Pokémon Pokopia, First Impressions: Build the paradise of your dreams alongside your favorite creatures

The pocket monster franchise is preparing to shake up its traditional formula. Forget gym battles and the Pokémon League for a moment; Pokémon Pokopia is here to offer an experience focused on creativity, coexistence, and rebuilding a world from scratch. With a style reminiscent of simulation classics such as Animal Crossing and Minecraft, this new offering seeks to connect us with nature and Pokémon in a much more personal and relaxed way. A couple of weeks ago, we had the opportunity to travel to Tokyo, Japan, to try it out and share our first impressions.

What is Pokémon Pokopia about, and how does its gameplay work?

The premise of Pokopia is simple: we arrive in a desolate environment with the mission of revitalizing it. To achieve this, we must collect materials and use workbenches to craft all kinds of objects, from furniture, gyms, and gardens to paths and houses. The core of the game lies in creating habitats; depending on how we decorate and build, we will attract different species of Pokémon.

In this preview, we played the initial part of the game, where we were able to customize our Ditto before entering a tutorial that explains the basic mechanics.

One detail that caught our attention was the interaction with the different creatures we encountered. The Pokémon not only inhabit the place, but also teach us their moves if we fulfill certain requests. As we progress, we learn skills that unlock new options, since we no longer use the creatures to fight, but to interact with the environment: clearing paths, cultivating, watering, or planting vegetables. In addition, transformation plays a key role, as we can turn into Pokémon such as Lapras to navigate between islands or Dragonite to fly to remote areas in a matter of seconds.

How will cooperation with Pokémon help in the development of the world?

In the second part of the preview, we saw the multiplayer mode, where collaboration is essential to complete more complex tasks such as:

• Build gyms
• Find instructions for creating certain objects
• Clear paths
• Mow grass
• Cut wood
• Light bonfires if you have fire skills
• Water crops to speed up their growth and attract other Pokémon
• Find objects to improve the environment
• Erect large buildings

What options does multiplayer offer?

The game will allow up to four players to play, and with the Game Share feature, it will be possible to share the game with a friend who does not own it, allowing both of you to play even if one of you is using a Nintendo Switch 1.

Without a doubt, this installment marks a new way to enjoy the franchise. Every detail has been carefully crafted, taking advantage of the power of Nintendo Switch 2 with visuals and sound effects tailored to the platform. In addition, it is particularly well suited for those who have not had much interaction with the Pokémon world, as it offers an extremely entertaining and relaxing experience.

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