I'm obsessed with Pokemon GO
Last week one of my friends told me he started playing Pokemon GO again. Little did I know it would suck me down a rabbit hole that would lead me to wonder how hard it would be to qualify for the Pokemon GO World Championship.
What has changed?
Honestly, not much the main gameplay loop of catching Pokemon, attacking gyms and fighting super strong raid pokemon remains the same. There are some fun new additions such as Team Rocket battles and rescuing the Shadow Pokemon that they use to battle. Once you rescue a shadow Pokemon you can purify it to make it happy or something like that. So if nothing changed why am I hooked. Player. Versus. Player. (PVP)
Social and Competitive Gaming
I've always been somewhat of a competitive person. Surprisingly as I get older I feel that side of me coming out more. I with more and more limited time I'm much less interested in solo experience games, I want a social experience. One of the ways that people interact through games is through competition. This combined with the era for freemium games which ask for either your time or your money (I'm not gonna spend if I don't have to) I find myself with this feeling "Why would I spend so much time into a game when I can't dunk people". Pokemon Go has the added benefit of having non-PVP elements that you can do with friends such as Raids, Gym battles and trading. Overall Pokemon GO shines by bringing out the social elements of gaming while also being a good excuse for going on a walk (which I've done ever day since re-downloading)
Pokemon GO PVP is FUN!
When I first played Pokemon GO I considered PVP kind of a joke. Whoever can tap the screen faster? How could this be any fun or skillful. I'm proud to say I was wrong. Dead wrong. I won't dive into the full nuances of Pokemon GO PVP since I'd like to make a different post sharing what I've learned. In short, the PVP has a lot of nuance both during preparation and in game. Pokemon GO is a bite-sized version of the standard Pokemon games which has been perfect for me since I've actually been itching to try out competitive Pokemon but raising Pokemon seemed like way too much of a pain so I never did. Even as a mini version Pokemon's Type system ads a ton of depth in team building. If I bring Pokemon A I need to make sure I have Pokemon B to cover its weaknesses, but what if my opponent has a counter to Pokemon B? Team building in Pokemon requires that you answer these questions while also keeping in mind what the opponents may be using. But the strategy doesn't stop once you get into battle. Without knowing the opponents Pokemon how can you decided when to switch? If you make an untimely switch its GAME OVER. And you only have TWO protect shields for a match will you save your active Pokemon or save those precious shields for later? And this only scratches the surface. I've been pleasantly surprised at the depth that Pokemon GO PVP has presented me with.
Exercise
I NEED POKEBALLS. This thought has caused me to start going out on walks everyday to spin pokestops at the nearby park. Could I pay money to not walk, sure. Could I buy a pokemon walker off Amazon to be drowning in buddy candies, sure. But I feel that goes against the spirit of the game. Its been a nice way for me to get some movement in since I've been recovering from finishing a marathon recently. When I pick back up running again you can bet that I'll be running by pokestops to so I never have to feel like "I NEED POKEBALLS". I've always liked and cared about my health and I'm happy to have a game that is influencing me to move more. In the internet era I think that is more important than ever. Get out and get moving. Or as the young kids say "Go touch grass" If Pokemon GO incentives you then that's even better.
Should you play Pokemon GO?
Pokemon GO isn't for everyone. If you've never played the game and/or are a Pokemon fan I'd definitely recommend trying it out or trying it again. There are lots of local communities which come together for events and raids. Its not the same fever dream as when Pokemon GO released but there is definitely still a community fighting over gyms at my local park. If you are like me and never considered the possibilities of competitive Pokemon Go then I think you should also give it a try! I've been having a blast and much to my dismay I keep hitting the built in PVP game limit each day. LET ME PLAY MORE! All in all Pokemon GO has been a one stop shop for me to encourage socialization, strive for something competitive and add more movement into my daily life. A win on all fronts. A Trifecta if you will.
Pokemon GO isn't for everyone, and it may not be for you. But, it is certainly something for me.