The worst part about being a Pokémon fan is having non-Pokémon friends constantly sending me videos like:
“Z-A looks awful”, “Those Megas are hideous”, “Why are the buildings flat”
I kinda agree but…. You don’t even play, why are you mad 😭
The problem with Pokémon games is that they’re objectively indefensible from a technical and graphical standpoint.
Z-A has a clear flaw and we all know what it is: the map. Flat buildings, fake windows, cheap textures. It’s awful, truly indefensible. And it’s not new: we’ve seen the same technical issues in every recent entry, like Legends Arceus and Scarlet/Violet
So for people who don’t actually play them, it just looks like pure garbage when they see clip of the game on Internet.
But when you do play them, you end up having fun. They’re still decent enough, still Pokémon, you get attached, you enjoy it. Every game is a tiny step forward. Never enough, but still progress.
For many, Z-A is the best game in the series.
For others, Scarlet/Violet are their favorites.
Personally, Legends Arceus is mine (I loved the immersion, the nature, the capture and battle system)
Despite the flaws, it’s still enjoyable if you play it.
That said, this isn’t about defending a billion-dollar company or pretending we should accept poor quality, I completely agree that the current standards are unacceptable, and as a lifelong fan it hurts to see the franchise in this state.
But here’s the thing:
stop judging with someone else’s wallet.
If you don’t like it, that’s totally fair.
But don’t tell others they shouldn’t enjoy it.