Pokemon should leave random encounters behind
The Pokemon The series has evolved quite a bit since the series debuted in 1996. Fans are used to the features that have become mainstays of the series: evolution, trainer battles, and wild Pokemon capture. However, as the series continued to evolve, these core features continued to be refined and iterated. As they mature, they keep the core idea behind the features but make quality-of-life changes to make them more interesting. With the launch Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee, as well as Sword Pokemon and Pokemon Shield, the premise behind catching wild Pokemon changed dramatically with the introduction of one of many good changes in quality of life in Generation 8.
In these titles, the majority of Pokemon aren’t hidden in the grass in the traditional sense. For 22 years, Pokemon encounters were completely random, and players barely knew what they were fighting until the battle began. However, in Pokemon Let’s go and Sword Pokemon and Shield, wild Pokemon roam the underworld (although there are still some occurrences of random, unknown encounters). Players can hunt specific Pokemon they see in the wild, instead of hoping that a random encounter in the grass is the Pokemon they’re looking for (without using specific useful tools).
However, recent Generation 4 remakes, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl, removed the feature and reverted to a more classic approach to wild Pokemon encounters. After coming back Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining pearlsObviously, the old way of meeting was a product of that time, and now it’s time to leave it behind.
Relaxing room
Having less visceral feeling means early Pokemon game than being bombarded by Zubats in a cave, or stumbling across 20th Rattata or Pidgey in just as many steps as trying to navigate peacefully to the next town from the starting town. Encounters with wild Pokemon can be inconvenient and worst of all, oppressive when players don’t want to hone in on experience. The constant stream of wild Pokemon can be frustrating for those trying to make progress in the game or those just trying to get from Point A to Point B with little to no resistance. While Crobat is a great Pokemon to get, players don’t need a dozen Zubats before the second gym just to get this powerful bat. Yes, Repels exist, but wouldn’t it be nice if they weren’t necessary to begin with?
In Sword Pokemon and Pokemon Shield, wild grass encounters have, for the most part, been replaced by wild Pokemon that roam the underworld in or around tall grasses on routes and New Wild Area. This allows the player to not only see when a Pokemon will attempt to start a war, but also allows the player to, at a glance, see which Pokemon are available on the route. Players can easily go through the route without encountering Pokemon if they don’t want to. While there are still some small, random encounters on the grass, they are also relatively easy to avoid. The main exception to this is in the Isle of Armor DLC as no one can make it past the Sharpedo patrolling the waters around the Island.
Being able to deal with wild encounters when the player wants to is a great philosophy, and that makes forced encounters for players (like Sharpedo) so much more memorable. Players can explore routes and caves without stopping every three steps to deal with Zubat is a breath of fresh air that Pokemon much needed series. Pass Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and shining pearls, some areas really struggle with this, namely caves like Coronet Mountain and Wayward Cave. Being stopped in the Wayward Cave every few steps to deal with Geodude or Bronzor becomes tiresome very quickly, especially against newer players don’t know which way to go in the cave to find items and Mira. Sword and Shield actually showed a better alternative to this, and that’s how it should be.
Create atmosphere
Outside of the mechanical point of view, there’s a good reason to move from grass encounters and to purely world encounters: atmosphere. Go from Sword and Shield Come back Brilliant diamond and Shining pearls really shows the empty and lifeless feeling of the route. Wild areas in Sword and Shield It may not be perfect, but there’s something really special about seeing Pokemon of all shapes and sizes roaming the underworld. In Brilliant diamond and Shining pearls, the closest the player gets is an occasional underworld icon (like Psyducks) or The trainer’s Pokemon follows them. Having a Braviary flying overhead or a Mudsdale galloping around nearby really makes the Wild Area feel more alive than anywhere else Pokemon game so far – with Let’s go is the only other game that comes close to this.
Pokemon Legend: Arceus seem to be taking a similar approach with their expeditions. Players seem to be able to roam around the area of Hisui and see all the different wild Pokemon inhabiting each area roaming around. Judging by the marketing material released so far, the Hisui region is set before Pokemon are largely domesticated, so wild Pokemon will run rampant. It definitely fits the theme to see so many wild Pokemon just wandering around the area. That definitely goes a long way towards building the untamed atmosphere it’s like Pokemon Legend: Arceus going for.
Having Pokemon in the world permanently instead of random encounters in the grass would be a huge quality-of-life change for the player to experience. Pokemon Let’s Go and Sword and Shield Pokemon. It not only saves players the headache of being faced with constant encounters of unwanted wild Pokemon, but it also allows the worlds that Game Freak is creating to feel more alive and alive. Seeing wild Pokemon roam freely through the routes really helps to bring the routes to life with activity, and honestly, it’s a great thing to see for longtime fans. of the series. After this, Game Freak will leave industry standard “tall grass” in the past and let wild Pokemon roam the routes in the area and allow the trainer to encounter them in the underworld, not just random encounters.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl Now available for Nintendo Switch.
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