THE CRUNCH

A new open-world creature collector called Aniimo launches this week, inviting players to explore the continent of Idyll and battle in a sky-floating metropolis. The game is free-to-play and available on Steam.

The title is described as a next-gen creature-catching RPG that does not appear to borrow heavily from the famous Nintendo franchise, though parallels can be drawn.

Players can travel to a sky-floating metropolis, meet other Pathfinders, and battle in exciting competitions.

The game is available now on Steam.

The release is part of a broader slate of new releases this week, which also includes an RPG where you play as a guild master and an action horror FPS with PvP battles.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The game's long-term success will depend on its ability to retain players through its free-to-play model and the quality of its creature-collecting mechanics.