I think more games should have glitches, actually. It will cull the weak from the strong.
I feel conflicted even joking about that because that level of discourse has reached such a weird level among the online gaming community, especially with Pokemon. Its got such an unpleasable, toxic, spiteful fanbase that its gained a counter-discourse machine of people who see any complaint as some kind of personal slight. Navigating gaming discourse is bad enough without those two extremes to balance. So in regards to that element of Pokemon, I guess I come down to "the developers needed more time and less crunch" and "this game is pretty neat and charming." I think those thoughts can coexist pretty easily.
For as new to the Pokemon scene as I am, I've always wanted more freedom to choose gyms in any order. The open-world gimmick of the game leans into that idea on such a vaster scale than I anticipated. Even beyond just the gyms, the different challenges all over the map add such a fascinating variety to a player's experience. The team battles and the Titan Pokemon hunts are really novel ways to split up the standard gym badge routine. It helps that the characters you meet along the way are almost universally charming. The bond you build with your rivals also feels more personal than previous games have. Despite how disparate their plotlines feel at first, the main cast comes together in a beautiful way in the final dungeon to really form a trusty band of adventure teens.
The final dungeon in particular is where this game really soars. There's a pattern to games that were put under crunch where the early game can be stunning, while the final levels fall apart. Get those early reviews to look flattering, you know? Which is why I was so surprised when the final dungeon is easily the most gorgeous, well developed part of the game. Its a stunning, emotional climax with some of the best music and vibes I've ever seen. For once, the game's writing excels in the unspoken. There's an aching void left in our heroes, wondering how much of the truth they'll ever understand of the situation. We don't get full answers, only pieces. And that writing is deliciously intentional, reveling in its ambiguity. I've gradually realized that Pokemon really excels at using gameplay to tell its story. A rival has a secret heart of gold only seen through how high their frendship points with their Pokemon must be. Pokemon Black/White's boss uses attacks that can only be used by Pokemon that really hate their trainer. Their writing skillset has always been the subtle details, rather than the actual dialogue or story crafting. The game manages to sort of use the franchise's weaknesses as strengths in such a creative way. By giving you less information, the game makes you sit in those unanswered question. It works! I like the Pokemon! This might be my favorite one!
Pay GameFreak more, give them more time to make games, the industry can't survive like this.
I feel conflicted even joking about that because that level of discourse has reached such a weird level among the online gaming community, especially with Pokemon. Its got such an unpleasable, toxic, spiteful fanbase that its gained a counter-discourse machine of people who see any complaint as some kind of personal slight. Navigating gaming discourse is bad enough without those two extremes to balance. So in regards to that element of Pokemon, I guess I come down to "the developers needed more time and less crunch" and "this game is pretty neat and charming." I think those thoughts can coexist pretty easily.
For as new to the Pokemon scene as I am, I've always wanted more freedom to choose gyms in any order. The open-world gimmick of the game leans into that idea on such a vaster scale than I anticipated. Even beyond just the gyms, the different challenges all over the map add such a fascinating variety to a player's experience. The team battles and the Titan Pokemon hunts are really novel ways to split up the standard gym badge routine. It helps that the characters you meet along the way are almost universally charming. The bond you build with your rivals also feels more personal than previous games have. Despite how disparate their plotlines feel at first, the main cast comes together in a beautiful way in the final dungeon to really form a trusty band of adventure teens.
The final dungeon in particular is where this game really soars. There's a pattern to games that were put under crunch where the early game can be stunning, while the final levels fall apart. Get those early reviews to look flattering, you know? Which is why I was so surprised when the final dungeon is easily the most gorgeous, well developed part of the game. Its a stunning, emotional climax with some of the best music and vibes I've ever seen. For once, the game's writing excels in the unspoken. There's an aching void left in our heroes, wondering how much of the truth they'll ever understand of the situation. We don't get full answers, only pieces. And that writing is deliciously intentional, reveling in its ambiguity. I've gradually realized that Pokemon really excels at using gameplay to tell its story. A rival has a secret heart of gold only seen through how high their frendship points with their Pokemon must be. Pokemon Black/White's boss uses attacks that can only be used by Pokemon that really hate their trainer. Their writing skillset has always been the subtle details, rather than the actual dialogue or story crafting. The game manages to sort of use the franchise's weaknesses as strengths in such a creative way. By giving you less information, the game makes you sit in those unanswered question. It works! I like the Pokemon! This might be my favorite one!
Pay GameFreak more, give them more time to make games, the industry can't survive like this.