up quickly.

Even playing on console, the game's mobile roots are painfully obvious. The UI is a dead giveaway, and the controls retain their clunky nature. In addition, a lot of bizarre choices were made that likely make more sense on mobile than on console. The player is not given a map, nor can we easily look up where certain creatures we've encountered can be found. We also get nothing more than the designs to go off of for any sort of personality, as the game omits any kind of description or flavor texts. While these are mostly small omissions, they add up to make the game feel a bit hollow.

Overall, Nexomon comes across as one of the more competent monster collecting games that doesn't shy away from the very clear influences it has. It's a solid homage to the older Pokémon titles, particularly those from the GBA era, and while it has its issues, the writing and humor help keep it charming. Battles can be a bit of a slog to get through, and the mobile roots and simplified gameplay are off putting at times, but I can't deny that I had fun with the title. I can only hope that the stumbling blocks that are present are fixed in future installments, and the humor, wit, and charm are preserved.