The main disclaimer for this one is that the game is kinda bland, and many aspects feel rushed and incomplete. For every good thing you can say, there's that negative or lacking aspect. A shame, but I'm hoping the best stuff will be carried over the next Switch game.
(I'm not taking into account the DLCs, which I'm still playing).
The character/pokemon design is fantastic, as are the scenario/city ones. The places you visit are memorable, and look super nice (thinking, specially, of Ballonlea, Stow-on-side, Circhester, the electric generation tower or the place where Zamazenta and Zacian "sleep"). That's its best trait, I'd say.
For example, I feel like they made an extra effort for the houses to feel populated and "realistic", making them bigger, more decorated and with extra bedrooms/closed doors (accounting for every inhabitant). Those are nice touches, I think.
What I don't think I'll remember is the music, for the most part (except, maybe, the awful one Hulbury has).
Annnd the clearly bad part, for me, is that the story is absolutely predictable and rushed. They chose a more anime-like style of framing the action than ever before (including, but not only, the visual aspect), and it would work way better if it was explored in a longer, more detailed story. What the actual result works like is a few genuinely cool nuggets in a mountain of "eh" ones.
The characters, even when having a strong personality/design, are not developed enough. (I ended up liking them, but that's because I'm weak. Not because they're complex . Others in past Pokémon games weren't that complex either, but I feel like they had a bit more to them than this batch).
(Actually... why does every female character feel so flat? If I had to read a bunch of Nessa, Bea and Marnie's lines without seeing who's speaking, I wouldn't be able to tell them apart).
And the game's very very easy, too... I get it's aimed to young audiences (maybe add an optional, more difficult mode? I'd love that), but I didn't enjoy using purposely weak attacks to give the AI a chance.
Finally: even though the postgame content is not as nearly elaborated as it could be, it gives me more Piers content, something I can really get behind. And old gym leaders' IDs, yay!!!!!
(I'm not taking into account the DLCs, which I'm still playing).
The character/pokemon design is fantastic, as are the scenario/city ones. The places you visit are memorable, and look super nice (thinking, specially, of Ballonlea, Stow-on-side, Circhester, the electric generation tower or the place where Zamazenta and Zacian "sleep"). That's its best trait, I'd say.
For example, I feel like they made an extra effort for the houses to feel populated and "realistic", making them bigger, more decorated and with extra bedrooms/closed doors (accounting for every inhabitant). Those are nice touches, I think.
What I don't think I'll remember is the music, for the most part (except, maybe, the awful one Hulbury has).
Annnd the clearly bad part, for me, is that the story is absolutely predictable and rushed. They chose a more anime-like style of framing the action than ever before (including, but not only, the visual aspect), and it would work way better if it was explored in a longer, more detailed story. What the actual result works like is a few genuinely cool nuggets in a mountain of "eh" ones.
The characters, even when having a strong personality/design, are not developed enough. (I ended up liking them, but that's because I'm weak. Not because they're complex . Others in past Pokémon games weren't that complex either, but I feel like they had a bit more to them than this batch).
(Actually... why does every female character feel so flat? If I had to read a bunch of Nessa, Bea and Marnie's lines without seeing who's speaking, I wouldn't be able to tell them apart).
And the game's very very easy, too... I get it's aimed to young audiences (maybe add an optional, more difficult mode? I'd love that), but I didn't enjoy using purposely weak attacks to give the AI a chance.
Finally: even though the postgame content is not as nearly elaborated as it could be, it gives me more Piers content, something I can really get behind. And old gym leaders' IDs, yay!!!!!