Pokemon UNITE

Pokémon Unite is the first attempt at creating a MOBA with the pocket monsters – and I must admit it’s a successful one. The game is fast and intense, but also easy to get a grip on. I don’t expect it to take the esports scene by storm, but it’s very enjoyable and works great in a doctor’s waiting room or on the bus. As for me, I can’t force myself to stop playing Pokémon Unite and hope the developers will keep updating it. [10/2021, p.61]

Pokemon UNITE brought in some unique elements to the MOBA genre with its game-changing objectives, memorable roster, and simplified progressive system. And with the Pokemon brand being a very popular IP that people around the world know and love, Pokemon UNITE deserves a heartwarming welcome to the MOBA genre. Younger audiences and Pokemon fans at heart will sure have a blast playing this game.

Pokemon Unite busts out the gate as a very solid, very easy to pick up and play MOBA game. Even as someone who does not like MOBAs, I found myself getting really into the rounds and figuring out the tools quickly. Cute visuals, fun unlockables and a fun variety of play styles keep matches fresh and a quick chat feature helps avoid the toxicity that normally sticks to MOBAs like glue.

Considering it’s full of in-app purchases, Pokémon Unite is a surprisingly good MOBA, thanks to its fast-paced designed and its deep but accessible gameplay.

Pokémon Unite is a fun way to spend your time despite these frustrations. The game eats away the hours of my day as I reassuringly say to myself, “Just one more match.” Battles play out with the spectacle that the Pokémon series is known for, and with so many abilities to choose from, no match feels the same as the last. The game’s simple mechanics and recognizable characters make for an approachable MOBA experience; and with a potential catalog of nearly 900 Pokémon to pick from, my hopes are high for the future of Pokémon Unite.

Pokemon Unite is a fun, streamlined entry in the MOBA genre. It has something to offer both long-time franchise fans, as well as MOBA players who may be looking for something fun and rewarding, while not demanding their all to keep up with. And since it’s free, if what you have read sounds at all enticing why not give it a try. You don’t even need the Nintendo Switch Online service to play.

Pokémon Unite is a surprisingly fun introduction to the MOBA genre, but it has microtransactions that verge on unacceptable.

I have my nitpicks, although I’m not too proud to admit that they are drastically outweighed by my predilections. Pokemon Unite is a game I can see myself playing for a long time - just add Blastoise to the roster already, eh? I’m dying to see what a Unite move with massive reptilian shoulder cannons looks like.

Pokémon Unite is a very solid, very easy to pick up and play MOBA game, more surprising than we thought. We hope that microtransactions will not pose a wall between players who are willing to spend and those who are not.

Pokémon Unite is a superb game and also a terrifying micropayment store. While it remains up in the air whether we will have more generous challenges and events in the future, and even a revamp of the reward system, there is no doubt that greed makes worse a MOBA for Nintendo Switch that playably is impeccable.

Overall, Pokémon UNITE is a MOBA with a lot of potential. It’s already great as a casual game with friends, but I believe with some tweaking to Zapdos and removal of the “pay for held item upgrades” option, a strong competitive MOBA lives in Pokémon UNITE. Until then, it’s hard to call it much more than an above-average entry in the crowded MOBA space.

By leveraging the power of the franchise and accessible gameplay, Pokémon Unite has established itself as a successful MOBA. Simple without being simplistic, it can be a perfect entry point for newbies. However, it's pretty clear that Tencent's title will need to inflate its content in the coming months to keep players engaged. As it stands, the low number of Pokémon limits the situations encountered and may make games boring. Still, Pokémon Unite already has a solid foundation and is just waiting for content to evolve into a staple of its kind with the general public.

Pokemon Unite makes enough stumbles that it's not a total home run; however, the core concept is sound and engaging, and given proper long term support, Unite could evolve into being a fixture of the genre.

Pokemon Unite is genuinely fun with its layered gameplay, but we don't really like how the game is monetized.

Pokémon Unite features simple objectives and an addictive gameplay loop. Some mechanics and certain Pokémon require balancing, but that's how it often goes with online games.

