Pokemon Omega Ruby

 3DS
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1029 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 748 out of 1029
  2. Mixed: 121 out of 1029
  3. Negative: 160 out of 1029
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  1. Mmmmm
    Oct 23, 2015
    4
    Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire take the region of Hoenn and bring it into full 3D, at a cost. The graphics are appealing and the music has also leapt forward from the Game Boy Advance. However, when it comes to content, these games are a noticeable step back from Emerald. Features that made Hoenn so hugely memorable, such as the Battle Frontier, were ignored. In fact, unlike HeartPokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire take the region of Hoenn and bring it into full 3D, at a cost. The graphics are appealing and the music has also leapt forward from the Game Boy Advance. However, when it comes to content, these games are a noticeable step back from Emerald. Features that made Hoenn so hugely memorable, such as the Battle Frontier, were ignored. In fact, unlike Heart Gold and Soul Silver including almost all of Crystal's additional content, ORAS includes almost nothing from Emerald. It even retains the archaic double battle system from Ruby and Sapphire where the opponent can only use two Pokémon total, when every game from Emerald onward had double battles with more than that.

    The game even misses content from the original Ruby and Sapphire. The Safari Zone, an area where you catch Pokémon with bait and rocks as a change of pace, was homogenized to be exactly the same as any other area you catch Pokémon in. The Game Corner, a building with slots and roulettes, was removed for censorship purposes and nothing was added in its place, again in contrast to Heart Gold replacing the Game Corner with a fun new minigame. Several areas were changed for the worse, shrinking places like New Mauville and Mt. Pyre and changing the small crossroads of Mauville City into essentially a gaudy shopping mall that's tedious to navigate.

    The difficulty was also cut down and more handholding was added. Pokémon is already an easy series, but this game will insult your intelligence if you're more than five years old. It retains the new Experience Share from Pokémon XY, levelling your Pokémon far higher than the difficulty curve expects them to be at. This is able to be turned off, but it being on by default meant plenty of people went through the game without any challenge whatsoever, and Pokémon is not a series you just play for the story.

    To end on a positive note, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire do add new features that improve the game from the original. The Dexnav is a new device that allows you to find Pokémon with special moves and abilities that you normally can't get in the wild, specializing your party if you choose to use it. The Secret Base feature from the originals was expanded to have online features and allows you to set up your own Gym, and I had a lot of fun messing with it. However, the game as a whole is missing content compared to the versions on the Game Boy Advance, and what is there has been watered down in some places. If you've never experienced a Pokémon game set in Hoenn, I recommend looking for a copy of Pokémon Emerald instead. It gives a much better single player experience.    … Expand
  2. destiny6573
    Oct 10, 2015
    8
    I Have To Say good job BUT!!!!! You get latios or latios at level 40's about that It's Great And A good thing to play if bored Ok it's A Bit of a remake for the normal! :)
  3. Rhysstr
    Sep 30, 2015
    10
    Mt gosh this was a good game the secret bases the game play when battling is great and plus the delta episode and on top of all of that the new mega evolutions like marshtomps and septiles plus primal groudon and kyogre it is the best!
  4. DeltaPhoenix
    Sep 24, 2015
    10
    I loved this Pokemon Game. The Pokemon were fascinating and the art, music and everything else was stupendous! It was an amazing revamp of the original and I can't wait to see wait Nintendo has next!
