Pokemon Thread #25 - A new Tera

[Pay Carl]

Finished my blind run (ignored all media coverage since the starters were announced), I enjoyed the game quite a bit. Had some really fun experiences with my team.

Spoiler: Spoiler: Spoiler: Spoiler

That said, it was a subpar entry in the main series. The amount of content and the pacing of the second half was absolutely horrid. Like give me a break with these cities, there is absolutely nothing to do in them. They don't feel like cities. Spikemuth for example, are you kidding me? It's a pokemon centre and a gym hallway. Where did Marnie and Piers grow up? Where do all of their Team Yell supporters live? At the bare minimum give us that.

I did really like how they handled the league challenge. It felt really hyped up and like people were paying attention to you in-game. I don't think I've had that before (although I never finished SuMo, which I plan on doing this week). I liked how Leon was this big celebrity and found the undefeated, champion, charizard memes pretty amusing. I didn't like how for the last 3-4 gyms the Champion becomes the protagonist of the story and goes and deals with the booming/dynamaxing pokemon in the Power Plant and Motostoke City meanwhile we're sent off to scurry through the last gyms (which have absolutely nothing going on and none of these cities have any content whatsoever, aside from a banner in a Pizza shop and a hot spring that is totally uninteractable and static) on what feels like a speedway loop. For that section I felt so disimmersed in my own league challenge, because the plot wasn't progressing with me for that whole part; it was progressing with Leon and whatever he was doing. It really made it shallow.

One thing that also stood out to me was the absolute lack of any sort of maze or puzzles or dungeon crawling. Everything was so linear. It sucks because they do that to cater to little kids, but as someone who has literally grown up with Pokemon it feels too simple (I was born in 1995, got a gameboy and pokemon red when I was 4 and was playing the games before I could fully read, yet I still remember making my way through all the caves and having a lot of fun and eventually beating the game, and because it took me a lot longer than 18 hours or whatever when I did it felt way more rewarding).

The post game content was abysmal.

P.s. these starters are the worst

Overall it is underwhelming as a long time fan of the series, but I love Pokemon games enough to still enjoy it quite a bit despite that.

Well written. Pretty much sums up how I feel too after just finishing it now

Spoiler

Like you said the pacing was awful. The start of the game felt great, the first few gym challenges were good, then the last few they just mailed in completely. There was practically no story then it was just thrown at you all out of nowhere while you’re in the middle of the damn challenge.

I really loved the wild area and the Pokémon appearing in the tall grass instead of constant random encounters. It’s just so disappointing how empty the rest of the game is outside of that


I keep thinking this is like the NHL 15 of Pokemon. NHL 15 added shiny new graphics, new skating mechanics, but just totally felt empty. Sword/Shield added great new ways to catch Pokémon but just completely lacks substance besides that

 

[Pay Carl]

I finally just got myself started. Took Sobble as my starter because I almost never choose the water type.

Have made a point of not looking up dex spoilers so I can be surprised by what is/isn't in the game. Then I gave in and at least went and looked up to make sure Scyther/Scizor is still here...


...This game is irredeemable garbage and I'm quitting playing right now so I can go back to Sun/Moon where the real pokemon are still obtainable.

This game actually has really cool Bug Pokémon so I’m sure you’ll find something to hold you over

 

[robertmac43]

I really loved the wild area and the Pokémon appearing in the tall grass instead of constant random encounters. It’s just so disappointing how empty the rest of the game is outside of that

To me the game really succeeds in the Wild Area but it makes the rest of the game feel extremely linear and empty.

The routes were especially problematic to me this game. They were short and Hop seemed to be around every corner hoping to talk to you. They also don't have much flow between them within the world.

 

[Gecklund]

I thought you could in this game. I believe there is a little pop up where someone asks if you know what you are doing and if you say yes you miss all of the tutorials.

If you’ve already caught some it will automatically skip. I didn’t have to watch it.

 

[robertmac43]

If you’ve already caught some it will automatically skip. I didn’t have to watch it.

Ahh okay that makes sense!

 

[Hansen]

Anyone have an Aromatisse I can borrow for dex?

 

[wingsnut19]

Got a 6IV Gmax Snorlax. I'll take it, even though I have to change the nature.

 

[JWK]

Everyone must be breeding a Dreepy, it's the only pokemon I get when using the surprise trade

 

[HanSolo]

Everyone must be breeding a Dreepy, it's the only pokemon I get when using the surprise trade

Have you played wifi battles? Everyone has a dragapult on their team.

 

[JWK]

Have you played wifi battles? Everyone has a dragapult on their team.

That sounds boring

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

Finished my blind run (ignored all media coverage since the starters were announced), I enjoyed the game quite a bit. Had some really fun experiences with my team.

Spoiler: Spoiler: Spoiler: Spoiler

That said, it was a subpar entry in the main series. The amount of content and the pacing of the second half was absolutely horrid. Like give me a break with these cities, there is absolutely nothing to do in them. They don't feel like cities. Spikemuth for example, are you kidding me? It's a pokemon centre and a gym hallway. Where did Marnie and Piers grow up? Where do all of their Team Yell supporters live? At the bare minimum give us that.

