This is a Pokémon fan game with the main mechanics, but with a different approach on Pokémon Island. There is a new concept of linearity for the franchise because almost nothing is essential to move forward, but still there are many challenges.
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Do not be fooled by the "biomes." Beach? Forest? No, they're all actually caves. That means every single step can potentially trigger a random encounter. Imaging playing Pokemon Red but the entire game functioned like Mt. Moon. Yeah, pass.
Nice QOL though, as usual.
Nice QOL though, as usual.
For a fan made game, this is really impressive. But I just don't think I'm into Pokémon anymore, and I live in that sad reality now. This is more of a Pokémon lament than it is a review.
I only really played the first 4 Pokémon gens, with my favorite being Gen 3. I put over 300 hours into my Ruby and then again in Emerald. Gen 3 has the best designed Pokémon, the best story, and the coolest graphics. As a child I was obsessed with these games.
I stopped enjoying Pokémon with Gen 5. I think the two main reasons are:
1. I thought the design of the Pokémon became less and less appealing. The design of the creatures in general just felt less Pokémon-y to me. Also I think the transition to 3D graphics hurt the franchise. It's hard to describe but I think Pokémon just look goofy in 3D (except Pikachu).
2. At that age, I started playing games with better gameplay. Pokémon gameplay is... kind of boring. The fights are ok, but it doesn't have depth. Just hit opponents with the strongest attack you have over and over and you'll win. There is little thinking or problem solving involved. As a kid this was great, and probably even opened the doors to my brain being able to play more complex games as an adult. But now, that kind of depthless gameplay doesn't appeal to me.
This fan made games design was based off of gen 3 and it was a liberating return to form. Seeing all of the new Pokémon from gen 5-9 with gen 3 graphics and sprites was delightful. People put a lot of care and thought into designing these sprites. But... I found myself just not caring about any of the new Pokémon. Instead, I would only want to catch and use the ones from the earlier gens that I am familiar with. I couldn't recapture that child-like thrill of discovering new Pokémon.
The gameplay in Pokémon Island is challenging. I've never struggled with Pokémon games, and I actually used to wish that the games I was playing as a kid were more challenging. The problem with this game, though, is that 90% of the gameplay is grinding battles to level up your Pokémon. If you grind enough you just win, and that's not fun for me.
There is also no storyline in this, either. That's a bummer, but I'm not sure if even a good storyline would've made me think of this game in a better light.
I've said a lot of things I don't like about Pokémon Island, but that's due to my feyned interest to Pokémon as a whole, not necessarily due to faults in this particular game. If you still love playing Pokémon games and don't mind it not having a story, you will probably love this game. But I don't think Pokémon is for me anymore...
I only really played the first 4 Pokémon gens, with my favorite being Gen 3. I put over 300 hours into my Ruby and then again in Emerald. Gen 3 has the best designed Pokémon, the best story, and the coolest graphics. As a child I was obsessed with these games.
I stopped enjoying Pokémon with Gen 5. I think the two main reasons are:
1. I thought the design of the Pokémon became less and less appealing. The design of the creatures in general just felt less Pokémon-y to me. Also I think the transition to 3D graphics hurt the franchise. It's hard to describe but I think Pokémon just look goofy in 3D (except Pikachu).
2. At that age, I started playing games with better gameplay. Pokémon gameplay is... kind of boring. The fights are ok, but it doesn't have depth. Just hit opponents with the strongest attack you have over and over and you'll win. There is little thinking or problem solving involved. As a kid this was great, and probably even opened the doors to my brain being able to play more complex games as an adult. But now, that kind of depthless gameplay doesn't appeal to me.
This fan made games design was based off of gen 3 and it was a liberating return to form. Seeing all of the new Pokémon from gen 5-9 with gen 3 graphics and sprites was delightful. People put a lot of care and thought into designing these sprites. But... I found myself just not caring about any of the new Pokémon. Instead, I would only want to catch and use the ones from the earlier gens that I am familiar with. I couldn't recapture that child-like thrill of discovering new Pokémon.
The gameplay in Pokémon Island is challenging. I've never struggled with Pokémon games, and I actually used to wish that the games I was playing as a kid were more challenging. The problem with this game, though, is that 90% of the gameplay is grinding battles to level up your Pokémon. If you grind enough you just win, and that's not fun for me.
There is also no storyline in this, either. That's a bummer, but I'm not sure if even a good storyline would've made me think of this game in a better light.
I've said a lot of things I don't like about Pokémon Island, but that's due to my feyned interest to Pokémon as a whole, not necessarily due to faults in this particular game. If you still love playing Pokémon games and don't mind it not having a story, you will probably love this game. But I don't think Pokémon is for me anymore...