Temtem has sold over 500,000 copies as of February 21st of this year. The early access massively multiplayer roleplaying title has been the first successful MMO of 2020. It took steam by storm in late January, offering Pokémon fans a unique, online alternative to their favorite creature-collecting adventure.
Made by CremaGames S.L, Temtem has received good reception since its release, sitting at over 16,000 very positive reviews on steam and peaking at just under 40,000 concurrent players. The early access title employs a colorful, anime-inspired aesthetic with addictive turn-based combat that some have called more challenging than Pokémon. Mechanically, while similar to Pokémon, Temtem is iterative and additive, as the developers at CremaGames S.L. created a stamina gauge that players must balance while in combat. An emphasis on type advantages also creates one-sided battles if not understood properly.
It has been revealed that Temtem has sold 500,000 copies worldwide exactly one month after its release. The official Temtem Twitter stated as much, while also teasing an upcoming content roadmap – a somewhat standard practice for early access titles. Content roadmaps generally include approximate release times for bigger updates that may, in this case, include new mechanics, collectible creatures, and zones.
Curious about what exactly is in store for Temtem?
We know! We hear you, and know you want to gaze into the future with us: the roadmap is being polished and on its way!🗺Thank you for supporting Temtem! Happy taming!💖
— Temtem (@PlayTemtem) February 21, 2020
Temtem has been criticized as too derivative, although most fans and critics seem to be confident in its mechanics even though it is an early access title. Others have criticized the thirty-five-dollar price tag on a game that has yet to see the majority of its planned content. With that said, similar to other early access titles such as Risk of Rain 2, Temtem is polished enough to warrant hope amongst Pokémon and MMO fans.
Pokémon fans have indulged in a new series title in 2019, Pokémon Sword and Shield, as well as the 2018 remakes of Pokémon Yellow. The same can’t be said for MMO fans, who have been clamoring for a new, revolutionary online RPG to sink their teeth into. The MMORPG genre has had its arena shrink in the past decade, as new titles were quick to die and developers slowly turned their attention to other genres. The now colloquially created term “MMO-Lite” seems to be the more common trajectory for future releases. Destiny 2, Anthem, The Division 2, and Warframe are all games that would fall under this category as they include MMO-inspired systems, such as large, open zones and player communication. However, they are usually limited in terms of environments, trading, and player counts within zones.
For many players, the MMO-Lite has become a wonderful medium between the social experience of an MMORPG and the lesser demand of a single-player RPG. However, die-hard MMO fans seem to still lack a place in the contemporary market. Most continue to play relevant, older titles such as World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14. With that said, New World, produced by Amazon Game Studios, looks to provide a traditional MMORPG experience later on in 2020. Many fans of traditional MMORPGs look towards New World to usher in the next decade, as Temtem still exhibits many of the arguably restrictive traits commonly found in an MMO-Lite.
Source: Temtem – Twitter
