My Playtime: 60.4h (78/80 achievements, finished the game)
Grindy Achievement(s): No.
Optional Achievement(s): Yes (~64 achievement).
Difficult Achievement(s): Yes (~1 achievement).

Coromon is a monster-taming game, similar to Pokémon. It offers 124 monsters to collect, separated into 8 types.

Pros:
- Fast-paced gameplay
- Customizable difficulty
- Easier rate to catch "shiny" monsters

Cons:
- Grindy endgame content
- Slow saving time

Specs
Intel Core i5-9300H 2.40GHz, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650

Yes.
If you like monster-taming games, especially the ones that focus on collecting everything, you'll like this game.

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Coromon was displayed in top-down, pixelated visuals. Despite having simple-looking characters, the monsters look more varied, ranging from cute to cool. Combat is also displayed from a different angle than Pokémon games, giving a unique take on the visuals.

The story is straightforward. It tries to follow the same route as Pokémon games where there is an antagonist group that is trying to do bad things, except that rather than focusing the story on you becoming a Pokémon master, Coromon's story revolves around stopping the group from doing anything worse. The dialogues are lengthy, but you won't miss anything if you don't follow them.

Gameplay
Coromon is played just like Pokémon: you choose a starter monster and use it to go on your journey. The difference is that you'll get a second monster after you choose your starter, and instead of gyms, you'll have Titans. There are 7 Titans based on each type that are spread around the world. Going to each location will be done on foot, triggering battles whenever you step on grasses outdoors or anywhere you walk indoors. Trainers will also be placed around the areas to test your strength and give you exp.

Despite the similarities, some things make Coromon different. The potential system is one example. Each monster has a potential value, separating them into normal, potent, and perfect. Monsters with higher potential will benefit from extra stat points and be distinguishable from their different color. It's similar to shiny, except that it will also have a stat boost.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3241608011

Finding potent monsters is easy. I found 10+ potent monsters in the wild without even doing anything. You also can increase the rate by using other items, which also work for perfects. This makes it easier to hunt for them, and the game really accommodates this by providing a different encyclopedia entry for normal, potent, and perfect monsters.

Puzzles are also in the game. It is available in most areas, which are mostly related to the story. I didn't have any difficulties in finishing them, although it served as a good breather from the monster hunting. However, some of these require you to walk slowly, which can give you issues if you speed up the game speed too much.

What I liked about this game is that you can speed up almost everything. You can speed up the text, battle animations, and even the game speed. The game is quite slow at 1x speed so this is a blessing.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3242517847

Combat
Again, Coromon uses the same combat system as Pokémon, albeit with different typings. Each monster is categorized into one of the eight available types, although other types that are exclusive to skills exist. To be honest, I had a hard time remembering the weaknesses and resistance, especially the non-standard ones since I couldn't map them in my head.

You can only choose up to 4 skills to bring to battle, but you can change which skill to use whenever you are not in battle. This is very useful whenever you want to set up a strategy, especially for monsters that have a lot of typing coverage. Playing the game at a low level will also require more strategy on your end, which will make you swap the skills based on the enemy that you are about to face. The game itself is easy to beat if you are over-leveled, though, and you might be doing that without realizing it if you explore each area thoroughly.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3242346188 

End Game
Aside from catching all normal, potent, and perfect monsters, there is a single content that will open after you beat the game: Battle Dome. It's like Battle Frontier where you have to beat an endless amount of enemies. To be honest, I hate these kinds of modes. However, I still found the content to be easy, provided that you have a team with decent type coverage. It'll get boring if you try to get everything that the place has to offer though since you need to repeat the whole thing several times in each difficulty - my mind went numb from doing it.

Length and Difficulty
I finished the game in 30.3h. I then tried to catch every monster for an achievement, which got me into ~40h mark. The rest of my playtime was spent in the Battle Dome to get all 3 stars from getting enough winning streaks from all modes.

The game offers 4 preset difficulties with a customized one. I finished the game in the hardest difficulty and didn't find it too difficult as long as you are over-leveled, which I did without realizing it. The only issue I had is the hardest difficulty that is similar to Nuzlocke Challenge, meaning that 1) you can only catch the first monster that you find and 2) your monster will leave the party if it faints. Both that and all other content (including Battle Dome) can be mitigated by save scumming.

Despite having a lot of similarities with Pokémon, Coromon still manages to stand up as its own game. I liked how you can speed up everything, and how each area is not too long to clear - it just makes it so addicting. I couldn't stop from exploring new areas and kept on wanting more. Moreover, the game seems to encourage you to catch them all by introducing items that can increase its encounters and different encyclopedia entries for normal, potent, and perfect monsters. The end game might be a grind and there might be not much room for competitive players, but it's still there if you want it. If you like monster-taming games, you can't go wrong with this one.