  5. FireRedRuby
    Sep 12, 2015
    10
    This game makes it very easy to get into competitive Pokemon battling. Mega Evolutions are very fun and there's ton of variety to this game. Double battling is definitely my favorite way to battle. I only hope that the next game is more adequately balanced and with less gimmicky pokemon like Aegislash or Greninja. Instead we need more Pokemon like Ninetales, Gardevoir, Pachirisu, Swellow,This game makes it very easy to get into competitive Pokemon battling. Mega Evolutions are very fun and there's ton of variety to this game. Double battling is definitely my favorite way to battle. I only hope that the next game is more adequately balanced and with less gimmicky pokemon like Aegislash or Greninja. Instead we need more Pokemon like Ninetales, Gardevoir, Pachirisu, Swellow, Gyarados and Milotic. Either way this is my favorite game on 3DS.… Expand
  6. spinnes
    Jul 6, 2015
    10
    I played the original in the GBA, very good, the game made me a fan of Pokemon games, the story is better than the previous titles and the Pokemon are entertaining, the contests, gym battles everything, one of the best Nintendo franchises, and this game is one of the best, really recommend for those who want to start the franchise, will make you spend hours and hours in it
  7. GoombaJMR
    Jul 4, 2015
    8
    Very fun game to play - I was hesitating between an 8 and a 9, and had to drop it down a bit due to a weak postgame. Well, it's not the weakest postgame (I'm looking at you, Pokemon XY), but it isn't really enough. I did thoroughly enjoy playing through the game though, and I felt that I'd be able to get some decent replayability value from this game. Hmm, I've put around 75 hours intoVery fun game to play - I was hesitating between an 8 and a 9, and had to drop it down a bit due to a weak postgame. Well, it's not the weakest postgame (I'm looking at you, Pokemon XY), but it isn't really enough. I did thoroughly enjoy playing through the game though, and I felt that I'd be able to get some decent replayability value from this game. Hmm, I've put around 75 hours into Omega Ruby so far, and I don't plan on putting too many more until my pokemon-mood arrives again. I guess an improvement for the future would be that the battles occur faster, or with the option of auto-battle, found in a variety of turn based RPGs, such as SMT IV, Etrian Odyssey IV, Demon Gaze, Persona 3 and 4, Fire Emblem Awakening, SMT Strange Journey, and Conception II. Anyways, buy this game if you're a pokemon fan!

    Gameplay: 8.5/10
    Story: 8/10
    Music: 9/10
    Presentation: 8.5/10
    Length: 8.5/10
    Overall: 8.5/10    … Expand
  8. Spectrum
    Jun 28, 2015
    9
    As someone who played the original ruby back in the day, Omega ruby takes everything that was cool about the original and makes it much better. The contests look amazing and are more challenging, the battles look better than ever, the delta episode adds a few more hours of fun into the mix and the PSS (returning from Pokemon X and Y) makes challenging other people online easy and fun. TheAs someone who played the original ruby back in the day, Omega ruby takes everything that was cool about the original and makes it much better. The contests look amazing and are more challenging, the battles look better than ever, the delta episode adds a few more hours of fun into the mix and the PSS (returning from Pokemon X and Y) makes challenging other people online easy and fun. The new feature of sneaking up on Pokemon is interesting and brings some variety to looking for wild Pokemon. After finishing the game, you even get to go to the brand new battle resort with move tutors, the battle maison and a bunch of new trainers to battle with and of course, Mega evolutions return, with more of them than in X and Y.

    However, you can't customize your trainer like you could in X and Y and the battle frontier from emerald is missing. (Missed opportunity) Still, even without those features, the game is another great hit from the Pokemon series and is worth picking up.    … Expand
  9. JT9588
    Jun 21, 2015
    8
    As a remake of a GBA game released in 2002, this game does not disappoint. By implementing the X &Y game engine, it revives the whole region and reintroduces the Hoenn to the older fans and the newer fans. The new post game also squeezes a little bit more out of the game and it allows for a more immersive adventure. However, this game is also not without flaws. As a huge fan of theAs a remake of a GBA game released in 2002, this game does not disappoint. By implementing the X &Y game engine, it revives the whole region and reintroduces the Hoenn to the older fans and the newer fans. The new post game also squeezes a little bit more out of the game and it allows for a more immersive adventure. However, this game is also not without flaws. As a huge fan of the original games, the omission of certain nuances in the game, such as the Pokeblock blending game and the minigames in Mosdeep City, certainly leads to an incomplete experience. As a child, I remember playing these games with friends and it added another dimension to the gameplay, however without these features in the remakes, Pokemon ORAS just seemed to lack finesse. Overall, the game is still a must buy for all Pokemon fans, whether new or old.… Expand
  10. Mppleader
