Gotta Play ‘Em All? Pokémon Let’s Go Review

It’s been quite some time since a major Pokémon release came to home consoles. The latest Pokémon main series entry, Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee, have arrived for Nintendo Switch. Are these more casual-focused entries worth their price tag, or are they just pandering to the Pokémon Go craze?

Pokémon Let’s Go Review

Nintendo

Graphics

As much as some people will tell you graphics don’t matter, they really do. These are video games after all, and the visual element is the most striking. The Let’s Go games look absolutely wonderful on the Nintendo Switch. Brightly-colored, well-drawn models navigate sleek landscapes and the titular Pocket Monsters look better than ever. Battles are bright and frenetic, with strong moves having a ton of flashy on-screen effects.

Of special note are the wonderful little sprites that indicate your Pokémon in menus and at the Pokémon center. The series’ iconic sprites would have been sorely missed, so it’s nice to see them making an appearance this time out.

Gameplay

The major sticking point for some long-time veteran trainers is the updated gameplay of this new entry. The traditional random encounters with wild Pokémon are gone, as are battles with them. Instead, you see wild critters on the overworld screen and can choose to encounter them. When you do, you play a Pokémon Go-style minigame where you throw a ball and try to catch the creature.

This is a fun, if gimmicky, mechanic. While the ball-throwing with motion controls is very unreliable, it feels fine in handheld mode with normal controls. That said, we’re hoping future releases ditch the ball-throwing mechanic and bring back wild battles. We’re okay with the Pokémon being on the overworld screen, though. Random encounters should stay out of modern RPGs in our opinion.

Trainer battles are the same as in core games in the series, with the exception of some deeper mechanics from past entries. In all, this version is heavily simplified. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, making this a great jumping-on point for newcomers.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that Pokémon fans the world over and going to love this game. It’s a bit simplified and the series still has a long way to go in terms of tightening the core gameplay. The gorgeous presentation and nostalgic music make this one worth checking out, though, so we can recommend it to even passing fans of the franchise. Now, get out there and capture some cute creatures!