The new Pokémon games Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl were released worldwide on November 19, 2021, and have already created diverse opinions among Pokémon fans.
The Pokémon fandom has been asking for a long time for the remakes of the beloved games Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl, originally released in 2006. The games from the Sinnoh region are the most nostalgic ones for fans, due to the amazing designs of creatures, intriguing lore and backstory, and the high difficulty that imposes a challenge for most players.
After many years of waiting, these remakes were finally announced and released in 2021, giving a fresh interface to the Sinnoh region. However, the Pokémon fandom, one that is known for being hard to please, is already discussing the pros and cons of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl, deciding if they were worth the wait or not.
Between the things that have been critiqued a lot among the fandom, the one that stands out the most is how faithful they are to the original ones. In contrast to past remakes, such as Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, or even Pokémon Heartgold and Pokémon Soulsilver, these games don’t add anything new to the main storyline, being considered basically as a “copy-paste” from the ones released in 2006. Another feature critiqued a lot, and one that has been present in the last released games, is the Experience Share, which lowers the difficulty of the game and provides less of a challenge for players. However, as an excuse for this feature, the Pokémon Company has already stated that their games are intended for a young audience, having the necessity of these being easy to play and complete.
On the other side of things, many aspects of the game have been praised and warmly welcomed. One of these is the “Grand Underground”, which serves as a great improvement to the “Underground” that was present in the original games. Besides mining for rare objects and establishing your own secret base, players are able to explore different habitats where all kinds of Pokémon are present, some of which could not be caught otherwise. Another improvement has to do with the endgame and post-game, the only places where the difficulty bar vastly increases and where the real challenge begins. And in regards to the technical side of things, these games have been praised for their stunning graphics and wonderful music, these being attractive to the eye and pleasant to hear, respectively.
Even with the flaws it has, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl are great games. Nonetheless, they cannot be considered as the best remakes of the series.
