Cassette Beasts is getting a sequel set in 2002 London

Bytten Studio has announced Cassette Beasts 2002, a direct sequel that moves the monster-fusing RPG to early 2000s London. The original game launched in 2023 and managed to stand out in a very crowded genre by adding its own weird mechanical twists. Now, the developers are leaning heavily into the chunky aesthetics of early 21st-century technology.

The setup drops players into a quiet London neighborhood before pulling them into Nodnol. That is an alternate dimension that exists in the shadow of the real world (and yes, it is just London spelled backward). The environment blends 3D rendered fields with 2D pixel-art sprites, and the menus are built around retro mobile phone interfaces. High-quality 2D anime sequences punctuate the major story moments and character transformations.

The core gimmick of the series remains intact. Instead of throwing balls at creatures, you record them onto cassette tapes. You then play those tapes back to physically transform into the monsters during turn-based combat. The scale of the sequel is massive compared to the first game. There are over 250 base beasts to find. The fusion system lets you combine any two creatures in your party, resulting in more than 57,000 possible hybrid forms. Every single one of those combinations has its own bespoke animation.

New combat mechanics

The sequel adds a vendetta mechanic to the overworld. Random rogue beasts have a chance to break out of their standard behavioral loops and actively rebel against you. They learn from the specific battle techniques you use, adapt to your strategies, and show up later to challenge you again. You also have to manage relationships with 12 different human companions. Deepening your bond with a companion directly impacts combat, as stronger friendships unlock more powerful fusion transformations.

Online multiplayer is built into the game from launch. You can trade tapes, record new monsters, and fight alongside other players in any encounter. That includes the main story battles, so you do not have to disconnect just to push the narrative forward. The developers have also confirmed cross-platform support.

Where to play it

The trailer above comes from the official Xbox channel, which only lists Xbox Series X/S and PC. That is just standard platform marketing. The game is actually a multiplatform release. It is coming to the PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch 2 alongside the Xbox and PC versions.

Players who spent dozens of hours in the first game can import their original character to continue the story. If you missed the 2023 release, you can just start fresh with a new protagonist.

Raw Fury is publishing the game, though they have not announced a firm release date yet. You can find more details on the official Xbox store page.

Making a monster-catching game that does not feel like a blatant Nintendo clone is a notoriously hard design problem. Bytten Studio solved it the first time around by using weird audio technology and bizarre creature designs. Moving the setting to an alternate-reality 2002 London gives the sequel plenty of room to keep things strange. We just have to wait and see if the team can actually balance 57,000 different monster combinations.