Temtem is a marriage between two kinds of games that sounds better than it actually plays. It is a monster-catching RPG just like Pokémon where you collect monsters called Temtem while exploring a huge world. It’s also an MMORPG, one in which you can travel with other players by chatting and fighting with them. Were it not for the fact that the MMO elements hinder the experience, Temtem would be nice. Instead, it struggles to hold my interest for long.
If you played pokemonyou know how this goes. You play a child/teenager who leaves their hometown to go on an adventure with your chosen starting monster. Should I say that there in the beginning you can choose between three Temtem, there are different types of Temtem, there is a rival character that you are trying to defeat, and there is an unsavory organization where you play at different intervals?
The formula is well understood at this point, and while there are a handful pokemon games where the story really shines, Temtem not reach that caliber. It’s fine, and sometimes the writing and characterizing feels right. But overall, the plot isn’t something worth writing more words about.
Fortunately, the combat system is. Battles are always performed with two Temtem on each side, reflecting the dual combat system in pokemon. Each Temtem has four moves to choose from that require stamina to use. If you run out of stamina, you can sacrifice your health to unleash a certain move. Because double fights are the norm, Temtem places greater emphasis on team synergy and supportive movements. Aside from random trainers and wild battles, preparation is the key to victory. While most fights won’t be heavy, fights in Dojos (the equivalent of pokemons Gyms) are exciting, memorable experiences because they force you to push your team and their abilities to the limit.
“Because double fights are the norm, Temtem puts a greater emphasis on team synergy and supportive movements.”
Unfortunately, these types of battles are rare until you reach the endgame content. Speaking of which, the endgame is rich with things to do. In addition to rematches against Dojo Masters, there are plenty of challenging battles to fight, a tower where you fight random opponents with a new team from Temtem, and a brand new island to explore.
As strong as the end of Temtem is, the path to it is a slog. TemtemThe Airborne Archipelago is big and beautiful to look at, made up of multiple islands each containing their own biomes and Temtem to catch. The sheer size of the world is tempting at first. But it soon becomes clear that being big isn’t always a good thing. The number of Temtem to be caught currently stands at 164. Their designs are not nearly as memorable as the ones in pokemon, although there is a bit of charm to be found among the creatures. But any new area you explore on a given island may only have two or three new Temtems to capture and fight in the field.
Battles get repetitive quickly because there are so few Temtem that you’ll see the same one for a long time. Either more monsters had to be included, or the world itself had to be smaller in size. Exploring shouldn’t be tedious, but that’s exactly how it feels no matter what island you’re on.
“…Temtem is at its best when a lot of people are playing…”
This is compounded by some of the elements that are a direct result of: Temtemstatus as MMO. While Temtem itself is leveling up quite a bit, acquiring currency is much slower. I often had to grind for basic items, let alone buy clothes or other expensive items. And the quests available in each location, of which there are many, often require you to go back to previous areas you’ve visited. Worse, these quests often have you delivering messages or items back and forth, making them feel like chores.
The multiplayer itself is fine. You can see players running around in the wild, catching Temtem and fighting NPC trainers. You can chat with them, suggest trades, participate in auctions for Temtem and of course challenge them to battles. There were only negligible technical issues with all the players on screen, and it’s really satisfying to see so many people running around and catching Temtem. Watching other players use skills and items you can’t access encouraged me to keep exploring. But Temtem is at its best when a lot of people are playing, and I have my doubts it will be just as active in the coming months.
I enjoyed sharing my time with Temtem. I liked the combat system and the presentation of the game is strong throughout. But the slow pace, with its repetitive combat and lackluster exploration, holds up Temtem back from being something really interesting. For those who have grown tired of it pokemon you may find it worth playing. As for me, I don’t think I’ll be returning to the Airborne Archipelago anytime soon.
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