Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! (2018)
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: The Pokémon Company, Nintendo
Written and directed by: Junichi Masuda
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Genre: RPG
Mode: Single-player, and Multi-Player, but I will only be reviewing the Single Player experience
Why I Chose It: When they first announced Let’s Go Pikachu/Let’s Go Eevee, a pair of spin-off games for the Pokémon franchise, I realized something. Rather than targeting established players, these gentler versions of the Pokémon games were clearly designed for people who had come to the franchise more recently, especially those who came in through the app Pokémon Go.
In other words: me.
I had always been more of a console gamer growing up, meaning my childhood experience with Pokémon was based around the N64 game Pokémon Snap, as well as catching a few episodes of the anime (my brother was a fan). But it wasn’t until the smart phone app, Pokémon Go, came around that I became emotionally invested in this universe, making me an ideal player for the Let’s Go games, a hybrid of the first-generation Pokémon Games and the Pokémon Go app.
So, I figured, why not try it out?
The discussion below does get into some general plot spoilers. Given that this is mostly a remake of a 20 year old game, that seemed fair
Discussion: In the Let’s Go games, you start off as a young kid from Pallet Town, living in a world inhabited by creatures known as Pokémon. As a Pokémon trainer, you can catch these creatures, teach them special skills, and battle them in combat. Throughout the games you are encouraged to challenge gym leaders (trainers which specialize in a specific type of Pokémon), face off against your rival (your neighbor from Pallet Town), and even fight crime (the nefarious Team Rocket). As you grow as a trainer, and the bond between you and your Pokémon strengthens, you are able to take down larger obstacles, all culminating in a do-or-die face off between you and the most powerful trainers in Kanto.
To anyone experienced with Pokémon, it’s a familiar story. As a new fan, I found myself sucked in from the start. I chose Let’s Go Eevee, having always enjoyed the fox-like Pokémon. The visuals and soundtrack have been updated from its 8-bit roots, and the results are consistently charming from start to finish. The Pokémon themselves frequently had me oohing and aahing over their adorableness, and the bond that you form with your Eevee (I named mine Swift) felt truly genuine. There is a feature named “Partner Play” where you pet your Eevee using motion controls and feed it berries. The more often you do this, the stronger your bond with your Pokémon gets. Of course, I didn’t realize this until quite a bit into the game, I just used the feature because it was so damn cute.
A lot of noise has been made about the changes made to the gameplay in Let’s Go, Eevee! Unlike the core Pokémon games, you have the ability to identify wild Pokémon before you encounter them, and Pokémon Go catch mechanics take the place of battling these wild Pokémon. As someone who never played the original games, these features didn’t bother me at all. In fact, I ended up enjoying them quite a bit. I also found the entire game to be well paced. It manages to strike a nice balance between your overall journey (going from town to town defeating gym leaders), the prominent Team Rocket storyline, and other side adventures which allow you to explore the culture of the Pokémon world in more detail. There’s even a dungeon that takes place in a shrine dedicated to deceased Pokémon, a heavy topic for a game aimed at young children.
So, how did I do as a new player? While I could tell that I probably wasn’t always making the smartest decisions as far as move sets and natures go (for example, I never used a single TM – an item that can change a Pokémon’s moves – but I liked collecting them!), I managed to do well over all. Pokémon basically operates as a giant game of rock/paper/scissors with every type having strengths and weaknesses. Fire, as you might expect, is weak against water and strong against grass. The further you get into the game, the more complex things get (I found myself googling psychic Pokémon type match-ups more than once, trust me). Still, I found that my team (which experienced some switching around but eventually settled into Eevee, Pidgeot, Gyarados, Charizard, Gengar, and Rhydon) did a pretty good job against each challenge they came up against. Sure, I had a couple Pokémon faint on me during tricky battles, or against legendary birds, but I never completely wiped out, and was able to progress through the game at a steady pace.
As of the writing of this review, I have completed the main game and have explored most corners of the map. I still have a few legendary Pokémon left to catch (Mew, Mewtwo and Zapdos), as well as the Pokémon Go integration. Ironically, it’s the later that I have the least interest in taking part in. Sure, it was the Pokémon Go elements that were designed to draw me in, but with the exception of getting a Meltan (the new legendary Pokémon created for the game), I don’t have much interest in exploring the tie-in elements. I was happy enough with the game on its own.
Conclusion: Let’s Go Eevee is a perfect introduction to the world of Pokémon, whether you approach it as a kid who fell in love with the anime, or as an adult who came in through the Pokémon Go app. As for whether the game will have its intended effect, and somehow draw me into the other Pokémon games, of that I am less sure. I liked the gentle challenge level of this game, and the Pokémon Go capture mechanics. I don’t have much of an urge to play a game that doesn’t have those elements.
But, if they do end up creating a follow up Let’s Go for Johto, I will be sure to check that one out.
No Comments