[b]My Playtime:[/b] 60.4h (78/80 achievements, finished the game) [b]Grindy Achievement(s):[/b] No. [b]Optional Achievement(s):[/b] Yes (~64 achievement). [b]Difficult Achievement(s):[/b] Yes (~1 achievement). [h1]Intro[/h1] [b]Coromon[/b] is a monster-taming game, similar to [b]Pokémon[/b]. It offers 124 monsters to collect, separated into 8 types. [b]Pros:[/b] - Fast-paced gameplay - Customizable difficulty - Easier rate to catch "shiny" monsters [b]Cons:[/b] - Grindy endgame content - Slow saving time [b]Specs[/b] Intel Core i5-9300H 2.40GHz, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 [h1]Should you buy this game?[/h1] [b]Yes.[/b] [i]If you like monster-taming games, especially the ones that focus on collecting everything, you'll like this game.[/i] [hr][/hr] [h1]In-Depth Review[/h1] [h3]Visuals[/h3] [b]Coromon[/b] was displayed in top-down, pixelated visuals. Despite having simple-looking characters, the monsters look more varied, ranging from cute to cool. Combat is also displayed from a different angle than [b]Pokémon[/b] games, giving a unique take on the visuals. [h3]Story[/h3] The story is straightforward. It tries to follow the same route as [b]Pokémon[/b] games where there is an antagonist group that is trying to do bad things, except that rather than focusing the story on you becoming a Pokémon master, [b]Coromon[/b]'s story revolves around stopping the group from doing anything worse. The dialogues are lengthy, but you won't miss anything if you don't follow them. [h3]The Game[/h3] [b]Gameplay[/b] [b]Coromon[/b] is played just like [b]Pokémon[/b]: you choose a starter monster and use it to go on your journey. The difference is that you'll get a second monster after you choose your starter, and instead of gyms, you'll have Titans. There are 7 Titans based on each type that are spread around the world. Going to each location will be done on foot, triggering battles whenever you step on grasses outdoors or anywhere you walk indoors. Trainers will also be placed around the areas to test your strength and give you exp. Despite the similarities, some things make [b]Coromon[/b] different. The potential system is one example. Each monster has a potential value, separating them into normal, potent, and perfect. Monsters with higher potential will benefit from extra stat points and be distinguishable from their different color. It's similar to shiny, except that it will also have a stat boost. https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3241608011 Finding potent monsters is easy. I found 10+ potent monsters in the wild without even doing anything. You also can increase the rate by using other items, which also work for perfects. This makes it easier to hunt for them, and the game really accommodates this by providing a different encyclopedia entry for normal, potent, and perfect monsters. Puzzles are also in the game. It is available in most areas, which are mostly related to the story. I didn't have any difficulties in finishing them, although it served as a good breather from the monster hunting. However, some of these require you to walk slowly, which can give you issues if you speed up the game speed too much. What I liked about this game is that you can speed up almost everything. You can speed up the text, battle animations, and even the game speed. The game is quite slow at 1x speed so this is a blessing. https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3242517847 [b]Combat[/b] Again, [b]Coromon[/b] uses the same combat system as [b]Pokémon[/b], albeit with different typings. Each monster is categorized into one of the eight available types, although other types that are exclusive to skills exist. To be honest, I had a hard time remembering the weaknesses and resistance, especially the non-standard ones since I couldn't map them in my head. You can only choose up to 4 skills to bring to battle, but you can change which skill to use whenever you are not in battle. This is very useful whenever you want to set up a strategy, especially for monsters that have a lot of typing coverage. Playing the game at a low level will also require more strategy on your end, which will make you swap the skills based on the enemy that you are about to face. The game itself is easy to beat if you are over-leveled, though, and you might be doing that without realizing it if you explore each area thoroughly. https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3242346188  [b]End Game[/b] Aside from catching all normal, potent, and perfect monsters, there is a single content that will open after you beat the game: Battle Dome. It's like Battle Frontier where you have to beat an endless amount of enemies. To be honest, I hate these kinds of modes. However, I still found the content to be easy, provided that you have a team with decent type coverage. It'll get boring if you try to get everything that the place has to offer though since you need to repeat the whole thing several times in each difficulty - my mind went numb from doing it. [b]Length and Difficulty[/b] I finished the game in 30.3h. I then tried to catch every monster for an achievement, which got me into ~40h mark. The rest of my playtime was spent in the Battle Dome to get all 3 stars from getting enough winning streaks from all modes. The game offers 4 preset difficulties with a customized one. I finished the game in the hardest difficulty and didn't find it too difficult as long as you are over-leveled, which I did without realizing it. The only issue I had is the hardest difficulty that is similar to [i]Nuzlocke Challenge[/i], meaning that 1) you can only catch the first monster that you find and 2) your monster will leave the party if it faints. Both that and all other content (including Battle Dome) can be mitigated by save scumming. [h1]Conclusion[/h1] Despite having a lot of similarities with [b]Pokémon[/b], [b]Coromon[/b] still manages to stand up as its own game. I liked how you can speed up everything, and how each area is not too long to clear - it just makes it so addicting. I couldn't stop from exploring new areas and kept on wanting more. Moreover, the game seems to encourage you to catch them all by introducing items that can increase its encounters and different encyclopedia entries for normal, potent, and perfect monsters. The end game might be a grind and there might be not much room for competitive players, but it's still there if you want it. If you like monster-taming games, you can't go wrong with this one.