Who would’ve thought that a traditional RPG such as Pokemon would ever take on the MOBA genre? Both The Pokemon Company and TiMi Studio Group developed Pokemon Unite, which is out now for the Nintendo Switch. The game has recently launched on Android and iOS as well. Also, Pokemon Unite is free to play on all platforms. But being free to play doesn't automatically mean it's worth your time. Hence, if you're checking out the game and want to know if it's for you, you better check out our Pokemon Unite review first.

What is Pokemon Unite?

Pokemon Unite is a MOBA game fused together with a fan-favorite classic. Just like any other MOBA, it’s a 5v5 battle to see who the better team is. 

Pokemon Unite comes with three game modes, Standard, Ranked, and Quick. Both Standard and Ranked modes take place in Remoat Stadium which is a 5v5 map. While Quick mode offers smaller maps with either 3v3 or 4v4 battling environments. 

In Pokemon Unite’s Ranked mode, players have a long rank ladder to climb:

  • Beginner – three classes
  • Great – four classes
  • Expert – five classes
  • Veteran – five classes
  • Ultra – five classes
  • Master – up to 99999 rating

Gameplay

Pokemon Unite adds a few tweaks to the traditional standards of the MOBA genre. Let’s start off with the map. Normally, MOBAs consists of three lanes and a jungle in a 5v5 map. In Pokemon Unite, we technically still have three lanes, however, the middle lane is also the entire jungle lane. 

Notably, jungle laners aren’t the only ones who need to farm for exp in the game. Since Pokemon Unite did away from having team creeps, Pokemon on both the top and bottom lanes also need to farm. This is why both lanes have their very own mini jungle on the side of each lane. 

But why do away from team creeps? Well, the objective in Pokemon Unite is to score goals instead of smashing towers. In order to score goals, this means you have to accumulate points. Thus, the decision to have neutral creeps scattered all over the map for Pokemon to farm. These neutral creeps are also known as “Wild Pokemon” which player Pokemon have to knock out in order to rack up points. The collected points will then serve as a player Pokemon’s way to destroy the scoring zone. The placement of towers or in this case scoring zones, are still as follows. Two dedicated scoring zones per lane, and one scoring zone in the base. 

Take note that stats don’t mean as much in Pokemon Unite. In this MOBA, the team with the most scored points wins the match. In fact, there are some instances wherein your team still has more scoring zones standing but still lose the match. This is because of the assistance from the legendary bird Pokemon Zapdos. In the final two minutes of the match, all scored points will become doubled and players have the opportunity to knock out the thunderous bird. Once a team successfully KOs Zapdos, that team can instantaneously score goals for the next 30 seconds. Honestly, it’s impossible to block goals once Zapdos’ scoring zone buff is active. 

If you’re new to Pokemon Unite, the game greets players with a 14-day login reward system. New players will have the opportunity to acquire certain rewards such as Pokemon Licenses, Aeos Coins and Tickets, and some player outfits. 

Honestly, there are tons of other rewards to collect in the game. First up we have the trainer level rewards. Every time your trainer level goes up, players will obtain rewards such as Pokemon Licenses, Battle Items, Aeos Coins and Tickets, and Item Enhancers.

Also, there are events and challenges that ask players to do specific tasks in order to obtain rewards. Pretty much, players will also be getting the same rewards similar to the trainer level rewards and new player rewards. 

Now comes the interesting question, where exactly can we use these rewards? Aeos Coins are typically used for unlocking new Pokemon Licenses for players to use in future matches. Then we have the Aeos tickets which also serve as an in-game currency to purchase other items. These items include cosmetics, battle items, boost cards, energy tanks, and item enhancers.

The one purchasable item in the shop that catches the attention of many is the item enhancer. The reason behind this is because item enhancers upgrade a Pokemon’s held item. Why is this a problem? Held items work similarly to League of Legends’ old rune system, they basically give in-game stat boosts. If you’re a player who doesn’t spend their hard-earned money in a game, the only way to obtain item enhancers is via Aeos tickets. Once you’re out of tickets, you’ll have to keep grinding until you can finally purchase more item enhancers. Now, if you don't have the time to go through all that grind, players have the option to buy Aeos Gems with real money to buy more item enhancers. This is exactly why Pokemon Unite is regarded by many as a pay to win game. Players willing to pay can actually max out all their held items and take advantage of stat boost in low elos. However, this isn’t all too bad if these players still perform horribly in a game regardless of stat boosts. If you know to yourself that you’re a better player, then it’s easy to see past this problem. In writing our Pokemon Unite review, we never had to purchase anything, and the game never felt unfair for free to play players during our experience with the game.

Graphics

Honestly speaking, there isn’t anything special when it comes to Pokemon Unite’s graphics. It literally has the graphic design of Pokemon games on the switch with a much lower resolution and less HD textures. However, the graphics quality of Pokemon Unite doesn’t affect the overall gameplay which is okay. We think that the more cartoonish 3D-styled graphics works perfectly with a MOBA game.

Music and Sound Design

All of the background music heard in the game is perfect. All tracks really make a player feel like they’re about to compete in an official Pokemon League. The soundtracks are also very obvious that they came from a Pokemon game. Pokemon fans have nothing to complain about in this aspect.

Accessibility 

Pokemon Unite comes with standard accessibility settings. Players have the option to change frame rate settings, change language, and toggle other screen display settings. Also, there are control settings that players can play around with according to their game style. There really isn't a lot we can mention here in our Pokemon Unite review, so let's leave things at that.

Meanwhile, the game's cross-progression functionality allows for a lot of accessibility. While playing the game on the Nintendo Switch is the best, it's also encouraging that the game can be played on mobile with your progression carrying over. That means you can continue playing the game when your Switch's battery has ran out by bringing on your smartphone next.

Verdict – Is Pokemon Unite worth your time?

Pokemon Unite is a must-play for die-hard Pokemon Fans. It’ll be refreshing for everyone to play a Pokemon game in a MOBA format. Even though some say that the pay-to-win aspect is unfair to some players, it’s really easy to look past it. At the end of the day, it’s a brand new Pokemon experience that fans and casual players alike can enjoy. Pokemon Unite can be a new game for you and your friends to catch up on. It can also be a game for you to introduce to new gamers looking for a more casual and fun game. Plus, nothing beats a good ol’ nostalgia trip. Thus concludes our Pokemon Unite review.

Score: 8/10