ThePokémonfranchise has enjoyed decisive and commercial-grade success for decade , bringing in new lover with each genesis and cement its bequest as one of the most dependable video game series of all clock time . It feels like a series that will go on forever , one that has now modernize legion spin - offs , including non - roving entries , and managed to hit the 10th generation of mainline games , a feat only accomplished by AAA titans likeCall of Duty . It is a gargantuan series that , significantly , has sports fan of all eld and backgrounds .

course , with the Gen 10 games on the horizon , fans have begin theorise on how they ’ll innovate on the meanspirited recipe that has kept the serial publication alive for so long . From the manyalternate Pokémon timelinesthey could be set in , to the baddie that players will have to look , there are a lot of high expectation for the Gen 10 entries . However , if these long - awaited mainline Pokémon games do change something about the core rule , it should first fix its biggest 10 - long problem .

Pokémon Has A Problem With Difficulty

It Has Become Too Easy

Pokémonhas always suffered , to an extent , with balancing difficulty . However , this trouble has become extremely exacerbated in recent years , with titles likeX and Y , Sword and Shield , andScarlet and Violetproving to be far too easy . This was n’t inherently a problem with the early entree , as they managed to offer some amount of challenge , but even then , the circumscribed routine - base armed combat model made breeze through Gyms a fairly well-to-do feat . The main difference between game likeFire RedandScarletis the introduction ofPokémonbattle gimmicks .

Pokémon Scarlet and Violetare the worst for this , as not only does it continue the recentnegativePokémontrendof telling participant which moves will be the most in effect before they pick them , but it also allows them to alter their character by Terastallizing them . This seemingly take away any pauperization for creating a balanced team , as it allows musician to have up of 12 dissimilar type within one political party , rather than having to equilibrate six . Pokémon are also far more hefty when they ’re Terastallized , and can become much resistant to attacks they were , just a twist ago , weak to .

Pokémon ’s Generation 10 game have a lot of electric potential , and the inclusion of one primal characteristic would be sure to make them the best secret plan yet .

Evee and Blastoise in the background from Pokemon.

Of course , Pokémon’sdecline in difficulty relieve oneself sense , as the serial has become more geared toward its younger player substructure . This has always been Nintendo ’s aim , as it want to make its subroutine library of titles as reachable and syndicate - well-disposed as possible . However , this is a vast misunderstanding , asit robsPokémonof any meaningful gameplay , reducing it to the most canonical turn - base affair possiblethat even wandering game have get by to surpass . That ’s not to say there are no redeeming qualities toPokémonbeyond its battles , but when its core gameplay car-mechanic fundamentally plays itself , it ’s hard to get invest .

The Next Mainline Pokémon Game Must Be Harder

It Needs To Make Battles More Challenging

This shift in difficulty has to be fixed in future entries , especially the mainline titles . While it may have ab initio been welcomed by some fans , it has quickly revealed one of the series ' big flaws : its lack of innovation . Pokémon’sturn - ground scrap can be complex , especially when those in the competitive aspect manage to exploit sure moves . However , for the majority of player , the ability to only have four move at a time , the redundancy of any movement outside of those that deal damage , and the want of synergy between attacks signify that there is such little complexity in combat .

It also does n’t help that modernPokémongames admit practically every Pokémon from all generations . This allow instrumentalist to fall back on their default choices that they ’re overly familiar with , rather than being ram to teach new Pokémon and moves . It also mean that players know how to tackle and address with the majority of Pokémon they ’ll meet from the start . While it ’s not bad to have so much pick , especially in a creature collecting game , the inclusion of familiar Pokémon removes a lot of the indigence to learn new habits and patterns .

The future of the Pokemon franchise looks bright with the upcoming Switch 2 , but it will only remain that mode if GameFreak fixes these proceeds .

Pikachu Holding A Nintendo Switch

When battles were difficult , it was well-off to overlook this , as players would be force to use moves they may not otherwise have see , especially those that cause status force or debuff the foeman . However , particularly inScarlet and Violet , the absence of difficulty think of histrion simply call for to prioritise dealing wrong and Terastallizing in ordering to master each battle , even if they are underleveled or underprepared . It is one ofScarlet and Violet’sgreatest flawsand something that has been a grow take withPokémonsince the 3DS era .

IfPokémondoesn’t desire to fundamentally change its core formula - although it is the perfect time toestablish newPokémontrendswith the launching ofLegends : Z - A- then it need to jump ramping up its difficulty for prevent battle from feel even more cold . It risks misplace a huge portion of its audience who are already timeworn of its gentle gameplay or have uprise up and no longer find it challengingenough . Fortunately , there are quite a little of ways thatPokémoncan implement difficulty that would n’t infringe with its more family - well-disposed access and would ascertain it remains approachable .

Pokémon Can Increase Difficulty Without Alienating Children

It Can Add Difficulty Modes Or Accessibility Options

The most simple way of implement trouble in futurePokémongames would be to make it an optional mode . Pokémonhas never had difficulty modes before , but it would greatly do good from having them . The harder modes could remove the ability to see which moves are most effective , increase the health and trouble of enemy Pokémon , and give trainer and Gym leader more Pokémon to battle the participant with . It could also increase the difficultness of see certain Pokémon , cause Pokémon to be permanently removed from the player ’s company if they swoon too much , and make healing items less efficacious .

For those who are intimate withPokémon’shardest challenge runs , a fate of that will sound familiar . instrumentalist have been go through ego - visit rules through Nuzlockes and more , for increase the difficulty . Were Game Freak to add up these formally into the secret plan as optional mood , or take divine guidance from them to make less extreme versions , then instrumentalist seek that extra stratum of challenge would have the choice . instead , accessibility option could be add that player could toggle on and off to add extra challenge for themselves .

The succeeding core Generation 10 games of the Pokémon dealership could make a striking fracture with tradition and have no main baddie character to fight .

Pokémon protagonists Juliana and Florian in front of a blurred picnic scene from Pokémon Sword and Shield’s Galar.

This would allow players to tailor the experience to befit their needs , rather than be faced with potentially unbalanced stage of difficulty . It would also ensure that those who prefer easier games could keep toy through the traditionalPokémonexperience with all the conveniences toggled on . Of course , Pokémonshould be a game for all musician , and it should n’t be set to hard mode by default . However , it would be great for Game Freak to finally see that lots of hoi polloi , both young and old , want to playPokémon , and many of them necessitate more challenge to have playfulness .

Nemona from Pokemon Scarlet holding a Pokeball.

Custom Image by: Tom Wilson

Pikachu Pyroar and Litleo in a futuristic city from the trailer for Pokemon Legends Z A.

Ginter and his cart in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

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