Over the past three decades, Pokémon have found their way into almost every genre, and with Pokémon Pokopia, the franchise finally gets the life-sim treatment. The game sees players controlling a Ditto imitating a human to bring life and Pokémon back to a desolate world.
Co-developed by Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force, the studio behind Dragon Quest Builders 2, Pokopia draws heavily on that sandbox game, as well as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Minecraft, and Viva Piñata.
Eurogamer’s Lottie Lynn, who rated the game 4 out of 5 stars, questioned whether meshing these elements together would create a game that’s “wonderful in its weirdness,” or whether Pokopia would be “banished to the realm of forgotten Pokémon spin-offs.” It seems the former is the case: Pokopia currently has a Metacritic score of 88, making it the joint highest scoring Pokémon game on the site, along with Pokémon Y.
As Lynn noted, “it’s easy to see how Pokopia has, and will continue to be considered ‘Pokémon does Animal Crossing’. But if Animal Crossing is about making your personal paradise, then Pokopia is about making one for others.”
Pokémon Crossing
In her 5 out of 5 star review for TechRadar, Josephine Watson said that passing the development reins to Omega Force was “wise,” as their “experience in making Dragon Quest Builders 2 proved invaluable in balancing Pokopia’s Animal Crossing-like cuteness and cosiness with a solid storyline and satisfying gameplay loop.”
The Pokémon in Pokopia have distinct archetypes and personalities, much like Animal Crossing. Although Watson notes that while there are “lots of different topics” for them to talk about, there’s a “fair amount of duplication in line delivery.”
“It’s somewhat understandable given just how many species there are, but it’s frustratingly close to nailing it,” she continued. “Conversations between other Pokémon are pretty consistently charming, at least, and show off their unique qualities much better.”
Watson also noted the “distinct lack of sass” in dialogue for some Pokémon, especially those described as having more negative attributes. “Given there are so many mischievous, egotistical, and even downright aggressive Pokémon species, this feels like another missed opportunity to bring back some bite to its characters.”
There is also some “annoying story-gating progress à la Animal Crossing” to be found in Pokopia, as Nintendo Life’s Alana Hagues observed in her 8 out of 10 stars review. “Pokopia doesn’t want you to rush, and I never wanted to either, but waiting an entire day for a story-essential building to finish construction felt a bit much. There’s similar staggered progress in the final area of the game, and while it did give me the opportunity to go gather materials or fulfil more requests, the length of time felt unnecessary.”​
And while there are obvious similarities to Dragon Quest in Pokopia’s presentation (particularly the focus on block-like terrain), GamesRadar’s Sam Loveridge maintained that the game isn’t just a reskin in her 4.5 out of 5 review.
“Building and repairing the environment uses blocks of various terrain types, and you work with a grid system to place furniture and other items, such as the flora and fauna you’ll discover,” Loveridge highlighted.​
“Ditto, for example, is the perfect hero for this sim. Able to transform into and effectively steal the powers of other Pokémon means that as you progress through the story, you arm yourself with various abilities that let you better interact with the terrain.”
As Lynn makes clear: “Pokopia isn’t the first game where you play as a Pokémon, but it is the first where you actually feel like one. Unlike the Mystery Dungeon games where your avatar felt more like an interchangeable skin than a full embodiment, here it feels a little deeper.”
Having Ditto transform into its interpretation of a human “only heightens the delightful wrongness,” she says. “The ever-present dot-eyes and gaping grin, the way the fingers are a little too long, the arms flapping behind it when it runs. The fact it takes the form of its missing trainer. It’s spookily sweet.”
“Pokopia truly lets Ditto shine. The Pokémon franchise is very much dominated by Pikachu, so it’s lovely to see another Pokémon take the spotlight, especially one that has long been relegated to the role of breeding horse, and the very essence of Ditto is also reflected in the game’s heart. You transform the landscape by transforming yourself.”
Gotta catch ’em all
The main mechanic of Pokopia is transforming a desolate landscape into a comfortable haven for all types of Pokémon. This happens by reviving the world and creating habitats to attract a wide range of Pokémon, as noted by GameRadar’s Loveridge.
“With a huge roster of cross-generational Pokémon making the cut for the Pokopia Pokédex, it’s a refreshing twist on the series to not have to throw a single Poké Ball or have a battle in order to add someone new to your friend list. Instead, Pokopia works on discovering and creating habitats that attract new Pokémon.”
