Given that the Pokemon franchise has explored genres ranging from visual novel to turn-based tactics, it’s downright confounding that it hasn’t yet produced a cozy life sim. Pokemon Pokopia is coming to change that, and doing it in a uniquely Pokemon way. After a lengthy hands-on session at a Nintendo showcase event, this take on different cozy-game mechanics and mainstays blend to feel like something that stands on its own.
You’re a lost Ditto, heartbroken over the loss of your trainer. When the game starts, you choose a look based on your memories of the trainer, serving as the character creator. No matter what you choose, you’ll be left looking like an odd, beady-Ditto-eyed approximation of a human. You quickly meet up with Professor Tangrowth, who walks you through some of the earliest parts of the game, centered around attracting and meeting up with new Pokemon.
The visual style of Pokopia is unlike any other we’ve seen in Pokemon games. The cube-based geometry most readily recalls Minecraft, but I was also reminded of the Dragon Quest Builders games due to how it iterates on that style with more detail, shading, and rounded edges. The Builders influence is also felt with the more mission-based structure of Pokopia, as opposed to Minecraft’s open-ended survival. And as a fellow Switch title, it’s hard not to think of Animal Crossing, to which Pokopia bears only a passing resemblance. You are building up a community of characters, but this feels more flexible in the style of Minecraft and DQ Builders, and at least from my limited time, less focused on social connections.
