Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon Reviews
Though the story takes a while to get going, it does have the same charm I've come to expect from the franchise. It's more of the same, but it's a lot more and fans of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games should appreciate most of the new gameplay tweaks and a colossal range of dungeons to dive into.
Think of Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon as a title where the endgame is the reward for enduring a plot where the dialogue is repetitive and lackluster, characters take way too long walking you through every little thing, and you have to spend about 20 hours earning your right to do whatever you want. Once you do get over that hurdle, Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon can be one of the best entries in this series, but you really have to earn your freedom.
No game is truly perfect, as the game’s challenge level may put off some folks who aren’t used to RPGs in general, but I still firmly believe that this game should be in your 3DS library without hesitation, mainly due to how accessible it is thanks to the amount of strategies you can come up with for clearing those dungeons.
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon takes time to grow on you and many will give it up before it truly attaches itself to you. But if given a chance, Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon can be and is a solid RPG will plenty of depth in terms of story and fun.
If you're like me and you haven't tried a Mystery Dungeon game yet, this one comes highly recommended. I'm fairly confident fans of the series will not be disappointed either. On its own, Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon is a quirky, light-hearted spin-off with well-developed dungeon crawling gameplay that provides a satisfying level of difficulty and gives the player plenty of room to develop their own strategies, all the while offering tons of customization options with a huge roster of potential allies and moves. It's a solid entry in the Pokémon franchise.
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon makes attempts to evolve this Pokemon spinoff to a new level, but for the most part feels very much the same. The gameplay that meshes the classic Pokemon formula with dungeon crawling works very well and the inclusion of the full lineup of Pokemon is very impressive, but the pace of the story surrounding the gameplay is so off in the early game that it can take a long time to really get invested in Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon.
All in all, Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon is a game that never quite manages to escape bouts of tedium. Repetition that's present in nearly every aspect makes for a game that can sometimes feel like a chore rather than a form of entertainment. All the same, the amount of things to do is staggering and the new form of recruitment through missions makes for a streamlined means of achieving the goal of catching 'em all. We'd recommend this to those of you who don't mind a lot of grinding in RPGs, as there's plenty to enjoy here if you can push on through the copious amounts of padding. If that doesn't sound up your alley it may be best to pass and wait for the next Pokémon game.
Vibrant and full of personality, but has also tightened up the series gameplay so you'll actually need to pay attention, strategize, and conserve your resources to defeat its challenges.
The promise of seeing all 720 Pokémon is tempting, but the experience can't escape the dull combat and bland environments
Overall, Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon is an excellent spin-off title for the Pokemon franchise, one that proves that "children's" games do not always have to be incredibly easy, do not have to always contain a terrible story, and can have an excellent soundtrack (yes, the music is really, really good). Sure, the main campaign might be a little too linear for my liking, but the game vastly opens up after its completion. Truly, the lack of marketing and promotion for Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon is appalling to me, as it is easily one of the best games in the spin-off series, and one of the best 3DS games released this year.
If this goes out to someone who is familiar with past titles in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series, then it's all aces. The elements of the past games are in the latest iteration, from the popular personality quiz to the familiar tactics of movement and team attacks, and if one can survive the almost criminally-awful first third of the game, Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon does improve significantly and reveals a decent little game while waiting for the next core release.
But when all of its parts come together, it feels weird and clumsy. It takes out one of the best parts of the series, doesn't quite deliver on others, and compromises its difficulty progression. The best things about it are, for better or worse, the things it has been doing well since the Game Boy Advance.
Overall, Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon manages to meet most of the series expectations while still attempting something fairly new. Although there are a few questionable decisions regarding story pacing and team-building; Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon still succeeds at crafting arguably the best Pokemon Mystery Dungeon to date!
I still have a ways to go before I'm ready to weigh in on this RPG, but my impressions so far suggest a game that may not be precisely essential but should nevertheless prove enjoyable enough to most RPG fans to warrant a play... even if you found Gates to Infinity as lacking as I did.
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon has a really rough start. It tries to set itself up for a grand adventure, but comes across as plodding and aggravating for the first several hours. While not an absolute deal breaker, it does make for a hard sell for those who aren't totally committed to the series. For fans of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, however, there's a bevy of new customisation options, new Pokémon to meet and recruit, and new challenges and dungeons to explore. It may not be quite the comeback some were expecting, but it shows that the series still knows its roots, and that there's still room to grow from here.
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon is a fun game, but it still has its frustrating moments. The tutorials seem to drag on forever, the leveling system is kind of imbalanced, and the difficulty can go from normal to frustrating depending on who you encounter where. However, if you can get past those shortcomings you'll find a pretty fun game and a fairly solid entry into the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series.
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon offers a fun glimpse into the Pokemon world from the monsters' perspective, all while providing a unique, turn-based tactical gameplay with light roguelike features. Featuring over 700 pokemon to encounter, fight and team up with, it's a must-have for any dedicated fans of the series, and provides just enough tactical thinking to entertain a budding CRPG player.
Fans of previous titles will find a lot to love here, with the replayability factor high in recruiting a killer squad of creatures. Having only one version available helps the game too, as there is no confusion to be had in what you're getting. From the moment you pick up the personality test to beating the final boss, Super Mystery Dungeon is a treat for fans of the series.
While Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon can be considered a fair enough roguelike with some interesting feature, its quality is damaged by an unbalanced difficulty.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon is a return to form for the series, which I was pleased to see after Gates to Infinity underwhelmed. There are still faults and uneven mechanics that must be ironed out if it is to continue, but my enjoyment came in the touching story sprinkled with humour and how well it brings the Pokémon world to life. Just beware of the difficulty curveballs that are thrown at you on occasion.