Alola, A Land of New Opportunities
Just as the Pokemon Go hype has calmed down, you are dragged straight back in with the newest iteration of the franchise, Pokemon Sun and Moon. This game is much like it’s predecessors with its own intriguing new features to experience and fresh new lands to explore. If you are new to the franchise, this is a great place to jump in and if you are a veteran, there is plenty to enjoy.
A Narrative Evolved
Alola, a peaceful and undeveloped place full of unique Pokemon and friendships to be made. Modeled after Hawaii, the islands don’t contain the massive concrete jungles you are used to in previous games but rather small villages and communities beaming with positivity. Paradise isn’t always what it seems to be with the introduction of a new villainous gang, Team Skull. Pokemon Sun and Moon have an amount of cinematic and narrative much greater than has been seen in the past due to the increased graphical capabilities. Though this may seem like a nice addition, 10 minutes cutscenes or having a new cutscene begin every 20 steps can quickly take it’s toll. The story wasn’t as imaginative as it could be but was still enjoyable as you are eager to know what happens next.
Choose Your Pokemon
As is tradition, your journey begins (20 minutes after cutscenes) with the selection of your fire, water or grass Pokemon. Your new professor and mentor, Professor Kukui, will present you with the selection of three Pokemon. This generation introduces Litten, the fire cat; Popplio, the water sea lion; and Rowlet, the grass quill. An interesting new addition was the inclusion of their element moves from when you obtain them at level 5, Ember, Water Gun, and Leafage. Your friend Hau, which replaces the usual rival, will pick the starter which is weak to yourself which makes your battles much easier. The aesthetics of each starter are ok with Litten being the fan favorite but with each evolution, Rowlet wins out with the greater looking final evolution.
The Island Challenge
Gyms are a thing of the past, or a development of the future in the case of Alola. As your progress through the islands, you are presented with trials to test your skills and be presented with a Z-Crystal to increase the strength of the Pokemon you wish to travel with. Each trial consists of different elements and tasks to complete but ultimately ends with a battle against a Totem Pokemon. These Pokemon are much stronger versions of themselves and can provide a great challenge, especially if your party doesn’t consist of anything to combat their weakness. This change to the regular format is welcome as it was different from the expectations of fighting a gym in every city but rather facing a trial at any point. The Z-Crystals you receive are specific to a type of a Pokemon and provide a boost to a skill your Pokemon has through the power of your Z-Ring. While these moves are rather strong, the animations can get a little tedious each time.
Let the Battle Begin
The entire battle process has become a lot more fluent and pleasant. The touch screen shows the usual options of fighting, changing pokemon, using items or running but there is also an added feature of seeing the current state of buffs of your Pokemon and that of your Opponent. After fighting a specific Pokemon, the next time you fight them you will be given hints as to which of your moves will be effective or otherwise. This is a great feature for newer players and takes away the necessity to remember every type of each Pokemon you encounter. Another welcome feature when fighting wild Pokemon is the ability to throw a Poke Ball without going to your bag by simply pressing Y. The entire workflow and UI design is a great improvement on it’s predecessor. Animations are as beautiful as ever but there was a slight frame drop when quite a bit was happening such as rain or sand and especially when there were more than 2 Pokemon out at once. Sadly one of the main features of the console, the stereoscopic 3D, was nowhere to be seen in the battles or anywhere else for that matter.
So What’s Changed?
Pokemon Sun and Moon may have gone backwards in some ways and others are based on opinion but there are some changes which I find to be delightful innovations. HMs or Hidden Machines have been changed to regular TMs and to do the same features you would from other games, you simply call a Pokemon ride which will perform the same action. This takes the tired action of having Pokemon with sub-optimal moves used to progress and allows you to fully optimize your team. These Pokemon replace moves such as Rock Smash, Surf, Fly, Strength and others while keeping everything on theme which is great.
With the introduction of Alola, there are regional variants of Pokemon we know and love. Early on you may find yourself up against different versions of Pokemon you think you know but now have a slightly different appearance due to new typing. Whether it is an Ice Sandshrew of a Psychic Raichu, you won’t be disappointed with the ability to add these useful Pokemon to your arsenal.
Another interesting aspect of the game is the inclusion of a Rotom in your Pokedex. Displayed at all times while walking around is your Pokedex with a mini map of your current area and information on where you are supposed to be going next. This makes moving through the story much easier as you are seldom confused as to where you should be going next. The camera movement takes awhile to get used to but using the Rotom as a way to keep an eye on where you are going, navigating around was a breeze.
The Verdict
While the game still feels very much like what Pokemon is and should be, the excessiveness of narrative makes it feel much more dragged out than hoped for. Even with it’s flaws, the game has a great amount of merit and plenty of elements for new players and old to jump on and be immersed into the world of Pokemon. If you have been an avid Pokemon Go player, this is the game for you.