So, shall we begin? First, let's start with the formula of the game. Is it the same as the previous Pokemon games? Yes, to some extent. The distinctions are: new challenges, Pokemon, and features that are quite neat. You still get to choose your starters and battle your friend/rival at the beginning. The more things change, the more they stay the same. What you'll find in the 7th generation of Pokemon on the exciting region of Alola are not gyms scattered about awaiting your challenge; instead, you'll come across and venture into the midst of trial challenges. Trials challenges are somewhat like gyms, just with variations and conditions that must be met before you can progress to the final part.
Also, this game is a lot more cinematic and dialogue-heavy; which means more story and exposition. Even the beginning of the game felt like a movie sequence (which was pretty awesome). The four islands of Alola are quite lively and full of color and adventure. At first, I thought only four islands wouldn't qualify as enough content to explore for Pokemon fans, but surprisingly, the islands are bigger than they appear, and there are many nooks and crannies to explore; especially if you hope to find some nice items and TMs. Speaking of TMs, HMs (hidden machine moves) have been completely omitted from the game entirely. No more shall you have to subject one of your precious Pokemon to being a HM-slave (yes, I'm referring to my poor Bidoof from Diamond version). This is fantastic because you are able to focus on your team build and their move-sets, making the story of the game far more enjoyable.
Now that I mention the story, I have to tell you that the game is nearly 30 hours long, depending on how much you decide to explore, of course. And I assure you there is much to explore in this brand-new Pokemon quest. They have brought a new feature that allows you to warp to a whole-new place where only WiFi gameplay exists. You know, like wondertrading, battling, global link and all that. Yes, those features are back, rest assured. The separation between online play and single player mode is great, in my opinion, and I say this because it means you simply won't get pestered by online players when you're cruising through the story mode and having fun with your Pokemon. Pokemon Refresh, which is like Pokemon Amie is back and it's much better, too. You can play with your Pokemon and feed them, and even heal them from status conditions when they're paralyzed or poisoned. The game will even prompt an option requesting to take you to Pokemon Refresh after a battle.
This goes without saying, but I should tell you anyway, there are many new Pokemon in Sun and Moon, as well as version exclusive Pokemon and Legendaries. There are many Legendaries in the game and it is up to you to seek them out and battle them. There are even new forms of old Pokemon from Generation 1 (Kanto), which are called Regional Variants. All in all, the game has an amazing sense of adventure and grandeur, as well as whimsicality and excitement. The in-game soundtrack is wonderful and even odd at times (in a good way, of course). The new Team of the games, Team Skull, are basically like Team Rocket 2.0 and they act like complete gangsters, and they are very awesome. Z-moves are enhanced and beefed-up versions of Pokemon's original moves that depend on typing and Z-crystals. You can even ride on Pokemon. Yes! You read that right! You can literally hop atop a Tauros or ride astride a Stoutland to traverse volcanoes and plains of lush green. Overall, the game has definitely lived up to the hype and is well worth the time and money. And if you're wondering whether or not there are any cons to the game, well, there are.
Gamefreak didn't seem to optimize the game's engine as well as they could; this is particularly noticeable in double battles as you will experience frame drops. Also, I wished the game was a little more challenging; it's fairly easy--but I will say, it gets the difficulty better than that of X/Y and OR/AS. Some characters are memorable, some are easily forgettable. The removal of dex-naving is a shame; that was my favorite part about OR/AS. Though, the new Rotom-dex is pretty amazing, I have to say.
Wrapping this up, Pokemon Sun and Moon are definitely games worthy of standing aside their predecessors, and they are truly memorable and fun games. And as a last note, the two main Legendary Pokemon have really grown on me, becoming my two new favorites. I give Pokemon Moon a solid 9/10. Happy playing, trainers, and remember: you gotta catch 'em all!
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