Nexomon is a callback to classic Pokémon games but manages to have its charm. It’s the first entry in the series, but its sequel was released on consoles first. Nexomon stars a young lad or lass out on their journey to take down evil and become the new Nexo Lord.
Nexomon starts one morning; a young person wakes up and heads outside. After stopping a theft, they get the choice of a Nexomon. One of every type is on offer, and that’s pretty cool. For my starter, I chose Bevy because I’ve always generally chosen the Water Starter in Pokémon. The starter choice doesn’t matter much anyway, but it’s nice to start the game with one of every type available.
After a battle, the player meets the villain of the game, the Nexo Lord. Having the Nexolord as a villain is a refreshing change of pace, as it is to have the villain as the champion. It hasn’t even happened in the Pokémon games yet, so kudos to them. Though, it does happen; in some form in the Pokémon Adventures manga. The Nexolord and his cronies will do everything and anything to take down the player, so watch out.
The player will take on the different leaders of each town and work their way up to facing the Nexolord. But don’t think the adventure is finished. The player will soon head to hell to take down another villain. In hell, the Nexomon reset to level 5, and the player must take down a new bunch of enemies. It’s a twist that I never saw coming. After that, there is even more story to play through. Nexomon should keep any fan happy for quite a while.
Battles are turn-based, with trainers and monsters taking a turn. The Nexomon will take a free turn if the player switches in, which can be a pain. The monsters bounce around, and when they get hit, they each have an animation. It’s great to see them moving around, and the damage animations are pretty funny too.
Nexomon is a pretty solid Pokémon clone, and it keeps pretty in line with the series. Players run around catching Nexomon in Nexotraps, not balls. They fight different trainers when their eyes meet and heal at Nexomon centers. They do, however, buy items from an anthropomorphic cat in Nexomon. But imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so it’s nice in a way.
I appreciate that the encounters aren’t random. Players will walk through the grass, but the grass will shake if it is hiding a Nexomon. The non-random encounters help trainers get back to heal if their friends are knocked out and make things a little easier. Nexomon was a mobile release originally, so having it take less time is essential.
The Nexotrap is an ingenious device that allows trainers to catch magical creatures. It will only work when the Nexomon is at low enough health, but sometimes that isn’t true. Though, it feels different than a Pokéball. The odds are not in the player’s favor either because there are only two Nexotraps, so it has to be harder to catch them in this game.
The Nexomon each has their rank, which always shows up below the Pokémon in the game. Players will want to catch them all, but some are rare, mega rare, or if they are a starter, they are considered special. The game allows for a high playtime because of how hard it is to catch the many Nexomon.
The music in Nexomon is another standout as it is good. The world music is decent and reflects the area the character is exploring. The battle music is a solid bop, and I enjoy hearing it every time it plays. It’s a fun world to explore and fight through, and the music helps expand that idea even more.
Nexomon is a solid Pokemon clone, and I’m happy to see it finally finds its way to consoles. It feels like an old-school Pokemon game; and is part of its charm, with its story ramping up fantastically: and all of the Nexomon inside its great. All in all, Nexomon is a game worth giving a shot for any Pokemon fans out there. The world in danger will the player become a Nexomon tamer and save it?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided