Yo-Kai Watch kicks off like many other 'collector' type games. You choose a character - either male or female - name them and are then thrust into a world you don't immediately know anything about, but instantly fall in love with. With gorgeous scenery and artwork flowing through this entire game, Yo-Kai Watch really is a sight for sore eyes. Though I tend to prefer my games in 2D now the 3D aspect of the 3DS has worn off, it works really well here and I couldn't help flicking on the 3D from time to time to see how things looked through the 3D lens.
Will you collect all the Yo-Kai?
So, what is a Yo-Kai? It's a Japanese folklore spirit that shies away from the eyes of humankind, inhabiting the form of bugs and insects to try and live a peaceful life. One in particular however, Whisper, quickly becomes your character's friend, teaching you how to interact with other Yo-Kai, befriend them and take them with you on your journey. Whilst some Yo-Kai will befriend you after you've simply given them some food, others will take more persuading and have to be defeated in battle before jumping on over to your collection. There's a brilliant array of different Yo-Kai and they're instantly interesting - I wanted to find out more.
The battle mechanics in the game are what sets it apart from others of its kind. It's very different to anything I've played in the past in this genre and, despite its simplicity, it works very well throughout the entire title. Here, you have up to three Yo-Kai active at any one time and instead of instructing them on how to act and attack entirely, real-time takes over and you'll instead act as a sort of mentor. Keeping an eye on their hitpoints and such is your main priority - some Yo-Kai will fare better against certain others than other Yo-Kai. It's a lot of fun learning which do well and which don't and when you've mastered it, you truly feel a sense of accomplishment.
It turns out that children playing this game will have an experience like they may not have had with a game before. For example, there's a storyline surrounding nightmares and why they happen so often to kids. This sort of writing and ingenuity in the game's plot is what makes it so special. Most of the time the story is really driven by the quests you do, but some can get repetitive as you're often required to collect certain things, so after a few hours you may need a break for a day or so.
For those who have enjoyed similar games in the past, Yo-Kai Watch is the logical next step in your gaming journey. For those who want to start playing a game of this type, Yo-Kai Watch can also provide the perfect first stepping stone in that path. This feels fresh and inventive.
And if Yo-Kai Watch isn't enough, Yo-Kai Watch 2 is headed to the US later this year and should be landing in Europe some time thereafter! Keep your eyes peeled...
Yo-Kai Watch is available on the Nintendo 3DS now.