Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! Review by: tgags123 - 8.5/10
Pokemon Let's Go Eevee ReviewWhen I first saw advertisements for Pokemon Let's Go Eevee and Pikachu for the Nintendo Switch, I laughed. The way Nintendo advertised the game was that it was like Pokemon Go, but for a console. In other words, Pokemon Go without the "Go" part. My brother and I joked about about it, referring to it as "Pokemon Stay" or "Pokemon Stay at Home." Then when I saw former Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes posting screenshots of the game on Twitter, I became interested. It looked like a full-fledged game, not the modified Pokemon Go I was expecting. The day after I got my Nintendo Switch for Christmas, I decided to head to Target to pick up a copy of Pokemon Let's Go Eevee, and try the game out for myself. After having now invested over 20 hours into the game and beating the Pokemon League, here are my thoughts on the experience.
Graphics: 10
The graphics in Pokemon Let's Go Eevee are phenomenal. The Pokemon sprites look great, the characters are adorable, and the overworld is beautiful. I am a huge fan of the stylistic approach that was used when creating the graphics for this game. The designers opted for a more cute and scenic style, which compliments the concept of the game very well, since Pokemon Let's Go is focused more on catching and loving your Pokemon rather than battling. Overall, the game looks beautiful, and even though there are so many games that take place in Kanto, Let's Go allows you to experience the Kanto region in a completely new way. The graphics are one of Pokemon Let's Go Eevee's strongest qualities, and I think it easily deserves a perfect 10 out of 10 rating.
Sound: 9
I don't have too much to say about the sound in Pokemon Let's Go Eevee. A lot of the soundtrack is very similar to previous Kanto Pokemon games. Most of the music in the different cities and towns are the same, including the iconic Lavender Town music. While the songs are the same, however, they do sound a lot nicer. The music is smoother and more relaxing, and it corresponds very well to the way the Kanto region is presented visually. One cool sound feature that I really like is that when a wild Pokemon appears off-screen, its unique cry sound will play, so you know it is there. This is really helpful when searching for a particular Pokemon, or when trying to create a combo. The Eevee you start with also has a lot of really adorable sounds he makes in different situations. Even though the music is similar to previous games, it is presented in a way that is new and refreshing. I have little to no major complaints about the sound in Pokemon Let's Go Eevee, so I will rate it a 9 out of 10.
Addictiveness: 9
From the time I got the game at Target until the time I beat the Elite 4 and became a champion, I had a very hard time putting the Joy Con controllers down. I'd probably still be playing now, if I wasn't waiting for my brother to trade me all of the Let's Go Pikachu version exclusives so I can finish the Pokedex and get the Shiny Charm. Pokemon Let's Go Eevee is a super fun game to play, and it's unique system of Pokemon catching, which encourages you to catch more and more of the same Pokemon, will keep you hooked until you finally find the shiny or rare Pokemon you are looking for. Pokemon Let's Go Eevee is not a main series Pokemon game, and while that may turn competitive Pokemon players off, that is what makes it so much fun to me. It's a lot less serious than most Pokemon games, with an emphasis on catching and collecting rather than battling. To me, this makes it even more addictive than the main series games. With completing the Pokedex being a reasonable task and shiny hunting becoming a lot easier (1 in 271 chance of encountering a shiny if you set the situation up properly), Pokemon Let's Go Eevee is an incredibly addictive game for those that like to collect. The game is easy to play for long hours at a time even after you beat the Elite 4, and I've given it a high addictiveness rating for that reason. However, for those that don't care about shiny Pokemon or about collecting and just prefer to level up and battle, Pokemon Let's Go Eevee will fail to hold their attention.
Story: 8
The story in Pokemon Let's Go Eevee is more or less the same Kanto story from Pokemon Yellow. You start with a unique starter Pokemon, and are able to receive a Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur early on in the game the same way Ash did in the anime, and Yellow did in Pokemon Yellow. You set out on your quest to be the very best like no one ever was, by defeating gym leaders and taking on the Pokemon League. Along the way you are somehow also tasked with taking down the evil terrorist organization Team Rocket, despite only being ten years old. You will encounter Officer Jenny a few times along the way, and instead of taking down Team Rocket herself like a police officer should, she'll instead give you a hint or heal your Pokemon for you so that you can do it instead. You run into Jessie, James, and Meowth from the anime quite a few times throughout the game, which is pretty cool. Meowth doesn't talk though, which I found to be a little disappointing. Another interesting plot element that differs from previous Kanto games is that Blue will help you during your quest. Blue, the main character from Pokemon Blue, explains to you that he also grew up in Pallet Town, and went on an adventure similar to yours many years ago. At the end of the game, it is also finally explained why Professor Oak couldn't remember the name of his own grandson in the original Pokemon games. You meet with him, your rival, and blue in his lab. He starts to introduce Blue to you, then stops and asks "What was his name again?" Blue then responds by informing Professor Oak to stop using that joke, because it isn't funny. While the excuse is incredibly lame, I do appreciate Nintendo making a reference to something that has become a meme in the Pokemon community. Speaking of Pokemon memes, I was pleasantly surprised that Youngster Ben still likes shorts over 20 years later, and still think they're comfy and easy to wear. Finally, the relationship between you and your rival is very different in Pokemon Let's Go Eevee than it was in the first generation or third generation Kanto games. Your rival is super nice and helpful to you, and doesn't say "smell ya later" once in the entire game. I was a little upset, because I gave my rival and insulting name and wanted him to live up to it, but the change fits the theme of the game. Pokemon Let's Go is supposed to be a happier and more friendly game, so it makes sense that your rival is happier and more friendly as well. It is also good for people that have never played a Kanto game before, because your rival helps direct you where to go, so you don't get confused about what you're supposed to do when there are haunted Marowak spirits and Snorlaxes and thirsty guards everywhere. Despite being largely the same story that I've played a million times before, Pokemon Let's Go Eevee has enough changes in it for the story to not seem completely stale. I'll give it a solid 8 out of 10.
