Nexomon: Extinction – Review
Our Rating: 8.5/10
Nexomon: Extinction is a 2D RPG adventure in which you play as a freshman tamer trying to climb the ranks of the Tamer’s Guild – nothing out of the ordinary so far. Unfortunately, the world is in a state of chaos, with Nexomon fighting amongst themselves to rule over humans and beasts alike.
The previous King of the Lands, an evil Nexomon, was deposed a long time ago, and its Tyrant ancestors are now vying for power. The Guild needs your help to prevent a Tyrant Nexomon from gaining such power and to restore the balance of power.
GAME OVERVIEW
Tyrants are the center of this story. They are gigantic beings that attack cities with the simple aim of becoming the king of all monsters. As a form of containment, humans created a guild that captures and trains smaller monsters to fight these Tyrants.
Starred by an orphan who always dreamed of being a tamer of Nexomon, right at the beginning of the adventure we started to develop our own army to keep humanity alive. The story is very silly and only exists as a support for the mechanics of the work. The difference in the script is in the humor. The game does not take itself seriously at all, generating very fun moments.
GAMEPLAY
There are 381 creatures to collect. They are under nine categories: Normal, Fire, Water, Plant, Mineral, Wind, Electric, Psychic, and Ghost. When Nexomons reach certain levels, they almost all evolve into a different type, with a different physiognomy and name.
The battle system maintains the typical turn-based formula in which each creature can only have four different moves. However, instead of each move having a set number of Power Points (PP) and their use is limited to the number of PP we have, each Nexomon has a resistance bar that is constantly reduced when the player attacks. As the battle progresses, and the resistance bar prevents us from attacking. Nexomon will rest that turn in order to regain 10 points of resistance.
Capture System
Nexomons capture system has a different and even more complex formula than the Pokémon series. In addition to factors such as the amount of life of the opposing creature and the type of ball to use, there are also other aspects that influence the probability of capture. Namely, giving food or its current state. Whenever you want to capture a Nexomon, a menu appears showing the statistics of all factors. Showing you the final percentage of the probability of success.
As a travel companion, you will have a cat named Coco (not a Nexomon). Since your character does not speak, he ends up serving as a spokesperson. Taking into account his sarcastic personality, his interactions with other characters are quite fun. In fact, comedy is very present in this game. The characters even break the fourth barrier and enjoy the fact that they are just that. Simply characters from a video game and that certain parts are repetitive because the programmers lacked imagination.
The world is huge and somewhat reminiscent of the first titles in the Zelda series. It is divided into sections. You never get to see or have access to a detailed map of the routes between cities. There are several stores in the game where you can buy a wide range of items. NPCs will also request assistance with specific tasks.
Despite being almost all optional, and appearing little by little, there are many more different quests to do. Another feature of this game is the pick and the possibility of breaking stones. The emeralds extracted from the stones are used to create colors of abilities for each of our creatures in the beginning. You can later use these emeralds to make Nexotraps.
The GOOD, the BAD, and the OVERALL GAMING EXPERIENCE
Despite finding a viable alternative to the PP system, the number of moves available is significantly reduced when compared to the Pokémon formula. Unfortunately, the resistance bar does not regenerate outside of battles. So if you don’t want to spend all of your money on items, the best option is to visit the nearest medical center as often as possible.
The captures become more fun thanks to the huge variety of scenarios present in the work. The cities and fields have an added charm, encouraging exploration and secondary activities.
Missions provide incredible rewards that extend game time and make the side activities worthwhile. With almost 300 pets to capture, rest assured that you will spend good hours immersed in the universe of the game.
Nexomon‘s biggest attraction is the capture of pets. Creatures have different types and characteristics. Each one has a unique design. Some resemble plants, other large cats, and others are cute little ghosts. The studio strived to build an identity for each of them, making the capture process more enjoyable.
Despite the game’s resemblance to the original Pokémon games, it still appears to be a mobile game. The soundtrack serves its purpose. Although there are times when the melodies are too basic or generic; however, this is a subjective opinion that can differ from person to person.
Conclusion
Nexomon: Extinction has some interesting characters, good moments of comedy, and also considerable versatility of missions. It even manages to apply some original and good ideas regarding its source of inspiration. At the same time, it fails when trying to recreate the basic formula of it. It is an excellent addition to the monster-capturing genre. With a design full of personality, intuitive and fun gameplay, and a generous duration, the title does not reinvent the wheel. However, it does deliver a quality experience that is worth playing.
