If you’re deep into the post-Pokémon Scarlet and Violet void and need your Pokémon fix before Wind and Waves, there’s a new PC game that has just dropped that will plunge you deep into poké-paradise with an entirely new battle format that replicates true RPGs.
If we’re being truthful, Scarlet and Violet wasn’t quite the hit we wished for, being the lowest-rated title in the mainline series.
It begged the question as to whether there was still success to be found in the 3D format, or whether this new era of Pokémon had peaked with Arceus.
Still, Wind and Waves is coming to test that theory.
In the meantime, though, Pokémon has returned to its roots thanks to a free PC fan project that gives off Diamond and Pearl vibes in the best way possible.
Pokémon is back to its best through ‘Reloaded’
While Pokopia has dropped to give us an entirely new – and brilliant – Pokémon experience, the $60 price tag is steep for those who are trying to relive the old-school experience.
So, up stepped fan game Pokémon Reloaded, which drops us back into the Game Boy Colour and is a blend of nostalgic top-down Paldea exploration and new, innovative battling.
Launched on PC for free, the project dropped as a beta test after ten years of development, with its frequent updates expanding the boundaries of an ever-growing map.
With a Pokedex boasting 900 of our favourite ‘mons, including Mega evolutions, the real beauty is its real-time combat system.
Moving away from the stalwart turn-based battles, Pokémon Reloaded has implemented a system that allows you to fight opponents in the wild or at gyms in a real brawl, as if you were an RPG player taking on a boss villain.
Still using the popular moves associated with each pocket partner, the combat system puts you into a small arena where your quick attacks are most prevalent, while your extra moves charge and deal more damage. Instead of waiting for each character to trade blows, though, you can let hell rain on your foe and submit them to a quick faint.
The free PC game is in Beta version 1.9, named ‘the last beta’, with a full release and expanded regions expected to come in a few months.
It’s a non-traditional take on classic Pokémon, but it’s a huge project with endless hours of grindable content that will keep you stacked until Winds and Waves.
Exactly what you need before being consumed by Winds and Waves
Speaking of Winds and Waves, Pokémon Reloaded might actually be the natural game to warm you up by getting used to massive new worlds.
That’s because the upcoming Gen 10 game will have one of the biggest maps we’ve seen yet and will be one of the more experimental mainline titles we’ve had in a decade.
With adorable new starters (for the first time since 2013), and even an entirely new ‘type’ on the way, there will be so much content that you might find yourself easily overwhelmed.
So, practice makes perfect.
If you can’t bring yourselves to be bamboozled by the gargantuan tasks in Pokopia, Pokémon Reloaded is the warm-up you desperately need.
