Bob Fizzle
OBEY THE BEARD
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2016
- Messages
- 202
- Reaction score
- 308
Edited because I forgot a gameplay section.
I never played DP/Pt or BW/B2W2, so I won't be grading SM against these.
Story and characters:
Gen VII has my favorite story and character arcs of the series.
Immersion:
I'm going to have to rank this low, only above RBY (which should get a pass because of the limitations on computing 20 years ago, but we're trying to be objective here).
Rivals:
Gen VII's rivals rank last for me. Gladion is too infrequent to bring the score up.
Gameplay:
In spite of all the flaws in the gameplay, I rate Gen VII highly because of the unique aspects offered by Totem battles and Z-moves. Both were a welcome addition in my opinion and offered a unique challenge that differentiated this generation from the others. Overall, I'd rate it second, just behind ORAS.
Post-game:
Gen I had no postgame, which is the only reason Gen VII is not last in this regard. Even Gen II has Mt. Silver/Red battle (which, in fairness, is actually pretty epic).
I never played DP/Pt or BW/B2W2, so I won't be grading SM against these.
Story and characters:
Gen VII has my favorite story and character arcs of the series.
I loved the Aether Foundation/Team Skull dynamic, and I was floored by Lillie's, and to a lesser extent, Gladion's, character development. Ya Boi Guzma is my favorite villain character of the series, along with the antics of Team Skull. Game Freak managed to make him into a character that deserved to be laughed at, yet also demanded respect at times.
Immersion:
First off, the railroading. It was horrible in the early game. "This way, Bob!" Piss off, Hau, and stop holding my hand already! Or how about that stupid guy riding his Stoutland blocking the way to Hano Grand Resort? Hey, buddy, I got news for you. You're blocking a public avenue without permit for a protest or parade, and there's certainly not any construction going on. That's kind of illegal. The trial gates made a little more sense, but still felt a little forced, especially those across major avenues like on route 7. How does that work? Do they pay a trial guide to stand there and open the gates for anyone who isn't on their trials?
And the towns. All of the cars in the major cities, along with municipal departments like tourist bureaus and police stations, were nice touches, as were all of the random people walking around, but the fact that so many of the houses were inaccessible was annoying. I guess it makes sense that most people would either lock their doors when they aren't home or wouldn't let random strangers in off the street, but in a series where every door has been a door and not just a wall, this is kind of annoying.
The most annoying thing for me is the fact that your mother says no fewer than three times that she'll finish unpacking everything before you leave Iki Town. When I got back after becoming Champion, all of the boxes were still there. WTF, Mom!
The biggest redemption here is the fact that on subsequent Elite Four challenges, you get to defend your title instead of challenge it again. This never made sense to me in the previous games, and they finally fixed that. The variety of title challengers also helps a lot in this regard.
The attention to detail was nice in a lot of places, but the artificial obstacles and a general sense of emptiness in these big cities took a lot away from the immersion.
And the towns. All of the cars in the major cities, along with municipal departments like tourist bureaus and police stations, were nice touches, as were all of the random people walking around, but the fact that so many of the houses were inaccessible was annoying. I guess it makes sense that most people would either lock their doors when they aren't home or wouldn't let random strangers in off the street, but in a series where every door has been a door and not just a wall, this is kind of annoying.
The most annoying thing for me is the fact that your mother says no fewer than three times that she'll finish unpacking everything before you leave Iki Town. When I got back after becoming Champion, all of the boxes were still there. WTF, Mom!
The biggest redemption here is the fact that on subsequent Elite Four challenges, you get to defend your title instead of challenge it again. This never made sense to me in the previous games, and they finally fixed that. The variety of title challengers also helps a lot in this regard.
The attention to detail was nice in a lot of places, but the artificial obstacles and a general sense of emptiness in these big cities took a lot away from the immersion.
