Pokemon X and Y Review: An Evolutionary Leap

Significant evolution is a gradual process taking place over millions of years, but the creatures in the Pokemon games evolve in a matter of seconds. One minute, your flopping fish Pokemon appears useless, but in the next moment that useless fish transforms into a massive sea dragon. In the gaming industry, the 15 year old Pokemon series mirrors real world evolution more than the instantaneous evolution of the 700 or so Pokemon. Fans and detractors alike have criticized developer Game Freak because Pokemon has lacked significant change for over a decade; however, with the release of Pokemon X and Y, the series has evolved out of the reach of those who bemoan its lack of meaningful evolution.

X  and Y feature a wealth of small changes and one major change to the Pokemon formula. A Pokemon professor still asks you whether you're a boy or a girl, but you'll be able to customize your appearance with clothes found throughout the game for the first time. While you'll still be setting off on an adventure to become the Pokemon Champion, you'll receive your first Pokemon immediately and begin your adventure without all the tedious preamble seen in past generations. Instead of one angst ridden rival to compete with, you're introduced to four friends, and while they're a bit one dimensional, they fill the adventure with quirky personality. Soon you'll have your first gym beaten and be given roller blades to travel faster from the get go. And before you reach the second gym, you'll have met half a hundred Pokemon and chosen a variety of them to train and battle with. Getting drawn into a Pokemon adventure has never been easier.

Trainers still challenge you to a battle on sight, Pokemon still trigger random battles when you walk in tall grass, and X and Y still revolve around the same turn-based battle system which still utilizes the same rock, paper, scissors mechanic. Pokemon features 17 different types of creatures which are strong and weak against one another along with a new type introduced in X and Y--the first new type added since Gold and Silver. Fairy type helps balance out Pokemon's notoriously unbalanced elemental system and retcons a dozen or so creatures to fit the new type. I found this new addition made old Pokemon feel new again, and it made X and Y's Kalos region the most exciting region to explore since the original Kanto region. 

Mega evolution is also new to the series. Within battle certain Pokemon can mega evolve and take on a powerful new form for the duration of the battle. There's only 28 Pokemon that can do so, and all of them are fan favorites pulled from past generations. It remains to be seen how mega evolutions will be used in competitive play. As far as single player goes, mega evolutions feel like nothing more than fan service and a gimmick. Sure, it's cool to see Charizard and Houndoom take on awesome new forms, but mega evolutions are too overpowered and limited to be more than a fun curiosity.

Not counting mega evolutions, X and Y add 69 new Pokemon into the mix. Most generations include closer to 100 new critters. Unfortunately, the lack of new Pokemon is noticeable in the game. That said, many of the new designs, such as Honedge, Hawlucha, and Goomy, are superb and will undoubtedly become fan favorites themselves. 

Despite all these changes and additions, Pokemon X and Y is a tremendous leap forward for the series simply because of its visual upgrade. Pokemon revolves around hundreds of creatures, so seeing them animated in full 3D on the Nintendo 3DS adds personality and a physical presence that has otherwise not been seen in past games. For example, a Pikachu's stubborn determination shines through when it attacks, and a Snorlax feels large and imposing as it stands before you in battle. It all works to make the game feel less like a set of choices in a video game and more like you're actually battling Pokemon. The new French-inspired setting, the Kalos region, also benefits from 3D as well. Scenic camera angles and art direction, when filtered through the new 3D style, make the Kalos region the most visually distinct region yet. 

For the most part, the transition from sprites to 3D was a smooth one; however, within Lumiose City, the capital of Kalos, the camera pans behind the avatar's back and movement becomes rigid and frustrating. To make matters worse, Lumiose City is huge, confusing to navigate, and not the only place where poor movement rears its ugly head. Furthermore, Pokemon battles suffer from noticeable framerate issues. With the 3DS's stereoscopic 3D flipped on, the framerate troubles worsen, and since the stereoscopic 3D is largely restricted to battles, it leaves one of the 3DS's prominent features unused.

Graphical growing pains aside, Pokemon X and Y is the evolution Pokemon needed. Game Freak has shown it is capable of making the changes required to keep Pokemon exciting, and I hope the company continues to improve upon what makes X and Y great. It's not a perfect Pokemon game, but the new look and small steps that distance X and Y from the continued monotony of past generations makes it the most exciting game in the series since the original Red and Blue. 

Final Verdict

9 out of 10

A copy of the game was purchased by the reviewer through a retail outlet.