    May 17, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I feel it's decent but as a follow-up to one of my favorite games of all time It's one step forward two steps back. some of my problems are from Emerald that weren't fixed. First off the audio is a huge downgrade. from Pokemon X's gorgeous soundtrack. (This is one of those problems from Emerald that wasn't fixed BTW) Pokemon emerald had a very limited number of tracks that played in multiple locations. Which means I can guarantee you'll get sick of the soundtrack. Whether you're playing Emerald,Ruby,Sapphire,Omega Ruby, Or Alpha Sapphire.I could excuse this if was the Game Boy or Boy Color because it had limited memory but other GBA Games had incredible Soundtracks with music that either plays in a single location or wasn't used into the ground like Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga & Kirby & the Amazing Mirror. The new Mega Evolutions are incredible But The Primal reversions are mixed. Primal Groudon is absolutely incredibly useful with the awesome new signature move Presipice Blades, the gaining of the fire type, & the best ability ever DESOLATE LAND that makes him & all other Pokemon in battle immune to water-type moves Which makes Wallace a complete joke.. But Primal Kyogre is pretty underwhelming. I feel the game is a little easy but not by much. I feel they gave you to many Mega stones before beating the game which means no mega Stone Scavenger Hunter which was really fun. I do like that you can get 1 Pokemon previously only available via distribution *SPOILER* IT'S DEYOXYS. & I'm glad that Latias & Latios are no longer Roaming Legendary's which are gone. you think That'd be good news well at least for me you're WRONNNNNNNG! Instead in order to get certain legendary pokemon you need to achieve certain obscure requirements that you won't know unless you look it up. which Is even worse than Roaming Legendary's. The Delta Episode was Pretty Dang Good & introduced new ideas to the Pokemon universe. But We've already established two Pokemon alternate universes. The Pokepark Universe & Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. I feel Zinnia is quirky but not all that interesting. I do love the bigger emphasis on Story the recent games introduced. I feel that a couple Gym have gotten easier from Emerald. particularly Norman because he dropped that stupid spinda. I also feel the Pokemon league is step back from Back & White 1,2,X, & Y by not being able to take on the elite four in any order you want. & I feel the last fight is an anticlimatic cheap ripoff of the final blue fight. Plus it's go signigance to the plot. I'm not gonna spoil the story because I'd feel like a jerk. it's decent but I feel it's one of the most disappointing games I've ever played.… Expand
  11. smeargle05
    May 14, 2015
    9
    This is a great remake of Ruby. Though nothing much is changed with the main story, the newer concepts from X and Y sits well in this long awaited remake. Pokemon contests are finally back. Though it may not be for everyone, it is a pretty fun minigame. It's a shame that the casino is gone, though. Honestly, they could have changed it to an arcade or something to avoid promoting gambling.This is a great remake of Ruby. Though nothing much is changed with the main story, the newer concepts from X and Y sits well in this long awaited remake. Pokemon contests are finally back. Though it may not be for everyone, it is a pretty fun minigame. It's a shame that the casino is gone, though. Honestly, they could have changed it to an arcade or something to avoid promoting gambling.
    The greatest thing about this, however, is the Delta episode, and I love Zinnia's theme. However, I would have liked for this story arc to be slower paced because there really isn't anything spreading it out like how there was the Team Magma antics during your journey to the Pokemon League.
    The end game content here is much better than in X and Y, but instead of the battle frontier from Emerald, there's only a Battle Maison, which is slightly disappointing.    … Expand
  12. amstans
    May 11, 2015
    6
    I was majorly disappointed in the lack of 3D in this '3DS remake' as the colours and backgrounds are vibrant. The game, while being my first Pokemon game (I won it in an online draw), fails to impress. Over the years I have heard so much hype. I bought Platinum for the Wii but never had a chance to play too much of it before a friend "borrowed it" and never saw it again. But from my memoryI was majorly disappointed in the lack of 3D in this '3DS remake' as the colours and backgrounds are vibrant. The game, while being my first Pokemon game (I won it in an online draw), fails to impress. Over the years I have heard so much hype. I bought Platinum for the Wii but never had a chance to play too much of it before a friend "borrowed it" and never saw it again. But from my memory this is pretty much the same game. Repetitive, juvenile, slow, too many Pokemon to remember or care about, too easy to play... it leaves you wondering what am I missing? The animations are cute and it is at least not as bad as Paper Mario Sticker Star, and it does make an okay portable game without having to commit too much of your brain cells or time restraints make it easy to put down and pick up again. Too bad Xenoblade Chronicles 3D had to come along and take my time instead!… Expand
  13. HappyPhilXD
    Mar 29, 2015
    9
    Wer Rubin liebt wird Omega Rubin auch lieben. Es ist im prinzip die gleiche Story mit kleinen Änderungen.
    Die Kämpfe sind endlich voll 3D animiert. Die Musik ist wie immer klasse.
    Wer einen New 3DS besitzt kann nun auch die 3D Funktionen fast ohne Ruckeln verwenden.
  14. BasilZero
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    Game: Pokemon Omega Ruby
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: GameFreak/Nintendo System: Nintendo 3DS (3DS) Total Score: 96/100 Value Score: 9.6/10 • Story: 9/10 • Characters: 10/10 • GamePlay: 8/10 • Graphics: 10/10 • Sound: 10/10 • Music: 10/10 • Length: 9/10 • Replay Value: 10/10 • Player Value: 10/10 Pros +Expansion to the storyline from the original, includes a new episode named    Game: Pokemon Omega Ruby
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: GameFreak/Nintendo
    System: Nintendo 3DS (3DS)
    Total Score: 96/100
    Value Score: 9.6/10

    • Story: 9/10
    • Characters: 10/10
    • GamePlay: 8/10
    • Graphics: 10/10
    • Sound: 10/10
    • Music: 10/10
    • Length: 9/10
    • Replay Value: 10/10
    • Player Value: 10/10

    Pros
    +Expansion to the storyline from the original, includes a new episode named DELTA EPISODE and also ties in with the Mega Evolution Anime series
    +Includes all the online features of Pokemon X/Y
    +More pokemon capable of using Mega Evolution than in X/Y
    +OST remixed with a lot of new remixes to several songs. Some songs have multiple remixes.
    +Post game content has been increased with a variety of sidequests and Pokemon that can be captured compared to the original and X/Y.
    +Ability to fly in real time is introduced to the series which brings more freedom of travel than in previous games
    +Secret bases have been improved with more items and more locations added
    +More type of berries have been added
    +Capable of trading between X/Y/Alpha Sapphire and the Pokemon Bank

    Cons
    -The character customization feature from X/Y does not exist in this version
    -The game's FPS still drops in battle view - very easy to tell especially in horde battles
    -Personal preference but it is easy to get a lot of Gift pokemon in the game and that kinda spoils the player to use normally obtainable pokemon
    -Shorter than Pokemon X/Y    … Expand
  15. Inferior
    Mar 22, 2015
    9
    #TooMuchWater
    On a serious note; the game is amazing. Truly a fantastic remake of the original games: Ruby and Sapphire!
    Great nostalgia; with added features that were really fun to play through!
  16. Signas501
    Mar 22, 2015
    10
    Pokémon Omega Ruby, & Alpha Sapphire are both rereleases, and unfortunately there wont be a recreation of Emerald. However both games soundtracks, and gameplay have been revamped, once again putting the player in Hoenn to become the champion and stop both Team Magma & Team Aqua from terrorizing the world with the legendary pokemon Groundon, Kyogre, and rayquaza.
  17. arrrek5
    Mar 7, 2015
    9
    Great game. There are a lot of new features. My favourite is 3D graphics. Some of them are old, but upgraded like PokéNav, now PokéNav Plus. But there are some things that I don't like. First and the most important is the Battle Resort. It was changed to a Battle Maison. I was really sad. Second thing is smaller, but still bad. Safari zone is changed. But game is still one of best PokémonGreat game. There are a lot of new features. My favourite is 3D graphics. Some of them are old, but upgraded like PokéNav, now PokéNav Plus. But there are some things that I don't like. First and the most important is the Battle Resort. It was changed to a Battle Maison. I was really sad. Second thing is smaller, but still bad. Safari zone is changed. But game is still one of best Pokémon games I played.… Expand
  18. TFFANBOYYY
    Feb 15, 2015
    10
    This game perfectly brings back my fond memories of pokemon emerald. It also improves upon Pokemon X, and steals hours of my life, from running around and collecting badges, to going around and collecting flags from people's bases.
