>>58713113I’m genuinely a fan of them.
For starters, I think the map design peaked in Sinnoh. The individual routes are fairly intricate, with alternate paths and off-shoots that warrant multiple visits or otherwise thorough exploration. The region layout is especially phenomenal. The biomes are well distributed, with valleys, meadows and forests in the west, marshes and beaches in the south, snowy tundras in the north and misty mountains at the heart. You explore most of the west for the first 2 badges, then the east for 3 and 4, with the latter game seeing you explore the far reaching corners of the map. This is an highly organic progression path in my opinion. The openness during the second quarter allows you to explore most of the map early on, helping the heart of the region feel more like a hub from which you progessively venture outward as you complete the game. Lopsided though it may be, this suits the comfy slow-burn playstyle that DP are obviously geared towards.
Another strong point is the atmosphere. No other Pokémon game really captures the same feel as places like Eterna Forest, Canalave City, Mt Coronet’s peak and the Pokémon league. The whole region has this ancient and mysterious vibe that sets it apart for the better. Only complaint in this regard is that the weaker graphics leave the music to hard-carry this aesthetic, though I think it ultimately works out.
Final things worth noting is that these games combine elements from the first 3 generations in a way that makes them feel really fully featured. People complain about the samey encounter tables but I actually like how you have to go out of your way to find the most interesting Pokémon. Makes dex completion feel like a well-earned but easy to keep up with goal to chip away at as you play.
Oh yea, and the difficulty of these games hits a sweet spot in my opinion, with a fairly lenient curve that has a few level spikes thrown in to keep you on your toes when it wants.
