Yokai Watch has become a series that I do truly love. While it might be another try at a Pokemon type game, it is far different than Pokemon in many ways. It’s fantastic to see a series that has only three main games so far, shine in its monster creation. Yokai Watch 3 is a game that is worth playing and adds more fun to this already wacky and wonderful series.
Yokai Watch 3 stars the young boy Nate Adams, and players are able to name him as they please. Nate was gifted the Yokai Watch in the first game from the mysterious Gacha machine and soon met his Yokai Butler Whisper. Nate continues to be helped by his cat pal Jibanyan but soon finds himself leaving his comforting home of Springdale for the Americanized BBQ. The previous games obviously take place in Japan so to have this one set in America is rather cool. Though for American audiences all the games have been set in America.
BBQ is an interesting take on America and feels rather subdued and southern. The characters enjoy things like paddle boats, fishing, and Nate’s new friend Buck enjoys a good ride down a river on a raft. Nate meets Buck early on and they become fast friends. Buck is convinced Aliens have come to BBQ and with Nate’s help maybe he will find what he is looking for.
Yokai Watch is a series that often sees players playing as Nate’s female counterpart Katie Forester. In this game, while she is playable later on, the player will usually take control of Nate and a new character Hailey. Hailey has her own story and her own partner in the wascally Usapyon. These two meet in a similar way to Nate and Whisper and soon become fast friends. It is up to the player to switch between the steadfast hero and the wild newbie.
Yokai Watch 3 is all about battling and befriending wonderous Yokai. These creatures initially were all based on Japanese lore, but now the creators of the creatures are getting creative. Some of them aren’t all gems, however, but that is part of the game’s charm. Yokai Watch 3 does build on this with Merican Yokai. These Yokai might literally be walking bacon or movie references but it is always fun to see what pops up. Players never know what they will find and that is part of the fun.
Yokai Watch 3 is the ultimate version of the game and contains all the Yokai possible. It’s great to jump into a game knowing that there aren’t any Yokai locked away behind another game version. With over seven hundred Yokai it is extremely possible to make quite a team.
Battling Yokai is something that might take some getting used too. While the Yokai will generally fight for themselves there are things the player must do. After building a suitable team players must purify their friends with little minigames like spinning the screen or pulling off tags. They also have the need to Soultimates which are special moves which players can also help activate.
Befriending Yokai is all about weakening them and feeding them. These Yokai all have different foods that satisfy them so players must be sure they have a wide variety of food with them at all times. It’s cool to see what foods Yokai want, as sometimes the selections might seem they are coming out of left field. Feed the Yokai to increase the chance that they will want to be friends, but never expect it to happen.
The magical gacha machine makes a return again, and using either play coins or Yokai Watch coins, players can try their luck at befriending new Yokai. This game takes the gacha up a level by first implementing a dart throwing minigame. Players can try their chance at winning up to 30 spins by throwing a dart and getting lucky. The luck mechanic doesn’t end there as once the coin is inserted players will see a roulette wheel that will select their fate. Some coins produce better odds, and everything is laid out for the player to make it easier. By talking to an odd man, one might be able to increase the odds even more in their favor.
This game has a lot of extra minigames that add to the flare of the game. These games are similar to the Oni mode from previous games which also makes a reappearance. Players might need to battle Zombies or get away from clowns. They might need to run through a grocery store launching off ramps or even participate in a dance. Fishing and bug hunting also offer a nice diversion from the wacky story.
There is also the fantastic Blasters T mode in which players will run through dungeons with a team of four of their favorite Yokai. These dungeons revolve around an Ancient Egyptian theme and have the players collect treasure and take out bosses. Players can really stack their deck if they use the Yokai they have been using throughout the course of the game. It’s great to run through dungeons as the player actually plays as the Yokai. They all have their own powers and changing up the party adds to the fun. It’s great to have a whole nother game within Yokai Watch 3 and the rewards are incredible.
This game also allows players to battle and trade with friends locally and online. It is often quite interesting battling human players as this game can be quite interesting. While the NPC’s do put up quite the fight, there is something about playing real people that is just so fun. This game is definitely different than Pokemon as players often have to purify their allies if they have any hope of winning.
There are also voiced cinematics that look great whenever they pop up. They usually help the story flow and are often humorous. Sometimes they hold interesting Yokai and the player gets to see them in action. All in all, though the animation is strong and its fun watching each and every cinematic.
The music is strong in this game and the different locales offer some interesting musical differences. The music of BBQ is definitely funkier and feels fresh as players have heard the Springdale music since the game’s start. It’s great to simply jam out to the music, and players can do that with the music app in game. The one flaw is that players literally have to stay in the app to continue to listen to whatever song they have selected. But still, the music is awesome.
Yokai Watch 3 is a fantastic game and one that tells quite the story. Playing as both Nate and Hailey add different elements and ideas to the story. While at first, I might not have liked Hailey so much by the end she had grown on me. There is quite a bit of luck in this game, and that adds to the fun. While I’m happy to have played it, this game is bittersweet as it is the last of its series on the 3DS. Here’s hoping the Switch makes it shine even more. Nate and Hailey need to save the world, will the player help them?