Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Review

   Out with the Old, In with the New

I’ll admit it; I was never a big fan of the Pokémon license to begin with. Ever since I spent over 50 hours in 2006’s Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, which – as you can probably tell – was the last Pokémon game I was fully invested in, I was never compelled in sinking my teeth into another Poké-journey because every iteration is, essentially, more of the same. Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire don’t change the Poké-formula by any means as they are very much “HD remasters” of the best-selling GBA games of all-time with a few modern tweaks, but the addicting RPG gameplay that has been critically acclaimed for 19 years now still holds up in this latest iteration, and, even though its somewhat problematic, it is still so addicting.

Being fresh off of last year’s incredibly successful Pokémon X & Y titles, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire are, basically, a mix between their original counterparts and the more recent installments in the RPG franchise. As a matter of fact, ORAS take the same visual look and feel of X & Y and put them right into these remade versions of the 12-year old GBA classics, giving them a much more modern vibe even though the heart and soul of the experience remain the same. The world of Hoenn is a lot more detailed than the last time it was visited and so are the multiple character that are now fully rendered in 3D instead of being 2D sprites. Plus, there are now cinematic-like cutscenes added to the game, which are also very detailed as well. I highly recommend experiencing these with the 3DS’ 3D functionality enabled as it brings out the most of that feature in ORAS because it mostly led to frame rate drops whenever it was activated during other instances.

That being said, Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire aren’t simply new coats of paints added to old games. Sure, they involve the same “Becoming the Very Best” and “Gotta Catch ‘Em All’’ type of scenarios, yet there is a surprising amount of tweaks added to the entire narrative and gameplay elements of the titles, making them feel more like reimaginations than mere remakes. For instance the PokéNav Plus, located on the bottom screen of your 3DS, integrates a slew of app-like features, with some being taken directly from X & Y like Poké-amie, Super Training and the Player Search System that makes it a lot easier to interact online with other people all over the world. The newest feature added to the PokéNav, called DexNav, indicates which wild Pokémon are located in a particular area and allows you to gain crucial information on them by gently sneaking up close to them. They are all welcomed additions that can give more out of the experience for the Pokémaniacs out there, but I ultimately did not explore them that much as I simply did not see the point in investing my time in features that add absolutely nothing to the overall experience.

Another big change implemented with Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire is that it focusses a lot more on the Mega Evolution abilities introduced in last year’s iteration. If you aren’t familiar with that feature, it allows Pokémon to evolve into stronger forms of themselves to deal even more damage while in combat. The catch is; it can only be used once during a battle and you must find the Pokémon-specific Mega Stones scattered across the entire region of Hoenn to use the ability. Not only does this add diversity to the gameplay and enhances the replay value for the completionists out there, it also impacts ORAS’ side-narratives involving the version-specific Legendary Pokémon, Groudon and Kyogre, and the Team Magma and Team Aqua villains in an interesting way.

At their core, Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire are the same games they were back in 2002. You’ll still catch and train a multitude of Pokémon creatures by engaging in scripted Trainer battles, randomized wild Pokémon encounters and the region’s eight dungeon-like Pokémon Gyms to eventually beat the Elite Four and become the new champion of the Pokémon League, yet, because of the very accessible design that has been present in each iteration of the franchise, running around the vast world and tackling intense Turn-Based combat sequences remain as fun as the first time they were implemented. Because of its highly addicting nature, I spent close to 25 hours in the world of Hoenn grinding up my party’s stats by engaging as many opposing NPC trainers as I could, catching as many interesting Pokémon as I could and enjoying the wide variety of post-game activities that were made available once I conquered the Pokémon League.

Sadly though, Pokémon ORAS’ main hook is and could be its biggest downfall for players expecting more out of the experience. Despite being one of the most addicting games I’ve played all year and one that could easily keep you occupied for dozens of hours, I couldn’t help but notice how uninnovative the franchise has been as of late. Considering that a lot of 3DS owners have played X & Y last year, I wouldn’t see the appeal in purchasing a very identical title that introduces nothing relatively original or game-changing a year later that suffers from the same problems as previous installments, and especially if you have played Ruby & Sapphire when they originally came out. Sure, much like many other Nintendo franchises, Pokémon’s success is mostly dictated by its sense of nostalgia, but the formula is starting to get old and you’ll definitely notice that feeling once you reach the closing moments of Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire’s 18-hour-long story.

VERDICT

Although it may not be the most original Pokémon game we have seen in a while, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire fully succeed in delivering modern remade experiences of their original GBA counterparts. Everything you would expect out of a Pokémon experience is present within ORAS, creating a nostalgia-heavy and addicting video game title. You cannot go wrong by picking either versions as they will certainly keep you quite entertained for hours on end. Simply go into it expecting a Pokémon game and nothing else, or else you might end up being disappointed.