Yo-Kai Watch Reviews
Its appeal lies in its delightful story and colourful cast, a compelling bunch that would indeed give the Pokédex a run for its money. If only it could find the mechanics to match.
Pokémon's younger brother has a lot to learn. Yo-kai Watch is hugely recommended for young teens and kids, but I struggle to imagine any adult 3DS owner finding it to be an essential purchase.
Full of charm but not engaging enough
Yo-Kai Watch is a game that is probably going to be considered a Pokémon clone by many, but for me, it does things so much better. It’s visually stunning, with a deeper story than you might expect, as well as a much fresher take on the monster-collecting role-playing games that Pokémon made popular. If you’re on the fence about picking up this title, then I implore you to take the plunge and give it a go, you may just be pleasantly surprised. Yo-Kai Watch was an eye-opener for me and I’m glad that I got the chance to play this fantastic game. Fingers crossed we’ll be getting its sequels sometime soon!
The cute monster battling fun is extremely familiar, but Yo-Kai watch has plenty of its own charm
Repetitive but charming, Yo-Kai Watch is a kid's game through and through.
A charming and well-made role-playing adventure, but despite how much it might resemble Pokémon it has nothing like the depth of Nintendo's games.
Forget any sneering Pokémon comparisons. Yo-Kai Watch looks sure to be a monster hit with the 3DS's school age audience, but it might also make a fair few friends among older gamers. It's not the deepest or richest game that Level 5 has ever come up with, with character development linear and limited, but it's smart, innovative and funny. You won't grow to love it any less.
Yo-Kai Watch might look like a pocket monster clone with a fumbling battle system, but it's the genuinely endearing cast of characters and Yo-Kai who give it enough heart to be more than just a simple copycat. It's not the next Pokémon, but it certainly is going to be something in the future at this rate that other games will aspire to emulate.
Yo-Kai Watch is a game with a great personality and a highly approachable combat system, but not free from major flaws: the random Yo-Kai capture system can be kinda frustrating, and it's a shame that it doesn't have an online multiplayer feature.
Review in Italian | Read full review
As many other games developed by Level-5, Yo-Kai Watch is a well-rounded RPG, perfect to address a younger audience. On the long run, though, the battles become somehow boring and the narrative weakens.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Yo-Kai Watch is a charming and sprawling RPG, one that appeals to a younger audience with its adorable characters and moral-heavy story, but also to mature players with its intense and complex battle system.
While it does not usurp the Pokémon franchise in any way, shape, or form, Yo-Kai Watch is a viable alternative for those who can get past some of the inconsistent design choices. It's easy to understand why kids in Japan have been drawn to the franchise and while the game feels like it's on autopilot a lot of the time, there is enough complexity here to keep you from getting bored. Younger gamers in particular are likely to find the most enjoyment in Yo-Kai Watch.
Yo-Kai Watch is an RPG that continued to surprise us. What we thought was going to be a Pokemon rip-off is much, much more than that.
Yo-kai Watch revels in the mischievous world that it inhabits, in equal parts charming as it is kooky.
A stunning looking RPG with fun interactions and gameplay, Yo-Kai Watch packs over one hundred hours of lifespan to explore fully. While it could have invested more in developing its plot, it's a very welcome arrival to the European market of a game that has spawned a successful series in its home country.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
While not a revolutionary game, Yo-Kai Watch is testament to Level 5's ability to breathe new life into familiar concepts. More than any game in recent memory, Yo-Kai Watch as a whole is an experience that I enjoyed more the longer I played it. While combat was initially off-putting, taking the time to acclimatise revealed a far more complex set of systems than were initially apparent. With delightful characters, beautiful scenery, and missions both intriguing and bizarre, I can see why Japan has fallen in love with Yo-Kai Watch.
Still, Yo-Kai Watch makes for a good time on the 3DS. It might scratch the itch of a long-time Pokemon fan, and will surely delight younger players. This game doesn't rewrite the formula and will likely not go down in history as an all-time great, but it's a fun, worthwhile experience.
Yo-kai Watch is definitely an all-ages RPG. Everything from the dialogue to the battle system feels very light-hearted, and that's definitely not a bad thing. With a huge amount of media related to it out there, being accessible to anyone who might want to play through it is a major strength. Despite its kid-friendly appearance, there's a lot to like here, either for fans of the animated series, or just for someone looking to pick up a low-stress RPG. With hugely appealing characters and highly addictive gameplay, Yo-kai Watch has really set itself up for long-lasting success as a franchise.
Yo-Kai Watch is a remarkably refreshing, original, and charming take on not only the catch-em-all format, but RPGs in general.