Pokémon hasn't featured a hard mode since Pokémon Black And White 2, but if Nintendo and Game Freak refuse to increase the series' difficulty options, newer titles should feature a meaningful endgame. In most Pokémon games, players progress through the Pokémon League by defeating Gym Leaders, collecting eight Gym badges, and challenging the Elite Four to become the region's Champion. As they progress, players must deal with an additional crisis that usually includes a villainous team like Team Rocket or Team Flare and can catch multiple legendary Pokémon. Unfortunately, once this adventure concludes, the journey's excitement begins to wane, as Game Freak leaves players with repetitive tasks and activities to fill their time.
Pokémon post game activities has varied between Generations, including rematches for the region's Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and previous Champion. Other games included endgame challenges like the Battle Tower or the Battle Frontier, but these featured repetitive activities with little incentive to complete. Activities like Shiny-hunting in Pokémon games also provided a fun challenge for some, but the process is time-consuming and Pokémon Legends: Arceus has severely lessened the challenge. Some titles provided a coherent story with actual stakes and a meaningful ending, but even these experiences proved to be fleeting and unfulfilling compared to the rest of the game.
Some Pokémon players suggest a return to Hard Mode, which would allow players to adjust the difficulty of their save file from the start or unlock a New Game+ type of option. Many games offer players the opportunity to replay the story with increasing difficulty, constantly introducing new strategies and challenges. In addition, some games introduce higher levels, more enemies, and other restrictions that make the second playthrough more exhilarating. Unfortunately, it's unlikely for Game Freak and Nintendo to introduce this mechanic, as it would be difficult to implement with Pokémon's gameplay formula. Instead, Pokémon should receive an improved endgame in the generation.
Pokémon Alpha Sapphire And Omega Ruby Had A Good Endgame
Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby featured multiple facets to its endgame which consistently rewarded players for returning to the game and hunting down other secrets. These games also featured an additional story chapter called 'The Delta Episode," which featured the ability to catch new, legendary monsters from Hoenn. The Delta Episode focuses on saving the region from an asteroid alongside Rayquaza and capturing Deoxys. Unique, interesting characters appear, and players finally embrace their responsibility as a Champion, something which many other titles fail to accomplish. There are also many daily and weekly tasks to complete, such as capturing Legendary Pokémon in Mirage Spots, obtaining a Johto starter Pokémon, finding Mega Stones, competing in Inverse Battles at Mauville City, and more provide countless hours of entertainment. Unfortunately, Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby's endgame are exceptions to the series' standards.
While new Pokémon games like Legends: Arceus drastically changed the core series' stories, most feature a similar story that fails to produce meaningful endgame content. Once players become Champions, there isn't much else to accomplish throughout the regions. Instead of delegating players to challenge the same characters repeatedly or pushing them to complete the Pokédex (which is usually impossible without both versions of the current Generation), Pokémon games should shift to a mix of daily activities, additional story missions, and Champion responsibilities. Champions like Kanto's Lance or Sinnoh's Cynthia frequently appear during crises, and the player character for Pokémon Scarlet and Violent should have a similar opportunity. Handling daily disturbances from a villainous team or repairing a region's infrastructure could provide more meaningful past times that expand Pokémon's possibilities.
Pokémon Sword And Shield Tried To Make Players Matter
Pokémon Sword and Shield's post-game didn't provide players many incentives to continue playing the game. Players could participate in Tournaments with characters from the campaign and defend their title of Champion. Unfortunately, beyond the Tournament and Battle Tower, players can't unlock additional content. The Wild Area provides some variation in Pokémon to catch, but players suffer a noticeable lack of rewards without the National Dex. Players can also acquire a Charmander from the previous Champion's room, but with few activities to use it in, its addition to the Pokédex is its only value. Additionally, while Pokémon Sword and Shield featured new mechanics like the Campsite, it failed to expand on these mechanics in the long run. Instead, players defaulted to activities like Shiny-hunting and breeding, which weren't always rewarding.
Pokémon Sword and Shield's Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra DLCs provided additional post-launch content but suggested an alarming shift for the franchise. If Nintendo and Game Freak intend to adjust focus from the endgame to a paid subscription of expansions, it's unlikely for fans to expect a significant shift. However, since there's no confirmation that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will keep the expansion business model, there's a chance its endgame content could provide players with dozens more hours of adventuring and exploration. Many companies in the gaming industry have adapted a profit-over-content mindset that has steadily reduced the activities in AAA titles, but Pokémon has maintained a DLC-free release until recently. If Pokémon Scarlet and Violet avoid DLCs, it should focus on meaningful endgame content.
Pokémon Needs A Meaningful, Challenging Endgame With High Levels
Many Champions in Pokémon games fail to appear in postgame content, and the exact role of a Champion in each region is vague. While some revel in their celebrity status, others actively participate in their nation's security. Additionally, the relationship Champions have with player characters can vastly affect how they perceive the region and its Gym Challenge. Pokémon endgame should stop recycling content from past generations and introduce new challenges and stories to explore. Alternatively, Pokémon could adopt a new gameplay format and focus on the story for the main campaign and address challenging the Pokémon League and becoming the Champion in the endgame. With many fans clamoring for more difficult Gym battles and Elite Four encounters, delegating a traditionally challenging activity to postgame (and making it an optional activity) could solve many of Pokémon's problems.
While it's unknown whether Pokémon Scarlet and Violet could feature Hard Mode or an improved endgame, fans can hope that Nintendo and Game Freak learned from past successes and failures. While there isn't much information about the next Generation, the trailer appeared to show a Wild Area similar to Pokémon Sword and Shield. Additionally, the dynamic environments and revealed creature designs resemble other popular receptions among the fanbase. As the announced release date comes closer, more information concerning the game's story and options will likely become available. Hopefully, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet can produce an improved story and quality endgame content to expand the game's lifespan and improve a disappointing franchise feature.
