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People looking atCassette Beastsfor the first time may think it’s yet another Pokemon clone, and sure, the inspiration’s in its recipe. Monster-catching, monster-training, even stand-ins for Gym Leaders and the like. But there’s so much that differentiates it, including the fact that you’ll (almost) always fight alongside a partner, thus controlling two creatures at once.
Related:Cassette Beasts: Beginner Tips
As a further exploration of that formula, you can even fuse your pal with your NPC partner’s - once certain prerequisites have been met. In this guide, we’ll discuss how to reach fusion opportunities with each partner, and what the big deal is with fusions in the first place.
What Are Fusions, And Why Should You Care?
At its heart, monster-fusing is exactly as it says on the proverbial tin; the fusion of two monsters. What follows is the emergence of a brand-new creature, albeitfor a limited time(this is hardly a permanent occurrence, worry not). If a battle rages on for long enough, and they’re depleted of HP,both monsters will effectively faint, andyou’ll need to send out new ones.
Otherwise, the pair will get separated after the fight is over, and a gauge will need to build back up again to initiate another fusion.
So, on the one hand, it can be kind of risky to fuse since a knockout means losing two party members for the price of one. Yetfusion is highly recommended in certain circumstances, including the toughest battles in Cassette Beasts. Players generally agree the major challenges involve theboss fights against Archangels, warped creatures whose existence factors heavily into the main storyline.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to what your fusion will look like. In our experience, they seldom look quite as cool as the individual species of monsters, but then, that’s hardly a harsh critique; designing so many possible outcomes cannot be easy.
Related:Cassette Beasts: Complete Guide To Remastering
Cool, So How Do You Do This Fusion Thing?
You’ll actually encounter your first fusionvery early in the story, but you won’t be able to repeat the trick manually for a little while longer. That’s because the plot instigates the first instance, whereas you have to progress downeach partner character’s individual questbefore fusion is unlocked for them.
In some cases, that’s somewhat quick. In others, not so much. We’ll break down each partner’s fusion unlock in the below table.
Kayleigh
“I Ran So Far Away”
Lightning-fast, as you don’t need to complete her character quest to unlock it - just wrap up an early main quest
Eugene
“Acting On Your Best Behaviour”
Takes a surprisingly long time, as you need to defeat the landlords at all five locations on the map before you’re able to access the final part and the inevitable Archangel battle; be prepared to wait a good while for this one
Meredith
“All I Ever Needed”
Meredith’s quest itself isn’t particularly long, but making it to Eastham Woods, learning Electromagnetism, and using it to reach Falldown Mall is not something you’ll likely be able to do as soon as you meet her
Felix
“Dont You Want Me”
This one takes some time, though not quite as much as Eugene’s; you need to fight Kuneko at four altars, some of which require the use of special abilities in order to reach them
Viola
“Everybody’s Looking For Something”
Reaching the Titania in the Cast Iron Shore means learning the Swim abilityandhaving monsters in the level 30+ range, so it’ll take a while (but again, not as long as Eugene’s)
Barkley
“Come Back And Stay”
Very quickly, as this quest is short (though reaching New Wirral and learning Pumpkin Vine will take a long time)
How To Win Fusions And Influence People
While the completion of each quest unlocks fusions (with exception to Kayleigh, as noted above), it’s important to mention that earning that firstrelationship heartby finishing up the character quests is only the beginning of how close your protagonist can get with each of them.There are five heart levels, but the system doesn’t even pop up for a partner until after their quests have ended.
In other words,it’s all the more important to complete character quests.Now, here’s the thing, and this is why we’re talking about relationships in the fusion guide.The higher the relationship level, the more powerful the fusion becomesbetween the particular partner and yourself. These stat boosts are quite significant by the time you reach five hearts.
Late-game bosses, and especially post-game content, tends to assume you’re going in with someone who you’re able to fuse to a decent degree. Bear this in mind if you should happen to struggle overmuch later on. We’ve got a guide to relationships 101 in the link we’ll end this article on, so check it out if you’d like to know more!
