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What Are Fusions, And Why Should You Care?
Cool, So How Do You Do This Fusion Thing?
How To Win Fusions And Influence People
People looking at Cassette Beasts for 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, albeit for 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, and you'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 in order 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. Yet fusion is highly recommended in certain circ*mstances, including the toughest battles in Cassette Beasts. Players generally agree the major challenges involve the boss 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 fusion very 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 down each partner character's individual quest before 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.
Character | Personal Quest | Fusion Unlock Point |
|---|---|---|
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 can 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 ability and having 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 first relationship heart by 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 becomes between 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 can 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!
Next: Cassette Beasts: Complete Guide To Romance
