all the common complaints (aggressively dumbed down, lack of depth, boring towns) are definitely valid but idk man, i didn't hate this. way way too easy but i could get down with its charms - the biggest of those for me being the wild area, a concept i'd love to see game freak refine more. it's a lil shaggy and unpolished here but being able to interact with roaming pokemon in an overworld in real-time is what this series has always needed ever since unquestionably and unbeatably peaking with the original hoenn games. if i had played this a year or two ago i would have ended the review right there but i am about to dig into Legends Arceus which seems like an answer to that sentiment so let's see!