Your arrival at the island of New Wirral at the beginning of Cassette Beasts surely asks a great many questions. Why are you here? Why is everyone else here, for that matter? Is there truly no way home? And why, of course, do cassette players let you record and summon monsters to do battle on your behalf?
Romance might not sensibly be the first thing on someone's mind down in Harbourtown, but sure enough, it's something you can pursue as the game goes on. Here's everything you need to know in order to make that special someone even more... er, special?
Romantic Prelude
Near as we can tell, you can romance just about anybody in Cassette Beasts, so long as they're a partner. A partner is someone who fights alongside you, so a recruitable party member, a companion - whatever vernacular you use, it's more or less a means to the same end. If there are any exceptions, then surely the dog you can befriend near Mount Wirral is the big one - being Barkley is a regular dog, and you're very much a human being, we trust you understand the mechanical limitations therein.
But yes, back to the point at hand; the first partner you meet is Kayleigh, and she's very much available. Eventually. (More on that in a bit.) Others will come into your life, such as Meredith, Eugene, Felix, and more, as you explore the island to your heart's content.
The Benefits Of Romance
So, what do you get out of picking a romance interest, anyway? Well, as your hearts go up from one to five, so too does the strength of your fusion when you have your Cassette Beast and your partner's fuse during battles. This relies on a fusion meter, mind you, which builds up over time throughout multiple battles, so it can't be used all the time. It's best to reserve your fusions for tough fights like Archangels or stubborn Ranger Captains.
At five hearts, your fusion's strength is seriously mighty. Coupled with the 'Fusion Power' with a base strength of 200, you can really wreck all but the absolute hardest opponents throughout Cassette Beasts.
You also have to consider the narrative side of the equation, which for some of us, might be the real reward. You get to enjoy a date scene unique for each partner as well as the general flirtations leading to the big moment itself. Truth be told, it's not the deepest romance system in the gaming industry, but it's a nice piece of secondary content we recommend all interested players partake in!
How To Romance A Partner
Now for the million-dollar question. Or should we say, the million-plastic question? Million-pulp? You get the idea. Romancing a partner begins, and is most thoroughly influenced by, completing their personal quest. This is far and away the most critical component, as you cannot initiate a romance of any sort until you've done this. When most partners join, they'll tell you their main goal, and it will pop up as a quest in your log. In Kayleigh's case, since she meets you so early, she'll tell you in a little while.
Once you've completed the character's personal quest (or quests, in some cases), their main part of the story is effective complete. They've overcome some personal goal, like Kayleigh confronting her past or Meredith realizing things aren't so bad. At this point, the one-heart rating can begin to increase. Prior to this point, it'll get stuck at one indefinitely.
Things are pretty simple from hereon out, at least for every romance scenario we've attempted. We'll update this guide if there are exceptions we've not yet encountered, but as a general rule, once the personal quest is finished, just camp out/rest at the Gramophone Cafe with them on a regular basis, and the remainder of the heart increases will stem from conversations. There don't seem to be any right or wrong answers, so just be yourself, and you'll hit five hearts eventually.
If a few rests occur with no new dialogue, don't fret; it's just Cassette Beasts spacing things out so that you strike it hot with your beau once a good deal of the story's been resolved. We promise it'll kick back up soon enough.