If this game were more polished, had better animations and cutscenes, a more immersive environment, better mini games, filled out the map a little more (npc side quests ex: pokemon contests, world-building lore, more lively towns and cities, etc.), a better build up for the story, made multiplayer more co-operative, and add a few small slice of life changes this would be one of my favorite games ever.

Reading that and saying it out loud, yea on paper this game sucks, but I enjoyed my time with it. The freedom to explore and approach the game in so many different ways, helped negate any fatigue from playing. The classic enjoyment of completing the pokedex, beating the gyms, elite 4, and local antagonist team are here along with the story based missions. Being able to decide when to do what path and if you even want to do certain missions is great. I love the world and aesthetic of pokemon and being able to explore it like this was a fun experience.

This game is nothing to write home about but it's a fun time especially if you've enjoyed previous pokemon games.