A WORN OUT CASSETTE
When Cassette Beasts released this past April, It certainly became one of the best games to take on the Pokémon formula and actually attempt to innovate on it. From transforming into the very monsters themselves to allowing a friend to come alongside the adventure with you, Cassette Beasts was a breath of fresh air to that very formula. It also had a kick-ass soundtrack, but I am sure you already know this. As Pier of the Unknown is a DLC, check out the review for the base game here in case you need a refresher.
Pier of the Unknown advertises itself as a 4-10 hour narrative expansion to the base game of Cassette Beasts. It states it has a new storyline to unravel as you explore three carnival-themed attractions as well as 12 new monsters that can only be found at this mysterious Brightside Pier. It also contains 5 new costume pieces to unlock, but to be honest, not a single one enticed me to change up what I was already using. While most of these details are true, the first point regarding its length is really only valid if you count the amount of time it takes to level up your new beasts, something you are bound to do outside of the Brightside Pier location anyway, considering there isn’t much here.
As you head to the central cafe, you’ll be told of a mysterious boat that has appeared on the beach. Upon taking that boat for a ride, you’ll appear at Brightside Pier. This is where you’ll take in the carnival attraction that is hosted by a clown girl named Gwen. She mentions that her attraction has seen better days and that they are not yet open to the public due to certain technical difficulties. So she asks for your assistance in resolving these issues. She mentions that she can grant you access to these attractions should you procure enough tickets to trade them for a pass to that attraction. These tickets are found both inside and outside of each attraction, making them fairly easy to come by.
As you explore the attractions, you’ll encounter the new beasts. Some of the older cast will make an appearance, but for the most part, you are fighting these new monsters, many of which are fun and have some great names, such as the ghostly book Hauntome, or the little red critter named Littlered. While there are only 12 new beasts, which include their evolutions, you also have the newly added Catacombs pack of 10 monsters to find as well, in case you are coming back to the game well after its original release window.
Each attraction has a few rooms where you’ll need to navigate platforms and thin walkways, guide yourself through a few haunted areas, some ghostly panels that act like a maze, and more. As you explore, you’ll need to find keys that open doors to open more doors and finally to track down a key to a vault. Each attraction has a vault and inside is a boss. Now, I won’t spoil the bosses, but they more or less follow the same pattern and type as what you are used to here.
Once you wrap up these attractions and let Gwen know about their resolution, you’ll take on one last encounter before this whole extra bit of content wraps itself up. As mentioned, the DLC is advertised to be around 4-10 hours long; however, I was easily able to finish everything in 1hr and 20 minutes while exploring every last bit of the Brightside Pier and unlocking all of its secrets, not to mention completing the Beastiary of all its included additions.
I have to admit, when I had completed the attractions, I had expected the story to progress to something more, but after a quick conversation with Gwen, where you learn some very interesting tidbits about the bosses you just defeated, even the final encounter felt lacking, especially as it doesn’t look to do anything more than what we had fought throughout the main game’s story. Pire of the Unknown sadly doesn’t bring anything new or original to this whole package, which is unfortunate.
While the invitation to the boat is a fine enough way to start the extra content, I sort of wish that a new companion would have reached out instead, especially to bring them back into the main story with you after your time at the pier was complete. This would have allowed something apart from the beasts you’ve captured to carry with you as you continue on your quest. While Gwen is a fine enough character with some ties to a character we already know, I can’t help but feel this DLC doesn’t justify its price, even if it is only $6.99USD. Considering the Catacombs DLC was free and included almost as much content as well as a host of new moves, Pier of the Uknown may satisfy some players looking to dive back in, but its addition to the game outside of its new area is minimal.
Pier of the Unknown sounded like a great addition to the base game; a whole new location to explore, a new storyline to uncover, and new monsters to add to my rotating roster. While the idea of a haunted carnival is interesting, and Gwen herself is a fantastic new character, the story, and its content are surprisingly shallow for a game that went the extra mile to be something fresh and unique. I can’t fault the team for wanting to provide new experiences, but Pier of the Unknown simply falls flat and provides nothing crucial to the experience you’ll have once you leave the pier behind. It may satisfy some players, but at less than two hours of content, this is really only worth it if you are begging for just a little more out of what is a truly fantastic game.
Developer - Bytten Studio. Publisher - Raw Fury. Released - DLC - October 4th, 2023. Available On - Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch. Rated - (E 10+) Fantasy Violence. Platform Reviewed - Steam - Steam Deck. Review Access - A review code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
Jeff is the original founder of Analog Stick Gaming. His favorite games include The Witcher III, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Hi-Fi Rush, Stellar Blade, Hellbade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and the Legend of Heroes series, especially Trails of Cold Steel III & IV.