The chatter surrounding Pokémon Sword & Shield – the latest entry in the series – has sparked some fans to drift apart from the OG creature-collector to some degree, so the time for a competitor to launch (in some form) has likely never been better.

As it happens Temtem has done just that, and to say it's taken some notes from Pokémon would be an understatement to say the very least. It is, however, showing a great deal of promise, and even though it's still in early access (and only on Steam) there seems to be enough here to tempt some long-time Poké-fans from their Charmander-riddled comfort zone.

In the video above, we take a look at what the game has to offer, what it does differently, and what it is about this game that makes it a threat to the mighty Pikachu-shaped crown atop The Pokémon Company's figurative head. Remember, Temtem is Switch-bound at some point – how do you feel about Pokémon having some serious competition?