>>53980513>Unova is good but yes it's a straight lineThats one of my favorite parts of Hoenn is the region design of a "circle" where you end up where you started while progressing through the story, it makes a region stick in my head better than others.
For example in Hoenn from Rustboro you go to Dewford, then Mauville, to Fallarbor and after finishing Meteor Falls, go back down to Rustboro now with Rock Smash from Mauville to get through Rusturf and go to Lavaridge, then you get back to Petalburg from the shortcut to north of Mauville and back through Rusturf and Petalburg Forest again. Now that you have surf you can go to Oldale, surf right, and end up north of Slateport, use the cycling road to get back to and east of Mauville, and start heading to Fortree. You dont even get the HM for Fly until the too much water part of the game cause you don't really need it. The land segment of Hoenn is one of the best parts in a Pokemon for me
ORAS gives you the option of fast travel for some of these which baffles me since you already have a whole map on the bottom screen.
Sinnoh has a smaller version of this starting from Oreburgh and back through cycling road south of Eterna.
Unova is as you said, just a straight line which is lame, Kalos has a central city in Lumiose somewhat like Saffron City but in Red you can go to different places in different orders if you know how, at least you use Lumiose like a central hub which is cool enough.
Alola
Galar is weird cause its basically a straight line with "circles" in it but the way its done makes things really boring, I simplified it alot but from Rustboro and back you go through caves, a boat ride, and a mountain and Galar just doesnt have that grand adventure feeling.
Haven't played SV
All in all I know it takes way more effort to design a region the way they used to be but I think its really important, I mean its like half the identity of the gen it debuts in.
