Cassette Beasts 2002 is a GBA-style monster collection game where you can splice critters together with the power of music

I've always been a little sad that the GBA-era style of RPGs—where you had those cute 2.5D pixel graphics—never caught on. Mostly because I think it looked pretty good, tying together graphical limitations at the time with the advent of better handheld tech. Well, Cassette Beasts has kept that tradition alive and well. First with the original game back in 2023, and now with Cassette Beasts 2002.

Debuting at the PC Gaming Show, Cassette Beasts 2002 is another entry in the monster-collecting game that has a lot of the same hallmarks—a gorgeous artstyle, appealing characters, a bumpin' soundtrack and (most importantly) the ability to smush your beasts together to form entirely new critters.

And, indeed, to actually become them—you're transforming into these things, putting your dukes up, which feels a little more ethical than the legally-distinct but nonetheless relevant Pokémon.

Latest Videos From

Watch full video here:

The trailer doesn't give too much away, other than there'll be some kind of dual worlds mechanic going on—but PC Gamer's own Lauren Morton played the first Cassette Beasts back in 2023 and had a lot of positive things to say about it:

"Cassette Beasts is endearingly weird. Not Undertale-level weird—at least not from the several hours I've put in so far—but things are not at all what they seem in New Wirral. I quite quickly encountered its glitchy, horrifying archangels and not long after was off to meet some kind of cult one of my party members had escaped from. Oh, and then there's the vampire landlords."

Given what 2002's trailer hints at, I'm not sure things are getting any less weird in this alternate reality. Everything's looking either rather gothic or run-down and industrial. Either way, if you liked the first game, 2002's looking to be more of the same.

Cassette Beast 2002 is aiming to release early next year, though you can wishlist the game on Steam now.

Harvey's history with games started when he first begged his parents for a World of Warcraft subscription aged 12, though he's since been cursed with Final Fantasy 14-brain and a huge crush on G'raha Tia. He made his start as a freelancer, writing for websites like Techradar, The Escapist, Dicebreaker, The Gamer, Into the Spine—and of course, PC Gamer. He'll sink his teeth into anything that looks interesting, though he has a soft spot for RPGs, soulslikes, roguelikes, deckbuilders, MMOs, and weird indie titles. He also plays a shelf load of TTRPGs in his offline time. Don't ask him what his favourite system is, he has too many.