Cassette Beasts
Developer: Bytten Studio
Publisher: Pineapple Works
Platforms: Switch (Reviewed), Xbox One,, PC, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $19.99 – Available Here
Overview
Monster battling romps have really started to come out in force over the last few years, with many inspired by Nintendo’s own Pokemon franchise. Cassette Beasts may have that appeal and initial look, but looks to offer something nostalgic yet addictive with a unique RPG based on an expired form of media. How does this pan out? Let’s find out.
Story
After being mysteriously warped to an island in another dimension, the player quickly learns that they are in a world full of the unknown, where many inhabitants also suffered the same fate. With no answers to go on, most of the townsfolk simply adapted, discovering the ability to transform into beasts that can be captured into a cassette, where they can then transform to a specific creature with a few commands.
The player’s goal is basically to chat with locals and find a way back to their home. Yes, its kind of like the same lore of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon on paper, but this world does feel unique and most of the characters are rather interesting, with fascinating dialogue that really paints a dark picture of your new surroundings. Is it something that is super memorable? Well, not too much – but I did enjoy what this team put together to make this project come alive.
Gameplay
This is where it fell apart, right from the start. Before I begin, I can state that Cassette Beasts is available for several platforms, and most of those seem to be generally praised. The Switch seemed to have been ported by a different studio, and is simply a mess – to put it lightly. From the moment you begin to walk around, the game suffers from constant stuttering. Every few steps comes with a hiccup, and even though we waited for a patch, nothing seems to have improved.
On top of that, most battles or cutscenes can crash the game on this version. I would not call it completely unplayable as you can certainly “play” the game in portions at a time, but the bugs and general stutter issue make it a chore to play. Its a shame as the game is actually a lot of fun to play when it decides to work. You see, players get to traverse a large map with several areas, just like RPGs within the same genre. They have a walkman cassette player, and use that to transform into a beast to fight other wild beasts within the area. The player can then record the beast to a blank tape, and add that to their squad of available monsters. Battles bring experience, which will level the player’s beasts up. Beasts can also be combined with other party members in a fusion, which also adds a nice layer of strategy.
Its honestly an addictive mechanic here that feels unique even though the structure is obviously working off what it was inspired by, which makes it feel like this could be a wonderful game. The Switch port however for this review just came off as a headache however, as it isn’t a great feeling to see something so rich in depth and imagination hindered by such cumbersome glitches, almost as if the platform was not optimized to handle the performance of the game itself. It went on like this for a few hours before I finally had to throw in the towel and admit defeat, as this game is in desperate need to a complete patch that addresses its overall playability.
Visuals
The graphics are nice, modeled in the same vein as a lot of 16-bit RPGs. The colors are vivid, and animations mostly seem to be chipper and alive when not stuttering. Again, this version has some severe launch problems that kind of make this a chore to enjoy, but there is something special here, and I believe those patient enough to await a fix will be quite happy when we finally see some polish and work put into making this title sing on this platform.
Audio
I actually really dug the soundtrack. WIth fantastic vocal tunes that give the game a sweet spirit, its easy to see why there was so much praise for the other versions of this title. I can say that sometimes the tracks felt a bit unfitting for the environments (like randomly playing a vocal track while simply speaking to NPCs, but most should enjoy the effort that went into creating something original. The voice work is limited, but well done enough to attempt to give character to the inhabitants of the island, which was also appreciated.
Overall
In a way, this version of Cassette Beasts on the Switch reminds me of getting a music CD from a store by one of my favorite artists. I know I already will like it as its content is clear, but there are so many scratches that cause it to skip that it makes the experience listening to it unpleasant. That’s where we are right now. With some patches and love, I am sure Cassette Beasts has a bright future ahead of it. Right now however, it is impossible to recommend a game that barely lets you walk three steps without stuttering or crashing. We hope to revisit this again once everything is properly in place so Switch users can get a peek at the true potential Cassette Beasts has to offer.
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