>>45768135>>45768152For pokemon, team building is the minimal expected activity. Judging them against each other, through the context of their own era, they all are about equal, except for SWSH. There are 2 parts to team building: Choosing the pokemon and training the pokemon. SWSH's always on exp. share fundamentally changes how pokemon are trained and from a role playing perspective, diminished the role the player has as a pokemon trainer.
Otherwise, the largest aspects of RPG's are exploration and choice.
Base SWSH legitimately has no good exploration. They took out mechanics that support it (HM's and pokeride), which diminished the types of places players can find through using pokemon. Until the DLC, there were no major places one can find and feel good about. It's especially egregious because the idea of dens implies we can explore them to find pokemon, but they're just interactive fireplaces.
As for choice, the only one given in the game is the pokemon you use, which again, is offered in every single game. There's no choice in route, no meaningful choice in dialogue, or anything else that would make the game feel special. Small things could have added something, like making flapple and appletun a choice instead of a version exclusive, but these games weren't made to be RPG's. They're shitty adventure games. They may be turn based, but they have more in common with Uncharted than the Elder Scrolls. I could go on, but it's Christmas.
