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Pokemon has been a steady fixture in my life since I was about 10 years old. When I was the same age as the man, the myth, the legend himself (Ash Ketchum), Pokemon Blue was the first game I ever managed to complete without bugging my older cousin for help. Since then, I've played nearly every mainline title in the series. Unfortunately, unlike Ash, who has been a seemingly immortal 10-year-old for over 20 years now, growing up has made Pokemon lose a bit of its sparkle for me.
Don't get me wrong, I love the games, new ones included (sorry, Scarlet and Violet haters); still, I often find myself skipping through dialogue, racing towards the end, and struggling to get that same level of immersion I did back when I was stepping into the pixelated Kanto region for the first time. But, after playing the new Switch 2 exclusive, Pokemon Pokopia, I've realised that growing up isn't my main issue with this series. What I needed was a world without humans, and I'm back to feeling like a happy kid all over again.
Planet of the Pokemon
Pokemon Pokopia review: "My new cozy obsession has my year ahead sorted – building my dream paradise alongside monster pals is just too good to put down"
Pokopia seems harmless on the surface. After all, it's all about building habitats for cute Pokemon, raising their comfort level, and decorating little communities that'll have you kicking your feet with glee. But don't be fooled by Squirtle's waddling folks, Pokopia's story is pretty dark and has an eyebrow-raising amount of similarities with the classic post-apocalyptic franchise Planet of the Apes.
Essentially, the cozy game takes place in a world that has been ravaged by natural disasters. Humans are no longer around, and instead, we, the player (a gloopy Ditto Human clone), are running the show, building new houses for our fellow Pokemon on top of the ruins of human society. The world-building in Pokopia is subtle, and you find clues about what happened to the humans as you explore areas and make your way through the main story. It's wildly interesting to find diary snippets and to see the Pokemon around you trying to make sense of their memories with humans to help you rebuild each region you unlock.
During my 40th sleep-deprived hour of playing, I realized that Pokopia's approach to storytelling had me hooked. The game employs an almost archaeological approach to world-building as we uncover human history. But what really makes it shine is the Pokemon-first perspective, which is a game-changing experience as a cynical adult who has been forced into the role of a plucky pre-teen for years now.
The universal joy of Pokemon
Being a grown-up Pokemon fan normally comes with some kind of disconnect, which is understandable given that Pokemon is a family-friendly series first and foremost. Not only are we almost always young children who have been shoved out the door into the wide world by some parents with questionable decision-making skills, but the tone of games is a bit too over the top for those of us of the "my back is starting to hurt" persuasion.
Human characters in Pokemon games tend to be zany, over-the-top personalities crafted around their respective Pokemon team's type. And, while I appreciate their creative designs, I'm more annoyed than not when I have to speak to them outside of battling. The human interactions in Pokemon games are a stark reminder that I'm not 10 any more. However, Pokopia's premise means that I can just bask in the timeless glory that is the Pokemon themselves.
Pokemon are adorable, and that will never change. Collecting all the hundreds of Pokemon in Pokopia, seeing them reclaim nature and rebuild towns to fit their needs, and also interacting with them and raising their friendship levels, is the peak Pokemon game experience. In Pokopia, Pokemon become the effective new "humans" of the story, making them the focus in a way that they have never been before and giving them personalities that we've only seen realized in the anime. It's everything I love in a Pokemon game, tied up in a surprisingly mature story set in a post-human world.
Goodbye Humans
Pokopia isn't anti-human. In fact, the Pokemon regularly tell me how much they miss their trainers, and some stories you find in the world of duos having to say goodbye to each other is heart-breaking. However, the more I play the game, the more I don't want humans to enter the picture again.
My little utopia is developing perfectly without trainers getting in the way. I'm enjoying every second of Pokemon running around the world without being confined in a little red and white ball, and when they speak to me, it's always endearing. I'll never be annoyed when Bulbasaur tells me that he is hungry. However, if a human like Brock constantly came up to me complaining, I'd likely be moving them into a cave on the far side of a map as punishment for their audacity.
Pokopia is ideal because it truly puts the Pokemon first. This new dynamic is one I never knew that I needed in my life, and I haven't felt this content in a long time as a fan. It's also pushing me to investigate other non-human spin-offs like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. Sure, I'll still play the new Pokemon Winds and Waves game when it comes out, but Pokopia is a new Switch 2 go-to, and may just be the best Pokemon game that I've played since my frontal lobe fully developed.
Want more Nintendo greats? Check out our list of the best Switch 2 games. Or for more Pokemon we have a handy guide on how to watch all of Pokemon in order.
