Temtem trainers around the world have been waiting for release day since the creature-collecting MMORPG was first announced on a Kickstarter campaign way back in 2018. After spending a very long time in various forms of betas and early-access programs, Temtem finally officially released on September 6, 2022. We’ve spent some time with our heads in the clouds on the floating Archipelagos that are featured prominently throughout the game, and have our Temtem PS5 review ready below.

Temtem Up!

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. in Temtem, you play as a fledgling Temtem trainer, chosen by the local Temtem professor to leave your home and go on a grand adventure. A shady, menacing organization is up to no good, but thankfully it is mostly staffed by incompetent goons whom the player will have little issue dispatching with their squad of trusty Temtem. Oh, the player also has a bratty arch nemesis who shows up at the most inopportune moments in an attempt to best them. The story here is almost a copy-paste of your basic Pokémon game, though naturally names have been changed. This may honestly be the most disappointing aspect to Temtem. Thankfully, the varied locations that float above the planet are interesting enough to distract you from the cookie cutter nature of the story.

When I first began my adventure in the world of Temtem, I found I didn’t really like the names of things. Places like Briçal de Mar, Temtem with names like Smazee, and combat phrases like “Temtem up!” all sounded forced to me, at first. But upon further reflection, these only sounded so strange to me because I have known about Pokémon for at least the past 25 years. Names such as Pikachu, Kanto, Ekans, and others were equally as strange to me when I was first introduced to that Japanese franchise two and a half decades ago. Now that I’ve spent much more time in the world of Temtem, many of the names have grown on me, such as the humorous final evolution of Paharo, one of Temtem’s entry-level bird-type creatures. It first becomes Paharac before reaching its final form known as Granpah. Its plumage becomes much more pronounced, with a much larger body and wingspan. Hilariously, Grandpah’s face looks kind of like that of an older gentleman. It’s oddball inclusions like this that give Temtem its own kind of charm.

The art style of Temtem is unique enough that you’d never really confuse what you’re playing. A cel-shaded world that floats among the clouds is a cool idea, as is the transportation method of airships. It’s quaint, yet expansive, and visiting other players’ homes is also a neat addition. Quests picked up along the way between Dojo battles will have you doubling back or exploring areas off the beaten path, and usually feature battles with random trainers and the area’s native Temtem for good measure. Each new area usually focuses on certain types of Temtem based on the geographic features of whichever island you currently find yourself on.

Audio work in Temtem is admirable. While the overworld music isn’t quite as catchy as in other games, much like the names of the creatures and locations, the songs tend to grow on you the more you hear them. Since many of Temtem’s locations are hovering around the clouds, expect to hear plenty of leaves rustling and aircraft sauntering by. Battle music is designed to get you pumped, and Temtem’s audio does the trick here. Temtem creatures are also quite vocal, as they make calls when they emerge from TemCards, when they attack, are defeated, or when interacted with outside of combat. Human characters are non-vocal, but they do emote and make various noises like grunts, laughs, etc. as a conversation progresses along.

Has Its Own Identity

The Unity Engine is used by Crema for development, and it does a reliable job of running the show. The DualSense controller’s speaker is used to echo onscreen sounds such as walking, Temtem calls, card animations, emotes, and other actions, but is otherwise left not being utilized in any significant way. Load times are minimal thanks to the PS5’s screaming-fast SSD, and though the engine does scale to 4K resolution, Temtem has an overall presentation that’s simply good enough. There’s no options here for a performance or quality visual mode, nor would one really be expected in a game that is first and foremost about collecting. It would’ve been cool to be able to throw out a TemCard (Temtem’s version of Pokéballs used to catch creatures) using the touchpad as was used in the PS5 tech demo Astro’s Playroom, but alas Temtem was designed for multiple platforms.

Multiplayer has a constant presence within Temtem, because an internet connection is always required. At most locations, other trainers from all platforms can be seen, with their screen names above their head and their companion Temtem close behind. Generally, you can ignore all other players and continue making progress in the main campaign without any issue. If a player has a companion out and it’s a Temtem you’ve never seen before, you can press the cross button when close enough to log the Temtem in your Tempedia, which is this game’s version of a Pokédex where information on all of the world’s creatures can be found. When you do want to interact with other players, you can use emotes, a chat system, or trade and battle at certain spots. Thankfully, griefing doesn’t seem to be a thing in this community, and most everyone simply runs about the place, coming and going as they progress their own campaign. You can sit down on a nearby bench or chair at a local Temporium (healing/storage facility much like a Pokéstop) to people-watch because you’re bound to see some interesting character designs.

Battles make or break any game in this genre, and Temtem keeps things pretty simple. Most battles are 2v2 affairs, and many times the player will find themselves battling two other trainers at a time. Each team of two Temtems has the potential for synergy. For instance, some abilities can inflict poisoning on an opponent if the Temtem’s partner is of a certain type. Each Temtem can also carry one piece of equipment to further enhance their own abilities. There are a lot of variables to consider when putting together a Temtem squad, and the attention given to the game’s systems is appreciated.

Prepare for the Grind

Whereas Pokémon has Power Points (PP) to limit the number of times a move can be used without healing, Temtem does away with that and allows creatures to use an attack as many times as they want, with some other restrictions or considerations tacked on. Each Temtem has a limited amount of stamina (STA), and every move has a stamina price. If a Temtem doesn’t have enough STA to attack, their trainer can tell them to rest for a turn, since STA regenerates each turn. However, they can also command the Temtem to use a move regardless. This will cause the move to be executed, however the Temtem will hurt itself in proportion to how much extra STA was used. This can and often does result in the Temtem knocking itself out. So if you ever find yourself out of healing items, and a Temtem is nearly knocked out, you can go for broke and have it use its most powerful move in the hopes that it can do enough damage on the way out to help you win a particularly close battle. This is an interesting strategy that can come in handy later in the campaign.

As with most creature collecting games, you’ll get out what you put in. While it is possible to grind out a couple of choice Temtems and level them up to absurd levels and win with brute force, learning Temtem’s systems and creating a winning squad no matter the enemy type is an option that is perhaps more rewarding. There are ways to increase stats beyond simple leveling, and of course most Temtem evolve at least once by reaching a certain level. It’ll take most players somewhere around 30 hours to complete the main campaign, while collecting all 164 Temtem currently available will no doubt take much, much longer.

Verdict

Temtem was never going to usurp Pokémon as the best monster catching game. But if it gets at least part of the way there, then it should be considered a success. In that light, then, Crema has indeed succeeded. This is a great start, and with continued support and possibly some expansions down the line, Temtem could become a wonderfully addictive, challenging turn-based collect-a-thon with MMO elements mixed in. The creatures might not be as inventive, nor are there as many of them to collect. But Temtem has a charming world to get lost in, and while the battles can feel repetitive at times, seeing other trainers scurry about the area is a fun reminder that you’re playing something just different enough that this game can stand on its own.

Score: 7.5/10

Pros:

• A quaint, eye-pleasing world
• Whimsical music
• Solid combat mechanics

Cons:

• Cookie cutter story
• Not nearly enough Temtem
• Always online requirement

Temtem review code provided by publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.