#MonsterTaming LumenTale: Memories of Trey - Rest assured, as a huge fan of monster-taming games myself, I won't insult you by comparing LumenTale to Pokémon. Instead, I want to talk about the unique identity of a game that is already establishing itself as a must-play for RPG and monster-catching fans!
Unlike many monster-taming games, LumenTale doesn’t ask you to create a character but instead invites you to play as one. You therefore begin your adventure as Trey, a young man with a peculiar physique who has lost his memory. In order to awaken his memories and find clues about his origins, Trey sets off to explore Talea, a fantastical world populated by creatures called Animon. Possessing a certain gift, our hero will quickly become a Lumen: as well as being someone capable of capturing Animons using a Holoken, Lumens are the true guardians of their provinces, ensuring the safety of all Talea’s inhabitants, both humans and Animon. Without giving away any more, so you can discover the story for yourself, LumenTale offers a rich journey and endearing characters who will bring a smile to your face.
LumenTale is an RPG, and true to tradition, you will explore its world, solve simple puzzles, and engage in combat while uncovering its story and characters. Of course, it is also a monster-taming game. You will capture, collect, and train creatures to fight on your behalf. Your Animon can level up to earn stat points, learn abilities that can be enhanced, or even evolve into more powerful forms.
Setting itself apart from other games in the genre, LumenTale features classic typing (which can be dual-type) and an action point system (even though stamina systems are more common in monster-taming games). Most importantly, it features a system based on your creatures' Attributes, along with other mechanics designed to make combat far less repetitive: such as a bonus turn for correctly exploiting type advantages, and a special power that symbolizes the bond between your Lumen and their Animon! Battles take place in a 4 vs. 4 format with a maximum team of six creatures, making LumenTale quite unique, as most RPGs of this style never go beyond 2 vs. 2.
It is worth noting that the decision to pair a 3D world with 2D pixel art environments and characters is a particularly inspired choice, evoking a lovely sense of nostalgia in some players (it reminded me of my beloved Ragnarok Online). As for the music, once again, the work is monumental; with over 140 tracks, this is one of the monster-taming RPGs with the largest variety of music to set the pace for your adventures and battles. Whether it is the 3D artists, the pixel artists, or the composers, LumenTale truly radiates passion.
Now, what about LumenTale's greatest strength? As a fan of the monster-taming genre, creature design is one of the most essential elements to me. It's a crucial factor that quickly determines whether a monster-game has its own visual identity or if its creatures can easily be mistaken for those in other titles. Well, LumenTale's creature designer(s) truly surprised me in the best way possible. Their work is absolutely incredible. The Animon are brilliantly executed, the evolutions are surprising, the starters have two different final evolutions, and the Lost forms (the equivalent of Shinies) are thoughtfully designed to stand out from their standard versions. Every creature concept feels intentional and fully realized. LumenTale truly has creatures that I won't confuse with any other game, and for that alone, a huge thank you to the art team!
To wrap things up, while I'm still left wanting more as I wait for future game updates-specifically more Lost Animon (since hunting stars is my absolute passion) and potential post-game content after the main story-LumenTale easily ranks among the top tier of monster-taming games while offering a very solid RPG experience. Knowing that this gem was created primarily by a small team of about 12 to 15 people (Beehive Studios) makes this game a truly impressive achievement!
Genre: Action, Adventure, RPG, Monster Taming
Developer: Beehive Studios
Publisher: Team17
Release date: 26 May 2026
Follow:
@BeehiveStudios_