There's no denying the power of two-decade franchise Pokémon, even if multiplayer features in the bestselling franchise have generally been limited to trading, battles, and, more recently, group face-offs against bigger beasts.

What it hasn't really done is what Temtem proposes: a pervasive multiplayer system woven throughout the entire experience.

It's got creature discovery and collection, six islands to explore, competitive battles and friendly trading; a story campaign featuring the no-good Clan Belsto, customisable characters, and personal housing with player-chosen decor.

And those Temtem creatures - well, while there's no mistaking their inspiration, Temtem appears to have avoided the legal warnings that have shut down unofficial fan community projects, carefully separating its fiction from official Pokémon work.

Yet over and above the traditional Pokémon formula, Temtem is also offering a massively multiplayer world, in which players can meet each other on their own travels and team up for shared adventures.

Having secured US$574,000 through a June 2018 Kickstarter campaign and attracted the backing of indie platform Humble as a publisher, the computer and console game is moving closer to full launch across PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and even on Pokémon home turf, the Nintendo Switch.

Initial alpha-stage testing for campaign backers began in November 2018, with the latest content update coming Dec 12, and Temtem is heading towards a public Early Access launch for PC players from Jan 21, 2020.

Digital retailer Steam and expanding chat app Discord will act as Temtem providers during Early Access, and players can expect to find around 50% of final story content, three of six multi-biome islands, co-op mode, customisation, competitive match rules, and breeding and hunting already in place.

Even before the Early Access launch there'll be a handful of server stress tests, with Spanish development team Crema inviting sign-ups via the game's website, PlayTemtem.com.

A wide release is projected for later in 2020.

 - AFP Relaxnews