Rivals:
Hau. Is. Annoying. Right from the start, he's forcing you to hold his hand and go everywhere with him. For Tapu's sake, Hau, I get that you're excited for a new friend and all, but I just moved here. Gimme some time to settle before you drag me everywhere! I found myself agreeing with Gladion's assessment of Hau the more I ran into him. I know that the series has been pushing rivalries more in the direction of friendships in recent games, but this is over the top for me. Hal's motive is also a minus for me. He says he wants to complete the island challenge, great, but the Malasada goal? To each their own, I guess, but he seems a little obsessed by them.
Gladion is a better rival, in my opinion. His darker backstory and determination to overcome the adversity he's faced with is refreshing to see in a series which has made the main rivals increasingly, well, more like Hau. It's unfortunate that we don't get to face him too often and that he's a minor character.
Hau in particular pales in comparison to Brendan/May, which is my favorite rival dynamic of the series. The fact that your rival's goal in Gen III/ORAS is not to challenge the league, but instead is research-driven, was a great original concept, and was nicely revisited in gen IV, with the whole group of friends each with their own goals. I also enjoyed Wally's story. He sets out on a mission to prove to himself that he can be strong on his own, and it was great to see him at the end of Victory Road.
Gladion is a better rival, in my opinion. His darker backstory and determination to overcome the adversity he's faced with is refreshing to see in a series which has made the main rivals increasingly, well, more like Hau. It's unfortunate that we don't get to face him too often and that he's a minor character.
Hau in particular pales in comparison to Brendan/May, which is my favorite rival dynamic of the series. The fact that your rival's goal in Gen III/ORAS is not to challenge the league, but instead is research-driven, was a great original concept, and was nicely revisited in gen IV, with the whole group of friends each with their own goals. I also enjoyed Wally's story. He sets out on a mission to prove to himself that he can be strong on his own, and it was great to see him at the end of Victory Road.
Gameplay:
First, the good.
I enjoyed most of the new gameplay mechanics in Gen VII. The island trials worked well in lieu of the traditional gyms and Pokemon League. They certainly gave a more organic feel to the story in a region with its own history and traditions. The totem battles also receive good marks for being the most challenging boss battles that I can remember. In previous generations, it was always so easy to prepare for the gyms because the game told you in no uncertain terms what type the gym leader uses, and it was easy to prepare your team accordingly. The totem battles stand out in this regard largely because of the ally Pokemon that get summoned. I had to reset my game against the totem Lurantis because it tore through my team when the ally Castform set the sun. That was the first time I remember resetting because I lost a boss battle since gen III. Totem Wishiwashi summoning Alomomola as a healer was a great add, as was totem Kommo-o summoning ally Scizor to punish players relying on ice and fairy types.
The Z-crystals and use of Z-moves were also a great touch. They certainly kept me on my toes during Kahuna battles after losing a few party members to an unexpected Z-move nuke. They add a nice element of strategy to battling and I think they are a welcome addition without being over the top.
I was overjoyed when I got to the champion's room after my second time through the Elite Four and instead of seeing the same old opponent, I got to sit in the chair and have someone challenge me instead. This was always something that bugged me in previous versions, and they finally fixed that. Bonus points for having a variety of challengers face you on subsequent visits.
Onto the not-so-good.
The fact that so many trainers only had one or two Pokemon throughout the entire game was annoying. It gave the impression that these trainers were there for little more than to keep your party leveled appropriately. The so-called elite trainers were optional battles, and most of the time they only used two Pokemon of their own. Even Hau does not have more than 3 Pokemon until just before the Elite Four.
Speaking of rival battles, I have mixed feelings about the constant healing of your party that Hau and Lillie give out. On one hand, it's nice to not have to spend time ducking into a Pokemon Center every 30 minutes, but on the other hand, it makes things too easy. I no longer live in fear of barely making it out of a dungeon alive, only to be greeted by my rival wanting to battle. It was nice the first few times it happened, but if I'm always getting my party healed before (and sometimes after) major battles, why should I have to worry about stocking healing items if I'm going to have a full-strength party before every major encounter?
