by Conor Ross
Traditional Pokémon games are spent catching Pokémon, battling with them, and leveling up your party so that you can tackle tough gyms on your way to the Elite Four. In Pokémon Champions, you are the gym leader. No more fighting through wild Pokémon or grunts who stand between you and the gym. As the Gym Leader, you are the king of the castle.
Pokémon Champions has an emphasis on battling. After an initial tutorial where players learn the core mechanics of the battling system and become the leader of their very own gym, they’re free to enter the Pokémon League and battle as they wish. The ultimate objective is for players to climb to the top of Pokémon League rankings.
Average Pokémon games feature battles between trainers, where each trainer can hold up to six Pokémon. In Pokémon Champions, players can participate in either single battles, with each trainer battling with up to three Pokémon, or double battles, where up to four Pokémon. You can battle these Pokémon in casual battles or in ranked battles, where you can progress through different ranked leagues.
Pokémon are earned through a recruitment feature where players pay for a random lineup of Pokémon. Players can permanently pick a Pokémon from the lineup or pick a Pokémon for a trial period. The Pokémon selected will take a spot in the player’s box, which has limited spaces but will gain more as players progress through the game. Players can also train their Pokémon by having them learn different moves and assigning limited stat points to different stat pools that each Pokémon has.
Ranked, casual, single, and double matches are PvP based, with an occasional AI opponent encounter. Casual battles don’t offer much in terms of rewards, but they allow the player to battle others without the worry of their rank being affected. Ranked battles offer much more in terms of rewards, which often come as tickets or VP points that are used to unlock cosmetic items, Pokémon, and more. Winning and losing ranked battles will also affect your rank. At higher rank tiers, players are awarded more VP points with each match they play.
I did enjoy my first few hours of Pokémon Champions. It is easy to pick up, and there are plenty of tutorials for players to learn the core mechanics of the battle system. I gravitated towards the single battles over the double battles, as they were more fast-paced and I could maximize matches played in a session. And with each match played, it felt like I was earning something, win or lose. Between rewards from winning a match, rewards from the free tiers on the battle pass, and rewards from in-game challenges, it felt like the player is always gaining something.
The three vs. three and four vs. four matchmaking systems also encourage players to experiment with different team type comps. I found myself always bringing in a Fire, Water, and Grass type into my matches, which was usually a successful endeavor. But it is still fun to see how different types can fit into a team together. However, with the Pokémon recruitment system, it can be frustrating if trying to find particular Pokémon types.
When recruiting new Pokémon through the Champions recruitment system, players don’t catch them. Instead, players pay in-game currency and are provided with a selection of 10 random Pokémon. The player can then select one Pokémon from the selection to add to their Pokémon box. While 10 may seem like a lot to choose from, I was looking for a strong Grass-type to add to my roster and had to create a Pokémon lineup multiple times before I found one Grass-type. Alternatively, players can bring in Pokémon they have stored in Pokémon Home.
Additionally, as my battles continued, it became more exhausting every match. Despite getting a generous number of rewards, I quickly learned that there is not much to do with victory points outside of recruiting new Pokémon and cosmetics. Eventually, even when moving up the rankings, the gameplay stopped feeling rewarding, and it started feeling more demanding. And as I battled more players, it felt like I was seeing the same group of fifteen or so Pokémon every match, which made every battle feel like a repeat of the last. Even as I tried new Pokémon team compositions, nothing felt unique.
Pokémon Champions is a perfect fit for those who enjoy competitive Pokémon battling. It rewards players who understand the intricacies of matchups, best assign their stat points, and have the best moves selected. For those looking for a more casual Pokémon experience that involves hunting and collecting Pokémon, this may not be your favorite title in the franchise, and it may even feel quite repetitive. Still, this may be a hit for players looking to prove that they are the best Pokémon trainer there is!
Pokémon Champions
