Our author Leya played Pokémon GO for the first time in months again. These are her impressions in 2017 after a long Poké break.
The Pokémon summer of 2016 was a real highlight for me, one that I fondly remember. I walked around for hours, hunting for Pokémon. Together, I fought in gyms with other trainers or sat comfortably, with a lure module and the sun on my face, at a PokéStop.
Pokémon Go didn’t offer enough incentives anymore and the weather became too bad
At some point, Pokémon Go just didn’t offer me enough incentives to continue playing long-term. I missed interactions with other trainers, like trading and battling. After a while, it felt like a grind: catching one Pidgey after another and chasing after strong Pokémon.
Moreover, I have to honestly admit: The weather became too bad for me. I lost my motivation to walk the extra detours to the next PokéStop. In rain and cold, I preferred to take the direct way home.
Suddenly I was eager to start Pokémon Go again. The sun was shining, and I was curious how the changes of the last months would affect my gaming enjoyment. Together with my power bank, I dashed outside.
On tour with my buddy Eevee
First of all, I chose a buddy. With the Buddy system, you choose a Pokémon that walks alongside you and earns extra candies. The candies are earned by covering certain distances. Since I was keen on Espeon and Umbreon, Eevee became my buddy and hopped right onto my shoulder.
I particularly like the buddy feature. This way, you can at least earn candies for Pokémon that you rarely encounter. It’s a relief for evolving and leveling Pokémon.
New Pokémon rekindle my collecting fever
The last time I played, there was only the first generation. I felt real joy when I registered the first “new” Pokémon in the PokéDex. My hunting instinct was awakened.
I had the most fun searching for and catching the new Pokémon of the second generation. Just for that reason, I played an hour longer than originally planned.
The Pokémon tracker ties me to the city; hardly any Pokémon appear outside
Since my last visit to Pokémon Go, the tracker system has been changed multiple times. The “Nearby” function remains, which shows a Pokémon near the next PokéStop. There are the most of those in the city. As a result, I was inclined to stay more in the city center, which I find unfortunate.
I wanted to test how many Pokémon I would encounter if I moved away from the city and walked along remote paths. I had the impression that there are even fewer Pokémon outside the city now. So, I turned back towards the city. This is still unfortunate for players in rural areas.
Gyms are packed with strong Pokémon – That was to be expected
I took a look at the surrounding gyms. As expected, they are stuffed full of strong Pokémon. Even the “weakest” Pokémon consist of Dragonite, Tyranitar, Heiteira, or Snorlax with crazy CP values.
But anyone who hasn’t played for as long as I have shouldn’t be surprised. I skipped gym battles for now. If you want to keep up there, you really have to hustle.
Pokémon GO: It was nice to go hunting again; many things have improved
I enjoyed starting Pokémon Go again. The servers were stable, and I could enjoy wandering around without interruption. However, you shouldn’t attempt it without a power bank: the battery still gets drained incredibly fast.
It was particularly nice for me to meet some new Pokémon and catch them. I just love filling my PokéDex.
There are a few updates that, in my opinion, significantly improve the game: Rewards for the “First Catch / PokéStops of the day” and the buddy system are at the top of the list. This way, you can also progress when you don’t encounter certain Pokémon too often. A clear downside for me is that Pokémon appear stacked at PokéStops and there are even fewer in rural areas. Wandering in a remote park is more enjoyable to me than in the city center.
In nice weather, I will probably pull out my phone more often again and hunt the little pocket monsters.
What about you? Will you give Pokémon Go another try in nice weather? Or have you been playing diligently all along? Tell me in the comments.
Communication between trainers and Niantic is also improving: Pokémon GO Hotfix: Niantic is now reading on Reddit and fixing the Invisible Bug