Pokémon Unite is an easy to play and well-designed MOBA that inventively translates mechanics of its license to adapt them to the genre. While Pokémon fans will enjoy playing this game, MOBA enthusiasts aren't the primary target since its casual aspect prevails.

Don't get me wrong: Pokemon Unite is an enjoyable game. The MOBA genre fits the Pokemon franchise very well, and as more Pokemon are introduced, the metagame will likely continue to evolve and may introduce more fun opportunities to strategize. Dropping into battle with new builds and trying new things is fun, as is taking a newly earned Pokemon into a battle and seeing what they can do. What's not enjoyable is the game's economy, a confusing mess of multiple currencies and systems designed to make paying for premium currency look like the easiest option to succeed. If microtransactions weren't so incentivized we'd be looking at the next major Pokemon success story. Knowing that they are, however, player--and considering this is Pokemon, parent of player--beware.

Pokemon Unite’s familiar faces and approachable mechanics let everyone enjoy the otherwise inscrutable MOBA genre.

For long-time Pokemon fans, Pokemon Unite will be an enjoyable, if simple, adventure into the world of MOBAs. Even those who are intimately familiar with MOBAs may find Unite’s quick and approachable matches to be a nice palate cleanse. Unfortunately, at launch, it’s limited roster, simplicity, and hidden pay-to-win nature leaves it not being the very best.

I can’t stop playing Pokemon Unite and chain-queuing games, but its foundational issues are going to drive some people away and need to be addressed.

Pokémon Unite's potential is undermined by its balancing, and might not have enough to offer either of its target audiences.

The title leans dangerously towards a not too veiled pay-to-win, favoring only those who are willing to put their hand to the wallet: the hope is that the system will be reviewed from the ground up and rebalanced as soon as possible, to balance an offer to date monstrously unbalanced.

Pokémon Unite is a genuinely fun and charming game, with quick and accessible combat with enough tactical element to keep it interesting, while not overwhelming newcomers to the genre. However, it is predatory in all the worst ways, copying the worst tactics of pay-to-win free-to-play games, such as five currencies, loot boxes, buyable (with real-money) boosts, and items that influence battle, and more. While the game can be fun, the predatory tactics leave a nasty taste in the mouth.

Pokémon Unite is a fun and carefree MOBA, at least until you realize how much time you have to spend accumulating resources to upgrade your characters without spending money. The premises are good, despite the fact that it is a game that risks very little: it will be the long-term strategies that will determine the goodness of the project and, of course, its success.

It is difficult to recommend Pokémon Unite to 'free' players unless they're truly in it for the long haul. The gameplay is engaging, with a large roster of Pokémon that can be tried out in offline modes, but owning iconic Pokémon such as Lucario or Garchomp to play in Ranked will require an immense amount of Aoes Coins or paid-for Aeos Gems. A lot of joy is to be found in Quick Matches due to daily map rotations, but ultimately Unite is too geared toward grabbing people’s purses to win games rather than providing an even playing field for everyone. Players that don't pay will likely find frustration in constantly matching with others who have spent money; it's worth keeping that in mind before committing to Pokémon Unite.

Pokemon Unite is an entertaining introductory MOBA that checks all the genre’s boxes but has very little of its own to add to the conversation – and questionable free-to-play choices like being able to pay for power even detract from it. Its bite-sized battles and cute presentation can make it a genuinely enjoyable brawler, particularly with a team of friends. But I was feeling the limitations of its oversimplified mechanics before my playtime reached a dozen hours, which made its fast matches start to feel a little too similar.

Pokémon Unite can be a lot of fun, but it’s not a must-play multiplayer experience. Pokémon and MOBA fans alike are likely to miss some of the depth of their respective titles, while the game’s supremely confusing menu system, pay-to-win microtransactions, and strange design omissions make it more difficult to recommend. There’s a good game deep in there, but it’s covered in layers of unnecessary material and bloat.

Pokémon Unite is a rather fun free-to-play MOBA that, however, suffers from significant balance problems and an overly aggressive business model.

An addictive and accessible MOBA which takes advantage of the Pokémon license to great effect but is hampered by an abundance of free-to-play irritations.