An undeniable feeling of nostalgia washes over me as I dive into Cassette Beasts for the first time. The indie adventure from Bytten Studio is brought to life in a 3D pixel art style, that immediately bringing to mind the classic Pokemon games on GameBoy. In fact, as I quickly come to learn, Cassette Beasts shares a lot of similarities to Pokemon in the way it plays, with creatures to collect and battle. But it also succeeds at feeling original, with its own remixed take on the formula. Instead of catching critters in balls, you record beasts on tapes and actually transform into them in battle. You'll also be accompanied by other characters who can fight alongside you, and even fuse with you to become a more powerful beast.
What's most apparent from the get-go is that there's so much to the setting of New Wirral to explore and discover. After creating my own character (complete with a cat-eared headband accessory, because of course), I find myself mysteriously washed up on the beach. I don't know how I got here or why, but as it turns out, everyone who's in this world isn't able to leave or get back home. With a great mystery underpinning the adventure and challenging battles, I'm pleasantly surprised by just how invested I become in what is easily one of the best twists on a Pokemon-like experience I've played yet.
