7 Best Games To Play If You Like Pokémon

Since its establishment in Japan 26 years ago, Pokémon has been one of the most pervasive forces not only in video games but in popular culture in general. It was the highest-grossing entertainment series in history and thus naturally attracted a lot of imitators. Unfortunately, most of them are not very good.

That being said, there are a number of video games that manage to capture a similar magic to Nintendo’s iconic catch-up, while also testing its formula in intriguing ways. The level of loyalty they owe varies according to the formula, but they all belong to Pokémon in one way or another.

With Pokémon Scarlet and Violet just around the corner, it’s only natural for people to yearn for the experience of monster taming. So, to help ease the wait until you can catch them all and be the best (like no one has ever been), here are seven of the best Pokémon you can play right now. .

Monster Sanctuary

Image: new game / Team17

OK, so this one doesn’t look like a Pokémon. It’s a side-scrolling Metroidvania that carries more visual cues from the genre’s names than anything Game Freak has ever come up with.

However, the core premise of Monster Sanctuary involves capturing and taming dozens of different creatures to achieve the rank of “Master” in the order of Monster Keeper. In doing so, you may end up confronting the nefarious Alchemists, a group of evil wizards who want to conquer the famed Monster Sanctuary and use it to wage war on the Old World.

They’re like Team Rocket, but with an actual story that isn’t “We want world domination, but we’re only willing to achieve it if we can do so while using terrible Pokémon.” objectively.” In other words, these adversaries are a legitimate threat – especially when compared to Johto era rocket. Even when I was 5 years old, I was ashamed of them.

Monster Sanctuary available on Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.

Monster Crown

Photo: Studio Aurum / Soedesco

While Monster Crown‘S The Overworld definitely resembles the world of Pokémon in the Game Boy era game, anyone looking for lovely nostalgia is out of luck once they set foot on Crown Island.

Sure, Monster Crown can talk like a Pokémon, but it certainly doesn’t walk like that. It is heavily inspired by Game Freak RPGs in many ways, in that it incorporates 200 original monsters for you to capture, train, and battle with. While the number is impressive, it adds up to a whopping 1,200 when you consider the game’s breeding system, which allows you to pair specific monsters to gain access to new creatures. which you cannot encounter through ordinary means in nature.

Area in which Monster Crown differs from Pokémon in its storytelling and world design. Unlike the warm, mostly innocuous stories you’d expect to find in major Nintendo-published games, Monster Crown intentionally dark, targeting a specific demographic of players who grew up with the original Pokémon, but are now looking for something a little more mature. Opinions on whether the developers have succeeded in implementing that vision vary, but if you’re the type of person who frequently talks about wanting “an adult Pokémon game,” then this is the Pokémon-like game for you.

Monster Crown available on Windows PC, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Persona 5 Royal

Image: Atlus / Sega

Persona the series has been around for as long as Pokémon has, so to say that the former owes its existence to the latter is… well, simply wrong. Rather than being inspired by Nintendo, Persona is a spin-off of Sega’s own Shin Megami Tensei, a series in which you collect demons inspired by various mythologies around the world. Said demon is related to specific elemental types, all of which interact to create type-effective structures similar to Pokémon. It sounds a bit complicated at first, but fortunately, 2017 Persona 5 makes for a pretty great starting point.

Persona game is more casual JRPG than any Pokémon title, where they are not about collecting neat badges to challenge a very friendly and supportive champion, and more about attacking and dethroning God. However, the character’s various turn-based and affinity-based combat can stun certain enemies. Pair that with an impressive list of 192 individual Personas, each of which can be acquired through persuasion, seduction, bribery, or a ritual mechanic known as union, and you got yourself an excellent type-oriented, creature-collecting RPG.

It’s a bit weirder than Pokémon – there are cats that are also trucks (and sometimes helicopters), as well as some rather dull themes that could get the Game Freak director fired for serious negligence if they were brought up in Board meeting. However, if you are willing to indulge in this weirdness, there are few treasured games out there that are as engaging and rewarding as Persona 5.

