>>56068414I like routes, they allow for focused worldbuilding and exploring themes in a tightly controlled setting.
I like open-world, it allows for grand vistas that beckon players to explore, expecially if you fill them with interesting things.
Many routes in Pokemon's history have been boring corridors populated by a few afterthought NPC battles, and are so forgettable they might as well have not existed.
The open world areas in SS/SV have left a lot to be desired, though I wonder how much of that is due to the limitations of the hardware. Though, it's the same console that runes Tears of the Kingdom without issue, so maybe GF still can't wrap their heads around how to optimise an open world game. Maybe if they can't figure it out they shouldn't bother.
Both settings have their pros and cons, but I think since GF started out with routes they honed their craft to become masters of it. That being said, even at the top of their world-design game, which I think was probably Gen 5, not every route was a showstopping theme park spectacle.