  19. kiwi_tea
    Feb 10, 2015
    8
    Another very solid entry to the Pokemon franchise. I am always nervous of remakes, there is plenty of room to go wrong. I played Ruby quite a lot and got into the competitive scene with it. I remember a long struggle to breed an HP Fire Metagross - by long I mean months and months. For a competitive player, the game stands as a demonstration of how well Gamefreak has tweaked access toAnother very solid entry to the Pokemon franchise. I am always nervous of remakes, there is plenty of room to go wrong. I played Ruby quite a lot and got into the competitive scene with it. I remember a long struggle to breed an HP Fire Metagross - by long I mean months and months. For a competitive player, the game stands as a demonstration of how well Gamefreak has tweaked access to competitive quality Pokemon. It will still take work to stack you team with flawless breeds and 5IV legendaries, but now it's a somewhat more realistic amount of work. The game itself is no kind of revolution, keeping the mechanics of XY, adding a rough handful of new egg and tutor moves, keeping the same charm of Hoenn from Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald. The thing is, Pokemon never needs a revolutionary change, just subtle adjustment. The lack of the Battle Frontier is truly heartbreaking, but there are signs in-game that it will make a return in future entries.… Expand
  20. BvS_NarutoU
    Feb 7, 2015
    0
    Bought this on a whim, and was hoping for some big changes, like being able to travel to other regions... I'm not into the contests, and when I got to Sootopolis City, I kinda stopped playing, and haven't since...
  21. shinesparkpowa
    Jan 29, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Probably the best Pokémon game I've ever played. Ok, I should mention that I moved from Pokémon Diamond version to this version (because I passed almost 500 of hours on Ruby version before the internal battery died). I'm certainly more impressed by the game than someone who played Pokémon X/Y but this game is really awesome. The graphics are really magnificent (for a portable game console), there are plenty of new options (or not for X/Y players) like playing with your own pokémons, training them with minigames or also actually flying with Latios. The mega evolutions are really amazing (except for Aggron which is too fat and ugly I think). Two things I don't like in this version : first, the Exp. share is really cheated because it make your pokemons progress too quikly without fighting by giving xp to all the pokémons of your team (I know we can deactivate it). And second, the fact that every legendary pokémons are catchable in Hoenn regardless they are from Sinnoh, Kanto or any other region (That allow people who can't get Suicune or dialga without any code anymore to get them I know). That being said, I highly recommend this game either you are new with Pokémon or a big fan… Expand
  22. RichardConrardy
    Jan 23, 2015
    7
    This was my first pokemon game. I was somehow disappointed by how easy it was. I kept the same group of pokemon for most of the game, without grinding or whatever my pokemon were 10 levels above everyone else. The only ennemy ever to make any trouble at all was the last pokemon of the very last boss.
    The only difficulty seems to be to know the right element to use against every enemy.    This was my first pokemon game. I was somehow disappointed by how easy it was. I kept the same group of pokemon for most of the game, without grinding or whatever my pokemon were 10 levels above everyone else. The only ennemy ever to make any trouble at all was the last pokemon of the very last boss.
    The only difficulty seems to be to know the right element to use against every enemy.
    But perhaps the game is more about fighting human ennemies that level up their pokemon as well. Anyhow, I'm not really blown away like everybody else.
    This being said, the animations are nice, the game is not too short and the story could be worse. Some riddles were quite good, a very few even hard. Anyway, it seems like a too easy mix between rock paper scissors, zelda and a trading card game.    … Expand
  23. SilenceDeMort
    Jan 17, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokémon Omega Ruby is not as good as the originals and let me explain why.
    I don't say this lightly because I have loved the Pokèmon games since 1999, it fails because there is no challenge and without a challenge there is no sense of achievement, no reward.
    To explain why, I'm going to have to venture into spoiler territory so if you don't want major parts of the game ruined for you, stop reading now.
    The reason there is no challenge is because everything is dumbed down.
    They hand you Latios and the Mega Evolution stone in a cutscene, you didn't have to fight it, you didn't have to find the stone.
    Then they made it so that every legendary Pokèmon (except Deoxys that I caught with the master ball) is able to be caught if it had yellow HP with a goddamn great ball, no paralysis or anything required.
    This eliminates the sense of challenge, a great part of what made these games so good was the skill it took to catch these legendaries.
    They also almost always take you where you need to be in a cutscene, not allowing you to go there yourself. Which, again, eliminates the sense of always exploring the world that you are in.
    You are also able to go to a battle tower where it isn't isnt even difficult to get points to buy rare candy bars with, eliminating the sense of them being rare and special.
    I could go on but I'm just going to mention the ending, the ending is literally 1,5 hour of cutscenes and exposition dumps.
