The night of May 29, 2018 was a pretty crazy night for video game fans. That night saw the random launch of Pokémon Quest, a new free-to-start video game. In traditional free-to-play style, players can play the game without paying, it will just take longer than if one were to pay. Since last night, I've played a good deal of the game and I love it so far. Thankfully, it's difficult as sometimes these free-to-start games are boringly easy.
In Pokémon Quest, as with the traditional Pokémon games, you first start off by picking one starter Pokémon. The choices are between Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander, Eevee and Pikachu. Each Pokémon has a move or two in the beginning. As you level up and evolve, you gain more moves to use during battle similar to the core games.
The difference here is that the Pokémon are constantly moving around automatically and battles are split into waves of Pokémon attacking you. You can use either the touch screen or joy cons to command your Pokémon to perform certain moves. At the end of each level, there's a boss Pokémon who's stronger than others.
Currently, I am on level 2-3 and cannot move further unless I level up or befriend better Pokémon. I must say, I adore the challenge of this game. The typical strategy is to spam the three Pokémon's moves as much as possible. If you lose, your Pokémon will keep gaining EXP anyway, so you'll beat the enemies eventually.
Of course, there are ways to get stronger aside from playing quests. In each level, you pick up items which can be added to a recipe to attract Pokémon to you. After each quest attempt, you'll get closer to attracting those visitors and then you can add them to your party.
Some items you'll pick up can be added to your Pokémon's equipment to boost them in some way. Another way to strengthen your companions is to train them. Though keep in mind any support Pokémon involved will leave afterward. The refresh time after a quest is 25 minutes and you start off with five attempts before you run out and need to refresh again. This isn't a bother to me as I find other things to do in the time given.
As a retro game lover, the soundtrack and design for Pokémon Quest were perfect for me. The map music is soothing to listen to and I can look at the sprites all day. Overall, this game hits the mark well, of what I'd expect from a good Pokémon game.
Let's Give Automatic Pokémon a Try Pokémon Quest gives a new twist to the massively popular video game series. Pokémon explore and you attack!