Yo-Kai Watch 3

Genre: Monster-Collecting RPG

Players: 1-2 Competitive (Local Wireless), 2-4 Co-Op (Local Wireless), StreetPass Supported

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Review:

After the huge disappointment (for me, anyway) that was Yo-Kai Watch 2, I was wary of additional games in this series. After the multiple (and I would argue highly superfluous) versions of Yo-Kai Watch 2, developer Level-5 did much the same thing for the game’s sequel, releasing in Japan with Sushi and Tempura versions, in a similar fashion to the prior game, and much like the Pokemon series’ Red/Blue versions. Later, a third marginally-improved Sukiyaki version was released, and when it came time to bring the third game to the West, it was wisely decided that only this definitive version of the game would see release here, coming to the Nintendo 3DS in 2019.

Perhaps ironically, where the two (and later three) versions of Yo-Kai Watch 2 seemed so close to each other and iterative on the first game that the multiple releases seemed unnecessary, I could actually understand the multiple releases for Yo-Kai Watch 3, as its dual protagonists have completely separate journeys in different locations, and it is only later in the game that their stories combine. What’s more, the gameplay and presentation here shows a much greater leap than the jump from 1 to 2. As a result, where the different versions of Yo-Kai Watch 2 felt like repeated rehashes of Yo-Kai 1.5, the third game not only feels like a fully-fledged sequel, it feels like two sequels in one package, as this version of the game contains both of the stories (plus added content) of the previous Japan-only versions.

The core concept still remains the same. Like previous games, Yo-Kai Watch 3 is a Monster-Collecting RPG similar to the Pokemon franchise, though it does a number of things unique and different from that franchise. Rather than existing in a world where people and magical creatures exist, the titular Yo-Kai of this world are spirits that haunt a world much like a cartoonier, family-friendly version of our own, with these spirits going unseen by most humans, unless they happen to possess the titular Yo-Kai Watch.

The beginning of the game takes you back and forth between two protagonists, before loosening the reins and giving you the freedom to choose which story to follow. The boy from the first two games (canonically Nate) finds his life upturned when his family moves to a new city, St. Peanutsberg, in the country of BBQ, a parody of America, and must deal with getting used to his new home and make new friends, both the human kind and the Yo-Kai kind, all while recent UFO sightings have captured the attention of a pair of X-Files parody agents. Meanwhile, back in his hometown, (canonically Hailey Anne, previously seen in the anime series) discovers her own Yo-Kai Watch and finds herself tracking down a rocket scientist with a connection to her own first Yo-Kai partner.

It’s not Shakespheare, but compared to the first game and especially the second game, this makes for a fascinating pair of stories due to how different they are from other monster-collecting RPGs, not just because of the contemporary setting, but because the franchise’s usual fixation on mischievous spirits seems upended by the possibility that aliens might exist in this world too… or perhaps this is yet another Yo-Kai trick. In any case, it’s a delightful change of pace for a series that was really starting to seem stale.

The presentation here is also much-improved. While the game retains the same overall whimsical, cartoony style of the earlier games, the environments are larger, more impressive and more detailed, and players have a little more control over the camera. You still have lighthearted but forgettable music and animated cutscenes, and it seems like the use of voice acting has sadly been trimmed down a bit here too, but overall this seems like a good step forward for the series in terms of presentation.

The gameplay has also been reworked a good deal here too. Combat still involves indirect control over your team of Yo-Kai, but players now have a little more influence over their battle strategy, being able to direct their movements on a three-by-three grid to avoid enemy special attacks, coordinate with teammates both offensively and defensively, and collect pickups, in addition to players doing little minigames for special abilities. It’s still far too passive an involvement in the game’s battles for my tastes, but it is nevertheless a huge improvement that makes you actually feel like you’re involved rather than weakly trying to influence combat.

Players who take on Hailey Anne’s story may be disappointed to find that it once again takes place in Springdale, the locale of the first two games, albeit a version of that town that has been expanded a bit since the last entry. However, Nate’s story in St. Peanutsberg brings players to an entirely new location, with a completely different look and feel from anything in the prior games. The residents here frequently speak with highly-accented Southern drawls (the more extreme of which are of course due to Yo-Kai involvement), and the town’s layout and buildings are also noticeably different.

One disappointing element that makes its return here is that once again it seems like random chance whether beating a Yo-Kai in battle will enable you to recruit it. Players still have the opportunity to feed opposing Yo-Kai to entice them to your side, but this sort of bribery doesn’t feel as well integrated into the game as the similar mechanic the Shin Megami Tensei franchise uses. By this point, I imagine series fans are used to the way this series does this sorta’ thing, but I still feel like this is one of the worst catching mechanics in a Monster Collecting RPG.

There is one other element that I feel absolutely needs to be addressed here – as of this writing in 2022, Yo-Kai Watch 3 is one of the more rare games on the Nintendo 3DS. Even if you track down a used copy of the game, you can expect to pay upwards of $150 to purchase it. Or, if you’re just looking to play it, you can buy it on the eShop for $40… at least until the Nintendo 3DS eShop closes in March 2023.

With this being the case, I’d definitely recommend that fans of Monster-Collecting RPGs who own a Nintendo 3DS strongly consider buying a copy of Yo-Kai Watch 3 on the Nintendo 3DS eShop while they still can. I still don’t think it’s quite on par with other franchises within the genre, but it has a unique charm of its own, and it is by far the best game to be released in the Yo-Kai Watch series so far (in the West, at least). Feel free to completely skip the second game – it’s entirely unnecessary. But this time around, the series actually put its best foot forward, and if you have any inclination to give it a try, you should do so now before it becomes far, far more expensive to do so.

tl;dr – Yo-Kai Watch 3 is a Monster-Collecting RPG that is a huge improvement over prior games in the series, though it still has its flaws, like the series’ signature indirect combat system and frustrating capture mechanics. Still, just about every area of the game has been improved, making this the best Yo-Kai game to release in the West so far… and one that will become absurdly expensive to play once the Nintendo 3DS eShop closes. If you only get one Yo-Kai game, this is the one to get.

Grade: B-

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