    I swear at one part I thought I was playing a Metal Gear Game.    … Expand
  24. Sploolordcam
    Jan 12, 2015
    8
    Pokemon was my first game back in 1998, and I've kept up with the series ever since. I put around 800 hours between my Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald games back in the day. As such my score is likely a bit inflated due to my love of the series and the nostalgia factor that remakes imbue in me. (I teared up at the start screen, for example) I purchased both versions, but Omega Ruby was thePokemon was my first game back in 1998, and I've kept up with the series ever since. I put around 800 hours between my Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald games back in the day. As such my score is likely a bit inflated due to my love of the series and the nostalgia factor that remakes imbue in me. (I teared up at the start screen, for example) I purchased both versions, but Omega Ruby was the first I completed, and this review serves to cover both games. Considering all the base content from Ruby and Sapphire is present, there isn't much to say about that which wasn't already said back in 2003. What can be said is that the improvements made provided a great experience. The addition of the Dexnav and its ability to capture special Pokemon in shaking grass greatly adds to the variety in moves that can be used throughout the game. Not only are there the hundreds of moves for the various Pokemon which were already available, but now hidden abilities and egg moves are accessible during the story portion of the game. The addition of the route capture completion map actually inspired me to catch every Pokemon on each route, something I haven't done for a long time. One of the things I was most impressed by was the additions to the story in ORAS. The main series Pokemon games flirted with heavier story in X and Y, and it came back in full force for ORAS. Team Magma and Team Aqua are both much more fleshed out, and the admins are much more like their manga counterparts than before. The addition of "Episode Delta" after the Elite Four also was a pleasant surprise, and one which I didn't expect myself to enjoy so much. The Hoenn region looks great in 3D, and even the water routes didn't seem as monotonous as Ruby and Sapphire. It may just be my mind playing tricks on me due to the 3D, but that's the feeling I gathered from it. Saving the best for last, the always loved secret bases return with a bang. This time players can stay online through the 3DS and visit other player's bases which can be arranged to be mini-gyms of sorts. I can't describe how many times I would be trekking up a route and pop into a secret base to shake things up with an unfamiliar battle. Overall I think the additions to the games made them worthy of being true remakes to Ruby and Sapphire.… Expand
  25. muttsy13
    Jan 10, 2015
    9
    I played the original on the gba and never liked it and when i got this remake i thought il give it a try and i was very happy with i like all the new megas i enjoyed secert bases and the overlook of the world was fantastic to see compared to ruby and sapphire still had a few things that bugged me thought they could of cut down the hm uses to 5 i dont like having a hm slave on my team butI played the original on the gba and never liked it and when i got this remake i thought il give it a try and i was very happy with i like all the new megas i enjoyed secert bases and the overlook of the world was fantastic to see compared to ruby and sapphire still had a few things that bugged me thought they could of cut down the hm uses to 5 i dont like having a hm slave on my team but overall i really enjoyed it now if they would remake red and blue in 3d… Expand
  26. ziozxzioz
    Jan 5, 2015
    4
    I'm gonna start this by saying I love Pokemon. I loved it since I first played Pokemon Red in 1999, and have played every pokemon game since. That is why I HATE that it's being torn apart like this, 6th gen was a mess and this is probably the game where I'm gonna stop playing, unless they make some big turn-arounds. I would have said Pokemon Emerald was a solid 9.5 and, if not for PokemonI'm gonna start this by saying I love Pokemon. I loved it since I first played Pokemon Red in 1999, and have played every pokemon game since. That is why I HATE that it's being torn apart like this, 6th gen was a mess and this is probably the game where I'm gonna stop playing, unless they make some big turn-arounds. I would have said Pokemon Emerald was a solid 9.5 and, if not for Pokemon BW, the best one yet. I had high hopes of this remake, as I thought it would take the sour taste of Pokemon XY away, and still, it retained all of it's problems:
    1) GLOBAL EXPERIENCE SHARE. I get it, it's a game for kids, but this is dumbing it waaaaay too much. Grinding may be a bit tedious at times, but RPG games use it to PACE the game and make it more CHALLENGING. The 6th Gen Exp. Share wreaks havoc upon this, by making it litterally impossible to lose. Really. If you battle 80% of the trainers with this thing on, every pokemon will be 3 levels above the Gym Leader's. Oh and by the way
    2) TRAINERS ARE NOT CHALLENGING. None of them. They did the same thing in XY, the only trainer IN THE ENTIRE GAME who has 6 pokemons is the f*cking champion. THATS NOT MAKING IT DIFFICULT, IT'S MAKING THE GAME EASIER. The rivals (May/Brendan and Wally) are a JOKE to beat, when they were almost a difficulty highlight in the original games.