Persona 5 Royal available on PlayStation 4. It will also be released on Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on October 21.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin

Image: Capcom via Polygon

It seems odd to compare Pokémon to the Monster Hunter series – one part is about collecting cartoon creatures, while the other is about brutally hunting down weird monsters – but the spin-offs The turn-based Monster Hunter has a lot in common with Pikachu’s locomotive.

The story of the monster hunter The game avoids meticulous preparation, stalking, and realistic hunting of fearsome giants for a softer approach to these creatures (they’ve even been renamed from “Monsters” to “” Monster”). In Monster Hunter’s Tale 2you can even assemble a team of these Monsters to join you on your adventure across Hakolo Island.

This warmth also extends to the game’s story, in which you become a Rider instead of a Hunter. Along with your trusty group of Monsters, you – a literal child – are tasked with saving the world from impending destruction. If that doesn’t qualify a game as “Pokémon-like”, I’m not sure what will.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin available on Windows PC and Nintendo Switch.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Image: Level-5 Game / Namco Bandai

The only things that Pokémon and Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch What they both have in common is that they both feature the process of capturing and befriending mystical creatures (later known as “Acquaintances”). Even the war is distinctly different, to the point of including Ni no Kuni on this list may seem a bit controversial to some.

On the contrary, this is exactly why Wrath of the White Witch belong here. Its focus on the Acquaintance makes it overlap enough with Pokémon that it feels… familiar, while the background of a deep story and emotional resonance gives longtime Pokémon fans something to do. something completely new. Oliver’s journey has more impact and influence than most of the relatively simple story rhythms in Kanto, Johto and beyond, and that certainly helps with the fact that all the animation sequences are consistent. Designed by Studio Ghibli.

Hell, even the soundtrack was composed by Joe Hisaishi, a frequent Studio Ghibli collaborator who provided the music for all but one of Hayao Miyazaki’s films (Lupine III: Castle of Cagliostrobefore Miyazaki’s tenure at Ghibli).

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch available on Windows PC, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.

Coromon

Image: TRAGsoft / Freedom Games

Coromon is the perfect game for those specifically after an experience reminiscent of Pokémon third and fourth generation – it occupies a kind of strange aesthetic limbo between the Hoenn and Sinnoh region.

Unlike some of the other games on this list, Coromon – as you can surmise from its name – is a very purposeful love letter addressed to a specific era in Pokémon history. From ice puzzles to static encounters with legendary monsters to exclusive sentient mud piles, it’s the kind of game someone grew up with. Diamond and Pearl will thoroughly enjoy.

It’s also of exceptional value to anyone getting up to speed with modern Pokémon challenge run. As well as having a world inspired by Pokémon, Coromon comes with a built-in randomizer and difficulty setting, adding a layer of complexity to the game to encourage experimentation and replayability – it’s kind of Pokémon itself can be put to good use in the future.

Coromon available on Windows PC and Android.

Temtem

Image: Crema / Humble Bundle

While there are plenty of special favorites on this list, none of them compete with TemtemThe best new monster taming RPG since Game Freak came out in 1996.

Temtem, in many ways, is a carbon copy of Pokémon. Its map is made up of routes and rivers, cities and caves, mountains and swamps. Outside of town, areas are populated with wild species that you can capture, train, and use to battle other predators. Dojo Masters are basically gym leaders, and beating them allows you to continue the story. On paper, it’s basically just a Pokémon by another name.

But Temtem It’s also fascinating in the way it introduces new life to outdated concepts. For example, all battles in Temtem are double fights, making most encounters a lot more strategic. There’s also a wide range of niche, single-use items that enhance the competitiveness of your Temtems, and the overall story feels like it’s targeting a demographic that isn’t just “young.” 10-year-olds and 10-year-olds- children in or since 1996.” There is a bar!

If you are a Pokémon fans are looking for something similar in the lead to (or comedies from) scarlet and Violet, you should obviously choose whichever item on this list suits you best. But what if we had to recommend a game for Pokémon? It is definitely Temtem.

Or Persona 5 Royal, if you want to take down the Prime Minister of Japan before defeating the Old Testament God in a physical manifestation of the collective subconscious that you and your friends can access through a smartphone app. It really depends on you.

Temtem available on Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.