Critique: Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go is definitely an awesome game. They did a pretty good job for it being one of the first location-based augmented reality apps. It’s one of the few fun games that has come out for iOS and Android. The overall idea of the game was good and some of the execution was as well. The first overall idea that was shown in the trailer was awesome with all the features it had.

Pokemon go is a free-to-play, location-based augmented reality game developed by Niantic for iOS and Android. In the game, you walk around the real world to catch virtual creatures known as Pokemon. There are also places called Pokestops where you get Pokeballs to catch the Pokemon, potions to heal your Pokemon if they are injured from battle, and revives to revive your Pokemon if they faint in battle. After you catch the Pokemon you can power them up, evolve them, and battle them. There are also teams you can choose to be on. There is Mystic, Instinct, and Valor. Each team has gyms that you can battle in to take over the gym for your team. If you battle your own team and defeat at least one person you can put your Pokemon in the gym to protect it from the other teams.

The game sadly isn't really as popular as it used to be. A lot of people used to play it but it has died down significantly. Celebrities and Youtubers played it a lot at first. YouTube and social media really helped it blow up. When it was first released everyone played Pokemon Go. Even people who had no idea what in the world it was. Some people still play it now but it's mainly long time Pokemon fans. You don't really see many people walking around the city playing it anymore. You do on occasion but it's nothing compared to the amount of people walking around the week it was released.

One of the things I really like about Pokemon Go is the look of the game. The Pokemon look really good and the animations they have are cool as well. The character looks really good too but could have more customization options. All the menus and stuff look good and are easy to understand and operate. The layout is simple and easy but it still looks really good.

Another reason I like the game is it gets people out of the house. There are lots of people that are actually going outside and playing. Are they still playing a video game? Yes, but they are outside interacting with people. I've seen a ton of people talk to each other about Pokemon Go that would normally never talk to each other. It also forces you to get exercise because you have to walk or bike to hatch eggs. You also need to go places to find the Pokemon but that doesn't require walking. You can drive around and find Pokemon but you can't drive around to hatch eggs unless you can somehow drive around the city at 6.5 miles per hour. If you go faster than that it does not count towards how far you’ve walked.

The overall idea of the game is really cool. In my opinion, they should have put some more features in it. I like the idea of gyms but I don't like that all the gyms are taken over by hackers who have high-level Pokemon that are supposed to be really hard to get. You should be able to add friends on the game and battle with just your friends or random other players in the area that want to battle. They had that in the series after all so it would only make sense for it to be in the game as well. It’s also in the other Pokemon games. Trading is also a feature in the other games and would be cool to have in Pokemon Go.

Other than features and minor errors the game in its entirety is good. It’s incorporated into the real world surprisingly well for the most part. Different Pokemon types are in different areas, you have to walk to hatch eggs, you need to heal your Pokemon if they are injured, and Pokestops are abundant, especially in bigger cities. There are issues like the places Pokemon appear in and where Pokestops are but those are only minor issues for the most part. I do think that they should be more careful about that though especially because it has led to some interesting situations. For example, LA Times reported that two guys fell off a cliff while trying to find a Pokemon.

Overall Pokemon Go is a great game. When it first came out everyone played it so I would assume most people liked it even though some don't want to admit it because it's Pokemon. There's no doubt it’s one of the best iOS and Android games. It's really addicting and fun to play so if for some reason you haven't played it I recommend that you do.