Pokemon is one of the biggest franchises ever, but Nintendo and Game Freak hardly own a monopoly on monster collecting. In addition to the franchise’s older rivals, Pokemon GO developer Niantic is branching out with its upcoming game Peridot. Meanwhile, small studio Crema is on track to launch its Pokemon-inspired MMO Temtem for PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
The developers released a new trailer for Temtem on May 24th. In addition to showing off some of its features and gameplay, the trailer announces the game’s upcoming September 6th release date.
Crema describes Temtem as “a massively multiplayer creature-collection adventure.” The game takes place in the Airborne Archipelago, where every kid dreams of being a Temtem tamer. Players can explore the six flying islands to collect the titular Temtem and battle to be the greatest tamer in the world. In true Pokemon-style fashion, this involves traveling from region to region, challenging the game’s equivalent of gym leaders while fending off attacks from the local criminal syndicate. Temtem’s versions take the form of eight Dojo leaders and the villainous Clan Belsoto, though the influences are pretty apparent.
Temtem’s new trailer shows clips of different locations and Temtem, as well as the game’s social aspects. Each island is unique, and Temtem’s developers show off various biomes during the short trailer. These include dusty deserts, snowy wilderness, futuristic cities, tropical beaches, orange grasslands, and volcanic wastes. It depicts groups of players socializing, exploring the world, and taking part in turn-based creature battles. The trailer also shows players scaling cliffs, swinging across gaps with grappling hooks, and riding a variety of vehicles and mounts. However, the turn-based Temtem battles are the game’s primary focus, though the trailer didn’t show off more than a few seconds of each fight.
Battles in Temtem see each player select the eight Temtem they want to bring. Players then take turns disqualifying each other’s creatures until both players have a team of five. The game also boasts co-op battles where players can team up to take on more challenging opponents. The matches then play out similar to other turn-based Pokemon clones.
The trailer’s description also included a few other details that may not have been apparent in the video itself. These included letting players buy an in-game house and customize it with furniture and paint. Players can do the same with the characters, dressing them up in colorful outfits. Developers also promise substantial post-launch support to bring new quests, cosmetics, Temtem, and other content.
Players can pre-order Temtem from Steam, the Humble Store, and the Xbox and PlayStation stores. Those who don’t want to wait can also jump into the early access version on PC and PlayStation 5. Unfortunately, the developer has confirmed that Temtem is not coming to the PS4 or Xbox One.
Temtem launches September 6th, 2022, for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
