Pokemon UNITE

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.