For almost two decades, I, and many other Pokemon fans have waited eagerly for the most anticipated Pokemon game of all-time. The fabled ‘Sinnoh Remakes’ have long been a meme in the Pokemon community, and it wasn’t until the approach of the 25th Anniversary of the franchise that they may have seemed truly possible. Well, they released, and I played them. Thus, here is my review of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
Pre-Release Beliefs and Expectations –
I think it is important to take into account just how high the expectations were for Sinnoh Remakes before giving a review of what I thought of the games. Now, in fairness, it is not unusual for Pokemon fans to set their expectations a bit too high, but at the same time, it isn’t unusual for the series to deliver sub-par experiences as of recent. I cannot speak for everyone, but personally, I felt that a truly next-generation experience of Sinnoh is what I always wanted. Did BDSP deliver on this concept? Not in the slightest, almost nothing that I expected in my wish-list for the games that I wrote last year came through. However, that isn’t to say all hope is lost, as Legends: Arceus seems to have delivered upon the potential I was imagining (more on that in the future).
Story –
The story of BDSP follows the exact same lines as the original games, with it being an almost 1 to 1 remake of the original Diamond and Pearl. I do wish there were some changes to the general story, however, I cannot really complain, as Diamond and Pearl is one of the best Pokemon adventures to run through in my opinion. I guess in a sense you can say that you shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken. That is certainly what Ilca went with here, as the story remains completely the same.
Art-Style & Graphics –
One of the biggest controversies surrounding almost every 3D Pokemon game these days seems to be the art style that is used for each game. The moment in which the reveal of the style used for BDSP was shown will forever go down in history as one of the biggest collective groans in Pokemon history. Now, the art-style isn’t bad by any means, but in my personal opinion, it just doesn’t work. It gives off the impression of a cheap app-store game in many areas. I was not a fan of the decision to revert back to a chibi style.
That being said, despite disliking this decision and finding the game unpleasant visually for the most part, there are times where the game’s visuals really do shine. One of these moments particularly shines through when you go to the lake with Barry at the beginning of the game. The water, music and general aesthetic gives off a vibrant and lively feel. It is just a shame that this quality doesn’t remain consistent throughout Sinnoh.
Pokemon Themselves –
Sinnoh has long been hounded for lacking choice in a variety of areas. In the original Diamond and Pearl, there were two fire-type Pokemon available. Thankfully, this oversight has been addressed in BDSP. That being said, choosing my team members never feels meaningful in modern Pokemon games thanks to the inability to turn off the collective gain of experience. Why does strategy matter in building my team and its members when realistically they are all going to be over levelled in comparison to my opponents anyways. For a few years now my thought process regarding choosing my team members has shrank smaller and smaller This depletion of meaning leaks over into the battles in recent Pokemon games, which will be my next point of discussion.
Battles Losing Meaning –
As well as choosing your Pokemon strategically losing its meaning as of recent, the battles themselves are also losing all meaning. Teaching your Pokemon specific moves, or getting them specific traits and abilities, all holds quite literally ZERO meaning in BDSP especially. I found myself only running into battles because it has been ingrained in my since I was a child. But, if I was honest, battles in BDSP are nothing but button mashing fests that are completely empty and hold zero meaning whatsoever. This is extremely detrimental to the experience of the game when the entire concept of Pokemon being enjoyable is built upon choosing your teams and excessive battles. Unfortunately I cannot see this changing, as Pokemon as a game franchise remains hellbent on keeping the collective and permanent EXP Share on at all-times.
Pokemon Following You –
Now that my major gripes with BDSP are out of the way, I will actually speak on a positive. Pokemon following you has been added back. This is a great feature that needs to be permanent throughout every single Pokemon game. It shouldn’t even be a question fans have whether Pokemon following you will or will not be in each Pokemon game before release. Unfortunately, I don’t see it remaining a permanent feature, as history shows that these games follow a trend of removing and adding back the same features over and over, much like how annual sports games do.
Underground –
The underground is nice to see return, and building bases can be quite fun. However, that being said, the new rooms of Pokemon do feel quite pointless. They are essentially just Let’s Go rooms, and serve little purpose beyond seeing some special rare Pokemon. But, it is something different that they didn’t have to add I suppose, and for that reason, it is a welcome addition.
Missing Online Features –
The former GTS building (not sure what it’s been renamed to in BDSP), along with union rooms not holding the advertised amount of people from the trailer are all things missing from the game at launch. Despite now being added, it is too little too late, and the game feels effectively dead since the release of PLA and the announcement of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Lack of New Additions/Old Events –
I know these games are meant to be 1 to 1 remakes, and I know the events were added in the end, however, let us not beat around the bush, this is the fastest a Pokemon game has ever died out. Adding these events in 2022 effectively made them meaningless and they should have been in the game from the beginning, just like the missing online features.
The Bare Minimum Once Again –
Unfortunately these games are just another show of Pokemon settling for literally the absolute bare minimum and the lowest acceptable standard possible. These games were the most anticipated Pokemon games of my life-time on a personal level. Yet, if I am honest, they are the ones that have killed my spark for the series. It was the first time that I had to force myself to finish the main story of a Pokemon game, which is upsetting. It was a complete slog, and by far the worst and most unenjoyable experience I’ve ever had playing through a Pokemon game.
Thankfully, Legends: Arceus released, and that addressed a lot of issues I have with modern-day Pokemon, and with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet on the horizon, things seem to only be on the up from here. That being said, BDSP are Pokemon games to forget. I have been tame in my criticism I feel, but these games are not even worth half the price they go for. I would be more angry in my tone, but these games have almost zero effort put into them, so that’s about as much time and effort I am willing to give them in my review.
Final Rating – 4.5/10
Nathan Brennan 