Pokémon Ultra Sun Cinematic Playthrough Part Two
Alola and hello, ladies and Pokémon trainers! Travel to the tropical paradise of Alola and solve the mystery of the newly-found Ultra Beasts! 00:00 - Intro 47:40 - Sophocles's Trial 2:02:01 - Acerola's Trial 3:38:08 - Island Kahuna Nanu 6:20:26 - Kommo-o's Trial 6:57:18 - Mina's Trial 7:43:53 - Island Kahuna Hapu 9:08:38 - Credits REVIEW: 4/5 Pokémon Ultra Sun is a very solid entry in the series. The entire game was about breaking the conventions of the prior entries and turning your expectations on their head. Unfortunately, the game was somewhat breezy with a slightly overcast condition near the end; this is to say it was a very easy experience with little challenge, even among other Pokémon games. Let's talk about the goods first. You know what everyone is excited about with a new Pokémon game? The Pokémon. Across the board, I think the region featured great Pokémon. Every area had a Pokémon or two I wouldn't mind tossing on my team, and I tried out several more than the party limit in my original playthrough. On top of that, the Alola region (Sun/Moon, not Ultra, but noting it here anyway) introduced regional Pokémon variants. When someone tells you they're sending out a Sandslash, you won't be seeing the ground-type armadillo lad. Instead, you'll be seeing his steel-and-ice armor-clad cousin. And that was cool as fuck for a longtime fan of the series; they really hit the mark on all of them. Secondly, they manage to bring down the patriarchal gym system that had been featured in the mainline games. No more are the days of defeating eight gym leaders, taking their badges, and challenging the Elite Four to become the Champion! Now you must clear eight island trials, take their Z-Crystals, and challenge the Elite Four to become the Champion! I jest however, these actually do feel different and unique, and each trial consists of more than solving an elementary room puzzle, defeating a couple mooks, then challenging the big bad. It was a cool break from formula. Lastly, the difficulty. Truly one of the least important parts of a Pokémon game, I admit, however I do think it was overboard in this game. Not a single trainer posed problems in the main game beyond a misplay or two, and the gameplay loop in this game really does showcase the "hold forward and press A" mentality in strong force. At the very end, there is a boss that is entirely difficult out of nowhere, but even that can be easily beaten with a little preparation. This isn't the end of the world, but it would be nice to be forced to try a bit. Ultimately, Ultra Sun/Moon is a good time, and a strong representative for the 3DS's catalog of Pokémon games as well as Pokémon games in general. Book a trip to Alola today!
