Summary
It’s no secret thatPokemonis a wildly successful intellectual property, as it has grown to be the best-selling media franchise globally over the past twenty-five years. The worldwide popularity of the iconic monster-collecting series has been aided by releases like TV shows, movies, trading card games, and theever-evolvingPokemon GOmobile game, but the most influential pieces of contemporaryPokemonmedia are the Game Freak video games published by Nintendo.
While these games sell boatloads each and every time, they aren’t free from criticism. In fact, many players, including both long-time and more casualPokemonfans, have become somewhat disillusioned with the series, arguing that it suffers from a severe lack of innovation and polish. Criticism of the series arguably reached a peak with the release ofPokemon Scarlet & Violet, which launched with a host of significant glitches and performance issues, while still not doing enough to evolve the formula the series has followed for decades. A futurePokemongame may benefit, both critically and commercially, from a major change to series' fundamentals.
BothPokemon Scarlet & VioletandPokemon Legends: Arceusmake noticeablechanges to thePokemonformula, mainly in the form of their more free-form exploration, but they leave most other series staples untouched.
Pokemon Should Go All-In On RPG Elements
Pokemon Is Primed for More Significant RPG Systems
Although thePokemonseries has changed over the years, several key design pillars have remained intact since the days of the Game Boy releases. The franchise has always adopted a light RPG structure, with linear progression, turn-based combat, and leveling all playing major roles in the overall experience. But while the older games followed in the footsteps of classic JRPGs likeChrono TriggerandDragon Quest, the franchise hasn’t quite built on these old-school principles, nor has it embraced features typical of more modern or Western RPGs.
This isn’t inherently bad, of course, but the series could seize a growth opportunity by learning from more ambitious or contemporary role-playing games.Pokemoncould draw from modern JRPGssuch asLike a DragonandPersona, implementing a more dramatic, cinematic flavor of storytelling while focusing on a broad cast of colorful characters and their relationships with the protagonist. Additionally or alternatively, the franchise could further lean into a sense of vastness and bolster replay value by learning from Western RPGs, which often place an emphasis on player choice and freedom. Either way, thePokemonformula has room to grow, and doubling down on RPG staples would be a good way to do it.
The Pokemon Formula Needs to Change
For most of video game history, there has never been anything likePokemon, butrecent releases likeCassette Beastsand viral hitPalworldindicate that this might be changing. A sizable chunk of thePokemonfanbase has been playing the games for decades now, and while the seminal franchise has the benefit of brand recognition and the backing of Nintendo, it’s no longer without competition. Players clearly love thePokemonformat, but many of them also want something a bit different, and feel that Game Freak hasn’t managed to deliver that.
A more comprehensivePokemonRPG experience could serve as the path to a more relevant, competitive, anduniquePokemongaming experience. The franchise could leverage the charm and atmosphere of its world to great effect with a more story-focused experience, perhaps one that even allows the player to make important narrative choices or interact with NPCs to a greater degree. Through an RPG formula similar to a series likePersonaor evenFallout, players could engage withPokemonlore in a more direct and meaningful way. The series' current progression and gameplay systems, which feel a bit outdated, could be deepened and improved.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
WHERE TO PLAY
The school that you’ve enrolled in as you playPokémon ScarletandPokémon Violethosts a special independent study project. The theme of this assignment is “A Treasure Hunt.” Explore the world and seek out your very own treasure!Three stories will be woven into your adventure while traversing the sprawling Paldea region. Along Victory Road, you will go to Gyms in different locations in order to to achieve Champion Rank. On the Path of Legends, you can join Arven in search of rare ingredients. And in ★ Starfall Street ★, you’ll challenge Team Star, a group of delinquents causing trouble for the school.These stories are set in an open world, so where you go is all up to you. A world teeming with Pokémon and people to meet is waiting for you—traverse the Paldea region wherever you heart desires.
