The last two minutes of the game is known as ‘the final stretch’.ĭuring the final stretch, all points scored are doubled. This is where the brilliance of Pokémon UNITE comes into play. I’ve watched enough soccer and played enough Rocket League to know when a game is over long before it ends ( one such example, Brazilians beware). This is where Pokémon UNITE differentiates itself from most sports (and sports games). The standard game has 10 minutes of game time, but not all minutes are weighed the same. The player’s Pokémon level up by knocking out enemies, scoring, or simply the passage of time. So no need to worry about getting the right stone if you’re an Eevee. Evolving is as simple as leveling up to the appropriate level. For example, if you choose Charizard, you’ll start off as Charmander. Depending on the Pokémon you’re using, you might have to evolve to unlock your full power. And chances are, the opposing team’s not going to let you score without a fight.Īt first, your Pokémon will start at Level 1. Though the more points you have with you, the longer it takes to score. Scoring is simple enough you go to the other side of the stadium and hold X over their “goal”.

The goal of the game is to score more points than the other team. In a standard game of Pokémon UNITE, each team has five players each with unique Pokémon (that’s right, no duplicates within a team). Thus, I won’t talk about them.Īs I had hinted earlier, this game falls under the genre of MOBA, but the atmosphere of the games made it feel more like a massively multiplayer online sports game like Rocket League.

The matches themselves take place at Aeos Island, but honestly, the game has no real plot or worldbuilding whatsoever. Opening the game, the player will be introduced to a sports game that looks to be a mix of basketball and soccer. It also helped that it’s a free-to-play game. Perhaps the fact that it’s Pokémon got me over that barrier. I’m not even a fan of Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA)-type games, but I was nonetheless hooked. My brother and I first played Pokémon UNITE when it was released in July 2021. Readers may find my declaration to be a bit bold, so allow me to step back just a little bit. It’s also why it is currently one of my favorite Pokémon games ever. Hopefully the player base sticks around, as with the right amount of love and care, Pokémon Unite could be a huge boost for the franchise as a whole.Imagine Pokémon meets Rocket League – that’s how I see Pokémon UNITE. The different maps are great as well, all having their own wild pokémon and legendaries to defeat as you battle. Plus, the sprites look great, so it is hard to moan too much about it. While the roster could definitely use a good injection of new monsters, there’s enough variety in the base game to keep you busy for a while. Overall, Pokémon Unite is actually a ton of fun, way more than expected at the very least. The winner is decided by which team deposited the most at the end of the time limit, or if a team surrenders. After depositing a certain amount in each of the towers in the lanes, this will only leave the one in front of spawn, which will never be destroyed. There are two in each lane, and one right in front of spawn. The overall aim is to deposit as many Unite Balls as possible, with each team having a total amount of five towers to deposit at. There are wild pokémon that grant abilities, like additional damage to other wild allies, or a boost to depositing Unite Balls into towers, making it worth your time to team up and take down some of the stronger ones, like Zadpos. Which would be a neat addition in the future, having the ability to choose between different evolutions.īe careful of your held items, make sure they work for your gangsta Pikachu

Snorlax doesn’t evolve from Munchlax either, and while Slowpoke does evolve into Slowbro, Slowking isn’t an option. Pikachu, as an example, neither starts off as Pichu, or evolves into Raichu. While Gengar, Greninja, and Charzard will all start at their base forms, evolving along the way as you level, some won’t. The rules about what characters are available to play, and who evolves, is mostly up in the air. That being said, it’s absolutely possible for other monsters like Alakazam to come to the game as playable characters in the future. The same goes for some of the smaller mobs that you’ll fight early on, such as Abra, Aipom, and Corphish. Zapdos and Regigigas, for example, are boss pokémon that will give you effects on the opponent’s towers. Just like other MOBAs, there are units to dispose of to help level your pokémon of choice, or to collect Unite Balls, which is how you attack your opponent’s “tower.” Obviously, this means there are some pokémon who are unlikely to ever be playable. Least you don’t have to worry about a K/D

Pokemon unite review battle