Coromon

Coromon opens like the Pokémon game you remember, right until it gut-checks your muscle memory with its own DNA. This isn’t just another pixel-perfect tribute swaddled in nostalgia. It’s a tactically rich, visually stunning creature-battler that respects your time, challenges your understanding of combat, and genuinely tries something new – all while wearing its love of classic JRPGs on its very fashionable sleeve.

Set in the vibrant tech-meets-tradition region of Velua, Coromon starts with familiar beats: starter creatures, your first steps into the wild, and evil forces looming just left of screen. But it immediately veers into fresh territory. Its creatures are sorted not just by elemental types, but by potential, ranks like Standard, Superior, and Perfect, letting you micromanage stats in ways longtime min-maxers will gush over. A speedy tank? A glass cannon with just enough HP to survive a slip-up? Go wild.

Its combat too flexes more nuance than you’d expect. Energy points, versatile skills detached from creature typing, and status-heavy strategies make each battle feel one good read away from genius, or disaster. Pair that with difficulty modifiers, including built-in Nuzlocke and Randomizer modes, and you’ve got a creature collector that isn’t afraid of players who know what they’re doing.

Yes, the menus fumble at times, and Pokémon-style veterans will need to rewire their brains a bit when Ice beats Water. But when a boar with flaming manes becomes your MVP, or you uncover a glitchy ghost deep in a crystal cavern, Coromon captures that old-school spark, then evolves it.

Coromon isn’t trying to be Pokémon. It’s trying to be better, and, startlingly often, it succeeds.