Pokopia also introduces a new level of understanding to characters that players have become familiar with over the past three decades.
“I’m not just rebuilding the world to make it look nice (though that is part of it), I’m doing it for the Pokémon,” said Nintendo Life’s Hagues. “I’m not just collecting them all like numbers in a Pokédex, I’m finding out where they like to live, what they like to eat, and how their abilities help make the world a better place.”
For Hagues, attracting Pokémon and building habitats catered to their needs “adds a layer of warmth to the whole process, [which] feels fresh and exciting.”
“Essentially, Pokémon Pokopia is like a big puzzle game, mixed in with a little Viva Piñata; make the homes, improve those homes based on suggestions and likes, and listen to their requests to make them feel comfortable,” wrote Hagues.
“It’s a morish loop of simple cosiness that works because of that lack of handholding. Larger Pokémon can’t sleep in single beds, and some only like spicy food – what fits that criteria is down to you to figure out.”
Rebuilding a ruined Kanto
It’s building these habitats “where Pokopia really shines” for GamesRadar’s Loveridge.
“There’s a complexity to layering habitats together to create not only the perfect space to fill out your Pokedex but also make something that looks aesthetically pleasing,” she wrote. “The core story in the game might only last 20 to 40 hours, but I’ve already gotten more than that from the game just by trying to create all the different habitats and create a world you and your Pokémon will be happy to live in.”
“You’re effectively building a complex interconnected city where hundreds of Pokémon need to exist together. You’re constantly busy, even without the core storyline and main quests, and most of that will be self-driven, as you attempt to create cute little living spaces and happy Pokémon.”
Eurogamer’s Lynn held a similar opinion, adding that “it’s here where the simulator mechanics will make themselves known.”
“They’re lighter than in other sims, but usual suspects are all present: decoration, cooking, resource gathering, crafting and even a little dash of farming. The habitats themselves are excellent little puzzles, with the importance of placing and spacing continuing that layer of strategy. The Comfort Levels system prevents you feeling like you simply abandon habitats, reinforcing the idea you’re making permanent improvements to this world.”
TechRadar’s Watson was surprised to discover that for a game marketed on building and restoration, Pokopia “is pretty story-driven.”
“There’s ample side-questing, construction work, and resource collection to be enjoyed, too, but you’ll need to progress through the main quest lines to unlock new powers, areas, and Pokémon. While I love a sandbox game, the story focus of Pokopia really helps draw out the experience.”
The combination of being a sandbox Pokémon game that’s still rooted in its story made Nintendo Life’s Hagues describe Pokopia as “one of the most robust and enticing Pokémon games.”
“Pokopia turns the act of rebuilding a life, rebuilding a world, into a complete joy; a cathartic, calming experience that, even with some teething problems,” she wrote. “The chance to rebuild is also a chance to heal and give back, to understand the importance of what you’ve experienced.”
Overall consensus
Pokopia has been a pleasant surprise to critics, especially for how it excels at employing sandbox and life-sim tropes that have not been previously explored in the Pokémon franchise.
“Pokemon Pokopia is like a brilliantly bizarre blend of Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Dragon Quest Builders, and Viva Piñata, and despite its many influences, manages to be a unique spin-off for the Pokemon series that’s also an accomplished life sim,” said Loveridge.
“It’s got all the hallmarks of a great life sim game – the creativity, independence, customisation, and optimisation – just without the true blank slate that you’d usually get with games like this. Having a backstory is really interesting, and has such wonderful tie-ins to Pokémon lore and mechanics without it being a turn-based RPG that there’s a lot to dig into, for fans of Pokémon and life sim games alike.”
TechRadar’s Watson had similar sentiments, adding that “every aspect of Pokopia feels like a warm hug.”
“The graphics are super cute, the interfaces are clean, the music is bright and comforting, and it’s full of life. It’s a breath of fresh air to have a spin-off that adds so much to the already-teeming world of Pokémon, and I, for one, am incredibly excited to see how players design their own cities and islands.”
And while “a few gameplay and progression issues need ironing out,” as Nintendo Life’s Hague highlighted, “as a first go at something different for the franchise, it’s a big win.”
​”I don’t know how Pokémon has stayed away from this kind of structure for so long, and I’d easily take a dozen more.”
