While “Gotta catch em all” may be the running slogan for the Pokemon franchise, one that accurately articulates the compulsion many gamers feel as they try to fill their Pokedexes, in the greater community a more apt one would be the classic line “Often imitated, but never duplicated”. After playing many indie, and even some AAA variants on the GaneFreak phenomenon, it has become clear that while there have been modern missteps for the franchise, at its core there’s craft in not just having a cavalcade of interesting collectible creatures to hunt, but in the overall experience as well. The tendency has been to improve on a specific aspect of the series, but then fall flat in others. In the case of LumenTale I’d say it sort of splits down the middle. It has some merits, but in other areas not all of its experiments feel as successful.

What’s at least interesting here, though obviously a bit tropey, is a story that’s driven by a character looking to discover the secrets of their past. Rather than going the “everyone wants to be a trainer” route, through a slow drip of visions and revelations you’ll learn more about your mysterious protagonist, though it may take some time to make sense of them. Still, there’s something to be said for your motivations being a little more interesting, even if that robs you of a clear sense of purpose beyond wanting to know more. On the monster side of the coin, in this case you’ll be battling and trying to work with your stable of Animon, which have at least their own general aesthetic style and no doubt quite a lot of variety in terms of their powers.

This is where the crux of the problem lies though, and may be a case where deviating from the formula isn’t as great an idea. Unlike the rock-paper-scissors system of your creatures having specific affinities which then clearly define their strengths and weaknesses, this ends up being more of a grab bag. It isn’t so much that you can’t learn each creature’s weaknesses through wasting a turn on a scan, trial and error, or some monster abilities. The bigger challenge is mentally trying to keep track of it all, the more you end up facing. Since targeting weaknesses also drives up your TP meter, which when full gives you team an additional free attack, this can feel like a big deal at times. In general, this is another offering in the space with its own flavor and feel, which is great, but depending on what you’re seeking out, it may or may not be the fix you’re looking for.