Let's get this over quickly: the game is just terrible from a technical point-of-view. Low quality textures, spread in mosaics which reassemble a 20 year old game, popping, some parts of the world are, let's say, not the best art decisions ever made. Damn, there's even a massive wall to block an area probably reserved for a DLC that they haven't even tried to fit seemingly in the environment. But the worst is the performance and the FPS drops. I couldn't play in dock mode because I feel dizzy if I do. It's an offense to consumers to launch a game in this state. I guess is what happens when they know there won't be consequences.
But I like Pokémon, I want to play. So you get used to the graphics, the art, play in a small screen to avoid motion sickness... and the rest of the game loop is good enough. The classic Pokemon loop still works like a charm, and catching them is enough for the player to explore the open world. However, it would have been nice to have other rewards to exploration rather than just random items.
Terastalizing is the best mechanic added to the traditional combat in the newer games by far. It's so good that it's a shame that it will likely be lost in the next generation. Whether you want to use it to be more aggressive or to cover weaknesses, it's very rewarding the way it changes how you think on the strategy, and it gives another variable to consider when building your team.
The most disappointing part of the gameplay is the difficulty, especially in the late game (with a normally balanced team, on level you can just one-shot the league champion without surprises). Even if it was hard and painful, this game makes you miss Cynthia's Garchomp.
Rushing games in two years is not good. I can understand that I'm not the target, that it's a kids game. But it's also true that you can combine both. If instead of releasing two games this year, they would have combined Arceus and Violet in a single game, with double development time, it would have probably been one of the best ganes in the series and a firm step into the future.
But I like Pokémon, I want to play. So you get used to the graphics, the art, play in a small screen to avoid motion sickness... and the rest of the game loop is good enough. The classic Pokemon loop still works like a charm, and catching them is enough for the player to explore the open world. However, it would have been nice to have other rewards to exploration rather than just random items.
Terastalizing is the best mechanic added to the traditional combat in the newer games by far. It's so good that it's a shame that it will likely be lost in the next generation. Whether you want to use it to be more aggressive or to cover weaknesses, it's very rewarding the way it changes how you think on the strategy, and it gives another variable to consider when building your team.
The most disappointing part of the gameplay is the difficulty, especially in the late game (with a normally balanced team, on level you can just one-shot the league champion without surprises). Even if it was hard and painful, this game makes you miss Cynthia's Garchomp.
Rushing games in two years is not good. I can understand that I'm not the target, that it's a kids game. But it's also true that you can combine both. If instead of releasing two games this year, they would have combined Arceus and Violet in a single game, with double development time, it would have probably been one of the best ganes in the series and a firm step into the future.