A new champion
Temtems inspiration has always been clear.
Its still the best Pokemon game in years.
Temtems creature catching will feel immediately familiar to anyone whos even dabbled in Pokemon over the years.
You play as a child who leaves their home to go on a grand adventure through the Airborne Archipelago.
Been there, done that.
The story mostly treads old ground, so don’t expect much from the plot.
However, there are lots of small yet substantial tweaks that elevate Temtem beyond a mere imitation.
Theres a long journey ahead before you arrive at the new endgame island, though.
You start in the town of Zadar, where you make your character before gaining your first Temtem.
Dual battles are standard in the Airborne Archipelago, which makes fights more tactical than Pokemons one-on-one slugfests.
If you havent come prepared, fights can get scrappy.
You pay stamina to use moves, and you regain a small amount of stamina each turn.
At key moments in the story, that difficulty ramps up.
Wild Temtem pop up constantly as you run around in tall grass, but they quickly became a chore.
This problem only gets worse when you realise each island is filled with the same small group of Temtem.
Fortunately, the MMO-ness isn’t all bad.
The actual online implementation sets a standard for the genre that Pokemon hasnt even started to explore.
Its all snappy and responsive, and the Archipelago is best when filled with players.
Thats where I begin to question Temtem.
Its a fantastic experience poised to elevate the creature-catching formula, but its best when its busy.
For now, though, its a fabulous creature-catching experience that you better try.
There’s a chance that Temtem might even become your favourite Pokemon game yet.
