Our Pokémon protagonist seems to be a little off this time around.
The Pokémon game formula is a tried and true method, and exhibits few variations across generations. Since the very first release of Red and Green in 1996, the gameplay has been about the same: a protagonist at the ripe age of eleven sets off on a grand journey to defeat the gym leaders of the region and become the Pokémon champion.
“I have played pretty much every Pokémon game, including spin-offs, and this game is such an amazing deviation from the usual money-hungry formula,” said OH senior Kayden Rudny.
So, what does a game where you are a Pokémon look like? Pokopia answers that question for us with a slightly off-putting smile.
Pokepia, released on March 5 for the Nintendo Switch 2, is a base-building action RPG game set in the Pokémon universe where players interact as a Ditto, a Pokémon that can shape-shift into any form.
In this case, the form is that of a human. As a result, the protagonist retains Ditto’s blank smile. But despite the uncanny face, this little Ditto has plenty of tricks up its gooey sleeve.
“When you watch it, the gameplay may look deceptively simple, but it’s actually really detailed,” said OH senior Joseph Shaw. “There are so many things you can do, and it’s all very detailed; there quite literally are unlimited possibilities.”
From using Bulbasaur’s vines to sprout grass to flying around as a blank-faced Dragonite, Ditto’s many transformations provide many new ways the Pokémon world can be explored. This new spin on the Pokémon formula, however, takes immense inspiration from the Dragon Quest Builders series, with gameplay consisting of block building and placing, character role-play and interactions, base building, and world exploration; all with whimsical Pokémon everywhere and links to past games.
“I loved the Dragon Quest Builders series, which was a spinoff [of] the usual Dragon Quest RPG style, very, very similar to what Pokopia is doing,” said OH senior Saif Khan, “but the Pokémon sort of spin on everything really adds so much fun and charm.”
Pokepia is far from the first Pokémon game to deviate from the original Pokémon formula, however.
Series like Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, the spin-off series where you play as Pokémon with no humans present. Despite the age of the spin-off series, it remains a beloved addition to the Pokémon universe among fans. This goes to show that while the typical trainer adventure.
“I really hope they continue to expand on the Pokémon game IP and do more new things that aren’t the usual RPG,” said Rudny.
Overall, Pokopia was a welcome deviation from Pokémon’s usual tried and true, being the highest rated Pokémon game with a Metacritic of ninety.
AS Pokopia is the smiling success it was, who knows what is to come in future Pokémon spin-offs.
Hi! My name is Anthony Martel, I am a Senior at Oswego High School and this is my first year being apart of the 42Fifty staff. You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
My name is Pierre Vargas, I am a senior at OHS and this is my first year as a journalist and go by any pronouns. I am an artist, I particularly enjoy drawing cartoons, and I participate in art club and independently. You can email me through 42fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. Feedback regarding our publications are encouraged!!
