Published in · 5 min read · Jul 27, 2019
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As a long-standing Pokémon enthusiast, I have made the transition from main series games to now being an appreciator of the fangames from the PokéCommunity. Having finished Episode One of Phoenix Rising recently, it seems to me that in the world of all Pokémon games, Phoenix Rising has the potential to be the best game ever for Pokémon loyalists.
You can look up the main details of Phoenix Rising here and check out their FAQ here. To be succinct, it is a fangame that seeks to stay loyal to the canon world and retain most of the main series gameplay elements, adding creative touches that doesn’t interfere with or detract from traditional Pokemon gameplay which I will elaborate more later on. It takes place in a new region Hawthorne, with lore tightly related to Ho-Oh and warring. Instead of creating new species of Pokémon, the newcomers here are Relic Pokémon, supposedly long extinct rarer counterparts of regular Pokémon who sport different coloring, stats, and typing (not unlike Alolan forms, except rarer). The game is driven by questlines, subquests, and the major Hawthorne Chronicles backstory, which is a refreshing change of pace from merely hunting badges from gym leaders. Also, players get to have different (moral?) choices in how they want their story and character to develop, which is supposed to impact the ending and rewards they will acquire.
For me, Phoenix Rising is that shining example of a game that is striving for perfection. The only major flaw I can think of is the fact that it is still incomplete: the strongest enemies are basically still level 18 at the moment in episode one. Still, it has that touch of a very refined RPG game, which all the Gen 6 and 7 games (save for maybe ORAS) severely lacks. To make a comparison, I experienced more fun and excitement in the short couple hours of Episode One quests than the entire main gameplay of Ultra Sun and X.
Despite the limited game world presented so far, Hawthorne has shown itself to be very intricately designed, both visually and narratively. The art style seems very inspired by Generation 4 and 5 graphics, with a lot of vibrant ambient decoration setting the tone for each city. Every city has its own lifestyle and architecture, and every house actually seems to tell its own story as interactions are designed for almost every detail like refrigerators, trashcans, and sinks. These details coupled with the impressive storytelling from the main lore and the unique side-quests elevates the gameplay experience to a level comparable to that long forgotten magical spark of your first Pokémon game. The battle animations are also animated, which is astounding for a fangame as even giants like Uranium didn’t feature that, although the attack animations are still (forgive-ably) sub-par.
The user interface of the game is a refreshing upgrade. In general, most of the important information can be easily accessed without having to navigate too far into the menu. Importantly, there is the PokéStrap, which is an ingame device that shows itself as a horizontal strip display on the bottom of your screen, which enables a variety of quick access features such as swapping your carry Pokémon around, view key items, or count your steps. This is very reminiscent of a more useful C-Gear on the NDS touch screen, which displays information that one normally needs to spend more time navigating. The notification of quest system can get in the way when they are redundant, especially when you transition from one quest to another, but that annoyance only last seconds, which is not too bad.
It is a miracle that Pokémon made it this far without a proper ‘quest system’. Sure, games have explicit objectives the players are required to complete and some side distractions with optional rewards. But in Phoenix Rising, the game interface actively notifies you when you start or make progress in a quest, and keeps tracks of your progress (in a better way than how Fire Red-Leaf Green handled). The main difference here is that your progress is actively documented for reference, which is a subtle but significant improvement in quality of life. You don’t get the annoying handholding the generation 7 game does to you, and it still saves you from the trouble of having to recall your progress and objectives (or risk spoiling yourself with guides).
It may not have been necessary in previous games, but it sure wouldn’t hurt to have one. It would have kept the content writers more accountable when it comes to the purpose and continuity of these tasks instead of expecting players to blindly chase after badges. This system also motivated me to actively seek out quests by talking to every NPC possible. I actually do this in the other games as well, but knowing that there are possible unexplored quests lying in wait behind every interaction uplifts the experience entirely.
There has not been a Pokemon game this convincing and beautiful in a long while and I feel that it has the potential to deliver a complete mindblowing game experience if they keep up their work with Episode One. So far Phoenix Rising feels like a natural extension of the official games due to their decision to not add in fanmons and new types, which allows veterans in the genre to fit into this game world comfortably. Their attention to detail with environmental interactions and their dedication to create a story-driven gameplay that is deep and compelling is very commendable. As a player and writer, I can’t help but openly praise Phoenix Rising and wish them all the best in terms of completing the game in its current flavor, whatever it takes. If you have talent that a game developer can use, sign up and join them! Otherwise, I am sure they would have liked nothing better than having us and more people download and enjoy the game for free.
The development team of this project is currently recruiting for volunteers to help with the development of the game, so do check out their forums. This is worth looking into as currently they have legitimately found their way around being The Pokemon Company next target for cease and desist orders.
