Money Grabbing Games: Pokémon and What Baldur's Gate 3 Has Done To Them

You just got home from school. It's hot outside; too hot to play with you friends, not that you want to. Not today. You step out of your shoes and drop your backpack. Your neck hurts but it's fine. You beeline it for your room - no afterschool snacks today - and find your DS on the shelf where you left it. You curl up in bed and turn it on. Giratina screams at you from the abyss. You have a champion to beat.

Image Credit: Nintendo

I've played Pokémon since I was little. It was one of the first games I ever got into and has always been one of my favorite franchises. I remember getting Saphire, Fire Red, and Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and playing them endlessly and that was only the beginning of my obsession. Every mainline game, every Mystery Dungeon, Conquest, Trozei, the Ranger games - I've been there for all of them and I used to love it. As I grew, so did the stories and characters. While generations one and two were charming in their own ways, they could never compete with the storytelling of Black and White or their sequels. But everything seemed to go down from there and I know I'm not the only one who thinks that.

So what happened to Pokémon? Well, the same thing that happened to plenty of other popular games. To start with was the trade "up" in graphics that came with X and Y and then Sun and Moon. Sure, the games are prettier, but at what cost? Now, don't get me wrong, they're not awful games. I've played them more than once. But they're not quite as charming. So we waited and waited and then came Sword and Shield and I was so happy to see my favorite game on the big screen and it wasn't some money grabbing remake. But it wasn't fun. I wanted to go on my own adventure - one that didn't put so much pressure on joining up with others. Sure, I enjoyed playing with my friends but it wasn't the same. The game didn't feel complete. So we got the dlc. We paid for another game to supplement the one we'd been scammed of and it was fine. Legends Arceus was a shining light in the darkness, something new that relied on the old games but in a way that paid homage to them rather than just recreating them to make some spare change. It was fun and different. It was exactly what we'd been waiting for. With our hopes up, we went and got Scarlet and Violet. It was fine. It wasn't Pokémon. We're getting the rest of the game within a year or so. Don't get me wrong, I would commit crimes for Arven's dog and the end story was compelling but... It just wasn't the same.

Image Credit: Nintendo

You'll notice I don't mention the direct remakes here and that's because I've pretty much thrown them in the same piles of the dlc - the exception being HeartGold and SoulSilver. They're fun. They bring back memories but I still have the games. The old ones. The better ones. Why would I want the remakes? For the same reason I wanted X and Y? Because they were pretty? (I still played them, I was just mad about it.)

Pokémon and plenty other games have been doing this to us for a while. They can call it whatever they want: dlc or season pass. It doesn't matter. Anyone who plays their apps or smaller offshoot games like Unite can see it too. They've swerved away from wanting to please their audience with a compelling game or fun story. It's in the microtransactions and the extra content. Why finish a game when they can make money off the uncomplete version? It's Pokémon. We'll still buy it either way. We'll be mad but we'll come back when they feed us the rest. Sure the game's bigger. I can do more. I've been binge playing the old games and I realized I'd rather a smaller game I could love than a large game I feel like I have to finish.

I miss Pokémon. I miss what it used to be. I would die for another weird offshoot or another Mystery Dungeon but I'm also terrified of how they could ruin it for me.

Now, I'm sure you read the title to this little rant and are starting to wonder when I'll get over my heartbroken grievances about Pokémon to talk about Baldur's Gate 3 and it's here. I promise. It's right here.

Image Credit: Larian Studios

What brought me to this point of contention and irritation is Baldur's Gate 3. If you don't know, the game is just dungeons and dragons but you don't need actual friends to play it. It's a game that's been under development for years with thousands of hours of gameplay and thousands of different endings. And the kicker is, there are no microtransactions or expansions. Larian Studios has promised their fan base a complete game. You're getting more than what you paid for, honestly, with how much work and perfectionism went into it and other gaming studios are livid. Developers are releasing statements talking about how this shouldn't be the example. They're saying that we shouldn't expect completed games and I think they're just scared.

Image Credit: Larian Studios

I've seen people raving about this game and the "statement" the studio has made, if you can call it that. I've seen people talk about how they're buying the game even though they don't think they'll play it just because they want Larian to have the money. Just because Larian seems to be one of the only massive gaming studios standing up for their fans.

I wanted to talk about Baldur's Gate 3 because it's the reason I won't be buying the newest Pokémon dlc. I want to play a full, fun game. I love Pokémon and I always will but I'm getting a bit sick of being led along while I hope for something good to show up. My time and money is valuable and, if I'm going to spend it, I'd like to put it towards a company that values my experience just as much.