There have been various releases from Pokémon over the years, but nothing was close to what "Pokémon Pokopia" delivered when it released earlier in March. This Switch 2 exclusive saw massive praise even before it was released, including being the highest-ranked game in the franchise's history.
However, it does not only bring a fusion of "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" and elements of the "Pokémon" franchise. "Pokémon Pokopia" gives the world a game that takes their favorite elements into a new cozy genre that offers a genuine experience.
'Pokopia' Brings Players to an Alt Version of Kanto
"Pokopia" is set in a ruined, post-cataclysmic version of Kanto where humans have evacuated to space and left the world almost unrecognizable. Users will see a barren land with dried-out grass, collapsed buildings, and empty lots where familiar landmarks like the S.S. Anne, the Celadon City Department Store, and more once were.
Players are taken across the land to see how it has transformed, so unlike what Kanto used to look like when playing "Pokémon Red" and the like. That said, this version of Kanto still has hope, and players are not left to accept that it is ruined forever.
You Play as a Pokémon, Specifically Ditto
Instead of playing as a human trainer, players step into the shoes of Ditto, the Transform Pokémon, who now takes it upon itself to rebuild the world in hopes that humans will one day return.
Like Ditto, the Pokémon you discover and get to know also miss humans, reminisce about the good ol' days, and work from memory and longing to recreate what was lost.
While Ditto is perceived as mostly emotionless in the series, this game brings a new kind of depth to it, with the player's character being the emotional anchor of the entire game. The goal is to restore the world to what it once was, and Game Freak sure understood the assignment to deliver the right kind of emotions.
'Pokopia's' Ending Brings All the Feels
While players may already feel emotional with what the game introduced, wait until you see the ending as it really hits the spot. The game does not bring the feeling of sentiment or acceptance that humans will never return to the planet.
Spoilers ahead. You have been warned.
Instead, "Pokémon Pokopia" ends with all of the items you have spent time collecting and crafting being loaded into a rocket ship where the tower once was. Players are then launched into space and sent directly to the surviving humans to share a message that life on the planet is being rebuilt.
The "Pokémon" franchise has told some genuinely compelling stories over the years, and this includes villains who operate in moral grey areas rather than pure evil.
Yet, "Pokémon Pokopia" feels like a different kind of game entirely as there are no battles to win or schemes to unravel. Just a broken world that needs rebuilding, and a quiet hope to restore the bond between humans and Pokémon that once made it whole.
