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| Jesse Woo |
Catch them all!
04.08.16 - 1:47 PM
The field test of Pokémon Go has been live in Japan for some time now, and details are beginning to trickle in. So far, the game seems to be much more than just Pokémon on your smartphone.
For example, players do not fight Pokémon in the wild, but simply tap a Poké Ball to capture any Pokémon they find in the environment. So far, fighting is reserved for gym battles, where each Pokémon is limited to two moves. Players can earn points in the gym but we do not yet know what other features will be available. Players will also be able to customize their avatar and choose from the Red, Blue, or Yellow team.
All known Pokémon types, including fairy, will be present in the game, and will be stratified between normal, legendary, and mythical. There is no indication yet of Mega evolutions. Pokémon will also have particular natures, such as Stoic, Assassin, Guardian, Raider, Protector, Sentry, and Champion. Each Pokémon has a CP value, which sources speculate equates to Capture Points. Players obtain evolution shards from wild Pokémon, and obtaining enough shards nets an evolution stone.
Apparently the game has 137 moves currently programmed, with 95 "fast" versions of said moves. There also does not appear to be any status ailments, as every attack causes damage directly. Further, there are seven categories of items in the game: Poké Balls, potions, revives, combat items, food, and a camera. The game also has a day-night cycle which will probably play into many aspects of play.
The game will assign ranks by level in the following order: Novice (level 5), Trainer (level 10), Leader (level 25), and Professor (level 50). Professors can store up to 500 Pokémon and 1000 items. The game will also award medals for various in game achievements like number of steps taken, fights won, and of course Pokémon captured. Finally and predictably, the game will include microtransactions with items and gems available for real currency.
An official release date of Pokémon Go has not been announced, but it is expected sometime this year. There is no word on a western release at this time.
