Pokémon Needs to Learn From One of the Best JRPGs Ever Made

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It’s a bit strange how little Pokémon has changed over the years. Game Freak has made small updates, but the core gameplay remains largely the same. There’s a certain comfort in knowing exactly what you’ll get with each new Pokémon game, similar to how some people keep playing Ubisoft games despite their flaws – sometimes you just want something familiar and easy. In a way, Pokémon is like junk food – enjoyable, but surprisingly expensive, considering it doesn’t offer the same depth as a truly high-quality game.

With the new Switch 2 on the horizon, it’s time for Game Freak to significantly innovate with the next Pokémon game. While Winds and Waves seems to be a step in the right direction and has generated some excitement, I’m not sure it’s enough of a change. I think Game Freak should look to Octopath Traveler for inspiration and radically reimagine Pokémon. There’s a lot Pokémon could learn from Octopath Traveler’s successful design.

Pokémon Needs To Adopt The 2.5D Look

For a long time, Pokémon’s visual style has felt increasingly bland, looking too similar to many other popular mobile and live service games. Recent mainline console games, like Scarlet and Violet and Legends: Z-A, haven’t performed well technically, and haven’t captured the artistic vision seen in the concept art when brought to life in 3D. While Winds and Waves is a visual improvement, it still doesn’t quite stand out from the crowd, even when compared to other Nintendo games.

The latest Pokémon games look more like Xenoblade Chronicles than previous installments, and that’s disappointing. The original pixel art style had a lot of charm, and moving to 3D doesn’t feel like progress. It’s similar to Disney’s live-action remakes – it misses the point of what made the original special. This change suggests the series’ earlier style was simply due to technical constraints, not a deliberate artistic choice, which feels disrespectful to its history.

It’s evident that the older games demonstrate a level of technical skill, detail, and artistry that seems to be missing from recent Nintendo Switch titles. When Pokémon transitioned from the Game Boy Advance to the Nintendo DS, its art style evolved gradually, rather than undergoing a radical transformation, even though the technology for 3D graphics was becoming readily available. Instead of adopting the current, more generic style, it would have been better to pursue something like the 2.5D look of Octopath Traveler, which successfully combines the classic pixel art that defined Pokémon’s early visual identity with 3D backgrounds.

The Pokémon games Diamond and Pearl and Black and White came close to achieving a really immersive look by using 2D characters in environments that felt 3D. A natural next step would have been to move to a detailed, vibrant 2.5D style with lots of visual effects and layered backgrounds. While it seems unlikely Game Freak will use this style in the main Pokémon games now—apparently pixel art isn’t considered modern enough for major titles—it would be great to see it in a spin-off game or even a Legends title. I realize this would mean Pokémon borrowing a visual style from another game, but Game Freak could easily add its own unique touches to make it feel fresh and original.

Pokémon Needs A More Distinctive Narrative

It’s interesting how Pokémon seems to be taking inspiration from Octopath Traveler not just in its visuals, but also in how it tells stories. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet tried a format with separate storylines that, while not entirely successful, was similar to Octopath Traveler’s approach of having distinct character narratives. Since Pokémon struggles to create a compelling overarching story that naturally includes the gym challenges, focusing on unique stories for each gym, which eventually connect, feels like a logical step.

For a while, it’s seemed like Game Freak hasn’t fully embraced gyms, treating them as optional extras instead of central challenges. Similar to how they moved away from classic pixel art, gyms feel outdated, even though they should be a key part of the series’ future. If Pokémon took inspiration from games like Persona 5, Octopath Traveler, or Tales of Arise – games that focus on strong storytelling – it could build memorable moments around battling, making gyms feel essential rather than like a side activity.

Gyms and their leaders have often felt like simple obstacles in Pokémon games, even when the stakes were high. It would be great if future games gave us a real reason to connect with these characters and care about their stories, not just our own journey to victory. While a deeply emotional story like that of Xenoblade Chronicles seems unlikely for Pokémon, it makes sense for Game Freak to focus on what makes Pokémon unique – the gym challenge – and build the narrative around that. This approach seems especially fitting, as the new Winds and Waves games are already bringing back classic Pokémon elements.

Ultimately, I want Game Freak, the developers of Pokémon, to look at what other game companies are doing and improve their games. They haven’t faced real competition in a long time, and as a result, haven’t made significant progress. Meanwhile, indie developers are creating compelling stories, innovative gameplay, and visually appealing creature-collecting games that build on the original Pokémon formula.

There are plenty of recent games that show Pokémon how to improve. For example, Lumen Tale: Memories of Trey uses the art style I think Pokémon desperately needs, and Cassette Beasts has a fantastic story structure. But Game Freak, the company behind Pokémon, doesn’t seem to be paying attention to these games, or to other role-playing games in general – even though Pokémon is one! If Pokémon wants to grow, stand out, and rediscover what makes it special, Game Freak needs to learn from the best. A great place to start would be Octopath Traveler, which is widely considered one of the greatest RPGs of all time.

Would you like to see Pokémon games and media go back to their classic art style? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-16 19:16