Pokemon GO
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Dev: Niantic
Pub: The Pokemon Company Release Date: 06/07/2016 Format: iOS, Android |
5/10
Ben Hughes @potatoes351 |
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I'm going out on a limb and saying that Pokemon GO had one of the most messed up, but most successful launches in video game history. Releasing in the United States on the 6th July, Pokemon GO was subsequently shared on download mirrors and has been available to those willing to do a little leg work no matter where they live in the world. It launched in the UK on the 14th July, though by that time millions of UK citizens were already caught up in catching our favourite monsters, travelling for miles and miles and of course representing our teams trying to dominate the gyms in our local areas. But just because it's popular doesn't mean it's perfect...so let's take a closer look at the game that has literally taken the world by storm.
The basic concept of Pokemon GO is that it utilises a modified version of Google Maps, whilst also having access to your phones camera, GPS and pedometer to provide an augmented reality Pokemon experience wherever you go. If that's all a bit techy for you then the simpler version is that it uses various gizmos built into your iPhone or Android device to allow you to catch Pokemon in the real world. But the rabbit hole goes much deeper than this, Pokemon GO is packed with various other things to do that will keep you hooked long after the initial draw of being able to chase down a Charmander at your local Tesco's.
First up you have the Pokedex, a staple of all Pokemon games. GO provides you with the original 151 Pokemon to hunt down, allowing the true collectors out there to go wild trying to get every one of the games monsters. It'll take you a while as rarer Pokemon only spawn 1 in every few thousand, but not only that you're going to have to travel as far from your point of origin as you can in order to actually find them...otherwise be prepared to be stuck with Pidgey's, Rattata's and Weedle's for a long damn while.
The basic concept of Pokemon GO is that it utilises a modified version of Google Maps, whilst also having access to your phones camera, GPS and pedometer to provide an augmented reality Pokemon experience wherever you go. If that's all a bit techy for you then the simpler version is that it uses various gizmos built into your iPhone or Android device to allow you to catch Pokemon in the real world. But the rabbit hole goes much deeper than this, Pokemon GO is packed with various other things to do that will keep you hooked long after the initial draw of being able to chase down a Charmander at your local Tesco's.
First up you have the Pokedex, a staple of all Pokemon games. GO provides you with the original 151 Pokemon to hunt down, allowing the true collectors out there to go wild trying to get every one of the games monsters. It'll take you a while as rarer Pokemon only spawn 1 in every few thousand, but not only that you're going to have to travel as far from your point of origin as you can in order to actually find them...otherwise be prepared to be stuck with Pidgey's, Rattata's and Weedle's for a long damn while.
Next up, you can evolve Pokemon using candies provided by transferring several of one Pokemon to Professor Willow. You can also hatch eggs by walking either 2, 5 or 10KM, the further the egg requires the rarer the result will be.
Then you have the gym's. Rather than working like gym's do in traditional Pokemon games, they are empty until someone comes and claims it. Once you claim it you can put your most powerful monsters in there to defend it for your team of choice (Instinct, Mystic and Valor), after some time you'll begin earning rewards from managing to hold that territory long enough. However if you want to claim and already owned gym then you'll have to battle the Pokemon stored there in real time. No turn based combat here, you have your best 6 Pokemon to take down as many monsters are defending the gym (anywhere between 1 & 6).
Of course to do all of this you need items. Potions, revives, Pokeball's, egg incubators and the likes. These are available through Pokestops, locations marked on your map that every 5 minutes will be available for you to interact with and collect some small rewards. If you live in a town or city then lucky you, lots of stops mere metres from each other, unfortunately if you live in a slightly more rural area (like myself) then you'll have to travel quite some way to find any.
You can purchase items with microtransactions, though realistically if you interact with enough Pokestops then you'll probably never have to actually buy anything assuming you manage your resources well.
So that all sounds awesome right? No doubt you've already played it anyway. But from a critical view is the game actually any good? Well...no not really. It's certainly got addictive, engrossing gameplay mechanics that are great to play with a group of friends. It's also brilliant for meeting new people, forming new friendships and even just to liven up your daily travels.
But Pokemon GO suffers from some pretty debilitating problems as of launch, not to mention that not all the features promised for the launch are actually there.
Then you have the gym's. Rather than working like gym's do in traditional Pokemon games, they are empty until someone comes and claims it. Once you claim it you can put your most powerful monsters in there to defend it for your team of choice (Instinct, Mystic and Valor), after some time you'll begin earning rewards from managing to hold that territory long enough. However if you want to claim and already owned gym then you'll have to battle the Pokemon stored there in real time. No turn based combat here, you have your best 6 Pokemon to take down as many monsters are defending the gym (anywhere between 1 & 6).
Of course to do all of this you need items. Potions, revives, Pokeball's, egg incubators and the likes. These are available through Pokestops, locations marked on your map that every 5 minutes will be available for you to interact with and collect some small rewards. If you live in a town or city then lucky you, lots of stops mere metres from each other, unfortunately if you live in a slightly more rural area (like myself) then you'll have to travel quite some way to find any.
You can purchase items with microtransactions, though realistically if you interact with enough Pokestops then you'll probably never have to actually buy anything assuming you manage your resources well.
