Released Pokémon Quantum

TheLuxDiablo said:

Heya! I know you both watched me play Quantum live, but I wanted to summarize my thoughts after I had some time to really think back on my experience.

Spoiler: Gameplay

The gameplay aspect of this game has immense potential. From the various possibilities with new Quantum typing, along with the Quantum forms, there's a lot that can happen. I think my main gripe is that there was no reason for me to use multiple Quantum forms. They learn pretty similar moves, and the only reason I used both Onix and Wabby is because of Wabby's ability. If there was more variety in the Quantum Pokemon, maybe with signature moves, or with a new Atomic type or a new Plasma type, idk. There's a lot of potentials that can be had.

Obviously, this wouldn't be a proper review without talking about the teleportation mechanic. The Teleport Device worked really well (aside from a few bugs that we caught, but that's beside the point). I think that with teleportation puzzles and other applications, this can be one of the best features in a fangame to date. Obviously, aside from puzzles, there are tons of places where the Teleport Device can be applied creatively. For example, I think it'd be cool to see the Teleport Device used in some sort of minigame, where you have to teleport through a racecourse within a timeframe, or maybe escaping a collapsing cave. Additionally, the Teleport Device could be used as a 'Run' feature, with higher escape rates.

The one thing I'd probably complain about is the layout of various maps. Flux Cave, for example, was extremely streamlined and simple. There weren't any stray rocks, narrow paths, etc. It didn't feel like I was really exploring a cave. The same can be said about a lot of areas in the game. In the Quantum Realm, I would've loved the opportunity to explore a bit, but all of the paths other than the path to Quantum Cave were blocked, which was a bit disappointing.

Spoiler: Graphics

I think the graphics honestly worked really well. I'm not a big fan at all of Gen 3 mixed with Magiscarf, but you managed to somehow make it work. The variety of colors in the grass, the matching water, all of it just really brought your environment to life. Of course, Voltseon's Pokemon sprites are absolutely brilliant, and I think that those were honestly the graphical highlights of the game. I have no real complaints with the graphics, and especially if you're going to make it a Gen 4-styled game, I think that'll work perfectly.

Spoiler: Writing/Story

The premise of the game is extremely interesting and creative, and you managed to follow through with your premise very well. The name 'Pokemon Quantum' fits really well, and it makes a surprising amount of sense. The idea of the Quantum Realm is super creative, with microscopic Pokemon to be found. I think that your premise is golden, and if you manage to stick to your chosen aesthetic the way you have, you'll have a good game.

A big thing I take issue with is the storytelling. A lot of the characters feel really bland, and there's tons of opportunity for improvement. The most obvious example of this is Cameron. Cameron is someone who had just experienced a divorce, but through my interactions with him, it didn't seem like that. I think that Cameron should have been more distraught and depressed, and maybe as the game progresses, he learns to get over his divorce and fall back in love with science. Character developments like that can easily be done in the game. Also, I think it would've been a lot better if Professor Frankly being evil was more of a plot twist. I think that whole thing being revealed so quickly was a bit sudden, and I didn't have time to process it at all. Also, the 'rival' character didn't have much character at all, other than 'oh I'm the good guy'. I didn't understand what there was to notice about him, outside of the fact that I gave him a name.

Another thing I take issue with, and I want you to listen to this above all else. I understand that you want to involve your friends in your game and all, but if you want a player to take it seriously, you NEED to consider renaming your characters. I understand the whole 'haha funny cameo' thing, but if your goal is to make this a genuine fangame, then you need to revisit the names of your characters. I felt extremely disconnected from the characters purely because I knew that 'Professor Frankly' was a simple cameo, as was 'Cameron'. I think it'd be really neat if the Professor's name was related to quantum mechanics, or something like that.

Spoiler: Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed the game had a wonderful experience with it. If I had to summarize my feedback into a couple of sentences, I'd say this: Focus on making the game feel more alive. This can be done by making the maps more natural, removing the cameos, adding more variety to Quantum Pokemon, etc. The game has an incredible amount of potential, and with the right direction and planning, this game could go down as one of the best fangames out there. You both have done a fantastic job, and I can't wait to see more from Pokemon Quantum.

Rating: 9.5/10

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Armin said:

Hello! I played your game some time back, and I thought I'd share some thoughts about it.

Spoiler: Some thoughts

I can't believe the game ended where it did (time limits are a bitch, I know)! And just when things are starting to get exciting too. It just goes to show how much fun I was having and how much I was invested in the game!

The Teleport Device
Such a cool and creative mechanic! It felt so satisfying teleporting to previously unreachable platforms to get items, and using it to bypass wild grass and trainers and whatnot. Still, I feel that its potential hasn't fully been explored in this iteration of the game -- for example, perhaps dungeons could be more of a puzzle to be solved and less straightforward, where mere walking won't get you to your destination. The player should feel rewarded for thinking out of the box and applying the Teleport Device creatively... though, I understand designing stages like these are easier said than done. The beginning of the Quantum Realm with the floating platforms, as well as a certain bridge in one of the caves, were good examples that I wish to see more of (in the full version, perhaps!)

Aesthetics, the Quantum Realm
This is all subject to personal preference, so please take this section with a pinch of salt! Personally, I'm a big fan of Magiscarf's tiles, so I'm really psyched to see them used to such a great effect in the various routes and cities! However, I feel that they can be blended in a little better with the Gen 3 tiles you're also using (e.g. by making the colors of the Gen 3 tiles more vibrant, especially the indoor ones). The Quantum Realm can be built with Magiscarf's cave tiles instead of the Gen 3 ones, to give it a little more consistency -- like, the two worlds should be different enough, but still feel as though they come from the same game, with the same style. On the topic of the Quantum Realm, is it too much to ask for a little more... weirdness? Quantum City feels too much of a regular city in this world to me (albeit floating). The limited time's probably stopping you from expanding on these aspects, but I would love to see some lore about how it formed, and how those people and buildings came about. Perhaps there could be some differences in how they behave and go about in their daily lives, something that distinguishes them from their real world counterparts.

Pokémon, balance
I'm really loving these Pokémon reimagined as cells and atoms! Some standouts are the Wailmer line (too cute!) and the Teleport Device-possessed Rotom. The Growlithe, Ol' Yeller, was pretty much MVP, carrying me through the entire Quantum Realm. That said, perhaps filling an entire segment of the game with only one type of Pokémon, even though it makes sense in-universe, might be quite limiting when it comes to strategy and variety, which is why I hope that the non-Quantum Realm segments (in future updates) will have equal emphasis placed on them, and will include more of the other types.

Spoiler: Some Bugs

Passage issues
View attachment 3435

Item does not disappear even after I took it once
View attachment 3436

The guy blocking the cave still runs his event even after it's over (when talked to)
View attachment 3437

Very small indeed
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To the dev team, thank you so much for making such an enjoyable game! I'm really looking forward to the full release! The fact that you guys managed to make more than 1 game in the jam's time limit was truly impressive. ^^

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Ickle said:

What are the shiny odds in this game?

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