Sky and Horde Battles are the two new battle types in Pokémon X/Y. It's the same basic plot found in every Pokémon game, though the opening segment does a far better job of explaining how the world works than its predecessors, and the new functionality and creatures found in Pokémon X/Y makes it more engrossing. The plot is relatively rote, asking players to once again travel an expansive region, capturing Pokémon, building a combat team, and eventually defeating gym leaders and then the Elite Four. Selecting attacks and capturing Pokémon is a simple matter of selecting the proper option, either using buttons or the 3DS' touchscreen. Pokémon has always been heavily menu-driven and Pokémon X/Y is no exception.
Without the traditionally fixed camera angle, the sudden access to diagonal movement proves initially awkward, though it's easy enough to come to grips with.īeyond Pokémon X/Y's 3D additions, its gameplay should be familiar to fans. Despite these changes, long-time Pokéfanatics will be comfortable with most aspects of Pokemon X/Y - Nintendo took great pains to ensure that movement, battles and menu navigation function almost identically to prior entries - but 3D movement runs into problems when combined with the franchise's traditional grid-based paths. Players can customize their characters with new clothing options, and the camera pans and zooms into and out of combat, lending the proceedings a dynamic feel not seen in prior Pokémon games.
The new 3D world lends a number of modern accoutrements to the gameplay. Turning 3D off helps the slowdown, though it doesn't eliminate it. It's never bad enough to disrupt gameplay, but all players will inevitably come across the issue - particularly those who leave the 3D slider cranked to maximum. Unfortunately, Nintendo seems to have overestimated the power of the 3DS, and Pokemon X/Y suffers from moments of slowdown. This prevents undue eye strain and keeps players from growing tired of the gimmick, but it also lends additional tension to instances that warrant it. Instead, such effects are reserved for Pokémon battles and certain dramatic moments. Of special note is the developer's subtle use of the 3DS' 3D effects, which you won't see throughout most of your time in Pokémon X/Y. This brings Pokémon X/Y as close to the aesthetics seen in the Pokémon cartoon as the franchise has ever been. Every character, object and Pokémon is cast as a simple 3D model wrapped in a whimsical, cel-shaded skin. Pokémon X/Y is the first game in Pokéhistory to offer a fully three-dimensional world to explore.
These are relatively small additions, but they go a long way toward making the Pokémon of Pokémon X/Y the most relatable, interactive creatures Nintendo has ever designed. These include mini-games you can play with your 'mon to boost various attributes, a Player Search System that makes finding new battles and trading partners a quick, simple affair, and an app that lets players pet and feed their critters in an adorable first-person view. Unlike past games however, this Pokédex offers a host of new options. Shortly after starting the game, players receive a Pokédex to help them catalog the Pokémon they encounter. Pokémon X and Y, however, aren't just the best-looking Pokémon games to date, they may be the best Pokémon games period. Such seismic design shifts usually create growing pains, often leaving players with a sequel that's trumped by its predecessors despite a new aesthetic. Law & Order has ended its run, cats and dogs are sleeping together and, most apocalyptic of all, Nintendo has created a fully three-dimensional entry in its beloved Pokémon franchise. Here's hoping your karma's in the black, because we've apparently reached the end of days.
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