Be warned, reader: this article is very biased!
I’m going to keep it real with you: I don’t think I can no longer call myself a Pokémon fan. Maybe it’s because I’ve grown up. Maybe it’s just that the creatures are no longer enticing to me. Maybe it’s because I’ve tasted enough higher quality RPGs. Or maybe I’ve acquired enough critical skills to recognize that these games are actually slop and that they only succeed on a very superficial level.
I still love you, guys...
Usually, now it would come the part were I would tell you “Hey, if you still like Pokémon, that’s fine! I’m glad that you can find enjoyment where I can’t!”. But let's not deny it: because fans accept games as they are, the games come out in the state they come out. Have you seen Scarlet and Violet? The game is actually the most fun Game Freak has produced in years, but the performance on original hardware is so bad that it makes me dizzy. Also, the competitive has become a monstrosity, it’s unintelligible if you try to get into it now, between too many mechanics and powercreep. I miss the simplicity of the competitive of earlier generations. But I digress.
Point is, Pokémon is currently a very low-quality franchise. It has alwasy been, really, but before it used to hide it very well, whether it’s with impeccable vibes, great soundtrack or well-crafted sprite work. Truth of the matter is that the gameplay has never been particularly great. It’s not bad, either (at least at first), but it has evolved so little that it feels like each new entry is never a new entry. A simplified take on turn based RPGs with a focus on catching monsters sounds nice at first, but when it’s the same over and over and over again, combined with the lack of challenge except in very specific instances (Cynthia is the most notable case), the games get boring after a while. There's so much monster catching can carry you through mid tier media. At this point, I’d rather play a Shin Megami Tensei game, which all of them offer a certain degree of challenge and are filled to the brim with atmosphere.
Shin Megami Tensei also has cool creatures, such as Hell Biker, Metatron, Mada and Beelzebub (pictured).
One might argue that my favorite franchise, Dragon Quest, also suffers from the same but that’s wrong and, quite literally, a YouTube opinion. Sure, Dragon Quest is a very traditional franchise, and some spin-offs are very of low quality (looking at you, my beloved Treasures), but at the very least each mainline game has its own identity. Dragon Quest 1 literally created turn based RPGs on console. Dragon Quest 2 created the party system for turn based RPGs, which Final Fantasy 1 would later use. Dragon Quest 3 created the job system for turn based RPGs and gave us an expansive world with freedom of exploration. Dragon Quest IV gave us a chapter-based structure, which I'm pretty sure is the first of its kind, especially among JRPGs. Dragon Quest V revived the monster catching genre, while also giving us one of the strongest narratives on its console.. Dragon Quest VI is probably the least unique of the bunch , as it's too similar to III in certain areas, but still has its own identity. Dragon Quest VII takes a different approach to story-telling by focusing on small arcs instead of a huge interconnected one. Dragon Quest VIII is comfortable. Dragon Quest IX is a high tier coop experience. Dragon Quest X is an MMO. And last, but not least, Dragon Quest XI is very beginner friendly and also has a strong narrative.
The important part is that all of them, at least starting from IV, have some sort of narrative weight (one might argue that III did it first, but I'm not so sure).. Again, of varying quality, but at least they try. Unlike Pokémon. Ironically, I think Pokémon and Dragon Quest are polar opposites, where the spin-offs of Pokémon are miles better than the mainline games; and Dragon Quest is the opposite. Ironic.
The important part is that all of them, at least starting from IV, have some sort of narrative weight (one might argue that III did it first, but I'm not so sure).. Again, of varying quality, but at least they try. Unlike Pokémon. Ironically, I think Pokémon and Dragon Quest are polar opposites, where the spin-offs of Pokémon are miles better than the mainline games; and Dragon Quest is the opposite. Ironic.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet would never.
Which brings me to my next point: why is Pokémon not trying with their narrative?
Every time a Pokémon fan tells me “ah man the story in this one is so good” I take a look at it and it’s mediocre at best, infuriating at worst. Game Freak and The Pokémon Company (especially The Pokémon Company, who push for yearly, unfinished releases) know they can get away with doing the bare minimum. In fact, why don't we take a closer look at what Pokémon has given us in terms of storytelling?
- Gen 1: There's nothing. Without exaggeration, the first generation has no story to tell. Sure, things happen, but they are of no consequence to the protagonist. He (or she in the remakes, if it’s to your liking) happens to stumble upon the conflict and solves it, just because. There’re no stakes, it’s not like the world is going to be destroyed or that the conflict affects the journey of the protagonist. That being said, it literally does not matter, as it is the first game in the series. We have to start from somewhere, I believe.
- Gen 2: More of the same, except that it’s worse because somehow we’re told even less than in the first batch of games. I find that impressive on its own, and it makes me forgive how less than nothing the narrative is.
- Gen 3: At first it looks like it leads something but it’s pretty much a remake of the narrative in generation 1, just with a stronger villain, an actual conflict and weaker rivals. Seriously, the rivals in Hoenn suck, narrative-wise at least.
- Gen 4: Almost there. With the Sinnoh games you can tell they were, at the very least, trying, but it falls short because it’s too derivative of previous games to try and create a truly memorable experience. But, hey, it’s fine, because it’s for kids, right? At least Cynthia is very cool, and I genuinely think she's a good example of female character done right (even if she doesn't do much in the story of Diamond, Pearl and Platinum).
- Gen 5: Now, I have to give credit to the fifth generation. Aside from being the peak of the franchise from an artistic POV (I’m pretty sure both games push the console to its limits, a bit like Mother 3 but not as extreme), it’s the first game where you can feel there’s a story to be told! And… it’s a typical good vs evil story. Really, people overrate the story of this game, just because it has some compelling characters (mainly thinking of N, who elevates the story by recontextualizing it). The sequels have the same issue, this time with Hugh, but it’s not as strong in this case because Hugh doesn’t have as much presence as N. Still, a round of applause to Game Freak for trying!
Shout outs to the big one.
- Gen 6 onwards: Annnnd you lost me. I haven’t played Sun, Moon or its expansions, but X and Y have yet another derivative, simple and boring story with a horrible twist villain; and Sword and Shield are the start of something horrible. In fact, with Sword and Shield feels like they took a step forwad and then did a backwards long jump, by telling a story with events and characters with personality and motivations, but being filled to the brim with unnecessary dialogue that it’s also extremely boring. To top it off, it’s around the time when Pokémon games have started to become really ugly. Remember the trees in the plains? That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
You know what Pokémon actually does right? Characters. Whether it’s because they are relatable (N and Hugh), cool (Cynthia) or just well written (Lusamine and most of the characters from gen 8 onwards), Game Freak knows how to craft characters and personalities. Sometimes, at least. Once again, I bring up the rivals in Hoenn, but the rivals in Kalos are even worse, because they have no character at all other than “they are your friends”. Ironically, generation 1 brough us one of the best characters in the series, in the form of Blue. He has a personality, has goals and motivations, is a recurrent antagonist throughout the whole game, has a plot twist (a simple one, but a plot twist) and even has some character development (more or less, and outside of his game), which is more than you can say from other characters.
I don’t know, man. Mediocre storylines, cool (or cute) creatures and middling gameplay can only get you so far. Play Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne for the PS2.
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