    3) THE PACING IS HORRIBLE. Seriously, it seems the game just wants to get over with the story ASAP for the most part. Since there's no grinding, there isn't anything really holding you back, and on TOP OF THAT YOU *****SPOILER***** GIFT ME A F*CKING LATIOS??? *****END SPOILER***** give me a break (actually try not to).
    4) (and this may be personal) The characters are dumbed down. I say this because as the animations go with the characters, they seem to be less serious. *****SPOILERS AGAIN***** When you fought Maxie in the original games, he was tough, and when you beat him, you felt like you accomplished something. When I beat him in ORAS his glasses fell off. It wasn't serious, none of it was. Plus Tabitha. Really, that character sucks. *****END SPOILERS*****
    5) (AND THE WORST OF ALL) NO BATTLE FRONTIER. Seriously. You're being serious right now. THE VERY REASON WHY EMERALD WAS SUCH AN IMPROVEMENT OVER RUBY AND SAPPHIRE WAS BECAUSE OF THIS AND YOU TOOK IT OUT. WHY. WHY GOD WHY. WHAT DID YOU GAIN?
    Let's make this clear: I don't care if it's DLC because at the moment of the review, it isn't here. What boggles me is this: If you didn't have time to finish all the game and had to release DLC, wouldn't it have been much better to release BF as part of the game and the Delta Episode as DLC?
    Game Freak really dissapointed me with this game. However, as much as I cried over how good it could've been, there are some things they did right.
    1) 3D. Yeah, same 3D as in XY, BUT, as much as I didn't like some of the characters (TABITHA GO DIE), others such as Steven and Zinnia are very well done.
    2) Delta Episode. It's kind of the highlight new thing. It's nice, brings in some new elements to the continuity (*****SPOILER***** parallel universes whaaaat *****END SPOILER*****). BUT it's the only post-game thing to do, so... yeah.
    3) The Music. At first I didn't like it. Maybe I was so blinded from the bad game I was playing so I didn't realize it, but the old themes are well ported and THE NEW ONES ARE AMAZING OMG BATTLE AGAINST WALLY OST LISTEN TO THAT.
    Well, I guess that's it. Maybe a bit extensive for Metacritic, but I like to write my opinion. The conclusion to all this the following:
    I wish Game Freak would stop sh*ting Pokemon. Not changing. Change is great. That's what made Pokemon BW the best one in my opinion. The characters were amazing, the game was challenging in it's own way, and it was about exploration. They took everything Pokemon RBY had and made it again, but not in the "let's put 1st gen pokemon in here". They had the same feel, something that I feel is clearly missing in the 6th gen.    … Expand
  27. plupap
    Jan 3, 2015
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've always been a fan of Pokémon but this new entry was not as good as I hoped, I'm not saying it's bad but it could've been better. I have played the original games (Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire) so I have experience with a lot of the story but the overall gameplay was very different. First off, the game starts off rather slow and the lack of catchable Pokémon was slightly annoying and many of them had a VERY low encounter rate. Another addition I disliked was the EXP share. The EXP share is great for beginners as it gives experience to all of your Pokémon in your party but if you're a longtime fan like me, you may think it ruins the difficulty of the game. Also, the first gym leaders Pokémon are weakened from the originals which is another factor which takes the difficulty out of the game. Also the game is very straight forward and becomes VERY boring and repetitive at the beginning of the game. My last negative point of this game is the aftergame. I personally loved the Delta Episode but afterwards it goes downhill. If you've played Pokémon Emerald (the sequel to Ruby and Sapphire) you most likely have visited the Battle Frontier. The Battle Frontier consisted of numerous facilities to have fun and battle all in unique ways. In Pokémon Omega Ruby, there are many hints of the Battle Frontier so after you beat the Delta Episode you may be thinking, "now the Battle Frontier has to be ready for me to visit!". If you thought that, you were dead wrong. Instead of a happy, fun-filled, adventure-packed Battle Frontier, you get the Battle Resort. Sounds fun, right? Wrong. It's just the boring Battle Maison from the previous games Pokémon X and Y. But wait! Not everything is bad for this game. This game is great in many ways! The 3D graphics were rather dull in Pokémon X and Y but Omega Ruby is packed with color. Also, Pokémon Omega Ruby gave Mega Evolutions (Form changes to older Pokémon) to many Pokémon and they are very fun to use. Sadly you can't use Mega Evolution until late in the game but it's an overall great addition. Another good thing is the "half-aftergame". After you capture/defeat Groudon you receive the National Dex. This allows you to catch basically everything in the Pokémon Universe all before the last gym! And last of all, my favorite feature of Pokémon