Review: Yo-Kai Watch is Charming AF

A little Pokemon, a little Digimon, a little Shin Megami Tensei? Despite its shortcomings, Yo-Kai Watch‘s fascinating characters and attention to detail will transport players to a magical town filled with child-like wonder.

I want to start off by saying that I may be a little biased. As someone who has played almost every Level-5 game that has been published in the United States, I am, needless to say, a big fan of their signature style.

All of their games tend to have gorgeous animated cutscenes, a lush and dynamic world, fun personalities, and a catchy soundtrack; it makes the player feel like he or she is playing through an anime as opposed to a game.

With that said, if you are looking for any of the following in Yo-Kai Watch:

• a 100-hour main story
• an in-depth and engaging battle system
• blood, gore, or psychological manipulation
• death, guns, and grand theft auto
• challenging boss battles

you will be severely disappointed.

And if you want any of the following in your next game:

• weirdly entertaining humor
• daily pick-me-up activities
• a family-friendly experience
• a desire to catch ’em all

buy now or continue reading.

STORY

Yo-kai Watch has a fairly simple premise. The main character (in my case, I copied the anime and named myself Nate) stumbles across a decrepit gachapon machine in the forest.

Nate inserts a coin, spins the lever, and out pops out a Yo-kai (Japanese for spirit, ghost, etc.) named Whisper who gives Nate a Yo-kai watch and introduces him to a mysterious and magical world.

Yo-kai are everywhere!

With the help of Whisper and the Yo-kai watch, Nate can now befriend Yo-kai around town, stop mischievous Yo-kai from harming humans, and use Yo-kai to help others in need.

It is easy to see why children in Japan are obsessed with Yo-kai Watch. Its story captures a child’s naive and imaginative view of the world. From losing your mom’s wedding ring to being chewed out by your parents for not doing your homework, Yo-Kai Watch uses Yo-Kai to explain solutions to children’s everyday problems.

MY FAVORITES

Yo-kai Watch is packed with tons of content. You can catch critters, explore the town, traverse secret dungeons, complete side-quests, and catch over a hundred different Yo-Kai.

It takes advantage of the 3-DS camera and the game’s passionate online community. QR codes are offered when watching the Yo-Kai Watch anime on Disney X-D or when purchasing action figures and collectible coins. The internet has to work together to capture randomly generated criminals and piece together the weekly password.

You can take pictures of your friends using the Yo-Kai Cam to earn rare items.

I recommend this Tumblr for all your Yo-Kai Watch QR and password needs.

Level-5 always delivers on graphics and presentation, and Yo-kai Watch is no exception. The character movement is incredibly smooth. The color is vibrant and charming. The music is bouncy and fun. The attention to detail is out of this world. You can buy soda from the soda machines. Jaywalking is alerted and frowned upon. Even the loading screen is cute.

As noted, the game definitely has character.

After completing a sidequest, you get to watch a random little cutscene; the scene is always amusing (one involves all of the old Yo-Kai playing mini golf), and depending on the scene’s outcome, you might even receive a rare bonus item.

Sometimes, you encounter random Yo-Kai on the streets which you have to chase down to get rare items. Early on in the plot, an old man asks you to fetch his underwear from the spa.

Lo-and-behold, you end up fighting a giant pig Yo-Kai who just happens to be wearing the exact underpants that the old man lost.

To top it off, it has one of the most nerve-racking mini-games I have ever encountered. Terror Time. Or the rampage of an angry red oni and his large mob of demon minions. Definitely not for the faint of heart. I almost passed out the first time.

MY GRIPES

Yo-Kai Watch’s main setback is its tedious gameplay. Catching rare creatures is nearly impossible.

In order to even find a rare fish or bug, you have to inspect every single tree or river in the entire forest. Once you find one, before you can catch it, you have to play an incredibly random spinner mini-game which usually results in your loss.

Catching Yo-Kai is even more infuriating. A Yo-Kai must approach you after a battle in order for you to recruit it to your team. To up those chances, you can feed a Yo-Kai its favorite food once during the battle. First, you must first figure out what its favorite food is, and if that is not difficult enough, it can take several battles before even the weakest Yo-Kai joins you.

It took me 10 battles before Slush, an E-rank, asked for my hand in friendship. Just imagine how many times I would have to battle a Rank S Yo-Kai (and how many cheeseburgers or liver and chive plates I would have to feed it) before it decides “Hey, I want to be friends with Nate!”

The grinding for a complete collection would not be so boring if the game had an amazing battle system.

Unfortunately, it does not. The player takes the backseat as the Yo-Kai do most of the work.(The fast-forward button will be your best friend.)

Players can rotate between six Yo-Kai and activate a Yo-Kai’s soultimate move by either tapping a few times, drawing a few circles, or tracing a few lines. If lucky, the player might get the opportunity to rotate an inspirited Yo-Kai into the back row and purify it in a similar procedure to activating a Yo-Kai’s soultimate.

Yo-Kai Watch has some potential in its battle system. Yo-Kais have different personalities and tribes, offering a huge variety of team building combinations and player customization. Sadly, it is held back by its basic mechanics and repetitive nature.

A LITTLE TANGENT: IMPOSSIBLE SUCCESS IN THE U.S.?

It is hard to imagine this game ever achieving the same success in the United States as it did in Japan.

Part of the game’s charm relies on the player’s inherent understanding and appreciation for Japanese culture.The little details that make the game so endearing, like the taking off of shoes at the door or the charms at the Shinto shrine, are completely lost on a majority of Western audiences.

Unlike Japan in which there are a huge number of cute, monster-collecting games, in America there is only one, Pokemon. Despite Yo-Kai Watch’s good press and unique gameplay, due to its premise and target audience, it will always be seen as a Pokemon rip-off.