I see so many people complaining about SOS battles, but I never had a huge issue with them. My main issue with SOS battles was being forced to chain for rare Pokemon that only appeared as allies, sometimes requiring the use of weather setting. I never had a problem with SOS encounters in the wild, but that's probably because I paralyzed everything I saw anyway.
When I saw Sina and Dexio at Heahea city, I was excited for a possible return of mega stones. Instead, all I got was a Zygarde cube and the tedious task of collecting all of its cores and cells for a reason that was never fully explained to me. I felt like the Zygarde cube was shoehorned in as a sidequest to replace the exciting and useful activity of finding all of the mega stones in gen VI. Seeing a shiny in gen VI was great. "Ooh, a mega stone! Which one is it?" In Gen VII, it was "oh, look, another green shiny. Only 40 to go." The inclusion of mega stones as a post-game event also feels rushed, as if Game Freak said, "Oh, we need to include this critical battle mechanic from Gen VI in here, let's wait until the very end". Which segues nicely into my next criticism:
Why are so many useful battle items locked behind BP? All of the mega stones, even leftovers, the choice items, the EV-training power items, and other useful battle items like the assault vest and weakness policy, are all locked behind BP. If you want to build a good battle tree team, you have to farm the battle tree first. Was this done to encourage the use of Z-crystals throughout the story? It certainly seems that way. Prior to reaching the battle tree, useful held items are restricted to Z-crystals and berries, unless you farm the Battle Royal for a while.
Cutscenes. All of the cutscenes. Please let me skip the cutscenes. I've played the game once already, I know what happens. Just let me skip past the cutscenes. Game Freak seems to include more and more of these in each generation, and it only gets worse. The tutorial cutscenes are the worst offenders. I've played the game for 16 years. I think I know how to catch a Pokemon. I think I know what a Pokemon Center is and how to use it. I think I know how to use status and held items to increase my advantage in battle. Just. Let. Me. Skip. The. Handholding and play the game.
I enjoyed most of the new gameplay mechanics in Gen VII. The island trials worked well in lieu of the traditional gyms and Pokemon League. They certainly gave a more organic feel to the story in a region with its own history and traditions. The totem battles also receive good marks for being the most challenging boss battles that I can remember. In previous generations, it was always so easy to prepare for the gyms because the game told you in no uncertain terms what type the gym leader uses, and it was easy to prepare your team accordingly. The totem battles stand out in this regard largely because of the ally Pokemon that get summoned. I had to reset my game against the totem Lurantis because it tore through my team when the ally Castform set the sun. That was the first time I remember resetting because I lost a boss battle since gen III. Totem Wishiwashi summoning Alomomola as a healer was a great add, as was totem Kommo-o summoning ally Scizor to punish players relying on ice and fairy types.
The Z-crystals and use of Z-moves were also a great touch. They certainly kept me on my toes during Kahuna battles after losing a few party members to an unexpected Z-move nuke. They add a nice element of strategy to battling and I think they are a welcome addition without being over the top.
I was overjoyed when I got to the champion's room after my second time through the Elite Four and instead of seeing the same old opponent, I got to sit in the chair and have someone challenge me instead. This was always something that bugged me in previous versions, and they finally fixed that. Bonus points for having a variety of challengers face you on subsequent visits.
Onto the not-so-good.
The fact that so many trainers only had one or two Pokemon throughout the entire game was annoying. It gave the impression that these trainers were there for little more than to keep your party leveled appropriately. The so-called elite trainers were optional battles, and most of the time they only used two Pokemon of their own. Even Hau does not have more than 3 Pokemon until just before the Elite Four.
Speaking of rival battles, I have mixed feelings about the constant healing of your party that Hau and Lillie give out. On one hand, it's nice to not have to spend time ducking into a Pokemon Center every 30 minutes, but on the other hand, it makes things too easy. I no longer live in fear of barely making it out of a dungeon alive, only to be greeted by my rival wanting to battle. It was nice the first few times it happened, but if I'm always getting my party healed before (and sometimes after) major battles, why should I have to worry about stocking healing items if I'm going to have a full-strength party before every major encounter?
