This review contains spoilers
✔
When I was younger, I had a copy of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness. It's the same game as Explorers of Sky, but without the extra missions and some quality of life things. It's also one game as opposed to two (the other half originally being Explorers of Time). Ever since I got my starter, definitely not by slightly rigging the quiz, I liked the game a lot, liking it more as time went on. Ever since then, I found a way to play Explorers of Sky. My enjoyment only continued to grow. I didn't care that not everyone loved it. After all, they were wrong.
It's a comfort game for me, and honestly, I needed that. When I first started replaying this, I was not feeling great. I was dealing with a ton of stressors and needed a game that brought me closer to the positive emotions I frankly needed during that time. That's when I remembered I had this game ready to play. Why not? I could use a bit of nostalgia.
I picked up the game, started playing, and instantly felt like I was younger again. I knew the story, but the twists and turns still got reactions out of me all those years later. Team Skull still sucked, the partner was still nice to see as they grew, and the player character's mystery still intrigued me, even if I knew all the answers. In those moments, I realized that I would not get tired of playing this. Ironic, because people call it repetitive. The story was just as great as ever, leading me to play through the game. I even approached the gameplay with a lot more strategy than I had back when I was younger, and that actually caused me to have a lot more fun than usual.
When I reached the ending, I felt happier. Sure, the horizon was still there, but I felt as though I could face it now. There's a lot I still need to do, but if I could conquer time itself in this game, I could conquer some stressors in real life. After all, only this game would be ballsy enough to leave off on a downer ending and still have an incredible story in my eyes. I know it's not permanent, but the fact that they did that still matters. They were willing to leave the player in a state of sadness, letting that same player feel relief with a sense of closure and hope that not a lot of other games provide.
I really hope that one day, there is a new game in this series (and I don't just mean a remake). It may need an overhaul, as some of the elements in this game are elements that I know people don't like. However, while I could talk about how perfect this game is and how other people are wrong, that won't lead to a new game. Regardless, the fact that I want a new one should be a testament to how strong this game is on its own. No game before or since, sub-series or otherwise, has matched it for me.
You know what? This is my favorite video game.
When I was younger, I had a copy of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness. It's the same game as Explorers of Sky, but without the extra missions and some quality of life things. It's also one game as opposed to two (the other half originally being Explorers of Time). Ever since I got my starter, definitely not by slightly rigging the quiz, I liked the game a lot, liking it more as time went on. Ever since then, I found a way to play Explorers of Sky. My enjoyment only continued to grow. I didn't care that not everyone loved it. After all, they were wrong.
It's a comfort game for me, and honestly, I needed that. When I first started replaying this, I was not feeling great. I was dealing with a ton of stressors and needed a game that brought me closer to the positive emotions I frankly needed during that time. That's when I remembered I had this game ready to play. Why not? I could use a bit of nostalgia.
I picked up the game, started playing, and instantly felt like I was younger again. I knew the story, but the twists and turns still got reactions out of me all those years later. Team Skull still sucked, the partner was still nice to see as they grew, and the player character's mystery still intrigued me, even if I knew all the answers. In those moments, I realized that I would not get tired of playing this. Ironic, because people call it repetitive. The story was just as great as ever, leading me to play through the game. I even approached the gameplay with a lot more strategy than I had back when I was younger, and that actually caused me to have a lot more fun than usual.
When I reached the ending, I felt happier. Sure, the horizon was still there, but I felt as though I could face it now. There's a lot I still need to do, but if I could conquer time itself in this game, I could conquer some stressors in real life. After all, only this game would be ballsy enough to leave off on a downer ending and still have an incredible story in my eyes. I know it's not permanent, but the fact that they did that still matters. They were willing to leave the player in a state of sadness, letting that same player feel relief with a sense of closure and hope that not a lot of other games provide.
I really hope that one day, there is a new game in this series (and I don't just mean a remake). It may need an overhaul, as some of the elements in this game are elements that I know people don't like. However, while I could talk about how perfect this game is and how other people are wrong, that won't lead to a new game. Regardless, the fact that I want a new one should be a testament to how strong this game is on its own. No game before or since, sub-series or otherwise, has matched it for me.
You know what? This is my favorite video game.