Pretty much ever since the first Pocket Monsters games hit Game Boy, kids have wanted to play them online, as I can attest from first-hand experience. We went from link cables to Wi-Fi Connections to a solution in modern games that is functional but less than ideal. Sure, we can trade and battle with our friends wherever we go, but venturing into the regions of Pokemon is still a solitary experience. The Pokemon MMO we've dreamed of would populate the world with skilled trainers that didn't just have a single Rattata to their name. Crema, the developers of Immortal Redneck, heard these cries and came up with a substitute they are looking to crowdfund. Enter Temtem.
Temtem sells itself very much on its similarities to Nintendo's monster-catching RPG. You'll travel across routes to fight eight Dojo leaders and scores of Temtem tamers. You capture these creatures in digital cards and then battle other Tamers and their monsters. You fight the nefarious Clan Belsoto and their mysterious leader. Will that leader end up being your father? The game will probably never tell you.
However, there's a bit more to the game if you look closer. As I mentioned before, Temtem looks to bring the Pokemon experience online in an expanded way. You'll run into trainers all around the Airborne Archipelago, each followed by their favorite Temtem Heart Gold-style. The teaser shows that you can launch into trading and battle from the overworld, and they've upped the character and base customization to befit an online-focused game.
In addition to these changes, they're tweaking some staple mechanics. Breeding monsters over and over again will lead to diminishing returns, forcing you to find more than a single Ditto equivalent if you want to really catch 'em all. In addition, battles are mainly 2v2 encounters, and the Kickstarter promises a system free of RNG elements.
Since this is a crowdfunding campaign, you can expect a host of stretch goals and big bonuses for generous backers. The base game is funded at $70,000. An official Nuzlocke mode comes in at $90,000 and a Game Corner addition costs $120,000. If you feel like Temtem can compete directly with Nintendo, you can get the game all the way to $250,000 for a Switch release. On your way to those goals, you can grab everything from an appearance in the game as a Dojo minion to the rights to design your own Compartment Creature.
Temtem already has a Steam page to gawk at, as well as a social media presence on Twitter and Discord. The Kickstarter campaign will run until July 2nd or until Nintendo's lawyers find a loophole to shut it down.
What are your thoughts on Temtem? Is the Pokemon MMO dream still one you cling to and are Crema saying all the right things? Let us know in the comments below!