I see so many people complaining about SOS battles, but I never had a huge issue with them. My main issue with SOS battles was being forced to chain for rare Pokemon that only appeared as allies, sometimes requiring the use of weather setting. I never had a problem with SOS encounters in the wild, but that's probably because I paralyzed everything I saw anyway.
When I saw Sina and Dexio at Heahea city, I was excited for a possible return of mega stones. Instead, all I got was a Zygarde cube and the tedious task of collecting all of its cores and cells for a reason that was never fully explained to me. I felt like the Zygarde cube was shoehorned in as a sidequest to replace the exciting and useful activity of finding all of the mega stones in gen VI. Seeing a shiny in gen VI was great. "Ooh, a mega stone! Which one is it?" In Gen VII, it was "oh, look, another green shiny. Only 40 to go." The inclusion of mega stones as a post-game event also feels rushed, as if Game Freak said, "Oh, we need to include this critical battle mechanic from Gen VI in here, let's wait until the very end". Which segues nicely into my next criticism:
Why are so many useful battle items locked behind BP? All of the mega stones, even leftovers, the choice items, the EV-training power items, and other useful battle items like the assault vest and weakness policy, are all locked behind BP. If you want to build a good battle tree team, you have to farm the battle tree first. Was this done to encourage the use of Z-crystals throughout the story? It certainly seems that way. Prior to reaching the battle tree, useful held items are restricted to Z-crystals and berries, unless you farm the Battle Royal for a while.
Cutscenes. All of the cutscenes. Please let me skip the cutscenes. I've played the game once already, I know what happens. Just let me skip past the cutscenes. Game Freak seems to include more and more of these in each generation, and it only gets worse. The tutorial cutscenes are the worst offenders. I've played the game for 16 years. I think I know how to catch a Pokemon. I think I know what a Pokemon Center is and how to use it. I think I know how to use status and held items to increase my advantage in battle. Just. Let. Me. Skip. The. Handholding and play the game.
Post-game:
Gen VII falls flat on its face here. After I beat the Elite Four, I was excited for the postgame after spending over a hundred hours in Omega Ruby exploring the mirage islands, finding all of the legendary secrets, competing in the battle resort, using the DexNav to find all of the hidden Pokemon post-Delta Episode, finding the rest of the Mega Stones post-Delta Episode, and building my Secret Base and raiding other Secret Bases. Instead, I got...the Ultra Beast missions and the Battle Tree. Even the UB missions were extremely repetitive. It was the same thing over and over again. Go to a motel, Looker screams "It's a disaster!" in a foreign language, battle somebody, catch 1 to 4 UBs, rinse and repeat. No real story at all, except for the Anabel backstory. While I wasn't too fond of all the cutscenes in the Delta Episode, at least it had a coherent story when I cared to listen to it the first time.
And don't get me started on the battle tree. Too late, I already did. As someone who spends a fair amount of time on Pokemon Showdown, I enjoyed the difficulty spike of the battle tree, but for anyone who has no interest in building a competitive team from scratch, they now have zero postgame left for them. That said, there are plenty of things that I despise about the tree. The fact that so many helpful in-battle held items are locked behind BP, such as the leftovers, assault vest, all but one of the mega stones, all of the choice items, all of the EV-training power items, and more require you to win at the battle tree or battle royale is just a massive headache, especially when these are available to players by looting them in previous games.
And don't get me started on the battle tree. Too late, I already did. As someone who spends a fair amount of time on Pokemon Showdown, I enjoyed the difficulty spike of the battle tree, but for anyone who has no interest in building a competitive team from scratch, they now have zero postgame left for them. That said, there are plenty of things that I despise about the tree. The fact that so many helpful in-battle held items are locked behind BP, such as the leftovers, assault vest, all but one of the mega stones, all of the choice items, all of the EV-training power items, and more require you to win at the battle tree or battle royale is just a massive headache, especially when these are available to players by looting them in previous games.
Gen I had no postgame, which is the only reason Gen VII is not last in this regard. Even Gen II has Mt. Silver/Red battle (which, in fairness, is actually pretty epic).
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