So that all sounds awesome right? No doubt you've already played it anyway. But from a critical view is the game actually any good? Well...no not really. It's certainly got addictive, engrossing gameplay mechanics that are great to play with a group of friends. It's also brilliant for meeting new people, forming new friendships and even just to liven up your daily travels.
But Pokemon GO suffers from some pretty debilitating problems as of launch, not to mention that not all the features promised for the launch are actually there.
Firstly you're going to want to invest in some portable chargers because GO will decimate your battery in just a couple of hours. I recently upgraded my phone to a Google Nexus 5, which for the last month or so has lasted me pretty much an entire day on a single charge, even with heavy use. But after just 3 hours of Pokemon GO on power saving mode my phone is ready to die.
On top of this be aware of your data allowance. The need to download and refresh Google Maps on a regular basis, as well as download Pokemon locations, gym and Pokestop info really eats away at it after a while. Over a week of play I have used around 300 megabytes of data, which for some people may be normal, but normally I barely use 500 megabytes per month.
Next up the game is buggy beyond belief. Server issues plague the game during peak times (midday, end of school, early evening) making it difficult to even play the thing, but assuming you can get on you'll regularly encounter bugs that require a force quit and reboot of the game. It can also take quite a while for the game to load up info about Pokestops and gyms, which can in itself cause the game to crash.
It's in serious need of some patching to even be in a considerably playable state. Usually once you're on you're fine for a while, but it's so temperamental that it's a gamble whether it'll work at all.
Then of course there are features mission like trading, PvP battles and legendary Pokemon. The issue of Legendaries has been addressed already, with the promise of timed events where a particular legendary will be available in specific places for a short period of pre-determined time. Though these have yet to happen anywhere in the world so it's a good question to ask where and when these are expected to happen, as well as how catching one will work if you want to keep the monster something rare that not everyone will be able to own.
I'm also sure that you've heard of the horror stories that have arisen over the past week. Players encountering dead bodies whilst exploring, people being lured into traps set by malicious players and of course serious injuries that have been uncured by players not being aware of what's happening around them.
The game does warn you to stay safe, which should come as common sense, but there could perhaps be more features put in place to protect players.
These stories should not scare you into not playing the game as they are few and far between, not to mention something that was bound to happen with a product of this nature, but it is a warning to know what kind of risks you may be taking when playing.
As a whole, though Pokemon GO is certainly not a polished, or even finished product. It is absolutely undeniable that it is perhaps the most fun you can currently have with your phone. That's why the score at the bottom is in no way reflective of how good the game actually is. I highly recommend giving the game a go before the fad passes and only more dedicated players remain. Hopefully it is a product that developer Niantic will continue to improve and work on over the coming months to become a more polished product, but until then it's just a buggy mess that has still managed to make millions of people go head over heels for it.
On top of this be aware of your data allowance. The need to download and refresh Google Maps on a regular basis, as well as download Pokemon locations, gym and Pokestop info really eats away at it after a while. Over a week of play I have used around 300 megabytes of data, which for some people may be normal, but normally I barely use 500 megabytes per month.
Next up the game is buggy beyond belief. Server issues plague the game during peak times (midday, end of school, early evening) making it difficult to even play the thing, but assuming you can get on you'll regularly encounter bugs that require a force quit and reboot of the game. It can also take quite a while for the game to load up info about Pokestops and gyms, which can in itself cause the game to crash.
It's in serious need of some patching to even be in a considerably playable state. Usually once you're on you're fine for a while, but it's so temperamental that it's a gamble whether it'll work at all.
Then of course there are features mission like trading, PvP battles and legendary Pokemon. The issue of Legendaries has been addressed already, with the promise of timed events where a particular legendary will be available in specific places for a short period of pre-determined time. Though these have yet to happen anywhere in the world so it's a good question to ask where and when these are expected to happen, as well as how catching one will work if you want to keep the monster something rare that not everyone will be able to own.
I'm also sure that you've heard of the horror stories that have arisen over the past week. Players encountering dead bodies whilst exploring, people being lured into traps set by malicious players and of course serious injuries that have been uncured by players not being aware of what's happening around them.
The game does warn you to stay safe, which should come as common sense, but there could perhaps be more features put in place to protect players.
These stories should not scare you into not playing the game as they are few and far between, not to mention something that was bound to happen with a product of this nature, but it is a warning to know what kind of risks you may be taking when playing.
As a whole, though Pokemon GO is certainly not a polished, or even finished product. It is absolutely undeniable that it is perhaps the most fun you can currently have with your phone. That's why the score at the bottom is in no way reflective of how good the game actually is. I highly recommend giving the game a go before the fad passes and only more dedicated players remain. Hopefully it is a product that developer Niantic will continue to improve and work on over the coming months to become a more polished product, but until then it's just a buggy mess that has still managed to make millions of people go head over heels for it.
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+Ridiculously Addictive
+Pokemon IRL!!! +Getting A Gang Together & Playing Together +Lots of Potential -Serious Server Issues -Riddled With Game Breaking Bugs -Leeches Away At Battery & Data -Probably Just A Passing Fad |
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