Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee dropped on November 16, 2018. The game is the newest addition to the Pokémon series and was released for the Nintendo Switch. Pokémon Let's Go is considered a remake of Pokémon Yellow originally released September 12, 1998. Using features from Pokémon Go, the game is a nostalgia trip for veterans of the franchise and a gateway for new comers.
Target Audience
Pokémon Let's Go caters to the new and the old. Newcomers of the series are targeted with new mechanics that help players progress. These features, such as friendship training, let new comers keep up with the GOATS. Increasing your friendship with a Pokémon can occasionally let them survive moves that would normally make them faint, heal off status conditions without medication, and dodge 100% accurate moves.
The other type of players, are those who are old enough to grow up along side the Pokémon series. Players like these played the original Pokémon Yellow on release and now play Pokémon Go. They see the original 151 Pokémon they started with and have it on their phones. Pokémon Let's Go uses the 151 Pokémon they adore with high quality graphics they didn't get to experience. Their Kanto journey is ready to unfold.
The Ups
The overworld in Pokémon Let's Go is one of the biggest upgrades to Pokémon. Instead of running through the grass and encountering a wild Pokémon based on percentages, Pokémon roam the overworld. This allows the player to pick and choose, or avoid encounters as they wish. Shiny Pokémon will also appear shiny in the overworld in which previously they only appeared shiny in battle. This feature also makes travelling through forests, caves, and water much quicker.
The PC system works differently. Instead of having to visit a Pokémon Centre's PC to exchange out your party and view your newest captures, your box travels with you. This makes sense due to the acknowledgement of technology upgrades within the game. While this simply is a quality of life upgrade, if makes a difference specifically in this game where catching hordes of Pokémon is the primary strategy to levelling up and earning candies.
In the past games 'Hidden Machines' or HM's were irremovable without the move deleter to the Pokémon they were taught to. In Pokémon Let's Go, Hidden Machines are replaced with exclusive techniques taught to your starter Pikachu or Eevee. While these moves can't be used in battle it is nice to be able to take advantage of all four move slots.
Ride Pokémon was added in the previous game, Pokémon Sun and Moon. However, Ride Pokémon are a bit different in this game. Instead of specific Pokémon being used as HM's Pokémon that are large enough can be rode by the player. These Pokémon can consist of Onix, Arcanine, Charizard, Gyarados, Dragonite, and more. Even if the Pokémon is not big enough to ride you can still take it out of their Pokéball to travel alongside them.
Finally, and probably the most obvious, the graphics. Since Pokémon is now on a console all future Pokémon games will now have high graphics. This crystal clear quality will become the new standard heading into gen eight of Pokémon.
The Downs
The biggest down about the game is the difficulty. Pokémon Let's Go is not challenging and the parts that are to be considered difficult are artificial. Instead of a challenge, where trainers are difficult, battles are intense, and thought provoking puzzles the player must overcome, the challenge lies with master trainers who have built counter teams specifically to beat you. There is not much counter-play against these. Solutions consist of spending hours to grind to or past the level of these trainers or relying on game mechanics in friendship and 'hax' that take the skill out of the game for some. As stated, the friendship mechanic makes the game incredibly easy. This first debuted in Pokémon X and Y with Pokémon Amie. Now, instead of having to do Pokémon Amie, friendship naturally develops making it impossible to turn it off. Also, the experience all share cannot be turned off. Pokémon that partake in battle gain experience points (exp), but of the past few games your party also receives exp. In Pokémon Let's Go it makes sense that it is on due to the mechanics of Pokémon Go being implemented.
The Elite 4's difficulty has also essentially been nullified. Since, your PC box now is carried around with the player it can be accessed at any moment in the menu. This includes during the Elite 4. If the player has caught more than six Pokémon, which is almost impossible not to, then after any battle of the Elite 4 your party can be swapped out for new Pokémon. This gives the option to build teams for each Elite 4 member.
The catching mechanic that was introduced in Pokémon Go has made it's way into Pokémon Let's Go. The feature is interesting, but certainly isn't convenient. While catching Pokémon in hand held mode of the Switch doesn't require much difficulty, dock mode does. The aiming for throwing a Pokéball is not very consistent. This also eliminates the need for battling wild Pokémon that aren't legendary. In essence, the Pokémon series could be summed up as battling and catching Pokémon, but one half of that is removed.
Along with the catching mechanic, candies have also made their way into Pokémon Let's Go. Candies are used to increase the stats of a Pokémon. These stats can be increased by 200 each which leads to some ludicrous numbers. Because of these candies, effort values (EV) have been removed. This changes competitive battling drastically. The following is Mega Mewtwo Y with maxed stats, candies, and a quiet nature:
Preparation for Gen 8
Pokémon is now on console which means the high quality graphics will be the new wave. If the series continues with Pokémon appearing in the overworld and the overall quality of life improving, Pokémon can only go up. If gen eight is an all new Pokémon game one can assume the traditional mechanics will make a return.
6/10
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