I did really like how they handled the league challenge. It felt really hyped up and like people were paying attention to you in-game. I don't think I've had that before (although I never finished SuMo, which I plan on doing this week). I liked how Leon was this big celebrity and found the undefeated, champion, charizard memes pretty amusing. I didn't like how for the last 3-4 gyms the Champion becomes the protagonist of the story and goes and deals with the booming/dynamaxing pokemon in the Power Plant and Motostoke City meanwhile we're sent off to scurry through the last gyms (which have absolutely nothing going on and none of these cities have any content whatsoever, aside from a banner in a Pizza shop and a hot spring that is totally uninteractable and static) on what feels like a speedway loop. For that section I felt so disimmersed in my own league challenge, because the plot wasn't progressing with me for that whole part; it was progressing with Leon and whatever he was doing. It really made it shallow.

One thing that also stood out to me was the absolute lack of any sort of maze or puzzles or dungeon crawling. Everything was so linear. It sucks because they do that to cater to little kids, but as someone who has literally grown up with Pokemon it feels too simple (I was born in 1995, got a gameboy and pokemon red when I was 4 and was playing the games before I could fully read, yet I still remember making my way through all the caves and having a lot of fun and eventually beating the game, and because it took me a lot longer than 18 hours or whatever when I did it felt way more rewarding).

The post game content was abysmal.

P.s. these starters are the worst

Overall it is underwhelming as a long time fan of the series, but I love Pokemon games enough to still enjoy it quite a bit despite that.

Hit the nail on the head.

Too many times I kept wondering what made the game so easy feeling. Was it the fact I never lost a battle and rarely a Pokemon? Nope. It was that it took 5-10 minutes to get to a city, including Pokémon battles. No challenges at all. Nothing to do, really. Game feels empty

 

[Vegeta]

Just a reminder for those who who haven't seen it. You can join our Pokemon discord here.

 

[DCDM]

Everyone must be breeding a Dreepy, it's the only pokemon I get when using the surprise trade

Comes down to timing. Yesterday I got a bunch of cool stuff; a perfect Darumaka, Farfetch'd with decent IVs, Grookey with decent IVs... of course I've got a Dreepy in the past but the point is there are lots of breedjects floating around out there. Just gotta get lucky I suppose.

I'm having a ton of fun playing doubles right now. I'm just using rental teams that I come across. I will say that the doubles environment makes Dynamaxing a lot easier to handle in battle; not like in singles where it's basically a race to see who can set up and get big first.

 

[JWK]

I just wanna talk to whoever from Gamefreak that included Inkay, Shelmet, Karrablast Feebas, etc. evolutions for Sword Shield.

 

[wingsnut19]

Got my Christmas day shiny Sinistea. Forgot that Cursed Body is its hidden ability, so I guess I'm stuck with it. But it really isn't that much worse than weak armor.

 

[wingsnut19]

The gimmicky garbage in battle stadium singles is so obnoxious. Had to put taunt on my Corviknight because I was running into so many annoying Corsola sets. And so many OHKO Excadrill and Lapras. Even saw a Guillotine Haxorus. It isn't difficult to beat, especially since you can't use the OHKO moves on dynamax Pokemon, but I find it makes the game less fun to have to be prepared for that kind of stuff.

 

[wingsnut19]

Shiny Magikarp event going on in the raid dens, only until midnight of Jan 3. It is available in the event dens at about an 8% encounter. I've gotten a few already, including a 5iv Jolly one.

Also got into a random shiny Tyranitar raid today, that was pretty cool. So I've already got 2 shiny Tyranitar in this game, one adamant and one jolly.

 

[YNWA14]

I'm probably going to have to get a Switch Lite just for this game. Oy. Love the Farfetch'd evolution. Also Cinderace might be my favourite ever starter, nostalgia aside. Damn.

Just theorycrafting but looking at the game I'll probably end up with something like Cinderace, Snorlax, Vaporeon (every game), Corviknight, Kommo-o and Gengar. Will probably test it out on pokemon showdown. Any thoughts? Anyone playing competitively?

 

[Taro Tsujimoto]

Ooh, I wonder what could be in this. A Pokemon Home release date would be a safe bet, but what else could be in there (Diamond/Pearl remakes, anyone)?

 

[wingsnut19]

Ooh, I wonder what could be in this. A Pokemon Home release date would be a safe bet, but what else could be in there (Diamond/Pearl remakes, anyone)?

Almost definitely Home news, not sure if they would be talking about remakes already, but also not sure what else they would put in a Direct.

 

[DCDM]

 

[Knave]

LMAO of course. But you know what? I might be down to pick it up. I got Sword and Shield pack for my little sister along with a Switch Lite so she had her own personal device.

 

[wingsnut19]

Well, guess that is better than releasing a third game with the same content for the price of a full game. Did they not give a date for Pokemon Home? I really expected more information there.

 

[JWK]

Well, guess that is better than releasing a third game with the same content for the price of a full game. Did they not give a date for Pokemon Home? I really expected more information there.

Next month

Imagine if Gamefreak just delayed the game, and launched the game with both Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra, but nope, gotta make that money from a DLC.

 

[wingsnut19]

Next month

Imagine if Gamefreak just delayed the game, and launched the game with both Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra, but nope, gotta make that money from a DLC.

Yeah, I just got to watch the Direct. Looking forward to Home.

This is a much better option than what they would typically do with a third version of the game, and exactly what people said they wished they would do with Sun/Moon rather than releasing US/UM. And if you don't want the extra story/ areas, you still get access to all the new Pokemon introduced/ brought back for free. Overall, it feels like pretty good value, other than still not getting all the Pokemon in the game.