By Isaac Espinosa

As Pokémon fans desperately await news related to Winds and Waves, it is up to the newly released spin-off titles to hold them over. Pokopia falls right into this niche! 

The adventure starts off very interestingly, as you tackle it all through the perspective of cute blob Ditto, who upon trying to remember their original trainer, transforms into them! Upon transporting to a deserted island, we’re introduced to Professor Tangrowth, who happens to be scavenging through some scraps before helping us find a working Pokedex! Perplexed by Ditto’s unique ability to transform into a human, Professor Tangrowth subtly alludes to how humans have mysteriously disappeared from the land for an unknown reason, leaving nothing but the barren wasteland we currently occupy. Because of this, as more Pokémon slowly begin to seemingly spawn from nowhere, it’s up to you to breathe life back into the environment, and help the Pokémon live nurtured and bountiful lives. 

Pokopia does a lot with its environmental story telling. You see numerous records of humans from long ago, broken down Pokémon Centers with still working PCs, and most of the pocket monsters have something to say about their previous lives before suddenly spawning here. It even shows that the island you’re occupying in Pokopia was previously the Kanto Region with its forest, cave and safari environments. 

All of it centers around that ever lingering question: What happened to the humans? It’s revealed through these logs that humans actually aren’t on the planet anymore because numerous natural disasters made every region in the Pokémon world uninhabitable to them. This forced an evacuation operation towards beyond the stars, with the unfortunate truth that the Pokémon couldn’t accompany the people forcing the “Pokémon Conservation Plan.” The PCs that trainers would use to store Pokémon would become their homes for the foreseeable future, and slowly released them as the system began to fail.

This development completely re-contextualizes the story of Pokopia, and paints a surprisingly grim picture behind its relatively adorable visual style. It’s incredibly unsettling, not only due to how most of the little beings on the island have no idea of this, but also because of how it makes what we do feel more like an important mission. The Ditto taking on the image of our previous trainer (helping the Pokémon rebuild and regain a semblance of what was) makes these goals feel much bigger than just for the sake of it. It’s honestly very impressive, especially since environmental storytelling isn’t something Pokémon typically tackles. 

As you revitalize more parts of the island, the more Pokémon begin to spawn in more suitable habitats. And that ends up leading perfectly into one of Pokopia’s most addicting gameplay loops. By bringing more Pokémon towards your island, not only does your Pokedex fill up, but you also gain numerous new allies to help with building new habitats for them to live. This includes having Squirtle teach you Water Gun in order to help dampen the dirt around you, learning how to surf with Lapras or rolling with Graveler, and then transforming to do so! 

On top of that, each one has cute and silly interactions when you talk to them, some of which are incredibly precious and show what the Pokémon are really thinking. A personal favorite of mine is how Voltorb, a being known for exploding and having a pretty nasty scowl, is actually quite shy and timid. Pokopia continuously rewards you for indulging in every aspect of the gameplay. It’s a fascinating blend of the philosophy of “Catch Them All” with Minecraft’s almost infinite potential for creativity. Add Animal Crossing’s relaxing vibes, and you’ll find yourself sinking hours into it.

There’s even a separate island based in Pallet Town, where you can ignore the story progression and create an island however you wish. Of course, your bonds with the Pokémon you find will be reset, and you’ll have to craft items from scratch. But these are perfectly fine sacrifices for having what’s essentially a blank canvas. With the game’s link play feature, you can even choose to cooperate with friends who own the game to customize the island together! 

Pokopia doesn’t really have many flaws. Everything about it is spotless and fun, which is pretty uncommon for modern Pokémon. However, if I had to point anything out as being relatively unremarkable, it’d be the soundtrack. Aside from a couple of Day and Night tracks that have a nice vibe to them, there isn’t a song that I found noteworthy, which is an abnormality for me and my long-running love for the series. Main series or spin-off, the soundtrack of the Pokémon games tends to be the thing most people will agree is what stands above any of the flaws. So for Pokopia to not sell me on its soundtrack was a surprise. 

That isn’t to say it’s bad, just not deep. And for the all the relaxing vibe Pokopia gives off, a chill soundtrack like this would probably fit better than action-packed, dramatic tunes. 

Aside from that, I could definitely see the abundance of things to do in Pokopia being overwhelming for some. Even outside of Pallet Town’s blank slate, the story offers so much opportunity for decoration and customization that it would be a lot for some.

Pokopia currently stands at an 89 score, which is the highest score that any Pokémon game has scored on the site. (Y from 2013 for the 3DS came close, scoring just one point lower). Whether it’d be through the seemingly endless creativity on how to revitalize this barren island or the surprisingly thoughtful take on its environmental storytelling, Pokopia has so much to offer for seasoned Pokémon fans and newcomers alike. When Pokémon continues to diverge from its formula, as tried and true as it is, they end up creating experiences that people universally enjoy. My only hope now is that the acclaim towards Pokopia can carry over to the next mainline endeavor once it drops, in 2027.

Bronx native Isaac Espinosa is a Member of the New York Videogame Critics Circle. Along with being named the Circle’s first assistant Mentor, Isaac also coaches students for CEI Esports.

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