The free-to-play open-world RPG Imo has been released. The game is available on Steam, the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Its peak concurrent player count on Steam surpassed 101,000 within the first few hours of launch, but user reviews quickly dropped to "Mixed."
Imo is set on a continent inhabited by hundreds of magical creatures. Players can capture pets using special capsules, explore the open world, engage in combat, and collect creatures in various forms.
The core mechanic of the game is "fusion" between the character and their pet. After fusion, the character can use the pet's unique abilities to explore the map, and players can directly control the pet in real-time during combat. Additionally, the game features a mobile camp customization system based around an RV.
Some players have praised the game's bright visual style, monster designs, and relaxed adventure atmosphere. They also appreciated the various evolution paths for creatures and the collection of rare forms. Some reviews have compared certain gameplay elements to Palworld.
Negative feedback has primarily focused on technical performance. Players reported that after the initial download on Steam, the built-in launcher still required downloading several gigabytes of additional data at slow speeds. The lack of a frame rate limit in the main menu was also cited as a cause of high GPU temperatures. Other common complaints included errors in saving character appearances, incomplete controller support on PC, and poor compatibility with the Steam Deck.
The game's monetization model has also drawn criticism, including paid options to accelerate pet egg hatching and consumables used for capturing creatures. The mobile version of Imo is scheduled for release on September 23, while the PC and console versions are already available.