♪Everybody wants to be a master.
Everybody wants to show their skills.♪ ♪Everybody wants to get there faster.
Make their way to the top of the hill.♪ ♪Each time you try, gonna get just a little
bit better.
Each step you climb is just one more up the ladder.♪
♪It's a whole new world we live in.
Do-do-do-do-do.
It's a whole new way to see.
Do-do-do-do-do.♪ ♪It's a whole new place with a brand new
attitude, but you still gotta catch 'em all and be the best that you can be.
Do-do-do-do-do.♪ For me, Pokémon has always been a deeply
personal game that can be easily shared amongst friends.
It's fun to play your way through and experience the simple tale of a young trainer trying
to become Champion while learning about the world.
But what makes it a great social experience is sharing those stories with friends.
Perhaps they haven't made it as far because they enjoy breeding and cultivating their
favorite team.
Maybe they're even farther than you because they love the battles and want to see everything
until the end.
Everyone has their own way to play and, as such, have their own favorite Pokémon Generation.
I know people who absolutely hate Gen 4 but love Gen 5 and others who feel the exact opposite.
It all comes down to exactly what you want from a Pokémon game and if that game provided
it.
But for me, a great Pokémon game comes down to variety.
Are there a lot of different Pokémon to catch?
Is there a ton of things to do when I'm not battling?
Are the characters fun and interesting?
That's what makes a great generation to me.
It's why I enjoyed Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 so much.
They had those elements.
And, I'm happy to report, so does X and Y.
Like all Pokémon games, you're cast in the shoes of a young Pokémon Trainer who has
just moved to the Kalos region.
Thanks to a group of four other kids, you soon have your first Pokémon, a Pokédex,
and the goal of meeting Professor Sycamore.
And like the other games, that goal expands to include becoming Pokémon Champion as well
as stop the plans of the flashy Team Flare.
But many of the elements of past games have been downplayed here.
There are no fierce rivalries with another trainer, but many smaller rivalries with a
range of trainers.
Team Flare is also a bit goofier than most other Teams, but their plans are surprisingly
apocalyptic.
It's not a story that will blow anyone away, but it is simple and pleasant.
And that's the feeling that permeated every bit of this game.
I had this overwhelming feeling of delight with each new Route and town I visited.
I was excited to see the next place because the designs were so rich and full of personality.
The developers said that they wanted the theme of X and Y to be beauty in all things, and
I fully believe they nailed it.
Perhaps I'm just a sucker for these things, but I really felt like I was pulled into Kalos.
And that's likely because of the new 3D engine.
The world in X and Y is rendered in such loving detail that it's difficult not to get taken
in by it.
It's oddly kind of breathtaking when you first experience it.
A friend of mine, who hadn't been keeping up with this game at all, audibly gasped when
I showed her the opening sequence.
We've had sprite-based Pokémon games for so long that it becomes impressive when you
finally see it in full 3D.
Then there are the Pokémon battles.
My biggest fear coming into this game was that they'd be painfully slow, much like the
Pokémon Stadium games.
But that isn't the case at all.
Battles are snappy and visually impressive, especially because of the sheer size of the
game.
There are over 700 different Pokémon models in the game, hundreds more if you include
gender differences, form changes, and Mega Evolutions.
However, all that detail comes at a bit of a cost.
While not always, there are hints of slowdown that occur during more intensive fights.
Otherwise, battles themselves play out pretty much as always.
It's simple to pick up and play for newcomers, but there are plenty of new abilities, moves,
and Pokémon for veterans to explore as well.
The Fairy type also adds more to the game than you might expect.
I've always had a Dragon type in my team because of how few weaknesses it had, but Fairy adds
a note of fear for Dragon types because they absolutely wreck them.
But they also added a distinct use that I never felt for Poison and Steel types before.
It's impossible to say until the truly hardcore Pokémon players figure out the meta-game
but, for me, the Fairy type did bring greater balance to the battles.
I'm not entirely sure if Mega Evolution does the same.
For one, it doesn't seem to have a downside.
There's no kind of risk/reward to the system, and it becomes very easy to just Mega Evolve
your Pokémon every time you're in battle.
I enjoyed the designs and think they're an interesting concept, but I believe they need
a few more tweaks until they become truly fair.
They also add to the sense that X and Y is much easier than past games and nowhere is
that more evident than the redesigned Experience Share.
In past games, the Experience Share would be given to one Pokémon, and it would earn
half the experience even if it didn't fight.
The new one gives all non-participating Pokémon half the experience.
Add in the fact that all participating Pokémon earn equal experience, even while catching
new Pokémon and it doesn't take long to start gaining an incredible amount of levels.
At first I thought this was a great feature, but after a while, I noticed that I was barely
using half my team.
Fortunately, it can be turned off if you want more of a classic experience.
I still think it's a good idea though, even if it wasn't for me.
It takes care of one of the complaints that newcomers have and helps make grinding Pokémon
for your Pokédex much quicker.
And that's the common theme I found in X and Y.
There are a lot of small changes that make the games great for newcomers and experienced
players alike.
And that's likely the best compliment I can give X and Y.
It lets players customize their experience.
Don't want to worry about grinding?
Turn on the Experience Share.
Want to play with your Pokémon Nintendogs-style?
Try out Pokémon-Amie.
It'll even give you bonuses in battle and quickly increase your Pokémon's affection.
Want to get right into competitive battling?
Use Super Training and take out some of the grind of getting your perfect team.
And of course you can customize your trainer too.
Eye color, hair color, hair style, and all of your clothes can be changed in boutiques
around Kalos.
But while there's a ton of things for you to discover on your own, there's one thing
I feel is still worth mentioning: The Player Search System, or PSS.
It is with you from the moment you start your game, and it's a constant connection between
you and a world of other players.
Battles, Trading, everything you could do with another player can be done through that
system.
It's quick, easy, and can be done anytime or anywhere.
It becomes such a link to the experience that you personally want to have that I've decided
not to give a separate score for the multiplayer; because you can use it as much or as little
as you want.
While I've gone on and on about how the game plays (while still only scratching the surface),
I have to give special mention to the presentation.
Though it doesn't have the most graphically intensive look, it does have a style.
One that makes you feel like you're playing with Ken Sugimori's artwork.
Quite frankly, it's the best that Pokémon has ever looked.
They don't feel like plastic toys like in the 3D console games but actual animals in
many cases, and I found it fascinating just to watch their movements.
But the true standout here is the music; upbeat tunes, haunting tracks, and pieces that just
put you at ease.
Each town puts you in a particular mood and it's amazing just how quickly it happens.
The battle themes are also quite good though the standout for me was the Gym Leader theme.
Pokémon cries and battle effects have also been upgraded while retaining their classic
sounds.
Except Pikachu of course who actually says his name like in the anime.
It's a small touch, but that's what makes this game such a great entry.
It's filled with small touches that add up to something great.
If you haven't played Pokémon in years, this just may be the one to bring you back.
Its aesthetic is pleasing through and through.
The new Pokémon are well designed and while some may complain that they added too few,
they're spread throughout in such a way that it's not too noticeable.
This is a great Pokémon game to jump back into.
And if you're already a fan of the series, well, we all know you already have the game.
Pokémon X and Y are not perfect, but they do so many things so well that its faults
end up not mattering.
For this reason and so many more, I'm awarding it 5 stars out of 5.
I enjoyed the game immensely and feel you guys will too.
Thanks for watching and be sure to stay tuned to GameXplain for much more on Pokémon X
and Y in the coming days.