Coromon is a monster-catching, pet battling game that can be easily mistaken for the more popular and viral games on the market right now. However, it was just released so people are bound to be a bit confused at first, but in no time they’ll be joining the waves of fans that adore this amazing game. There’s just something about creating a team of cute monster friends that intrigues and lures one in. Coromon is a game that has hidden away in its heart the spirit of old-time monster taming RPGs.What might seem like yet another “copy and paste” product hides more than a surprise, thanks to fairly layered gameplay. If you are looking for a fun adventure, difficult at the right point, and with an atmosphere reminiscent of the Pokémon chapters released on the iconic Game Boy Advance, Coromon is therefore the game that could be for you. The game, which has just released on 31 March 2022, is available on Microsoft Windows via Steam as well as Nintendo Switch.
The game itself is a turn-based RPG, where players will battle monsters, collect more monsters, and level up their monsters on their journey. The combat system is reminiscent of old school RPGs and features a “rock paper scissors” style mechanic that rewards players for exploiting elemental weaknesses.
While there’s a great variety on offer here, it should also be noted that some of these Coromon is a little lazy in their design. Most of them look fantastic — they’re all very colorful and have their own distinct characteristics making them easy to tell apart — but there are a few that really do look like they’ve been copied and pasted from other games. That’s not the case for all of them — most are wonderfully designed — but in terms of art direction, it’s clear that some were given more attention than others.
There’s also a unique aspect to the monster taming mechanic. It’s called “Potency”, which is a random stat that can be applied to every single monster in the game. What makes it special? Well, there’s a chance that you’ll capture monsters with higher than usual Potency (0-21), which means that you’ll need less XP to level up your Coromon and get free stat points! , Standard Coromon appears 97.09% of the time (3101 to 3194), Potent 2.88% (92 to 3194), and Perfect 0.03% (1 to 3194). This feature was introduced with the purpose of adding more variety to the gameplay. While standard monsters will be sufficient for most players, those who want something extra can try their luck and look for more powerful creatures!
The first thing we notice, when playing a game, is the visual design. We see characters and scenes that tell us a story and inspire us to play on. The second thing we tend to notice are the animation sequences — they help create an atmosphere, go hand in hand with the art style and can really make or break a game. In a game like this, the pacing is super important. And when you’re playing a game that’s as heavy on interaction like this one, you have to be able to play it at any pace that feels comfortable. This means that there are some battles that are going to be longer than others and certain parts will come off the bat faster than others. There’s no way to speed up the animations, but there is a “skip” available. If you’ve been watching animations for too long, it might feel a little strange at first to skip them and jump right into a fight with your party of Monsters fully healed and ready for combat. You’re always going to have some level of repetition with combat, no matter what you do. But it’s important not to make this feeling too much of a chore. Coromon seems to have failed on this aspect as it features lots of prolonged battles, unnecessary chores, an excessive number of puzzles, and excessive grinding for leveling up your Coromons that at times kills the excitement and thrill to progress further in the story.
Coromon has way too many RNGs ( Random Number Generator ) for it ever to be interesting competitively. Because of this, Coromon is far less appealing than other Pokemon-like games which are clones or have similar features. Random Number Generator mechanics detract from the skill involved in the game. Even though there is an element of luck involved in any battle, when random number generators are involved there is a much greater chance of a player winning or losing because of luck rather than skill. This can make teams and battles feel less interesting because good movesets and tactics are often not enough to overcome bad luck. Even in single-player games, random number generator mechanics are neither satisfying to win with nor do they feel fair to lose to.
Unlike Pokémon, Coromon has no trading or co-op, so the only way to get more monsters is to beat them up and claim them for yourself. Trading is something the entire potential and traits system can really benefit from, thankfully TRAGsoft ( Developers of Coromon ) have expressed an interest in adding it in future updates but for now, players will have to live without it.
I do have a few suggestions. First and foremost, I would like to see more variety in Coromon types as it feels like you can only get so far with one type before you’re forced to swap out since every type has its strengths and weaknesses.
I also feel that you should be able to switch out your Coromon buddies in battle as I often found myself with a party that wasn’t suited for the area I was currently in and then would have to backtrack all the way to town to swap out for a better party. Though this may just be me and what I’m used to from other games like Pokemon, it is something that would definitely make the game flow better.
The combat system feels a bit clunky and frustrating to use especially in some of the later dungeons. It’s not uncommon to get chained into 3-4 attacks while trying to get away, but I feel this can be addressed by adding some sort of dodge roll or I-frame, especially when all your Coromons have fainted and it’s your last and only Coromon left.