Pokémon X/Y Could/Should Have Been So Much More

This is just going to be a randomly-cobbled-together list of observations about Pokémon Y that I’ll keep updating as I play more of the game. Most of these points are probably going to be complaints, unfortunately, as I find that at nearly every turn, the game makes me envision what could have been, rather than delivering a great experience.

Shin Megami Tensei IV: A Japanese RPG Like No Other

If you’re someone that’s been playing videogames for a long time, chances are  you’ve had that moment where you’ve come across a niche Japanese RPG from years past that you’d never heard of before. The kind of game that only a few seemed to care for in its heyday, but you can’t quite figure out why, because in theory, it sounds great. The kind of game that isn’t really discussed by any of the popular websites out there, but if you dig deep enough, you’ll find a number of dedicated fan sites with enough information and analysis to fill an entire encyclopaedia. The kind of game that looks like it requires time and dedication and makes you think, and in return, takes you on a journey that isn’t like anything else you’ve ever seen before.

Granted, this is a rare occurrence nowadays. Japanese RPGs aren’t what they once used to be, and with the exception of a handful of publishers, the genre as a whole has largely abandoned its pride, pandering to the underbelly of today’s otaku audience instead of trying to do what it was once best known for—telling great stories. If you’re over the age of 20, finding a JRPG with a story and characters that treat you like an adult is about as rare as Batman wetting his pants. (Which only happened once, by the way.)

Luckily, the two or three publishers shouldering the burden of keeping JRPGs relevant all by themselves are doing a kickass job of it. One of those publishers is Atlus, and this past year, they decided to revive the very RPG that made them famous in the first place—Shin Megami Tensei.