Pokemon Thread #25 - A new Tera

Hansen

tyler motte simp
Oct 12, 2011
23,710
9,327
Nanaimo, B.C.
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.

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.
 
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Frankie Blueberries

Allergic to draft picks
Jan 27, 2016
9,099
10,546
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.

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.

I agree with all your points and criticism. I hadn't really played a Pokemon game since Red/Blue/Yellow and was looking forward to navigating dungeons, like I remember the Team Rocket facility in Red/Blue was very complicated and intricate and took a while to figure out. Sword and Shield hold your hand wayyyy too much, which might be more indicative of where the gaming industry is at right now, but still - it definitely cheapened the experience for me a lot.

I've already gotten bored of the post-game content. If they introduce live events like tournaments and rare Pokemon, I might go back to it, but right now it doesn't have the staying power for me to keep playing.
 

Hansen

tyler motte simp
Oct 12, 2011
23,710
9,327
Nanaimo, B.C.
I agree with all your points and criticism. I hadn't really played a Pokemon game since Red/Blue/Yellow and was looking forward to navigating dungeons, like I remember the Team Rocket facility in Red/Blue was very complicated and intricate and took a while to figure out. Sword and Shield hold your hand wayyyy too much, which might be more indicative of where the gaming industry is at right now, but still - it definitely cheapened the experience for me a lot.

I've already gotten bored of the post-game content. If they introduce live events like tournaments and rare Pokemon, I might go back to it, but right now it doesn't have the staying power for me to keep playing.
I don't know if its possible, it may be with the change over to console tech, but this game is in desperate need of a post-release expansion. I really hope they can pull it off. I don't care so much about Dexit, but they're taking so much flak for it and having that content be part of an expansion would appease a lot of people. To make up for some of the lacking content they could even add in a new town or group of towns to the map--at least something to do in the towns. Probably won't come until the inbetween gen release though
 

robertmac43

Forever 43!
Mar 31, 2015
23,094
15,176
I don't know if its possible, it may be with the change over to console tech, but this game is in desperate need of a post-release expansion. I really hope they can pull it off. I don't care so much about Dexit, but they're taking so much flak for it and having that content be part of an expansion would appease a lot of people. To make up for some of the lacking content they could even add in a new town or group of towns to the map--at least something to do in the towns. Probably won't come until the inbetween gen release though

Great write up on the review. In terms of DLC I was alluding to it earlier on here, make dungeons or wild areas with a ton of updated pokemon and some new big ones. I think that would be fun overall.

Side note I missed the old style of victory road. I remember being young and having trouble with gen 3 victory road, it was so satisfying finally finishing it!
 

Tad Mikowsky

Only Droods
Sponsor
Jun 30, 2008
20,857
21,557
Edmonton
I’m 65 away from completing the dex.
Even without GTS, it’s nice that Discord exists. Been using that to get version exclusives done.
 

wingsnut19

Registered User
Apr 9, 2007
3,279
283
Have you completed it? Any tips?
No, I've not completed it yet, I'm sitting at 355 right now. Don't really have any tips, other than that the wild area was a big reason why I'm at the number I'm at. I'm at the point now where I probably have to write out the list of 45 that I'm missing and go make a purposeful hunt.
 

robertmac43

Forever 43!
Mar 31, 2015
23,094
15,176
No, I've not completed it yet, I'm sitting at 355 right now. Don't really have any tips, other than that the wild area was a big reason why I'm at the number I'm at. I'm at the point now where I probably have to write out the list of 45 that I'm missing and go make a purposeful hunt.

Yeah I'm currently just walking around in the Wild zone while using the surprise trade system in the back ground .
 

HanSolo

DJ Crazy Times
Apr 7, 2008
96,405
30,656
Las Vegas
Yeah I'm currently just walking around in the Wild zone while using the surprise trade system in the back ground .
I have. Stock up on quick balls if you can. Don't be afraid to change the date on your switch to change the weather to find specific weather based appearances (especially true of lake of outrage, pokemon like Rotom only appear under one weather condition). Don't wonder trade pokemon who you have missing links in the evolution chain. Hold onto them to breed down dex entries.

It's really all about how hard you can put your head down and just brute force your way through adding things to the dex with a little begging around reddit/discord/here for version exclusives.

It's a pain but it can be done faster than you think. I'd recommend checking out the serebii discord. Most people in the trade channel are just looking to trade HA breedjects, shinies, and gmaxes but occasionally you'll run into people like you looking to complete dex entries. I know I met three or so people who just had a bunch of pokemon I was missing and they'd help me fill 6-15 entries just for hooking them up with a couple.

oh yeah don't be like me and do what wingsnut did instead. I never wrote down my list of remaining entries so I'd have to flip through my dex over and over again like an idiot.
 

DCDM

Da Rink Cats
Mar 24, 2008
38,094
6,426
Calgary
My new biggest pet peeve with this game

Hop: OMG there was an explosion in the distance! There must be something we can do!
Leon: This is an adult matter! You must continue the gym challenge.

rage face.jpg
 

Hansen

tyler motte simp
Oct 12, 2011
23,710
9,327
Nanaimo, B.C.
Spent like 3 hours last night trying to get a Turtonator only to have it use explosion first turn, now Im training a (anti-?)suicide squad of Quagsire's to prevent that from ever happening again

For the overworld spawning pokemon I've gotten so so much luckier than the random encounters. I had probably 3-4 Rotom's in the grass my first time looking but for Turtonator its taken f***ing ages, similarly with Stonjourner and Jangmo-o (and then once I have them they pop up regularly while Turtonator has only shown its face once)
 

The Nemesis

Semper Tyrannus
Apr 11, 2005
87,950
31,175
Langley, BC
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. :sarcasm:
 
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The Nemesis

Semper Tyrannus
Apr 11, 2005
87,950
31,175
Langley, BC
Do Gamefreak not think that maybe just once we can ask to skip the catching tutorial?

I've played Pokemon for 20 goddamn years, I think by now I know I have to select pokeballs from my bag to catch stuff.
 

robertmac43

Forever 43!
Mar 31, 2015
23,094
15,176
Do Gamefreak not think that maybe just once we can ask to skip the catching tutorial?

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.
 

The Nemesis

Semper Tyrannus
Apr 11, 2005
87,950
31,175
Langley, BC
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.

I remember a choice like that, before Hop asks if I've ever been in a Pokemon Center before, and I did say 'yes' but there still was a brief tutorial for the catch. It didn't include dialogue boxes spelling out every step, but did feature a visual following of the process of selecting your items, then pokeballs, then using it.
 

robertmac43

Forever 43!
Mar 31, 2015
23,094
15,176
I remember a choice like that, before Hop asks if I've ever been in a Pokemon Center before, and I did say 'yes' but there still was a brief tutorial for the catch. It didn't include dialogue boxes spelling out every step, but did feature a visual following of the process of selecting your items, then pokeballs, then using it.

Ahhh maybe i just zoned that out then lol
 

robertmac43

Forever 43!
Mar 31, 2015
23,094
15,176
If anyone has Oranguru or a Drampa they could breed for me for the Dex I would greatly appreciate it!
 

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