More story than action, the demo for Nintendo’s upcoming “Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity†is a joke. With lackluster controls, lethargic gameplay and a linear story, this is easily one of the weakest additions to the series.
While there will be several moments that induce a chuckle, the story feels like it was written for a five-year-old. Devoid of any real charm, Nintendo has stripped the personality off the game completely. While the story behind the Pokemon games was never the main selling point, the latest iteration of Mystery Dungeon is simply inane.
It doesn’t help the game either that the controls are beyond frustrating. Navigating through the bland environments feels more like a chore than anything else. The fighting system is a mess as well. Although your Pokemon has four moves, battling, the heart of any Pokemon game, becomes a repetitive and tedious experience within minutes. It’s sad that Pokemon Rumble Blast, which looks similar to this game, featured better control and a fresher combat engine, in spite of every Pokemon in that title having only two moves.
Somewhere in development, this game went terribly wrong. Even in demo form, it’s essentially at the point of no return. Hardcore Pokemon fans, clamoring for anything related to the series before X and Y will be disappointed. Even new players who haven’t experienced the games before will find this a good-looking but drab attempt to make a quick buck on an insanely popular license.
More than anything, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity feels like the episode of “Family Guy†where Peter Griffin and his family go to see Anton Chekov’s “Uncle Vanya.†Upset with the lack of action, Peter finally gets up and throws a tantrum. “Someone throw a pie already,†the plump Quahogian bellows.
Indeed Nintendo. Someone throw a freaking pie already.
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