No, the first game to the model "Game As a Service" (GaAs) of the Pokémon license on Nintendo Switch will not have been a mmo but, against all odds, a moba. _ Pokémon Unite _ is released on July 21st on the Nintendo Switch. In Free-To-Play, there is exceptionally no need to have the Nintendo Online subscription to play, which makes it particularly accessible. The goal: to propose to the fans of the Pokemon license a new game on which to collect the small creatures, on a game background more competitive than the main titles **.
the most accessible moba that is
To play it, it's very simple: just download it on the eshop, choose the appearance of its trainer after a nice introductory kinematics, then throwing a tutorial that presents the rudiments of the moba in minutes. The menu is a bit confused at first, with notifications and rewards on almost every tab, such as on a mobile game.
By entering a classic part, in 5V5 in an arena, the game brings us into the usual phase of selection of characters and their equipment. It is possible to change two objects with special effects, a permanent and a consumable, as well as the two basic attacks of the Pokémon. Some rudimentary dialogues make it possible to say on which line everyone wants to play, following the tips of the system according to the chosen Pokémon and the needs to obtain a balanced composition.
The arena of the classic mode has 2 lanes and a jungle , with goals that take the place of the turrets on the lanes. Each part lasts 10 minutes, during which it is necessary to mark the most points possible in the goals of the card, or until the team is rendering. For points, enemies must be eliminated, whether it's opponents or wild pakémon of the jungle. The characters are easy to play, since they have only two different basic attacks, as well as an auto and an ultimate. In short, no need to know the Moba genre to get out of it.
Beautiful optimization
In terms of graphics and performance, _ Pokémon Unite _ illustrate properly, especially considering its free-to-play model. There are certainly some fluidity problems in the menus, but otherwise it remains very beautiful. It can turn to 60fps, without devouring the battery of the switch. The online part is also functional; No lag problems on the side of the servers, no overload or long queues.
On the gameplay side, the jungle could lose the uninitiated of the genus Moba, but its Pokémon are not difficult to eliminate. The battle for Last Hit sometimes creates intense moments in part, as for a ZAPDOS or ROTOM that offer essential bonuses. At the end of the game, the elimination of a zapdos for a marking of points can change the outcome of the match alone because the points count double for the last 2 minutes. So there is an interesting comed back potential.
Otherwise, unless you are in jungle, the game can have some lengths. Being on a lane, we can spend several minutes having to stay in his goal to prevent enemies from scoring, which is almost impossible when they store little points: minus there are points to mark, minus l Animation is long. The jungle is the most fun post since it is possible to go on any lane when you want, unless you play with a friend on a lane.
The main originality of Pokemon Unite is that for both basic attacks, it is possible to choose one on two to adapt your style of play. The idea is interesting, but in the facts These choices are not always very useful: some prove too unbalanced and others do not change much in terms of gameplay.
A Casual Moba
The game is easy to take control and there are some strategy elements that add a welcome gameplay depth . However, there are still many aspects to perfect: on the side of the classified parts, it is very easy to rump (we earn points even by losers) but excessively difficult to stay at the top of the ranking, for the best. The notion of MMR even seems to be ruled out, to retain another ranking system based on points and grind.
Given the state of the current game, _ Pokémon Unite _ seems to be more important to a young community and the fans of the license, but not particularly amateurs of the genus Moba. There is a certain strategic dimension, but compared to other games of the genre, whether on PC (League of Legends, Dota 2) or Mobile (Arena of Valor, Wild Rift ...), it stays light. Meta is also very unbalanced because some Pokémon dominate much more than others at good level. Certainly, it is difficult to compete with games that came out a decade ago, but it does not seem to be the goal of The Pokémon Company: _ Pokémon Unite _ is a more competitive game than others of his license, but who remains quite casual.
The other question mark is on its replayability. _ Pokémon Unite_ is pleasant to apprehend and discover, but once the Pokémon are all tested, the monotony settles quite quickly . It is especially the case solo because there is little way to communicate with its teammates in part; It is within the limits of the platform. The game nevertheless keeps an interest in matchmaking with friends, especially thanks to its accessibility.
A pay-to-win dimension?
It is on the economic model that _ Pokémon Unite _ attracts the most critics: the game is Free-to-play, but a special currency obviously allows to buy all kinds of objects. There are obviously skins, but above all an object that can get a competitive advantage : the Items enhancer (improvement). Indeed, once the level 9 of the trainer reached, it is possible to upgrade the objectifier object (HELD ITEM) to obtain a better constant buff during a game, knowing that there are three in Use per game. Each item has 30 levels and you need enhancers to improve them.
However, these enhancements have a real impact (from 16 to 96 VV in addition to the LEFTOVERS object, level 1 to 10) but cost a lot of enhancers. These are difficult to get by playing; They can be purchased against AEOS tickets, but their amount is limited to what the events and Battle Pass offer. If we do not want to spend tens hours playing to increase all his Held Items at level 30, so you have to pay to buy in the game shop. If we want to increase his three HELD items at level 30 for maximum power It will be necessary to use more than 600 tickets. A player who has three HELD items at the maximum level will have a significant advantage over the others .
Is it volunteering on the part of the publisher? This dimension does not jump to the beginning, since it is necessary to spend tickets rather than gems directly to buy these improvements. Since it is possible to play for obtaining them, it will depend on the changes that will be brought to the game: there will always be more powerful items or the output rhythm will remain fairly slow to allow the average player to store enough. Tickets? The game is still in its infancy, so it is difficult to judge.
In any case, the publisher seems to have great projects for his MOBA: Mobile platforms, whether on Android and iOS, will welcome the game in September. Players will be able to play on PC via emulator at this output. This game is already successful, and it could remain popular for a long time if the publisher adds enough content to maintain interest. On the other hand, there is little chance that it is a place among the references of competitive games, especially since the Nintendo publisher is not known to provide significant support on its competitive potential games .
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