Coromon review for Nintendo Switch, PC

Coromon is Pokémon.

There?s really no other way to describe it. And I don?t mean that it?s an homage to Pokémon (even if the developers note on the eShop page that ?Coromon is our tribute to the classics of this RPG sub-genre”), or that it’s clear that Pokémon had a major influence on Coromon?s development. I mean that Coromon is 100% a clone that doesn?t ever try to hide its influences or intentions. You?re capturing and training monsters that are scattered around a retro-looking world, and your monsters battle other monsters in turn-based battles, and there are different types of monsters that are more and less effective in those battles.

Let me put it this way: if I?d gone into Coromon blind and someone had told me that it was a Pokémon game, the only reason I?d have to be suspicious is that there?s no Pikachu in sight.

I don?t mean any of that in a bad way, mind you. Much like last year?s Nexomon ? another Pokémon clone that I absolutely loved ? Coromon may not be original, but it nails its source material so well that it?s impossible not to get sucked in. As other games have shown, that?s not the easiest thing to do. Whatever Coromon lacks in new ideas, it more than makes up for by being highly addictive.

Moreover, I?m actually selling Coromon a little short. It adds in plenty of customization options, so you essentially get to play Pokémon in your own way. You can add in randomization, you can change the circumstances in which you can capture other monsters, you can make it so that you get to choose your monster in every battle (rather than it defaulting to your lead monster and forcing you to play around with your party between battles) ? there are plenty of options here, and they make it so that the game is enjoyable no matter your experience or skill level.

To be sure, if you want something original ? or even a unique spin on Pokémon ? Coromon isn?t it. But if you just want that kind of game done exceedingly well, you need to check it out.

Freedom Games provided us with a Coromon Switch code for review purposes.