I love Pokemon, but it's almost always just the same game over and over again. There's a couple new things sprinkled here and there but it's pretty much the same. That's why I was originally hooked on Nexomon: Extinction.

The very first time that I saw any info on this game, I was like "Oh wow, this looks so cool. It looks just like Pokemon but also super original. From the first day I saw this game until it came out, I was super excited about it. The day it came out, I remember streaming for like 4 hours and having a blast, and then I put a couple hours into the game each day for the next week or so.

GRAPHICS: 10/10

I have to give Nexomon: Extinction a perfect 10 out of 10. It's a small game that has so much to offer in the graphics and color department. When I booted up the game for the first time, I fell in love with the opening cut scene. It was so colorful, with so much detail and life.

If I have to go back and compare it to Pokemon, I'd have to say it's pretty close to the original DS games like Diamond and HeartGold. There's a lot of 3D designs, which would be more comparable to newer Pokemon games but the style and flair really make me think back to the DS games, which were some great times.

I also just love the amount of detail put into every little thing. The orphanage at the beginning of the game has so much detail and hundreds of things littering your vision. Then the path in front has so many trees and a ton of color, the game is full of life.

SOUND: 9/10

This is technically an indie game and has such an amazing soundtrack. Again, going back to Pokemon, I would choose the soundtrack for Nexomon: Extinction over Pokemon any day of the week. When you play Pokemon for the music, it's usually just a couple songs that stick, like the intro theme, battle theme, legendary, theme, and champion theme. But with this game, each song is a unique experience.

When I play most games, including Pokemon there are lots of places where I'll just stick to playing the game and tune out the music because it's just not as good as the other songs but here, I'll end up stopping what I'm doing to listen for a bit. Many of the route songs are catchy and fun, and there's quite a few tunes that are dramatic and get your blood pumping. I'm not a huge fan of the generic sounds of the game but the music is superb.

ADDICTIVENESS: 9/10

One of the things that I like the most about this game is the fact that you can constantly go back and battle tamers that you've battled before. I don't know if this is limited or only restricted to certain tamers but it was something that I experienced myself. I remember battling a tamer and I talked to them again after like one in game hour and they were itching to battle again. This is something that I really like if it's game-wide, the ability to keep battling over and over.

You also have reasons to go back to areas that you have cleared in the past once you get items and abilities that can unlock new areas or actions, such as the pickaxe. I think I spent a good couple hours in one area near the start of the game and then I ended up spending even more time in that one area later on. The game definitely has a decent amount of replayability.

STORY: 9/10

The story of Nexomon: Extinction is definitely something that's new and original to me, and something that I don't want to spoil. When people play these kinds of creature taming games, especially Pokemon or Digimon or the others, it's usually much of the same. You know how it goes, in Pokemon it's always complete the Pokedex. Become the champion. Beat the evil team. There's such a rich and deep story, one that more closely involves and revolves around your character.

DEPTH: 9/10

The first Pokemon games had 151 Pokemon and that was crazy. This series started with more than 300 already. There's so many to catch and train and there's so many cool places to explore. This is really the kind of game that you can put 50+ hours into, and that's not really including if you want to collect all 300 Nexmon and build them up. There's so much to do.

DIFFICULTY: 6

When compared to Pokemon, I would say this is definitely harder. I found myself having to go back and heal more often, but that's not a bad thing. It was more challenging and early on, battling took a bit longer because it seemed that the Nexomon you were battling had so much HP, and it also seemed like you gain EXP at such a slow pace. But it's a good challenge.

OVERALL 9.2/10

Overall, Nexomon: Extinction is a very well-made game. It's incredibly clever and super charming. It's also really fun to look at and listen to. It costs $30 and I would have to say that it's more than worth it. The amount of gameplay that you get for that price makes it, but the experience itself doubles the value. Overall, my final grade for Nexomon: Extinction is going to be a 9.2 out of 10.