We Need to Talk About Game Freak
For the past decade or so there’s been a large discussion on why the Pokémon franchise has been steadily declining in quality. Being the highest grossing IP in the history of human civilization, it doesn’t make sense that oftentimes a Pokémon game looks like it was made on a budget comparable to a AA game. Actually wait…that’s insulting to AA games!
With the unique three-way split of IP ownership between Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc; it’s actually quite hard to know who is to blame for the decline of the series. It seems like Creatures Inc mostly handles the trading card game and merchandise for the franchise, while also providing the 3D models of the creatures themselves that Game Freak then uses in the games. So if I had to take a wild guess at who was to blame for Pokemon’s decline, it would be between Nintendo and Game Freak. Was Nintendo demanding too many Pokémon titles at a rapid pace? Was it Nintendo’s fault for producing such a weak piece of technology like the Switch? Or has the quality of Game Freaks team slowly lost its magic?
At first glance this might seem like an HD remaster of a 2013ish game, but nope, it’s a 2022 Pokémon title!
While I definitely think the franchise was produced at a pace far too rapid for its own good (during the entire Switch lifecycle there was only a single year without a Game Freak developed Pokémon game), I don’t think the power of the hardware was really to blame. Nintendo fans have been praising Monolith Soft’s black magic-like ability to create stunning worlds on such weak pieces of hardware like the Wii, Wii U, and Switch. Not only are the landscapes endlessly gorgeous, but the player can travel to their hearts content. Sure it might not run at a solid 60 fps (or 30 in most cases), but it’s so clear that the developers loved making these worlds for players to explore. The same can’t be said for Pokémon. The worlds are bland, lifeless, and boring. So it must simply be that the Pokémon IP isn’t capable of quality anymore, right?
Wrong! Earlier this year Pokémon Pokopia released on Switch 2 and became the highest rated game in the franchises history. People wanted this game so badly that they quickly abandoned their anti-Game Key Card stance, leaving many Target and Wal-Mart locations without any stock for weeks. And while it seems like Game Freak did some work on Pokopia, it is widely reported that the majority of development was done at Omega Force- the same team that made Dragon Quest Builders.
Fans have been begging for Monolith Soft to help develop a Pokemon title.
So maybe it’s not entirely the hardware or Nintendo’s fault for the decline of the series. So who does that leave us with? Game Freak.
It might be hard to remember because the games industry moves at a rapid fire pace, but gamers were delighted and baffled when they saw the reveal of Beast of Reincarnation. Not only was it revealed at an Xbox Showcase, but it released on all platforms (a first for the studio). I vividly remember reading tons of positive comments from people at a loss for words.
“Soulslike action combat?”
“Beautiful graphics?”
“A world that’s pleasing to look at?”
“This is Game Freak away from Nintendo’s evil clutches!”
and….
well…
Fast forward to August 3rd and the reviews for Beast of Reincarnation roll in. It currently sits at a 73 on Metacritic and at “Mixed” after 1,400+ user reviews on Steam. Don’t get me wrong, a 73 isn’t indicative of a bad game, but in today’s highly competitive industry, a 73 might as well be a 60 in the eyes of many gamers. It’s a rough and unfortunate truth.
But what does this tell us? It doesn’t seem to matter what platform or how much power Game Freak is working with; the studio just can’t seem to cook up a banger game that will knock the socks off of people anymore. It’s not Creatures Inc. It doesn’t seem to be Nintendo (can never be too sure with them). Omega Force just proved it’s not the Pokémon IP either.
It’s Game Freak. Despite owning and developing the video games behind the highest grossing IP of all time, Game Freak is clearly not hiring the best developers and programmers it can afford (which would be the best in the industry). As somebody who lived and breathed Pokémon for the first thirteen or so years of my life, my inner child is quite disappointed that such a special franchise is in the hands of an inept studio. Pokémon doesn’t deserve a 7/10 or even an 8/10 game. Pokémon deserves to be in the conversation of Game of the Year. And it never will be at this rate.
