Look, I do like the Sun&Moon games. They have many cool features and fun things to do! It's just that they felt a bit... incomplete?
For starters, the Pokémon variety feels a bit... lackluster. Coming from Pokémon XY and ORAS, two of the games with the widest array of Pokémon ever, the 300-mon Pokédex (With over 25 being "special", fossils included) felt a bit shallow when quite a few of those encounters are either not available in the wild or only available through SOS call RNG - a tedious process that sometimes was just mind-numbing.
Many people complain about the hand-holding at the beginning of the game and all the cutscenes - and it's true! The tutorial stage lasts basically until you exit Hau'oli City, and even then, there's some things that are still left to be explained like Trials or Z-Moves.
Given the kind of railroad-y feeling the game has, the islands don't feel as big as they should (specifically Mele Mele and Ula Ula). The presence of optional areas is great, but some of those feel too empty or too tiny.
The story itself is actually great! Lusamine is a horrible person and an even more horrible mother, and the climax where Lillie finally confronts her is one of the best storytelling moments in Pokémon. It is emotional and the ending isn't perfect, but it's as good as it can get.
Character-wise, most of them are really charming! From Kukui to the Trial Captains to Guzma and Plumeria, everyone has a distinct personality and a great design. Hau might be the only exception, as his personality seems to be a bit more shallow and less developed than the rest, but a single slight is not bad in this regard. The cameos from previous generations are also great!
The difficulty is OK, I didn't have any difficulty with any of the Trials or the Elite 4, and the Looker and Anabelle (!!) quest at the end is also relatively interesting - though USUM did a slightly better job at handling the UBs. The new gimmick, Z-moves, is relatively fine, and given Mega-evolution makes a return in the post-game then it's OK!
The Zygarde cells are a fun collectable with a good reward, but it does feel like a recycled idea that didn't make it to XY.
Overall, this game is fine by itself, but if you want to experience Alola then you're much better off playing the USUM games and watching the SM story somewhere else - these games feel like a rushed, unpolished version of what USUM eventually came to be.
For starters, the Pokémon variety feels a bit... lackluster. Coming from Pokémon XY and ORAS, two of the games with the widest array of Pokémon ever, the 300-mon Pokédex (With over 25 being "special", fossils included) felt a bit shallow when quite a few of those encounters are either not available in the wild or only available through SOS call RNG - a tedious process that sometimes was just mind-numbing.
Many people complain about the hand-holding at the beginning of the game and all the cutscenes - and it's true! The tutorial stage lasts basically until you exit Hau'oli City, and even then, there's some things that are still left to be explained like Trials or Z-Moves.
Given the kind of railroad-y feeling the game has, the islands don't feel as big as they should (specifically Mele Mele and Ula Ula). The presence of optional areas is great, but some of those feel too empty or too tiny.
The story itself is actually great! Lusamine is a horrible person and an even more horrible mother, and the climax where Lillie finally confronts her is one of the best storytelling moments in Pokémon. It is emotional and the ending isn't perfect, but it's as good as it can get.
Character-wise, most of them are really charming! From Kukui to the Trial Captains to Guzma and Plumeria, everyone has a distinct personality and a great design. Hau might be the only exception, as his personality seems to be a bit more shallow and less developed than the rest, but a single slight is not bad in this regard. The cameos from previous generations are also great!
The difficulty is OK, I didn't have any difficulty with any of the Trials or the Elite 4, and the Looker and Anabelle (!!) quest at the end is also relatively interesting - though USUM did a slightly better job at handling the UBs. The new gimmick, Z-moves, is relatively fine, and given Mega-evolution makes a return in the post-game then it's OK!
The Zygarde cells are a fun collectable with a good reward, but it does feel like a recycled idea that didn't make it to XY.
Overall, this game is fine by itself, but if you want to experience Alola then you're much better off playing the USUM games and watching the SM story somewhere else - these games feel like a rushed, unpolished version of what USUM eventually came to be.