LumenTale: Memories of Trey

Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.

When everything works in harmony, LumenTale: Memories of Trey's mature twist on the monster-taming genre feels like a genius blend of fan-favourite mechanics alongside smart and refreshing advancements. I hope either updates or a future entry can help evolve things further, as currently both LumenTale and some of the Animon themselves feel buried in a mess of ill-explained and superfluous features.Performance woes frustrate the experience further, alongside some odd control decisions, but any RPG fan looking for a monster-tamer built with clear passion and understanding of the genre's strengths should definitely give this a spin. There's potential here for LumenTale to actually challenge the very best monster-tamers out there, and I hope Beehive gets the chance to make that happen.

Fun but with a few flaws that might be deal-breakers to certain Pokémaniacs.

Beehive Studios has created a monster-collecting game that, while clearly inspired by Pokémon, manages to forge its own identity thanks to an excellent combat system, a more mature narrative, and a well-developed game world. Despite a few flaws likely due to the team's inexperience, LumenTale: Memories of Trey is an engaging title and offers a solid alternative for anyone looking for something different from Game Freak's games.

Minor flaws aside, LumenTale: Memories of Trey is very fun and feels like the real deal.

My time with the game has been enlightening. There are several flaws that I came across like the ability to see or remember Animon’s attacks. This is just one of a few things I hope they’re able to fix besides the issue with the controller choices I’ve encountered. I played on both the PC and on my Steam Deck and got to say that I rather play it on my Steam Deck. For a game like LumenTale: Memories of Trey, it feels more comfortable playing it in handheld mode. There is also the ending that felt kind of lackluster that almost killed my motivation to try to continue my completionist route. Again I hope this does get resolved over time. However, it is Beehive Studio to make the changes and we have a lot of time for change to happen. I give LumenTale: Memories of Trey the Thumb Culture Gold Award

With some improvements, Lumen Tale: Memories of Trey could be a stellar game. As it stands, it falls in the good but not great area. Pokémon fans may find it's arguably worth the price tag, but the battle and capture mechanics fetter the fun.

With a great soundtrack, and a snappy battle system, LumenTale: Memories of Trey excels as being one of the better Pokémon style games, even if a few edges are rough and a true lack of originality hovers over the experience. Still, if you're looking for this type of game, do to Pokémon feeling a bit stale from year to year, few do it better.

LumenTale: Memories of Trey is a game that manages to carve out its own identity in a crowded genre, thanks in large part to its engaging and strategically rich combat system. By rethinking traditional monster collector mechanics with a greater emphasis on team synergy and resource management, it offers a refreshing take that rewards planning and experimentation. Combined with a solid amount of content, a varied world to explore, and a generally compelling sense of progression, the game succeeds in keeping players invested for dozens of hours. However, this ambition is not without its drawbacks. Technical issues, including bugs, performance inconsistencies, and an unpolished user interface, frequently disrupt the experience and prevent the game from reaching its full potential. Additionally, some design elements—most notably the overly convoluted and poorly balanced crafting system—feel underdeveloped and fail to integrate meaningfully into the overall gameplay loop. The pacing can also be uneven, with moments of strong engagement occasionally interrupted by slower, less inspired sections. Despite these shortcomings, LumenTale remains a noteworthy entry in the genre. It is a game that impresses more for its ideas than for its execution, but those ideas are strong enough to leave a lasting impression. For fans of monster collectors looking for something that goes beyond familiar formulas, it represents a worthwhile experience—one that, with additional polish and refinement, could have stood among the genre’s very best.

It can truly feel exciting to weave through Animon, shooting out the Holoken to catch or damage while solving puzzles, and learning about Trey’s past, but in the meantime, that quality title is buried underneath some flawed execution.