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« on: December 02, 2016, 12:05:12 AM »
I'm going to be honest: Pokemon Sun was a rather straightforward, uninteresting, and bland experience for me, and I believe the character models can agree. Their lifeless smile really made me notice not only how ineffectual and inconsequential my character was in the storyline of the game, but also how boring the series has become, as well. This did not make me want to play the game further after having beaten the Elite Four, and it certainly did not get me excited about trying to IV/EV train in this latest installment.
I think the main issue with this is how Game Freak managed to pair an absolutely fascinating way of getting superior Pokemon with one of the most aggravating first playthrough mechanics. Yes, I'm talking about the SOS system. As someone who could not be bothered to fight Pokemon I didn't want on my team during the first run through Alola, this mechanic was annoying and unwelcome, and best saved for Trials. I also think Fishing is much less rewarding because of its segmented application.
Most of all, though, the continuous removal of good ideas and the complete alteration of old mechanics for the sake of pushing new gimmicks just leaves me exhausted and not all that interested in attempting to create new, competitive teams. I am a monotype team builder with a focus on Fighting, Dark, and Grass, and while Grass did receive some interesting additions and new mechanics, Fighting and Dark have suffered even more with the introduction of better Ghost, Fairy, and Psychic types. This is upsetting, and it doesn't want to make me play further.
I'll admit, I was initially quite excited for this game, but it has left me questioning my faith in the series, as well as my ability to continuously get engaged in it. I recently played through Tokyo Mirage Sessions and Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, and while the former isn't much of a monster-catching title, the latter is, and it's sure as hell better than Pokemon Sun by a long shot. I don't like the SOS mechanic and its needless amount of preparation for a long, arduous slog of a Pokemon battle, I don't like how EVs are mapped, forcing me to go from records kept on my 3DS back to spreadsheets, and I don't like how nonsensical and non-protagonist-centered the narrative structure of the game is.
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