Recently I've been playing the 2023 game Cassette Beasts, developed by Bytten Studio and published by Raw Fury.
The game has a strong feeling of gameplay optimization, being reminiscent, in its undeniable inspiration in the Pokemon series, of the most popularly requested and liked adaptations to its original formula, featuring playable character customization that can be altered through the game at the starting area; a combination of 2d pixel art and 3d world navigation; the now long time present "physical/special split", which separates different attacks into the two categories; various mobility options that function as permanent upgrades to your character, making the exploration convenient and enjoyable, and an open world style adventure, with a non-linear storyline and many reoccurring sidequests, even having its own "evil team" that works more as a side story than the big bads of the game.
The game also takes a very route in many aspects, however, being far from being just a "knock-off Pokemon", including features such as relationship building and romanceable characters, exclusively double or sometimes triple battles, its very own creature-types and techniques, and very unique storylines. The monsters are, of course, all different from those found in Pokemon, but the team building and moveset selection also feel very different, having a lot of very different techniques to choose from and space for much more than 4 of them per monster, as the time goes on, also allowing the player to trade techniques between monsters by turning them into items called "stickers".
The boss monsters are incredibly stylish, having a very out worldly feel that very strongly approaches that of the Witches in the 2012 series Puella Magi Madoka Magica, reaching an aesthetic that is only enforced by the fittingly amazing soundtrack, that can be at times very beautifully calm or excitingly energetic, contributing to the impeccable sense of momentum built by the game.
The characters feel very diverse, with the various partners you gather through the game having their distinct personalities, much variety in design, and complete storylines. The game also allows for a queer approach in the romance options and character customization, allowing for all dating options regardless of gender and free switching between three sets of gendered language, making it possible to always decide if your character will be a "she", a "he" or a "they" at any point, along with appearance, clothes (none of which are limited by gender) and name.
Cassette Beasts is an RPG that manages to compile all the best things in the genre, creating an experience that combines striking storytelling and engaging gameplay into one of the best games I've played in recent memory, and one that I can't imagine losing that very special place in my regard.