Pokémon Pokopia - Switch 2 Review

So do you remember my Pokémon Legends Z-A review where I said that it was the best Pokémon game in the Switch generation of games? Well, it's lucky that Pokémon Pokopia is a Nintendo Switch 2-only title, because Pokopia is absolutely incredible on so many levels. Omega Force, the team behind the Warriors games and Dragon Quest Builders (very relevant here), is bringing the first Pokémon spin-off game to the Switch 2. Before you argue, the Legends games are considered mainline Pokémon titles by the Pokémon Company, so that shuts that down. 

Pokémon Pokopia sees you taking the form of a Ditto who has woken up in a world without humans and has taken the form of their trainer to set out and explore. Your goal is to take the desolate wastelands that have been left in disarray by creating habitats for Pokémon to move into. Taking elements from Animal Crossing, Minecraft, Dragon Quest Builders, and Viva Piñata and becoming one of, if not the best, Pokémon experiences.

The Good

Truly one of the most beautiful times Pokémon have ever looked, environmentally and the Pokémon themselves. Pokémon Pokopia has done such an incredible job of highlighting each individual Pokémon as they interact with each other, the environment, and Ditto. You can get some really cute scenes while a group follows you around, or some special moments that the game alerts you to take a photo of.

For anyone who is a creative mastermind, the landscape and options available to them are too numerous to really comprehend, including myself. Just a quick Google search and you'll find people making statues to Arceus or creating an entire secondary landscape to build habitats on that's been dubbed a sky island. Then if you don't have that level of design, there are pre-built houses you can build or even some buildings that are in disarray that you can rebuild. A little tip if you want to recreate the old towns as they were: look up the Pokémon: Let’s Go! maps of Kanto.

As I mentioned before, the Pokémon themselves are adorable when interacting with the environments, each other, and Ditto. I can't help but smile when I see Pidgey using Gust on a pinwheel toy to make it spin or seeing the fighting-type Pokémon train with each other. It's all the little things in this world that bring a smile to my face, and I hope you'll enjoy discovering all these small interactions yourself.

TL;DR

• Stunning visual design
• Vast creativity options
• Pokémon are adorable

The Bad

Pokémon Pokopia as a creative sandbox-style game can feel extremely overwhelming at times with its open-ended nature and giving players complete creative control once the tutorial is over with. This feeling of there being so much and not knowing where to start is even more pronounced once you cross the cycling road and end up in the former site of Pallet Town. A massive sprawling open space where you can build your own space with friends on your own file. There's also the dream island that acts like a server-style map where up to four players can work together on a space, no matter whether they're online or not. Maybe it's my aphantasia, but I truly struggle to come up with ways to make the spaces as amazing as they could be.

TL;DR

• It can feel a bit overwhelming

Final Score: 10/10

One of the best Pokémon releases of all time, and the potential of what fans are able to build in Pokémon Pokopia has yet to be fully realised. One of the cutest and most adorable games is as you watch Pokémon live their lives in the environments you had a hand in building for them. Pokémon Pokopia is a must-buy for any Pokémon fan and that's not an understatement.

Thank you for checking out our Pokémon Pokopia Switch review, thank you to Nintendo AU/NZ for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:

• Andrew Caluzzi (Inca Studios / Camped Out)
• Bel Cubitt
• Bobby Jack
• Jack Caven
• Nintendo Maniacs
• RedHero