I've been playing Pokémon Platinum lately as sort of a "just before sleep and/or prior to my cat usurping my entire right arm as her pillow" gig and I've been steadily impressed with not just the diversity of the game's world but also the length of its campaign. It's by no means some Xenogears-sized epic in clock time, nor should it be, but Sinnoh has a lot going on and the story events occur with enough frequency to keep me from beelining straight to the Pokémon League in no time at all. Added together with the fact that the game isn't even a hyper-linear adventure a la Sun and Moon, and I'm thinking maybe Platinum is my favorite installment in this regard.
But I've also rather enjoyed a few other Pokémon campaigns. Hoenn's springs to mind, specifically Emerald's version. And while Alola is indeed an exercise in railroading, I still had a good time admiring the scenery and soaking in the storyline. (I haven't played USUM yet, for the record.) My last time with Johto was way back in Crystal, if memory serves, but the aesthetic has stuck with me well enough that I have a feeling I'll enjoy my traipse across HGSS rather nicely after I finish Platinum. That said, I do remember folks frequently stating that Johto itself is disappointingly short, and I'm pretty Kanto'd out again after LGPE, so we'll see how highly I wind up ranking all that jazz later.
I can't wrap up my own thoughts without tossing an honorable mention out toward the Unova games; I don't care for Unova itself quite as much as I do Hoenn and Sinnoh, but I think Gen V is the gold standard in storytelling. That alone warrants a high ranking in my campaign quality thoughts!
As for downright weaker campaigns, I reckon it's a matter of listing what's left. I grew up on Kanto first like many other thirty-somethings but I don't really hold it in super high regard. I don't dislike adventuring across the OG island, but I don't exactly crave RBY/FRLG/LGPE replays either. Sword and Shield's campaign was weak on several levels; the lively assortment of rival figures and growing array of locations courtesy of the expansion pass are helping me to reassess, but the story was so hands-off and the lack of dungeons and routes so linear they make Alola blush... doesn't add up to a big winner for me. Still, I dig both Kanto and Galar more than I do Kalos, not just in map design but in storyline as well. I know the XY hate is common around here, and I don't mean to belittle Gen VI fans (...I'm sure you exist somewhere?) but apart from Mega Evolutions I'm not into it much at all.
What about y'all? Favorite campaigns? Least favorites? What do you look for in them most of all — postgame depth? Overall difficulty? Length? Location diversity? I'd turn this into a poll but I don't want to simply list generations, since when we add in all the remakes and the friends we've made along the way, I'd actually be leaving several choices off the list.
But I've also rather enjoyed a few other Pokémon campaigns. Hoenn's springs to mind, specifically Emerald's version. And while Alola is indeed an exercise in railroading, I still had a good time admiring the scenery and soaking in the storyline. (I haven't played USUM yet, for the record.) My last time with Johto was way back in Crystal, if memory serves, but the aesthetic has stuck with me well enough that I have a feeling I'll enjoy my traipse across HGSS rather nicely after I finish Platinum. That said, I do remember folks frequently stating that Johto itself is disappointingly short, and I'm pretty Kanto'd out again after LGPE, so we'll see how highly I wind up ranking all that jazz later.
I can't wrap up my own thoughts without tossing an honorable mention out toward the Unova games; I don't care for Unova itself quite as much as I do Hoenn and Sinnoh, but I think Gen V is the gold standard in storytelling. That alone warrants a high ranking in my campaign quality thoughts!
As for downright weaker campaigns, I reckon it's a matter of listing what's left. I grew up on Kanto first like many other thirty-somethings but I don't really hold it in super high regard. I don't dislike adventuring across the OG island, but I don't exactly crave RBY/FRLG/LGPE replays either. Sword and Shield's campaign was weak on several levels; the lively assortment of rival figures and growing array of locations courtesy of the expansion pass are helping me to reassess, but the story was so hands-off and the lack of dungeons and routes so linear they make Alola blush... doesn't add up to a big winner for me. Still, I dig both Kanto and Galar more than I do Kalos, not just in map design but in storyline as well. I know the XY hate is common around here, and I don't mean to belittle Gen VI fans (...I'm sure you exist somewhere?) but apart from Mega Evolutions I'm not into it much at all.
What about y'all? Favorite campaigns? Least favorites? What do you look for in them most of all — postgame depth? Overall difficulty? Length? Location diversity? I'd turn this into a poll but I don't want to simply list generations, since when we add in all the remakes and the friends we've made along the way, I'd actually be leaving several choices off the list.
