Game Freak has proven they aren’t afraid to stir the pot and get results. With that in mind, we’ve come up with a few ideas on how generation seven could be even more ambitious than its predecessors.
Non-linear story
Pokémon games have always featured the same gameplay. You start in your home town and work your way around or to the end of the map. There is a lot of stuff to do during this time, but it all happens in a set order. After six generations of this, it can feel tired.
The games are inspired by Satoshi Taijiri’s childhood hobby of insect collecting, so adding more freedom to explore and find secrets would appropriate. Choosing when I want to challenge a gym leader is better than being forced into it.
Reacting to the player
You accomplish more than the average ten-year-old during your Pokémon journey. Defeating the strongest trainers in the land and capturing legendary Pokémon is a big deal! You deserve a bit of recognition during your adventure. I suggest a karma/fame mechanic be added. Capturing all the Pokémon near a town or other town-specific tasks could cause the NPCs’ perception of you to change. You could be rewarded with better prices at Pokemarts in towns where you’re recognized. Town leaders could reward you for helping locals.
Not all NPCs need to recognize you, but particular people in each town should be looking for promising trainers who have achieved great things.
Newspapers and reporters have existed in previous games. It would be cool to see them return with more purpose.
Scaled trainer levels and rematches
One of my favorite things from previous games was the ability to rematch certain trainers. It made leveling post main game a breeze. While it usually appears in some way, it has been absent from a few titles. This is a great way to keep players going after the main game, and it wouldn’t be to different from what they do with your rival. If they don’t implement rematches, ,new trainers need to appear as you become stronger.
Changing opponents
The goal of Pokémon is to beat the main game so that you have more options when playing against your friends. This isn’t to imply that the gameplay is bad, but it is predictable. Exploring and battling becomes a little bland when every trainer in a cave has rock types and Zubats. The AI of trainers in the game often makes choices that aren’t wise or just ridiculous. If new trainers can be introduced as you play, or if each encounter has a different set up, that could be awesome.
The titles for these new Pokemon games are different from past generations – does this mean we’ll see lots of other new stuff too? New Pokemon, types, or moves? New places, characters and ways to play? Keeping everything balanced while moving forward is a daunting task. We’ll have to see how Game Freak handles it when these games release.
