>>51221940It really resonated with me when you said "Open World" just now. I've never thought about it quite like that, but it's right.
Like the games obviously aren't open world. But the Johto games are the only games I've lingered in. Every other gen I play through it like an RPG with a trajectory and a race to the finish and then I stop.
Johto is the only region where I've just explored, and chilled, and gone different ways, and checked in on rematches, and visited places at night, and checked into weekly events. With GSC I kept booting it up and just immersing myself in Johto.
I'd even catch new Pokemon and explore with them, go rematch trainers with a new level 20 Pokemon even after beating Red. I'd never have done that in any other game, those I'd always strictly progress in. "I've beaten this route, why would I come back here?" "I have a Level 60 Metagross, why would I train this Anorith?"
In GSC I'd hear about being able to catch Marill in a cave and go explore there without the team I beat Red with. Yeah, I treated it like an open world sandbox even as a kid and I've never done that with any other gen.
