Nexomon: Extinction
Image from Nintendo
Before you write Nexomon: Extinction off as just another wannabe remake of Pokémon, hear me out. Prior to playing this game I too thought there was no room for another franchise in the pocket monster genre. Against my better judgment, I set out to review Nexomon: Extinction to prove to myself and others that we were not missing out. What I found was an inviting, vibrant world full of undiscovered creatures more unique and exciting than anything I had seen in the last four generations of Pokémon. Not only that, but there existed a story, lore and legends within the Nexomon universe that were more expansive and interesting than possibly all of the Pokémon story-lines combined. If I have your attention, please continue reading. If none of this excites you, consider the possibility that Nintendo and Game Freak have let themselves go and have sat upon a genre monopolized and abused. There’s never been pressure for them to be better, and we as consumers have continued to consume. VEWO has stepped into the ring and challenged a giant in their own home town. Please consider offering a developer that we at BLG are utterly impressed with a chance to open your mind to a universe worth exploring.
Nexomon: Extinction is not a perfect game - far from it. The combat is basic, bugs sometimes crash your game, and the boss battles can be absolutely grueling. But I could not be more excited for the future of Nexomon. In what turned out to be an absolute indie gem, Nexomon: Extinction set itself apart and made a strong name for itself among pocket monster games. Through a surprisingly deep story, incredible humor, and phenomenal art, BLG has fallen in love with VEWO Interactive.
Story
The Nexomon universe is saturated in lore and legend. The history depicted in the game is compelling and you almost wish it were true. The relationship between humans and Nexomon is incredibly complicated. Some Nexomon are sentient and rule their lesser relatives. The humans are considered vermin to some Nexomon but are highly respected and loved by others. There are multiple tiers to the Nexomon hierarchy and the timeline of the story is trapped sometime after the ultimate king of the Nexomon, Omnicron, has been slain. His children, and other powerful monsters called Tyrants war against one another for the throne, and humans are tangled in the fight. Cities are scattered across the Nexomon world, each with their own culture and philosophy of how to defend against the Tyrants. Each city has a surprising level of character that draws you into their plight. You quickly become empathetic for the people of Nexomon, but it is evident that everything is not as it seems. As the story progresses, the world becomes a lot more complicated than you'd ever imagine from a pocket monster game. Twists and surprises are around every corner and it is up to you to decipher the truth.
Perhaps the worst thing about the story is considered a strength to some... it's long. It's really long. If I were still in high school with tons of time and no family or job, I would be thrilled with the length of the game. But as an adult with minimal time and a lot of responsibility, I found myself begging to reach the end of the story. It is not so much that the narrative is exhaustive (although that is the case at times) but the game is brutally grueling. So much so that I had to completely abandon my old strategy in Pokemon, where I'd build a hardy party and level them all up to incredible strength. Nexomon hates your party. And you. At the start of the game, the leveling is so slow you almost have no choice but to constantly catch higher level Nexomon in every new area you enter. Otherwise, be prepared to play an extra ten hours to level up your team. I am not kidding, check our podcast at around 27:52. Nick, our other co-host stubbornly pushed through with his party and finished the story 10 hours after I did.
Maybe VEWO did this on purpose. They want to force you into experiencing some of the amazing monsters they have designed. I appreciate that aspect, but sometimes you find something you love and you want to stick with it. As the game progresses, they provide XP boosters that exponentially compound your growth, but it is not until late in the game that you notice the difference.
Art
If the screenshots you have seen have not already convinced you, let me say that Nexomon is a uniquely beautiful game. The world is vibrant, and the level of detail is impressive. Every pixel on the screen is used intentionally to make the world feel lived in. The Nexomon designs are perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the game. VEWO did an amazing job of setting themselves apart from other games through the monsters they created. Every region has its own architecture, flora, and music that complement the Nexomon found there. The landscape has massive vistas with distant backgrounds that give you a sense of the expansive world you are in.
Humor
Perhaps Nexomon: Extinction's greatest attribute, is how hilarious the writing is. In an extremely meta way, they challenge the strange things about the pocket monster genre that Pokemon takes itself too seriously to address. They acknowledge the hilarity of strangers stopping you to fight your creatures for money without your consent, the fact that your belt can only hold 6 creatures, and how you can walk straight into someone's home unannounced and expect them to kindly give you a gift. All of these funny situations are commented on by your trusty side-kick, Coco, a cat that can talk with absolutely no explanation or reason. Nexomon flips the genre on its head and willingly insults itself and owns its short-comings. That is exactly what players of Nintendo games love; self-deprecation and a roller-coaster of ups and downs. But seriously, we could all use a reminder sometimes that at the end of the day, these are games made by people who love games. So if they break that fourth wall to explain that the only reason there's a lapse in the story is because the budget was tight, then I'm here for it.
Combat
So far it probably seems like this game is unstoppable and an absolute must-buy. And maybe to someone who loves this genre of game it is. But combat is where this game falls short of incredible. I do not necessarily blame the poor combat on the developers, but in a type of game centered around a combat mode Pokemon has mastered, there needs to be some serious improvement. But there is not. Nexomon combat is similar to the earliest Pokemon games: basic, choppy, and often a chore. They have replaced the Pokemon "PP" system with a "Stamina" system. Instead of each move having its own amount of uses, all moves are dependent on your Nexomon's overall stamina. Run out of stamina and you can't make a single move. This distinction may sound harmless, but once you play for a few hours, the difference is easily felt. You are constantly running back and forth between healers or chugging elixirs and blowing through your earnings. This dynamic makes leveling up in an already grueling XP system even harder. The moves are typical, with simple graphics that create the illusion of damage. As you level up you realize that many of the moves are almost exactly the same. The moves may have different names and slightly altered graphics, but perform the same amount of damage and status effects. Not only that, but when you are about to learn something new, they often present a move you already know! Crushing your excitement of even trying to learn something new.
The boss battles are punishing, which I actually enjoyed. This felt like a Dark Souls equivalent to Pokemon, where you cannot always expect to beat bosses on your first try. Even in this regard, there are a laughable amount of times when you're about the finish a fight, and something steps in and whisks the bosses out of danger so that you will have to fight them again. The repetitive nature of the bosses can be infuriating and part of the reason the game is so long. If it were not for the beautiful world and great story telling, I may have never finished.
Conclusion
As I mentioned at the top, I would encourage any fan of the genre to try this game and give the developer VEWO Interactive a fair shot. Nexomon challenges what we have accepted from Pokemon for so long, and gives players a breath of fresh air in many ways. While there are some things that definitely need improvement, BLG is incredibly excited for the future of this franchise. Nexomon: Extinction has earned a 7 out of 10, and is an enjoyable experience for anyone who wants to try something new.
For our full discussion and review of NEXOMON: EXTINCTION, check out our podcast episode!
Buy this game if you enjoy:
Classic Pokemon
Hilarious Writing
Beautiful Graphics
