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Palworlds mixture of open-world survival, supply chain management, and monster wrangling may havetaken the internet by storm.

At its heart,Palworldis a survival game.

An airship pilot with a bird Temtem

The premise is simple.

Theres a lot of mystery here, too.

The inhabitants of New Wirral have arrived from different time periods and versions of our real-world Earth.

Temtem starters, the three starters in pens

Contrary toPokemon, the characters consistently feel like real people.

ThoughPokemondoes have its moments of strong writing, it can be quite hit-and-miss.

Its no coincidence thatCassette Beastsboasts Overwhelmingly Positivereviews on Steam.

Temtem how to hatch eggs, battle

The game is also available onXbox Game PassalongsidePalworldif you want to give it a try.

The games writing and world-building stick pretty closely to thePokemonformula.

You pick a starter and journey around the world challenging gyms (known here asTemtemDojos).

A fox Tama faces off against a snow Tama in Anode Heart

Every attack inTemtemhas a guaranteed chance to hit as well as a clearly signposted damage value and outcome.

Some moves dont require hold at all, while others need to be saved across multiple turns.

It creates another layer of decision-making, adding a sense of ebb and flow thatPokemonbattles often lack.

A shanty town in Anode Heart

If youre looking for satisfying monster battles, youd be hard-pressed to find better thanTemtem.

You play as an amnesiac robot called Seek.

The battle system is both an aesthetic and mechanical departure fromPokemon, too.

This back-and-forth keeps battles fast-paced, tense, and engaging.

Those looking to rekindle some monster-taming magic need to look no further.

Looking for more immersive titles?

Check out our lists of thebest RPGsand thebest story games.