Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Reviews
Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are pretty solid entries into the series. Players who missed going through the Hoenn Region the first time through but enjoyed Pokemon X and Y will likely enjoy this outing as X and Ys' mechanics carry over. While I wish a few things were done differently and the difficulty increased a little bit, these are still two very enjoyable outings.
After only fourteen hours playing through Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, I was stunned to see the credits rolling down the screen. After all, the Hoenn region had always been my favorite, and I recalled spending at least thirty hours reaching the end of Emerald the last time I had played it. I figured that since I was tasked to review the newest Pokémon title, I would want to get the review out in a timely manner. As such, I sped through the game trying to get the review up as fast as possible. I was stalled in my mission, however, as after completing the game I began engaging in all the extra content hidden within the Generation III remakes. This is where the Pokémon games have always shined, and continue to shine: Not the content on the surface of the game, although that too is still incredibly addicting, but all the extra content layered underneath.
Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire for the Nintendo 3DS update the classic Gen III Ruby/Sapphire games with 3D graphics and polished mechanics worthy of a modern Pokemon title.
As I've said a number of times, this is Pokemon. You are more than likely getting what you expect from the game. With that said, the lack of the Battle Frontier and the removal of customization has left many fans scratching their heads. Game Freak has been notorious for adding great features one game and then removing them in the next. It was no different in ORAS, and as a result I docked the games a couple of points.
Far more than a simple remake, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire returns players to the past, with all the new bells and whistles intact in this latest installment.
Much like the previous remakes; it separates itself from the rest of the games in the series, and has allowed the developers to truly experiment. It's not perfect - it's not even my favorite remake - but it is one of the distinguished Pokemon games that I have played in years.
Game Freak takes Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire into the third dimension, but the remakes lack the polish to make them truly glimmer.
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is a good remake, but new features and graphical updates make it a hard sell for those who have already invested many hours in the originals.
Exceptional entries in the series that include some great new mechanics.
These little quirks and irritants don't make it a bad game. It is, in fact, good. But without them, it could have been great.
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are solid additions to an already beloved franchise, and can be enjoyed by both longtime fans and newcomers alike. I do wish it had been slightly more challenging, however, as I often found myself over-leveled and smashing through gyms. Though the post-game content makes up for that by offering a wealth of activities to keep you interested. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire has a little bit of something to offer everyone.
New features like DexNav and the soar ability add just enough new gameplay elements to the classic Pokémon formula to help make this decade-old adventure feel new again.
They succeed, with soaring colours.
Pokémon games have been around for almost two decades now, and whether it's an entirely new set of adventures or updated classics like Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby, the core gameplay formula remains virtually untouched. More features are added to burst the seams of content, with extra activities from the originals carried over. Some may find much of them completely optional, but every Pokémon fan can find a way to lose dozens to hundreds of hours exploring the Hoenn region once again.
This game has a ton of strong points and few weaknesses, with one of the weaknesses possible to fix in the form of DLC. It's a very solid title that deserves to be purchased if you enjoyed the previous versions. For sure one of the better games of the franchise, and could well be THE definitive game of the series if Game Freak plays its cards right.
'Pokemon Alpha Sapphire' is, to put it simply, a Pokemon game. The end goal is to go out, catch 'em all, and become the Champion. These series staples are what help to make Pokemon what it is over the years, and with this being a remake of an older title, it's not surprising to not see any twists on this age-old formula.
Pokémon Alpha Sapphire looks great and is a lot of fun to play, with just the right blend of old and new, as well as a much more in-depth game environment. It does seem to be easier than the original, but overall is a very successful remake.
You can't shake the feeling that it's also an unending gyre of game loops.
Just enough has been done to preserve the spirit of the original games while making these entries feel like a legitimate part of the current Pokémon ecosystem. Game Freak and Nintendo have taken the main Pokémon franchise about as far is it can go, short of actually evolving it.
Remaking one of the lesser appreciated entries to the Pokémon juggernaut could have been a risky endeavour, yet with adding all the improvements to the mainline games since to Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire makes even the preserved negatives of the originals seem smaller in hindsight. A worthy choice for people new to the series, yet providing enough new functionality for fans, as well, these jewels are worth preserving.