Pokemon Crimson/Crimson Test – S.1 Every beginning takes ages, and finally it starts!, Proven game mechanics with strange innovations

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With Pokémon crimson and purple there is the ninth generation of the small pocket monsters – which unfortunately not only put a foot on the gameplay, but also the brand new open world.

All screenshots and video scenes are from GamersGlobal

Pokémon brings back childhood memories for me because I’ve always liked the little pocket monsters. The most important thing for me has always been collecting and breeding, and I have completed the Pokédex in almost all editions. So you could say I’m a fangirl!

In Pokemon crimson and purple you travel the mountainous region of Paldea, in the middle of which lies a huge crater. Paldea is the first real open world in Pokémon history; their expanses should give you the freedom to design your adventure as you please. However, Pokémon Crimson cannot fulfill this promise. By the way, if you’re surprised that I’m writing about crimson instead of purple: After attending the critics’ hour – where we introduced Pokémon purple – I started playing again with my private crimson for this test.

The legendary Pokémon Koraidon accompanies me at the beginning as a means of transport and becomes stronger with my help.

Every beginning takes forever

Before you start your journey through Paldea, you must first go to the Orange Academy, which is the local trainer training center. It takes you over an hour just to get from your house to the academy, because on the way you get your starter Pokémon: plant cat Felori, fire crocodile Krokel or water duck Kwaks.

Your young neighbor, who can’t get enough of Poké battles, will explain the basics to you. What is surprising during the longer tutorial is that you get to know the legendary Pokémon from the cover right at the beginning. In crimson is the Koraidon and in purple Miraidon. Another special feature of these two Pokémon is that they don’t initially support you as a fighter, but as a means of transport.

Once you’ve made it to the academy, the chatter continues. Because now a lot of NPCs tell you all sorts of things about the three central contents of the campaign in lengthy dialogues with obscure tracking shots. People at the Academy generally have a lot to talk about because they talk and talk and talk and talk. In this flood of information, I remembered at most half of what was said. Well, if we’re already at an academy, then I can live up to my motto at school again: Courage to leave gaps!

When I’m finally allowed to start the actual adventure and get out of the academy, the chatterboxes cross my path again and start a basic discussion about what I should do first. In the meantime, someone calls my flying smartphone and joins in the discussion. G8 high school seniors must feel the same these days because the game overloads me with knowledge I don’t even want.

Now the NPCs are already arguing about what I should do first. Another one will call soon…

And finally it starts!

The short version of all the exposition: There are three paths to follow in the game. The Path of Legends sends me and Professor Antiqua’s son on a quest to find five Titan Pokémon to find the Mystic Herbs guarded by these giants. The fights against the titans are pleasantly challenging boss fights, and a small story unfolds in the hunt for them. In addition, the herbs give your legendary Pokémon additional abilities that make it easier for you to move around in the open world.

The Road of Stars is the second path. On this you put on with Team Star. The antagonists give the impression of a fraternity gone haywire, having built bases in five locations around the map. The groups are led by bosses who can only be challenged if you defeat 30 Pokémon in their base within ten minutes. What is special here is that your Pokemon run alongside you and you have to command them to attack. This is a feature that you can also use with your Pokémon in the open world.

The fight against the respective boss, on the other hand, is structured in a classic way. At the end you will learn something about the background of each boss and how Team Star is related to the academy. I actually found that quite interesting.

With the crystal cap from teracrystallization, Ms. Klum’s future top models would also have a balance problem.

Proven game mechanics, strange innovations

The battles in Pokémon Crimson are not very different from its predecessors. Each Pokémon has four attacks from a variety of learnable abilities. These can be categorized into direct attacks, special attacks and status changes. However, there is also a regional boost for your Pokémon in Crimson and Crimson: Tera Crystallization. This gives your currently fighting Pokémon a crystal protective shield and a crystal crown, which, despite the questionable appearance, at least boosts your monster’s attack value.

On the way to becoming a champion, you first fulfill the associated challenge in each arena and then measure yourself against the arena leader. Provided you also find the right arena for the level range of your Pokémon.

The open world becomes a trap here, as there are few indicators of what content is best to start with and in what order you should tackle the challenges. The world is divided into six areas, but I didn’t find them helpful in finding my way around. Especially since the map rotates like the children’s carousel at the fair and the zoom levels do little to help you keep your bearings. I didn’t find an option to stop the merry spinning, because every time I move around in the game and open the map again, it was spinning.

By chance I landed on the beach and immediately caught an electric bird. You never know when you’ll need it.