Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Gates to Infinity 3ds Review

A simpler accept on a familiar formula

There's something to exist said about a game that sets you in the earth of Pokémon, with eyes unclouded, every bit a citizen, and non a slave driver. It's an interesting feel to run across the realm from their perspective, which, for the most part, consists of outlooks so positive, that it's nearly enough to brand your life feel inadequate in the process.

In addition to existence a successful roguelike dungeon crawler, the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon serial never ceases to provide that same base level of entertainment to fans of the franchise, while taxing them in the process with tricks and traps.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity is the newest iteration, poised to be the first ever polygonal game released outside of Nippon, and the first always 3DS entry. Yep, information technology's more Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. Just a little chip easier this fourth dimension around.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (3DS)
Programmer: Spike Chunsoft
Publisher: Nintendo
Release: March 24, 2013
MSRP: $39.99

Gates to Infinity is the first game in the franchise to take place in the Unova region — or for those who aren't upward to date on their Pokémon games, the areas featured in Black/White i and two.

It's as well the start polygonal and 3D Pokémon Mystery Dungeon game released outside of Nippon, and damn does information technology await not bad. If there's one grouping that consistently does right by the 3DS' 3D, it'due south games based on Nintendo backdrop, and Gates to Infinity is a prime example. The vibrant colors of Unova'southward pastel Pokémon really shine on the 3DS, and the 3D result absolutely should be kept at the full setting during the entire experience.

As the name implies, virtually of the game takes identify in dungeons, where your Pokémon volition move well-nigh randomly generated areas from a height-down perspective. The franchise itself plays out as a "roguelike," which is a blazon of dungeon-crawling game that operates similar to a strategy RPG in many ways — just without the permanent death attribute. Like to most roguelikes, there'southward always a sense of "do I press on?" as you decide whether or not to go deeper into the dungeon for more wares and experience, or get out while yous withal tin.

Although you can't always meet it unless you press a button, gainsay is grid-based like a strategy RPG. Enemies follow the grid pattern as well, and every single input, including movement, constitutes an action. So in other words, if you lot move to go a better vantage point, that's a chance for an enemy or AI partner to assault or move also — for tougher battles, everything needs to be precise.

Just like a regular ol' Pokémon game, there are berries, PP up items (that recharge your abilities), and your usual suspect statistics (Hit Points, Attack, Defense, Special Assail, Special Defense, and Speed).

I have to say outright, this is the easiest Mystery Dungeon game I take e'er played. For starters, hunger is no longer a cistron at all. You besides don't lose the subcontract for dying in a dungeon, items are more streamlined, and IQ points for individual Pokémon are now team-based.

In past games, you could stand in place in a dungeon to heal yourself, at the cost of "Hunger." If your Hunger was cypher, your HP would start to subtract until yous ate food to bring it back up. Information technology was a great style to regulate players from spamming certain tactics over and over, and force them to regulate which items they wanted to take to each dungeon, considering item space was limited.

Now, that's all gone. Exterior of bones item management, you don't ever accept to worry about recovering between fights. In some means, this basically eliminates the survival aspect of the roguelike. While boss fights can still be a proper challenge, dungeon crawling in general is at present extremely easy outside of the special parameter dungeons that don't appear for quite a while. It's a conundrum, every bit the serial was ever on the lighter side of roguelikes in the start place, but I do complaining the removal of some of the strategic elements.

Y'all'll constantly get virtually of your supplies from the abundantly stocked and highly inhabited Postal service Town, as y'all work your way towards your partner'southward dream of the ultimate Pokémon Paradise. Outside of the dungeons, there actually aren't many towns to explore, but given how beautiful and endearing Post Town is, I was fine with it.

Instead of taking a personality test to decide your playable character, you just cull a starter in this game, also as your AI partner (the choices existence Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Pikachu and Axew). It's a chip less imaginative for sure, but it lets yous play the game the mode you lot want it from the beginning, which I appreciate.

In that location are two concurrent narratives: ane serious, and one a lot more than lighthearted. As the story progresses, your character volition have frequent dreams of the possible extinction and deaths of the Pokémon race, as your partner character dreams of creating his own Pokémon Paradise. Eventually, the two stories will intertwine, with a ton of wacky hijinks along the manner.

By "wacky," I mean that these subplots often volition play out merely like the anime's storylines. It tin can go a little…weird…to say the to the lowest degree. I'm talking Pokémon crushes (under the auspices of dialog like "I really want to be her friend!"), con artists scams, and "best friends forever" subplots. There'due south a lot of emphasis on "following your dreams no matter what," and acceptance. A typical Sabbatum morning, if y'all will.

But information technology tin can likewise go a chip night as well, with themes that bargain with the credence of death, bullying, human (Pokémon?) nature, and rejection. Although it can go a bit hamfisted at times, I accept to requite Gates to Infinity major props in that information technology's adequately unpredictable throughout (whether it's serious or silly), even including a not-Pokémon fauna for the first time in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series.

Your enjoyment of the game's theme can swivel on your opinion of the generation V games, as at this point, some of the designs tin go a little ridiculous, and very little of the cast in Gates to Infinity will be represented by Pokémon outside of the Unova region.

Like nigh Mystery Dungeon games, this adventure is long, and will last y'all at minimum 20 hours. After completing the game, there's even more to do, including a postal service-game dungeon and the ability to play every other dungeon over and over.

Auras in dungeons that modify its floors with unlike wacky parameters, similar speed reduction or the inability to recover health. At that place'south also an augmented-reality component, that lets you detect new Magnagate dungeons through scanning in circular objects in real life.

Similar to Fire Emblem: Awakening, DLC maps are planned, with the start one dropping for gratis for a limited fourth dimension. In Nihon, there are currently 12 dungeons that accept been released, ranging from $one to $3. Simply between the Magnagates, and the postal service-game content already on offering, you almost likely won't need the DLC for a long while.

It's always tough to guess whether or not a game should be commended or punished for streamlining a series that previously catered to a niche audience. In this case, it simplifies the feel a fleck too much, but given that this is the most attainable game however, information technology could lead to more potential fans, which is always a good affair.

Although it may not be the all-time game in the franchise, Gates to Infinity is however an enjoyable dungeon crawl, and a beautiful-looking game to boot. Then long every bit you can deal with an easier adventure, this is some other mystery worth solving.

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Source: https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-pokemon-mystery-dungeon-gates-to-infinity/

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