Omega Ruby is.... the Pokenav! In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, you got Pokenav which was a little feature that would record some trainers and allow them to call you every once in a while. Now, with the addition of the bottom screen, the Pokenav is there. They took away the calling feature and many new things were added. You can watch a little news video of some events that happened or play games but my favorite feature is the Dexnav. The Dexnav allows you to randomly see a part of a Pokémon in the grass or in the area and if you run into it you can battle it. This helps you encounter rare Pokémon more often then normal which gives you a great diversity. Overall Pokémon Omega Ruby was a decent game with multiple flaws but with its many great additions, Pokémon Omega Ruby is a fine game.… Expand
  28. daniel_smith
    Dec 29, 2014
    7
    meh, i came into this game expecting something great, the game was hyped critics loved it EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT IT! but it was meh, i had never played an official pokemon game before this and wasn't too big a fan so i expected this game to change all of that, but it didn't. The main problem with the game is the fact there is no guidance on what to do, several points in the game i satmeh, i came into this game expecting something great, the game was hyped critics loved it EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT IT! but it was meh, i had never played an official pokemon game before this and wasn't too big a fan so i expected this game to change all of that, but it didn't. The main problem with the game is the fact there is no guidance on what to do, several points in the game i sat there stumped, no idea what to do where to go, also i could't find a pause button to pause the games and the cutscenes were boring and unskippabe, i don't hate the game but it is way too flawed to be considered above X and Y or the origional ruby and sapphire.… Expand
  29. probakias
    Dec 28, 2014
    8
    I think that despite the op exp share and some annoying design desicions "like giving you latios for free" or not having the ability to customize your character "like clothing" this game is a welcome addition to the pokemon formula. There are much more mega evolutions that can vary multiplayer and singleplayer . Although except for some double battles there are no tripple battles or otherI think that despite the op exp share and some annoying design desicions "like giving you latios for free" or not having the ability to customize your character "like clothing" this game is a welcome addition to the pokemon formula. There are much more mega evolutions that can vary multiplayer and singleplayer . Although except for some double battles there are no tripple battles or other modes in the singleplayer which is a shame because X and Y had them hyped!!!!!… Expand
  30. EmberSky
    Dec 26, 2014
    10
    Pokemon Omega Ruby is a very delightful return to an often-forgotten generation of Pokemon games. The remakes do everything I expected and more. They brought Hoenn back to life. Though it uses the same engine as Pokemon X and Y, this game still seems prettier. It may be nostalgia, or maybe it's the close comfort of the game.
    Speaking of the comfort, this game's world is both large and    Pokemon Omega Ruby is a very delightful return to an often-forgotten generation of Pokemon games. The remakes do everything I expected and more. They brought Hoenn back to life. Though it uses the same engine as Pokemon X and Y, this game still seems prettier. It may be nostalgia, or maybe it's the close comfort of the game.
    Speaking of the comfort, this game's world is both large and small. The region itself is huge, but the world inside it is very close. Having a dad helps.
    I choose Mudkip, which to me is the best choice, so the game was mildly easy to complete. For those who found X and Y too easy because of the exp. share, it's back here. But you can turn it off, which most certainly is the better way to play.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best 3DS Game of 2014
2
#2 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2014
2
#2 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 61 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 61
  3. Negative: 0 out of 61
  1. CD-Action
    Feb 7, 2015
    85
    If you haven’t played Pokémons since the first Game Boy, give Omega Ruby a try, because there’s just no way you’re going to be disappointed with it. It’s the same game you remember, just better. [01/2015, p.75]
  2. Atomix
    Jan 28, 2015
    85
    A much better experience than what was expected. The change in the rhythm and the emphasis in the story elements manage to captivate the player in a way that the Game Boy Advance versions couldn’t.
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  3. DarkStation
    Jan 19, 2015
    80
    If you have any interest at all in Pokémon this game will surpass your expectations.
    Read full review
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