Alright, might as well write down some quick thoughts like I said I was going to. Random good-bad stuff 'cause why not.
[Aaaaaand of course this turned into a long post. Sorry]
What i find bad:
- One, the game runs like ass, like, it's absolutely abysmal. I'm not joking when I say that I've never played anything that runs this poorly. SV's performance makes The Last Guardian look good. And two, it is VERY buggy. The game was rushed and shipped in an unfinished state. No way in hell QA did not report this stuff.
Whoever is to blame for this, be it GF's higher-ups, TPC's and/or Nintendo's complicity I don't care, somebody deserves to be given a hard time over this lmao
-The game controls quite poorly? Gamefeel is definitely not as nice as PLA, but even without bringing Legends into the equation the camera is oftentimes wonky, locking onto pokémon is awful and doesn't work half the time. I understand not having "cold" catching or other capture mechanics but the simple act of aiming at a pokémon can't be such a hassle. There's no way in hell anybody wants to start an encounter in any other way other than by throwing a pokeball, meaning you can't have such a core system work this poorly.
-Apparently Team Star Challenges are always the same thing? Could have done with more gameplay variety.
What I find good:
-Full 3D, Open area/world pokémon works. SwSh's DLC hinted at it, PLA said it out loud, and SV basically confirms it. Map design is also perfectly OK. Nooks and crannies, verticality, vistas (kinda, too bad LoD is once again godawful)
-The mons: variety and behaviour are good, and the new normal maps are fantastic, pokémon belong to the world way, way more now. New designs are ok: not exactly in love with too many of them so far though.
-Character designs are, like always, on point. Tone feels appropriate and lively.
-I love having three different paths. Still early into them, but hearing that they're well written has me excited for what's to come. Interesting to see what's probably the first story with a different main scenario writer since forever.
-On that point I feel like mainline pokémon as a series is way more engrossing when they actually switch up the story premise. So having a school setting with a treasure hunt theme feels both new and familiar just the right amount (which is also why, among other things, XY feel so unremarkable to me)
-Gyms are fine so far (though I get that they could've bothered with giving them more standout features). I don't exactly miss the trainer gauntlets of past gens so... :shrugs:
-Music is ok. I think they also brought in new composers and it shows, certain tracks have quite a different vibe than the usual pokemon soundtrack. PLA's immersive sound design was good till you realized it never let the player listen to the game's ost, which worked to its detriment when half the time you had the hear "Caution" (the mon-aggro theme) and not much else.
What I'm ambivalent towards:
-The towns. They have a real sense of place. Massive, both in a good and bad way, at times too big to navigate. Shops are all over the place and if you want to find a specific clothing store there's a good chance you're going to forget where it was. World building seems to be both there and lacking at the same time. Like, you'll have a modern city with skyscrapers and light-shows, an influencer gym leader, poké-ad billboards bonanza, but you're not going to give me a couple of NPCs with interesting stuff to say? Also, I'm not missing the interiors as much as other people apparently are, given that they were mostly copy-pasted window dressing in previous games, and that the towns/citites are populated enough where I, frankly (or the game), don't need any more NPCs.
-Maybe the open world needs better "rewards"? Though I'm not sure about this point.
-Customization. Yeah we could do with having more uniforms at the very least. Though, unpopular opinion I know, I actually dig the goofy shorts and round hat combo, it sells me on the whole treasure hunt across summery PokéIberian Peninsula vibe of the game, so I don't mind the lack of customization too much.
SV truly feels both too ambitious for its own good and a more exciting experience because of it. It is seriously hampered by its release state.
I could go on but I better stop for my sake and that of whoever's bothered with reading this.
Edit: Oh yeah I forgot. Gameplay loop-freedom good. Lack of side activities-quests (kinda) bad
