"Pokémon: let's go" is both satisfying and unambitious

Never a Pokémon game had more division reaction that "Let's Go, Pikachu!" and "Let's Go, Eevee!", released earlier this month. For many people who did not know the franchise in recent years, the idea of ​​a simplified launch experience was very appealing. For many of the franchise's long-time fans, however, the "Pokémon: Let's Go" principle went against the progress made for a series that was increasingly stuck with each subsequent entry.

Despite the many imperfections and half-successes presented by "Let's Go", it's obvious that a lot of love and attention has gone into creating the game. References to previous games are everywhere. The familiar storylines are dressed in cinematic cinematics that hold a real emotional weight. Many voice and phrase games give you a real sense of attachment to your Eevee or Pikachu partner. You can choose Pokémon from your group to follow your character and even some of the bigger ones.

That said, "Let's Go" is the culmination of almost all the frustrating aspects of the core Pokémon games of recent years. The developer Game Freak is trying to modify an experience that has never needed a lot of correction. The game is excessively hand held by the player, avoiding many puzzle solving elements of the original games instead of blatantly telling the player how to progress in the story. Your rival does not have the characterization of his previous counterparts and exists only to congratulate the player at every opportunity. The capture of Pokémon has been simplified to the extreme in the shallow aiming movement control mini-game of "Pokémon GO", while the mechanisms of reproduction, guarded object and ability have been completely deleted.

The previous "Pokémon" games simultaneously offered an understandable game base, as well as deeper and more complex mechanisms if the player wanted to engage them. "Let's go" focuses entirely on the casual side, removing the choice of the player's hands. It's a good thing that even an occasional "Pokémon" experience can be as fun as it is.

In terms of the main gameplay, I was pleasantly surprised to find that "Let's Go" had a well-developed campaign that was not as ridiculously easy as many feared. The classic RPG elements of capturing Pokémon and engaging in turn-based battles to train them come back.

The game even offers a significantly expanded challenge because of the perhaps the best-built contour set ever seen in a Pokémon game. If the player progresses in the game at a moderate pace, his opponents will always be tied or just above the level of his own Pokémon, which will add a layer of complexity to the battles that will require the player to think more strategically than spammer it until a battle ends. Nothing prevents a player from progressing because of difficulties, but it gives some depth to the combat system.

The visibility of wild Pokémon in the outside world is a welcome change from the often annoying random encounters of the past. However, targeting a large number of creatures and shipping them in exchange for items allows Pokémon to feel a little less like partners and more like a form of currency. Cooperative two-player mode interrupts the game, turning each fight into one-on-two and rejecting any sense of difficulty through the window. The fact that the second player can not even really interact with the world alone cements functionality as a dull addition that fortunately does not hurt too much, as it is optional.

The presentation of the game is perhaps the most remarkable aspect of "Let's Go". The graphics are gorgeous, making it instantly the most appealing game of the franchise so far. The novelty of seeing places and familiar battles in high definition has definitely contributed to much of my enjoyment. That being said, when one compares the flagship titles of other Nintendo Switch franchises such as "The Legend of Zelda: Wild Breath" and "Super Mario Odyssey", one has the impression that Game Freak could have done so much more with the graphics. system capabilities. What is even more frustrating is that the frame rate of the game is decreasing in some areas.

"Let's Go" may not do much to innovate, but it celebrates Pokémon's legacy in order to reach any player, even if they are vaguely familiar with the franchise. If nothing else, it is a satisfactory precursor for much more ambitious projects next year.

Ethan Zack at the address [email protected]