Game Freak's new RPG may actually be Pokemon's biggest threat yet

has become synonymous with game freak Pokemon franchise, very few of their other games find much success outside of a small initial audience. However, this may change with release Animal of ReincarnationA brand-new action RPG that seeks to push beyond the realm of creature collecting and deliver a brand new experience unlike anything the developer has released before. An apocalyptic wasteland full of machines and giant monsters, Animal of Reincarnation Players and their faithful hounds fight for humanity and uncover the truth that awaits the end of the world, using both blades and bites to take down anything that stands in your way.

What makes the game so interesting to me is its wider meaning Pokemon series. If Animal of Reincarnation is successful and attracts a previously untapped audience, then it could be a threat to future games on Game Freak's leading IP. Many players have been disappointed with the quality of late Pokemon EntriesCiting performance issues, bugs, and a general lack of interesting content, so assuming this new IP is a hit, then many existing Creature Collector fans may feel like their favorite franchise has been overlooked rather than anything else. While the sales figures don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon, I think it's still telling that we don't have super high-scoring. Pokemon At times the game, and the expectations are only going to increase with the pressure applied from more angles at once.

The reincarnated beast is potentially terrifying for the future of Pokémon

When that Game Freak logo popped up Animal of Reincarnation trailer, I was among thousands of others who were just hoping to see the next one Pokemon The game dropped later that year, but to everyone's surprise, we actually got our first glimpse of something potentially special. For starters, there's no creature collecting, no monster training, and perhaps the only remaining DNA in the form of your beloved dog Koo, who will play a huge role in the gameplay and the story that ties it all together. Then there's Emma, ​​an outcast with an affliction that pushes her to the fringes of society, but together they make a perfect couple who are able to take on giant enemies through synergistic strength and willpower.

From the outside, there seems to be no connection between IPs, and the differences are so vast that they even extend across platforms, with no switch feature. Animal of Reincarnation. Yet in the back of my mind, I equate this situation to having a shiny new toy to play with, while ignoring the ones you already have. I mean there are already signs Pokemon It is struggling to keep up with the modern gaming landscape purely from a quality and capability standpoint. Looking back over the last decade or two of the franchise, I don't think it's an insult to say that the bar has definitely sunk from where it once was. In the past, it's every other year, we got a high 80 across the board from the mainline entries, but now, besides Pokemon Pokopia, Which currently sits at 89 as the highest rated game in the franchise, we're lucky to get past the 8/10 mark.

Modern Pokemon Release

• Pokemon Unite – 70
• Pokemon Violet/Scarlet – 71/72
• Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee – 79/80
• Pokemon Sword/Shield –80
• Pokemon Legends: Arceus –83

2010s Pokemon the wave

• Pokemon X/Y – 87/88
• Pokemon Sun/Moon – 87
• Pokemon White/Black – 87
• Pokemon Soul Silver/Heart Gold –87

Given these very low overall scores, I don't see the world where Pokemon will never fade into obscurity, because there is so much access and such a rich history that I don't see a world where massive decline is realistic. But when you like the game animal of rebirth Come around, the question around why Pokemon is Struggling to hit its stride becomes all the more apparent, especially when you consider the lack of competition that exists in the wider genre. A good comparison to make is like anything hello and destinyWhere Bungie had an unexpected force that, for various reasons within the company and within the industry, became a shell of its former self rather than the iconic shiny new toy. Ironically enough, destiny Being released is getting the same treatment now MarathonBut the point is that even if the games differ enough in their content, this dispersal of internal resources almost always ends badly and comes at the cost of the original IP that was once on top of the world.

On the flip side, there have also been recent examples where a developer has been able to distribute resources to different teams and achieve massive amounts of success without coming at the cost of their mainline franchises. Look at Capcom, for example, where we've been showered with half a dozen Resident Evil games from the past decade, all incredible and serving as a second wave for one of gaming's most beloved IPs. They could have played it safe and continued to pump out more bangers, but they took some risks like the Games. progenitor And, in the end, it paid off, and they ended up with multiple GOTY contenders over the course of a few months. Furthermore, this evolving relationship between IPs has turned into a very challenging debate, and in the case of a Animal of Reincarnation And like the Titanic franchise PokemonI wouldn't be surprised if longtime fans were disappointed with Game Freak for being able to create an incredible game, but not being able to translate those talents into such a staple franchise.

Looking at the bigger picture, it can be easy to see only doom and gloom, especially given how controversial gaming has been of late and how complicated consumer perception has become over the past few years. I'm optimistic and incredibly excited about this new chapter and really curious about what it means for the future. PokemonWhether this will provide incentives for developers or serve as the first sign of a big studio change behind the scenes. Expectations are incredibly high Animal of Reincarnationand There are millions of players worldwide Eagerly waiting to hear what the hype is all about now, so only time will tell if the bar clears and how big of an impact it will have at the next stakeholder meeting at Game Freak HQ.