The Backstory: The latest Pokemon offering, which I obviously had to buy upon release. Although it was presented as a tie-in game and a prequel to the BD&SP pair, I can very well envision PLA kickstarting its own spinoff series if it turns out to be a success. Now, was it a success in yours truly’s eyes? Let’s find out!
The Game: Let’s cut to the chase here: PLA is basically an offline MMORPG with a Pokemon theme. It boasts all the trappings of the genre: the mission-based progression, the wide areas, the quest markers, the farming & crafting, the Fedex and 20-bear-asses quests, and probably others I couldn’t find out during my two hours of play.
Most importantly, this is a game that revolves around hardcore completion. Although completion has always been a running theme in the series, it’s been taken to the extreme in PLA. Capturing all the Hisui ‘Mons is presented right away as the game’s ultimate goal; but the completion galore doesn’t stop there, oh no precious. See the screenshot above? It features the kind of missions you’ll have to tackle to fill up a ‘Mon’s Pokedex entry. I have nothing to add here; anybody can figure out the bottomless grinding that will ensue, and how much of a time sinker PLA can be. Now, will it be a time sinker for me?
The Verdict: Let’s get real here, dear fellow gamers. This is a very nice game, and I must admit I just love Hisui’s gorgeous vistas… However, I’m a Pokemon solo runner. I don’t want to capture the entirety of hisui’s fauna, I don’t want to catch the same ‘Mon 30 times in a row, I don’t want to battle ‘Mons over and over to witness a random Move, and I don’t want to perform any other crazy completion feat FLA has in store. This game is hilariously, painfully, definitely not for me. I’m sure it will rekindle the Pokemon flame for many a gamer; but it will become neither a Pokemon favourite nor a cult classic of mine. Thank you, next!
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