Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Reviews
'Pokemon Omega Ruby' and 'Alpha Sapphire' make for a nostalgic trip down memory lane, while still keeping the games current with a number of new additions.
Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire resurrect two beloved games in style, and for better or worse, not much has changed.
A perfectly good 3D remake of Ruby and Sapphire, the only problem being that Ruby and Sapphire were never that great – and this is still not as good as the recent X and Y.
Pokémon remains as unique as they come among RPGs—a monster collection game that effortlessly blends social gaming with deep battle mechanics. In returning to the series' third generation, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire bring back many of the elements that defined the originals while also being some of the most accessible entries to date. That said, they can be a little too easy at times, and the postgame content feels a bit lacking in light of what's come before. Regardless, they are enjoyable remakes that appropriately capture one of the more peculiar periods in the series' history.
Many of the features, like Pokémon-Amie, return to the game, but they managed to make extra subtle tweaks in this remake. Locations and situations have been changed up, capturing monsters is delightfully tweaked with the sneak mechanic, and the pace of the adventure is nice and brisk. While getting Mega Stones is a chore and presentation is still somewhat inconsistent, Game Freak knows once again how to pull off a remake in style.
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.
Oddly enough, a game that made its debut almost 12 years ago is what it took to lure me back into Pokémania. Although X & Y did an admirable job when it came to transitioning the Pokémon series onto the 3DS, to me (other than the graphics) it seemed like the same formula from 1998 with a new coat of paint. However, this entry feels like a true next-gen title, with all the charm of the Pokémon franchise and just the right amount of features and complexities to have players journeying through Hoenn for years to come. Grab a Poké Ball and jump right in!
Why feeling largely familiar, Omega Ruby still offers a solid game of Pokémon with addictive online trading functionality to keep players obsessively catching 'em all.
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.
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.
Perfect for long time fans and new ones. This is the definitive Pokémon title (until the next one at least).
In ORAS, your motivation for progress is the same as it ever was
Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire remain faithful to what made the GBA originals great. The new features are strong, but some of the progress made by Pokemon X&Y has also been undone.
Matthew O'Mara and Anand Ram team up to review the combo of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
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.
One of the best Pokemon games in the franchise, with everything that makes the modern games good.
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.
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.
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.
This year's games have plucked the best functions and features from Pokemon games past and present, blending them into a package that ticks the right boxes, but doesn't think outside of them.