GamesAdventurePokemonPalworld has revealed what a Pokemon game should be capable of – here’s everything we want to see from Gen 10When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesAdventurePokemonPalworld has revealed what a Pokemon game should be capable of – here’s everything we want to see from Gen 10When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Pocketpair)
I think it’s fair to say that Pokemon is in an odd place as we go into 2025. AfterPokemon Scarlet and Violetwere technologically dubious and conceptually shaky, afterPalworldcame out swinging and then brought down Nintendo’s wrath, and after the most successful Pokemon game turned out to be a nostalgia-heavy adaptation of the TCG, a year without any of the mainline Pokemon games has given everybody to wonder what the series might look like on its return. And considering that the higher-powerSwitch 2is clearly waiting to break free and potentially open the door to what’s possible in Gen 10, the chance to revitalise the franchise on this significant anniversary is right there.
With that in mind, we here at GamesRadar+ have summoned the biggest Pokemon fans on staff to see what each of us want from the next major Pokemon game and where we think the franchise can be improved - or, if you will, how it can evolve.
Well, technically…
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Yes, I know the Switch is hardly a pioneer of cutting edge technology, but Pokemon just doesn’t have to take place in flat, empty fields anymore, or towns split between perfectly square buildings and sparsely-populated plazas. Games likeTears of the KingdomandMonster Hunter Risecreated dynamic, textured, three-dimensional spaces, and part of Palworld’s power was the way it made the most of the superior hardware.
So with the Switch 2 impending, there’s a real opportunity here. Once you open the door for more complex, processor-intensive design, you allow for all sorts of new ideas, like an artist being allowed to paint on a spacious canvas instead of a tiny Post-It Note. Imagine Pokemon taking place in verdant, complex jungles or a genuinely bustling metropolis, or using Surf on roiling waves and turbulent seas. It doesn’t have to be just a dream anymore.
Joel Franey, Guides Writer
Embrace the community
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)
The greatest strength of the Pokemon series feeds directly into its greatest weakness. Between challenge runs, competition-level battling, shiny-hunting, and intense nuzlocke-ing, the community has never been in better shape. Over the years, players have determined ways to engage with Pokemon more deeply than ever before, and Twitch andYouTubemeans the fans can be right there with them.
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But that makes The Pokemon Company’s unwillingness to embrace those more niche passions even more frustrating. As the community stretches the boundaries of the series and competitors hold Nintendo’s feet to the fire with increasing regularity, Pokemon desperately needs to encourage a more personalised experience, rather than retreading the exact same ideas for the tenth time.
Ali Jones, Senior News Editor
Pokemon: The greatest hits!
(Image credit: Nintendo)
I don’t think we need to see the classic catch ‘em formula change drastically - we’ve got Pokemon Legends Arceus and its impending follow-up Pokemon Legends Z-A for that - but I would like to see the mainline series make the most of what it’s done before successfully. I’m talking about a greatest hits kind of mashup. Take Pokemon Scarlet and Violet for example. While the open-world was pretty disappointing from a performance standpoint, I would still like to see co-op support continue, and for my Pokemon Dollars, I think Pokemon Sword and Shield got the right mixture of linear areas and open-zones.
And let’s not forget all of the novel special powers we’ve seen over the years set different entries apart. I know that this is likely pushing it in the hope department given that the core series has never done this before, but I would absolutely love to see a new Pokemon game bring back and keep some of those unique features we’ve seen in the past going forward. From Gigantamaxing in Sword and Shield, to Z-Moves in Sun and Moon, Mega Evolutions in X and Y, and even the Teratallization from Violet and Scarlet, just imagine having an entry that brings back all of the powers. I can’t see it happening, but that won’t stop me wishing about it.
Heather Wald, Senior Staff Writer
Refining the open world
(Image credit: Nintendo)
From Sword and Shield’s Wild Area to the entire region of Paldea in Scarlet and Violet, it’s been apparent for years now that Pokemon is trying to make the leap to open world with its new RPGs. While it technically did that in the most recent Switch releases… well, it wasn’t exactly a flawless execution, but it’s not just about the performance issues – there are other ways to refine that open world formula that’d give Pokemon the evolution it deserves.
While one of the big selling points of the Paldea games before launch was the fact that you could challenge the gyms in any order you wanted, this ended up being totally irrelevant since there was no level scaling, so there was a clear, obvious order to each of those key battles. The region itself, while on paper a diverse land with a variety of biomes, often felt barren, and didn’t offer many meaningful ways to interact with the environment like with the option to grow berries or create a secret base.
Scarlet and Violet, to me, feel like they werethis closeto being the most significant games in the series in terms of the steps they took to expand on what’s remained a rather safe formula since its inception. With a few improvements to give players true freedom in a thriving world, Pokemon has the potential to create something truly special.
Catherine Lewis, News Writer
This year may have been all quite on the Poke-front, but you can check out our ranking of thebest Pokemon gamesorbest games of 2024to stay busy
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PRODUCTSPalworldPokemon Scarlet and Violet
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5
Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”