i didn’t get very far in usum yet bc of all the hassle i experienced just getting the game to run but i still have those familiar mixed feelings on it. the graphics are neat with the right filters, the UI’s lovely as all hell, and sure the story does get a bit overbearing when it wants to but there’s still a feeling to these games that keeps bringing me back, at least for melemele island if nothing else

like there’s plenty to appreciate here. the cutscenes where the characters don’t just stand there performing default animations are nice, pokemon refresh is just about the streamlining amie needed, and the concept of regional variants is kinda fun. but the handholding, oh the handholding, whatever happened to the chaos of being a 10 y/o who forcefully barges their way out of town and almost gets mauled by rats before the adults give them a pokemon to go haywire with? the world-ending evil organizations that are thwarted by that same kid who also somehow captured a god? scouring your way through the wilderness with the power of your own pokemon? the pokerides do eliminate the problem of HM slaves sure, but they make the whole adventure seem less like an adventure and more like taking the bus downtown to go shopping. and the ride gear does not help the cause whatsoever

alola has good concepts, hell i don’t even mind the trials they’re fine for the most part. but i feel like it started this trend where you’re no longer exploring the world of pokemon and discovering creatures and going to uncharted locations full of mysteries, you’re just... walking across the neighborhood, politely obeying the street signs. even kalos felt more untamed, and that region came with the biggest city pokemon had ever seen to date. i don’t mind the attempt at making the world feel more lived-in or featuring up-to-date technology, but there are too many concrete roads and too many comfortable street signs and metal fences that keep the wild pokemon at bay. and too much goddamn safety gear i cannot emphasize how much that breaks the illusion of any adventure you could be having here

i’ll have to play more to really hone these thoughts, this is just first impressions mixed with my previous opinions on the games and the region in general. im hoping to gain a new appreciation for all this now that time’s passed and we’ve experienced the linearity of galar and the region where you clip through the floor or whatever it’s called