NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters Review: Inventory of Indeterminate Origin

Creature features kind of a reacher.
Edited by Kristi Jimenez

The instant I see my opponent in NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters, things do not look good. They’ve stuffed monsters at specific angles across every corner of their elaborate knapsack. I warily glance at my meager fire-based team, the result of a disastrous mid-game pivot. Two sentient matchsticks, two grinning lighters, and a coterie of birds and angry clouds is nowhere near enough. All I can do is hope the next shop has a better selection before the pummeling begins.

NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters is a PvP inventory-based auto-battler. First, you purchase creatures, items, and extra space from the shop. Next, you arrange your creatures and items so their effects build off each other. Finally, hit the start button and watch both sides fight automatically. Rinse and repeat until your run ends by winning a set amount of rounds until you lose all your health.

The game succeeds at giving new flavor to a developing genre, even if the features are just more of the same. But unlike its predecessors, I can play NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters without worrying about my husband scrutinizing the art style. Backpack Battles established the core themes of inventory auto-battling, but with a questionable anime girl aesthetic that set my teeth on edge. NeoDuel’s bright and poppy look distracts much less from the game itself.

Sentient But Silent

NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters: the player ponders a selection from the in-game shop.
Screenshot via The 4 Winds Entertainment.

Related: Knock On the Coffin Lid First Impressions: More to the Story

One of the game’s shortcomings is the monsters themselves. The game simply doesn’t do enough to capitalize on the creature collecting theme. They feel more like weapons in a monster’s shape than creatures you’re teaming up with. Your monsters don’t make noises or have their own attack animations beyond a generic strike.

The asynchronous roguelike format doesn’t lend itself to establishing bonds or synergy with your monsters, either. They’re just tools in different wrapping paper. Announcer commentary during matches adds some spice, but it still feels like a missed opportunity.

Part of what makes the creature collecting formula so powerful is what you imprint on them: names, gameplay habits, backstories. The tournament fights in NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters are sharp, but the world feels a bit flat. There are no interstitials outside of the shop or arena, just flavor text and fusion synergies. Even a hint of life beyond the dome could do so much to expand the setting and let players start to fill in the blanks.

The Verdict: NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters is a brisk but brittle auto-battler

NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters: the ending screen showing a successful tournament win.
Screenshot via The 4 Winds Entertainment.

Auto-battlers have to spin so many mechanical plates. Break down complex interactions into simple units. Maintain the needs of the player base, but keep things approachable. Over time, each auto-battler tilts toward added complexity to keep the dedicated fans entertained. But to reach that point, NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters could use a little more thematic juice in the tank.

Despite satisfying battles and a snappy look, the game fails to capitalize on the monsters themselves, leaving the whole experience a bit hollow. But NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters is a living organism by nature, and future updates could patch up these holes. For now, I have an inventory battler that I don’t need to hide in an incognito window. And you know what? That isn’t half bad.

Press SPACE to Jump Review score 7

Good

ProsCons
Compelling inventory management.Lack of life from the titular monsters.
Snappy, friendly art style.Could use more thematic flourishes outside of fights.
Announcer commentary during matches adds flavor. 

Read the Press SPACE to Jump Review Scale for more information on what our scores mean. For more indie coverage, stay tuned to the site!

share this article
Taylor Hicklen
Taylor Hicklen

Taylor is Press SPACE to Jump's PR and indie reviews person. He likes midrange JRPGs, fighting games, and Dicey Dungeons. Bonus points if there are good fonts. To contact him about your game or other professional inquiries, you can email him at pstjtaylor@proton.me.

Articles: 73