Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Reviews

Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9 / 10.0
Jan 12, 2015

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.

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Ray Carsillo
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Nov 18, 2014

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.

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9 / 10
Nov 18, 2014

Overall, Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire seem very similar to Pokémon X & Y, as you might expect, but the story and the environments you encounter feel – despite the fact that they are remakes – very fresh and unique. They're not an extensive upgrade from their other 3DS counterparts, but any Poké-fan who's played one of the series remakes in the past knows that expecting an enormous upgrade is a fool's errand. These titles should be considered as games that belong alongside X & Y, rather than successors. — they've successfully surpassed X & Y, however, by building on the tremendous features available on the 3DS and pushing new ideas such as the Soar ability. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are a must-buy for any Poké-fan, even if you already own X or Y.

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9 / 10.0
Nov 29, 2014

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.

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Will Greenwald
Top Critic
Dec 15, 2014

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.

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Examiner
Top Critic
Nov 21, 2014

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.

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9 / 10.0
Nov 28, 2014

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.

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7 / 10
Dec 27, 2014

Game Freak takes Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire into the third dimension, but the remakes lack the polish to make them truly glimmer.

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8 / 10.0
Dec 9, 2014

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.

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8 / 10
Jan 4, 2015

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.

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89%
Dec 19, 2014

Exceptional entries in the series that include some great new mechanics.

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8 / 10.0
Dec 3, 2014

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.

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4 / 5.0
Nov 25, 2014

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire may not be perfect, but they're an exciting step forward for the long-running franchise.

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NZGamer
Top Critic
9.6 / 10.0
Dec 2, 2014

They succeed, with soaring colours.

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4.1 / 5.0
Nov 24, 2014

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.

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GBAtemp
Ryukouki
Top Critic
8.2 / 10.0
Nov 24, 2014

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.

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Jan 9, 2015

'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.

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Gamers FTW
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Dec 19, 2014

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.

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65 / 100
Nov 26, 2014

You can't shake the feeling that it's also an unending gyre of game loops.

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Digitally Downloaded
Clark A.
Top Critic
Nov 24, 2014

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.

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