Depth: 7
Rating depth in Pokemon Let's Go Eevee is an interesting task. As far as formal, defined things to do in the game and different area you can explore, Let's Go Eevee doesn't have much to offer, especially compared to most Pokemon games. After you beat the Elite 4, the Master Trainers are really the only formal task left in the game to complete. There are Master Trainers for every Pokemon in the game, and the idea behind them is that you can only use that Pokemon in a one-on-one battle against the Master Trainer's own version of that same Pokemon. You don't really gain anything from winning the battle, though. There are no Sevii Islands in Let's Go Eevee like there are in Fire Red and Leaf Green, and there is no additional story after the main story in completed, other than a short section where you can catch Mewtwo and then battle against Green. However, despite the lack of formal tasks, Pokemon Let's Go Eevee still has a ton of playability after the main story is completed. I mentioned earlier that shiny hunting is a much more reasonable task in Pokemon Let's Go Eevee than in main series Pokemon games. If you like collecting shiny Pokemon, the depth in Let's Go Eevee is nearly unlimited. Since you can increase your chances of finding a shiny Pokemon by getting your catch combo up to 31, using a lure, and having a completed Pokedex, the Let's Go series are a shiny hunter's dream. Despite this upside, the lack of challenges and areas to explore still drag the depth rating down to a 7.
Difficulty: 2
Pokemon Let's Go Eevee is an absurdly easy game. The Eevee you start with is on steroids or something, because his base stats are through the roof. You can also get a plethora of candies very easily by catching Pokemon, and use the candies to more your Pokemon even more OP. (Candies in Pokemon Let's Go Eevee are very similar to the Protein and Carbos and things like in the main series games, except instead of paying $9800 for them at a Pokemart, you get a bunch of them every time you catch and transfer a Pokemon.) Catching Pokemon also gives all of the Pokemon in your party EXP, which I suppose is necessary since battling wild Pokemon to level up is no longer an option. As if all of that wasn't enough to make this game a joke to beat, you can also teach your Eevee a bunch of crazy over-powered unique moves through move tutors found at
select Pokemon Centers. These moves include Buzzy Buzz (a move that has 90 power and is guaranteed to paralyze your opponent), Sizzly Slide (a move that has 90 power and is guaranteed to burn your opponent), Baddy Bad (a move that has 90 power and also activates the benefits of the move Reflect), Glitzy Glow (a move that has 90 power and also activates the benefits of the move Light Screen), and more. The only battle in the entire game I had a little trouble with was Mewtwo, who you have to defeat in battle before you can catch. All of his stats get boosted before the battle, he makes special attacks basically useless with Amnesia, and whenever you get his health down he uses Recover. Thanks to Eevee's special move "Buzzy Buzz" though, I was eventually able to beat him when he was unable to use Recover because of paralysis. Aside from the Mewtwo battle though, Pokemon Let's Go Eevee is a cake walk. If you are looking for a challenging game, look elsewhere.
Differences between Let's Go Eevee and main series Pokemon games:
Before I wrap this review up, I just want to discuss some of the major differences between Pokemon Let's Go Eevee and the main series Pokemon games. The biggest difference between the two are the catching mechanics. You don't battle wild Pokemon in Let's Go Eevee, instead you catch them the way you do in Pokemon Go. Depending on the quality of your catch, you are then rewarded with EXP, and potentially items. Some factors that influence the amount of EXP and items you receive are whether or not you caught the Pokemon on your first throw, the quality of the throw (nice, great, excellent, or regular throw), combos, the size of the Pokemon, the level of the Pokemon, and what Pokemon it is. Combos are very important in Pokemon Let's Go Eevee. If you catch a lot of the same Pokemon in a row, you create a combo, which rewards you with more EXP and more items per catch. It also increases the odds that you will encounter a rare Pokemon, as well as the odds that you will encounter a shiny Pokemon. Combos are broken when you catch a different species of Pokemon, or a Pokemon runs away from you. In addition to the new catching mechanics, there are no random encounters in Pokemon Let's Go Eevee. Pokemon appear in the overworld, which means you can choose whether or not you want to engage with them. The days of running away from countless Zubats in caves are finally over. You can also import Pokemon from Pokemon Go to Pokemon Let's Go Eevee if you would like to. This transaction can only go from Go to Let's Go, not the other way, and once they are transferred you cannot send them back. This is a useful feature if you are struggling to complete the Pokedex.
Overall, Pokemon Let's Go Eevee is a simple, yet very fun game. It is not a super serious game, and for me that is the beauty in it. The graphics in the game are stunning, and the sound compliments it well. The story is familiar to many players, but with enough changes to keep it somewhat fresh. There aren't a ton of tasks to complete or places to explore, but that doesn't mean the game lacks playability after the Elite 4. If you like battling and playing Pokemon competitively I'd recommend you try a different Pokemon game, but if you like collecting and shiny hunting, this is the game for you.
Graphics
10 Sound
9 Addictive
9 Depth
7 Story
8 Difficulty
2
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