>>45185352>>45185376Gen VI transitioned the franchise into 3D which was a herculean task at the time. In addition to that, it added a lot of important QoL updates that made entering into the competitive scene much more accessible than it had ever been, as well as introduced an online system that made it simple for random players to match up with each other using custom rulesets. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was better than anything before or since. Lastly, it introduced trainer customization which while unexpected from Pokemon, was a very welcome surprise as it personalized the experience more.
Gen VII and VIII followed up on the QoL features and virtually nothing else. The online component is a particular sticking point, you're no longer able to just pick out randoms at a whim with custom ruleset tags like before. Trainer customization was a step down in gen VII even despite the introduction of dyes(which were locked behind an RNG based online mode) and I can't speak for DLC but the base game was also severely lacking in customization.
With the herculean task of modeling six generations of Pokemon in one sitting done, it was expected that the models might have their animations touched up or even changed, especially any Pokemon unfortunate enough to be considered sky battle ready. No such thing happened, idle animations for flight capable Pokemon by and large remain dogshit with some exceptions.
Meanwhile, while it's true gens VII and VIII followed up on MOST of the QoL features introduced in gen VI, it dropped two very important ones. Super training and horde battles. The former was unmatched for easily customizing EVs, while the latter was amazing for simply maxing an EV out. With a simple set-up you could max out a stat with just two or three one turn battles. Given how taxing they were on hardware, it's understandable why it didn't return for gen VII, but not for gen VIII. Worse, gen VIII's EV grind is a money grind last I checked.
