>>31881397I agree, the towns were really similar, the map is really confusing due to the caves everywhere, and I would argue these are some of the worst problems in this game.
Most of the towns are these new towns that were just built, with old people complaining that things used to be better and several people who think nature is the best and technology is the worst and it makes people weaker (mostly gym leaders). Which is a very bare-bones and simplistic take on this issue. We don't ever see any problem in the wild. There are no toxic spills or mass deforestation, just people building buildings. Theme apart, there is no concrete theme that sets most towns apart, besides minigames that don't set a tone (and the board game is bullshit and the guy knows it).
I can tell the focus of desing in pokemon prism was wild pokemon grill, customization and certain challenges, but the meat of the game which is routes and caves are all also very similar and unexciting.
Again, game design is hard and it's difficult to plan all these things out. But it's important to realise what makes a game engaging and a level interesting.
