Developed by Beehive Studios and published by Team17, LumenTale: Memories of Trey is a brand-new monster collector RPG. Ever since Pokemon came out, few games have been able to replicate that formula and stay unique at the same time. While we have certainly seen some exciting titles come out in this genre in recent times, LumenTale: Memories of Trey seems to be taking the lead as the closest to Pokemon but with enough unique elements thrown in the mix that it can stand on its own two feet. This is our review of the PC Steam version of LumenTale: Memories of Trey, in which we catch some exciting creatures and explore a beautiful world.
The game follows the journey of a half-human, half-cyborg man called Trey, who wakes up in a strange forest with no prior knowledge about himself. LumenTale: Memories of Trey is set in Talea, a world that has been torn to pieces by uncommon beliefs. It is divided into two main parts: the North, which is called Logos, and the South, which is called Mythos. Both areas have their own approach to how the world should be and how the creatures called Animon should be handled. Animon are LumenTale’s take on Pokemon which can be caught by a device called Bilia. Think of the Bilia as a Poké Ball, but it is more like a small blue wisp instead of a ball. The game’s version of a Pokedex is called a Lumen Management Device, while the trainers are called Lumens.
To catch Animon, you use a device called Holoken, which not only stores the Bilia but also allows you to use the Animon’s powers in the world. The game follows the same Pokemon formula of how it approaches its open-world design. The whole map is divided into smaller areas with cities, villages, and other key interest places having their unique names, while random areas in the middle are simply called Area 01, Area 03, and so on. These are smaller areas between main areas where you can explore and catch different Animon, interact with different NPCs, collect items, and explore to find new Animon to add to your collection.
LumenTale’s gameplay revolves around three main pillars: exploration, combat, and collecting. Each of these pillars depends on the others more than you would think. Exploration sees you going out into the world, meeting with NPCs, challenging them to battles, getting quests, or finding items to craft new things. You get random items in the world, while fountains allow you and your team to rest. These fountains also allow you to cook meals for your trip and craft other useful items. During battles, you can use these items and buff up various aspects of your Animon, like healing them, damage bonus, agility bonus, and such. They play a vital role in the game, especially during the later sections of the game.
My favorite aspect of LumenTale is easily its combat because there is so much going on during them that you can easily play around with a different strategy every time. You are allowed to have 6 Animon in your party at the same time, which can be switched with other ones at any time. During each battle, as your Animon take damage and are unable to continue the fight, you can switch them out with fresh ones to take their place. Once a player has run out of Animon, they are defeated. The battles are turn-based, where each Animon can perform a single action in its turn, such as scanning the enemy to learn more about them, attacking them, or using an item.
Apart from normal attacks, each Animon comes with special power attacks that consume SP points. These SP points are shared across the whole team, so if you have a six Animon team or a 2 Animon team, the SP points will be shared across them. Each action requires a different number of SP points, so advanced moves will need a greater number of SP points, while basic moves will require a smaller number of SP Points. This means that you must manage the SP points properly because if you use all of the points with earlier moves, your later Animon might not be able to perform any moves at all.
Since the Animon has been divided into different types like Virus, Geo, Fire, Water, and such, every type comes with its own weaknesses and strengths. Scanning Animon allows you to figure out what that particular is strong and weak against, making it easier for you to land powerful attacks. The game’s UI also details if an attack will be powerful against that particular enemy or if the enemy resists it instead. This makes it much easier to figure out, once you have fully scanned them. Land enough attacks against weaknesses, and you will accumulate points to land a bonus and devastating attack called TP Attack on the enemy. This is what really sets Combat apart in LumenTale: Memories of Trey compared to other titles. If the Animon is a wild one, you can also try to capture it once it is weakened enough in battles.
As you explore the beautifully designed locations in the game, you will find tons of unique and different Animon roaming around. You can run into them or attack them with your Holoken to either kill them instantly or initiate a fight. The Holoken comes with two modes, where one is for capturing while the other allows you to use it as a yo-yo and combine it with the powers of Animon stored in it. For example, if you have a Geo-type Animon, you can destroy rocks, and if you have a data-type Animon, you can re-route lasers with it. Each type grants a unique bonus to the Holoken. Switching between the two modes is easy and can be done at any time with a single press of a button.
Your party can hold six Animon at the same time, but during battles, you can only send four at the same time, and then switch with the backup ones if an Animon gets injured during a fight. This goes for both wild Animon and any rival Lumens that you come across on your journey. The game also features a detailed crafting system, but does very little to explain it. As you spend time on the Fountains, you can rest and craft different items for the road. For me, this was a pretty janky start to this particular mechanic because I was relying on items found in the wild until the game threw a crafting quest in my face and I had to figure out everything on my own.
The game does have a bad habit of not explaining things properly to the players, and for me, it was the crafting mechanic. Although it becomes simpler once you get the hang of it, it surely brings a halt to your progression for some time as you figure out how to obtain the ingredients. This was also a little different for me, because normally, I am not accustomed to having such a detailed crafting system in a monster-catching game. This mechanic is fairly decent, but you require some time getting used to it.
Coming to the visuals, LumenTale: Memories of Trey is a gorgeous game with excellent level design. The different in two parts of the game is massive. One part of the game revolves around technology, while the other part relies on old-school traditions, and the difference is massive once you explore both sides. The 2D top-down views changing to show 3D environments look epic when it happens the first time, and do not get boring throughout the game. As I mentioned earlier, the game world does not feel empty at all, with something happening at all times. Even the faraway areas are brimming with life, thanks to the abundance of Animon found here. The game features classic text-based cutscenes where you get to know what is happening in the world. Apart from the world design, the Animon are some of the best-looking monsters outside of the Pokemon world that I have seen as well.
The most unique aspect of LumenTale: Memories of Trey that sets it apart from other titles in the creature-catching genre is the Anispace. The game calls it a space that exists and does not exist at any time, but it is just a random space in the game that you are free to customize and call your own. As you find furniture, items, and other items in the world, you can head over to your Anispace and place items here to your liking. You can create a living room, bedroom, or just a relaxing spot for yourself and your Animon. It starts as an empty space, but you can transform it into a fancy space with themes that completely change the look of the place. This gives you a little something to do if you get tired of battles or exploration and want to relax for some time.
Coming to the technical aspect of LumenTale: Memories of Trey, the game is optimized pretty well for the PC, but it feels a little more demanding than it should. There were numerous instances when I noticed some stutters, and often my system fans increased in speed as well. The visuals are not very demanding, but some effects do tend to utilize the GPU a little more than expected, so a fairly well-equipped PC is required for enjoying it at 60 FPS at least. The review copy also did not allow me to properly bind keys to my liking, and the controller support is janky. Apart from this, there were no crashes or bugs of any sort. The game features a beautiful, open world, and I did not encounter any sort of glitches or problems in any area.
Final Verdict:
LumenTale: Memories of Trey features a beautiful world filled with memorable creatures and stands among the best Pokemon-inspired games released in recent years. Rather than simply copying the formula, it brings its own identity to the genre through strong world-building, diverse environments, and a setting that genuinely feels alive. The combat mechanics are satisfying and strategically engaging, although some additional balancing across certain Animon would benefit the experience in the long run. For players eagerly waiting for the next Pokémon adventure, LumenTale: Memories of Trey is an easy recommendation thanks to its excellent creature design, stylish visuals, rewarding combat, and enjoyable narrative.
Final Score: 8.5/10
Disclaimer: A review code for LumenTale: Memories of Trey was provided by Team17 through PressEngine for this review. Read our Review Policy for additional details.
