Creature Keeper Review
If you're a cozy gamer like me, always looking for something that evokes nostalgia and offers fresh ideas, the recently released Creature Keeper developed by Fervir Games and published by Graffiti Games is the indie adventure for you. It's a new spin on monster-taming, bursting with heart, clever writing, and a gameplay loop that kept me coming back for 'just one more creature'. The game's cozy and nostalgic elements will make you feel warm and reminiscent, like revisiting an old favorite.
As a recently recruited Creature Keeper guard program member, I found myself heavily invested in the fight to protect Sodland from an evil invasion. While the setup may seem fairly traditional, the interesting dynamic of the other recruits—Lufe and Aren, the wise older guardian Olemann, and even different characters down the storyline like the enigmatic Kafei—made the adventure highly intriguing. Every non-playable character adds exceptional quality to the story, making it easy to emotionally invest in the game's narrative.
Another notable part of Creature Keeper is its playful nature. The dialogue is creative and humorous, with characters discussing the ordinary practice of monster-taming in a laugh-out-loud funny way. The humor present is both clever and natural, often catching the player off guard with a well-timed laugh. It's clear that the developers are big fans of this type of game, and their passion is channeled into the game's humor, keeping the player entertained and amused.
In Creature Keeper, you are an active participant, wielding weapons, dodging blows, and charging through combos that combine your actions with those of your monsters. Combat is rapid and involves a bit of strategy since you determine what works with every creature and every weapon.
Creature Friendship is a key aspect of Creature Keeper. In the game, you befriend, improve, and strategize with creatures. They possess unique abilities, vulnerabilities against certain foes, and actions that complement yours. Your and your creatures' health are shared, so every battle is essential, and every victory is enjoyed with them. This system of shared health and the bond you form with your creatures adds a layer of emotional investment to the game, making every battle significant and every loss a harsh memory of what you've been through with them.
The Pocket Garden is a unique feature of Creature Keeper that I greatly enjoyed. Once you obtain creatures, you can tend and display them within your pocket garden. This peaceful, relaxing activity lets you take a quick break from regular gameplay. When you enter this zone, you save all your progress, and the stones to get here serve as checkpoints. You can customize your garden with different seeds that help boost your creatures. You can also take time to arrange your creatures in a pleasing way. I spent much time developing my garden and dropping by on my monster friends, which added a cozy and personal touch to the game.
Sodland is a fun world to discover, and there are a lot of brightly colored places and clever puzzles that require your abilities to solve. You can unlock new areas, find hidden riches, and determine a way through challenging things. Something is always waiting for you to discover.
You can acquire new abilities and learn about every monster through skill trees and a bestiary. This is an excellent way of looking at your accomplishments and experimenting with new characters; you experience a sense of accomplishment while playing.
The artwork is bright and reminiscent of an expensive-looking Game Boy game. The sound features weird noises and melodies that remind you of early Nintendo console games. The sound fits the game's mood, whether you are exploring an unfamiliar location or tending to your garden. I enjoyed playing Creature Keeper because you can play at your own pace. You don't need to rush through the plot or catch all the creatures immediately. You can do so leisurely, explore, and simply view the view. I tended to stray from the main path because I wished to discover what new friends would join me back in my pocket garden. (And me being me, I looked for all the cute creatures first.) Filling up your garden with those tiny creatures you became acquainted with throughout your journey is wonderful.
With all the pros, this game does come with some flaws. There are a few issues with Creature Keeper. The fighting can be uneven, with certain enemies and bosses much more difficult than others. I also experienced technical problems, like creatures not responding to commands or the screen freezing during combat. The way the save system works needs improvement in its communication—I lost my progress more than once because I hadn't reached a save point, which was hard to understand how to do and sometimes very frustrating. Although the mini map is helpful, I wish it functioned better, particularly in big, maze-like environments. Sometimes, it didn't provide enough information or part of the visual map was off the screen, so I had to backtrack too much.
The pixel art is comforting, welcoming, and cozy, but bugs and quick visual issues pull you out of the experience. Some things aren't perfectly complete, and the game occasionally overreaches without leaving a smooth conclusion. Despite these issues, the game's creative, heart, and cozy feeling shine through.
If you enjoy games that allow you to tame monsters and are looking for a combination of old and new ideas, you should still try playing Creature Keeper. How you tend for creatures is decent, there are solid puzzles, and it's a funny script, so it's an amusing and different experience. I am rating Creature Keeper 7.5 out of 10. The game is a fun, imaginative game that is pleasurable to play. The dialogue is intelligent, the visual presentation is pleasant, and gathering creatures is highly engaging, making it difficult to put down. It is so hard because it has specific technical issues that prevent it from being truly great, but it's nothing a couple of patches couldn't fix. Creature Keeper is an enjoyable adventure for anyone seeking a light experience that is not too serious.
