With the super underwhelming first mainline console games of sword and shield, I wish more and more as everyone says a “breath of the wild style” pokemon game. Sword and shield seemed to take a step towards that but just a baby step while simultaneously downgrading several aspects of the game compared to older games. I am a huge fan of when the tcg has a set area or location for a set and this makes the town and ruins of Aquapolis and Skyridge my favorite sets.
Imagine a fully open world Pokemon game set in the seaside city in Aquapolis/Skyridge and the surrounding area including the ruins and the underwater ruins. Instead of defeating yet another Team Rocket clone, uncovering the mystery of some Pokemon similar to the mystery dungeon or pokemon ranger games. Going through ruins fighting pokemon and solving puzzles slowly unlocking the mystery. Travelling through the wild far from town and finding a giant geogylph of Ho-oh in the desert like in the Crystal Ho-oh card. Fighting trainers throughout the city for fun or to get closer to answers to the mystery. Going through the towns shopping district getting pokeballs from one shop, herbs from another and artifacts you’ll need later in the ruins from another mysterious man in the alley. There are so many amazing things they could expand and evolve the pokemon games to with a concept like this.
I’ve wanted a truly open world pokemon game for over 10 years since I was a kid. I haven’t particularly cared about the newer games for years but the tease of sword and shield and what the pokemon games COULD be has only gotten me more irritated. Just curious how you guys feel but this idea popped into my head and the more I think about it the more mad I get it doesn’t exist.
I’m with you. What you’re describing is a mashup of ruby + sapphire, firered + leafgreen, emerald, the surprise x2 map of silver and gold, with the item and crafting mechanics of diamond and pearl, with a little unova sprinkled in. I’m amazed the pkmn company hasn’t made a skyrim-esque game. I haven’t played the games in forever because…I adult’d. From what I’ve read (and seen on) in reviews, the games have been progressively watered down over the years, and many reviewers have pointedly said “this is so you [pkmn itnl.] can appeal to a younger, wider, audience”.
As an adult, I’d literally kill for a modern RPG with updated graphics and engine (the battle engine is still running ruby and sapphire code - LITERALLY 2002) along with updated loot mechanics, and a huge open world enabled by modern technology. Personally, I think the pokedex has gotten way too big, and that it needs shrinkening. However, given modern computational standards, there is no reason to have a pokemon game with a limited pokedex, or poor graphics, or a small world. Seriously, I work in this industry. That pokemon hasn’t released a skyrim-type game boggles the minds of my colleagues and the seasoned veterans of business who run my agency. They are leaving money on the table for no reason. They are alienating a decades-old hardcore, dedicated fan base who would jump onboard in half a second if they made the game they should have/could have produced. Nobody in my strat dept knows why they are limiting themselves technologically, because it is seriously impacting their market share and visibility, i.e, free advertising/space in the general public’s minds. The best pkmn co. have been able to come up with is pkmn go, which is a joke, and an obvious cash grab by a third party using the original IP.
This is not intended to be a depressing post. Pkmn company needs to realize the unrealized markets and capital that they are not tapping into, and that the 21st century has indeed arrived.
BW2 had all 5 gens mixed together where BW only had gen 5, they have the World Tournament which was a super cool system, the entire underwater tube section, the movie making mini game, Rosa (because she’s the best poke-waifu), and a more I can’t think of rn it’s like the difference between emerald and ruby/sapphire except a bigger difference and the fact that BW1 were already super good games
I’ve recently started playing shield and was pleasantly surprised. Voice acting and a rework of the battle system would be nice though. And they should consider making the whole map like the isle of armor, crown tundra and the wild area.
I don’t think we can expect a whole different game as long as they release a new main game every two years.
Which they should stop imo. I feel like they pump out a lot of senseless Pokémon because they’re under a time crunch. What’s the point of half-assing new Pokémon if people aren’t going to pay attention to 95% of that generation’s Pokemon.
Very well done take on fire red/leaf green story with a much more adult tone through the perspective of a Team Rocket member. You can even steal Pokémon with a morality system included in the game.
Basically, everything @nish said plus more. They are direct sequels to BW set 2 years after, and build upon the story. Without giving spoilers I can’t discuss the story much, but I can say there are flashback scenes to explain many of the changes in the Unova region. Plus, Team Plasma is actually badass.
Besides story, there’s so much content. nish already mentioned the Pokemon World Tournament (where you can fight all past gym leaders and champions - with themes remixed in the Gen V sound font to boot), the region has Pokemon from Gens I-IV right from the start, and there’s a movie-making minigame. Then there’s the reward for completing the Unova dex, which is a ticket to a faraway island that has a guaranteed shiny Haxorus. There’s Join Avenue, which allows you to assign roles to players you’ve passed or interacted with, and basically create your own in-game microeconomy. There’s a sidequest chain where your player character goes on dates and eventually allows you to trade for Pokemon unobtainable in the game naturally. There’s a crap ton to do in post-game: some is story-related spoilers, but the rest is exploring sections of Unova from BW that were walled off during the main story. In Black City/White Forest there is a dungeon system which can actually be quite challenging, and after beating the final boss you are gifted a shiny Gible or Dratini depending on your game. You can also hunt for legendaries in locations around the region. And things like the Battle Test and the Battle Subway make their return as well - there wasn’t any cut content. There’s a variety of unique trainers to fight every day/week in postgame. And the music. Don’t even get me started on Gen V music.
Honestly, the only reason I said BW are the best games in the franchise is because they are what allowed B2W2 to exist.
@kingboo64, I highly recommend the games! Just be careful when looking to buy one. There’s a lot of proxy/reproduced game cards out there, and the authentic ones are getting a little pricey. I’m not sure how to tell the difference between the two though.
it’s like the difference between emerald and ruby/sapphire except a bigger difference and the fact that BW1 were already super good games