Pokopia is the glorious return of Animal Crossing in the form of Pokemon

Somewhere, on a lost and isolated island long abandoned by humans, here you are. A lone shape-shifting Pokémon named Ditto that took the form of its missing human trainer. And you are looking for friends.

You are met by a large monster with a squiggly face called Professor Tangrowth. Hence you wonder: Why did everyone leave? How can you make things better?

And then the Pokemon start arriving.

I’ve been playing Pokemon Pokopia at home for over a week, and I’m feeling emotions like I’ve never felt before Since the early days of the pandemic Back in 2020: living comfortably in a world where friends seem to appear daily, full of needs and tasks, and where I spend hours watering plants, repairing roads, finding food for hungry Pokecritters and decorating houses. It’s Animal Crossing, but in a new and more interesting way than even the last Animal Crossing update.

I literally had no expectations Pokemon BucopiaAnd now I absolutely love him. And my youngest, who is a huge Pokemon fan, is absolutely crushed that this is him Switch 2 Exclusively because he doesn’t have his own Switch 2 yet – which leaves me convinced that Pokopia is the Switch 2’s most diabolical killer app yet, and even more so Donkey Kong Bananza Or Mario Kart World. However, you can do multiplayer between the Switch 2 and the original Switch with Game Share, but that’s not quite the same thing, right?

It’s more than just a Pokemon 30th anniversary Way to hold down the fort until next year’s great main line Pokemon Wind and Waves Game arrival. The Animal Crossing x Pokemon feel of this whole game is great, and it really works. And I’m not even a Pokemon fan.

This game is the other side of the last Pokemon game, ZA legendswhich was about battles. You’ll fight, fight, fight and learn attack moves in real time. None of that here. You’re not fighting anyone. You’re just making friends.

Just like with Animal Crossing, you’re always talking with little friends and doing everyday things to make your world better. You have items to buy, items to craft, resources to collect, and little oddities to mine or find. (Fossil remains? A mysterious feather?) And you have an endless amount of Pokémon to discover, partly by chance and partly by creating habitats that later attract those Pokémon. One or two friends suddenly become 20, 30 or older. Although I haven’t done it yet, you can connect with friends and play together in the same world, building houses or other things, farming, or decorating.

I made a small leaf hut at home using a kit I purchased and then built a larger house. It looked just like Animal Crossing. Even the menus and some character reaction sounds are similar.

Unlike Animal Crossing, Pokopia is much larger in size. It’s not one village: it’s a whole group of connected islands.

I have no idea how big it is, actually, even after playing for over a week. Everything is made of blocks, like Minecraft. You can split them and collect them to build somewhere else. There’s definitely a Minecraft or Dragon Quest Builders flair (a series I’ve never played) here, but it’s easily accessible. I never felt lost or overwhelmed.

However, some significant challenges remain. Creating new structures can extend to huge objects that can take a long time to make. You must rehabilitate and reconnect all types of relics, including Pokemon Centers and more. It’s a game to get rid of.

There is a central story to follow, where the player can go back and speak with Professor Tangrowth to get ideas on where to go next. But it’s very easy to get distracted: What’s that shiny thing over there? Wait, this Pokemon wants to ask me something. And this one. And oh yeah, this is a side quest. These Pokemon are definitely the ones in need. I have no idea what it would be like to have hundreds of them. Animal Crossing has been unleashed.

My Ditto also has skills that it can absorb from other Pokémon, which continues to evolve what’s possible. This fluid progression of the game keeps it mysterious and exciting. What if the next day in Animal Crossing you extended your arms and could do something completely different, like chop down trees or break new blocks? This is Bucopia. I want to come back and keep discovering. The horizon remains unexplored beyond the next wall of blocks.

I needed a relaxing game like this to play in the middle of a chaotic year. In the middle of a blizzard, it was a warm blanket. I worry about where all the humans have gone, and I feel a sad, Miyazaki-like sadness hanging over this game. But also hope. I’m cleaning up a broken world, little by little.

I feel like I have a lot to do in this game, and a lot to fix. I’m not sure if there’s really an ending – even if Nintendo apparently claims there is, after about 20 to 40 hours. I’m sure this is just a milestone in the story, while everyday stuff similar to Animal Crossing will continue. This is a game that feels like it’s worth the $70 price tag – although I still feel like $70 is too high for a game (grumble).

It’s also a game that makes my kid finally want his own Switch 2. Nintendo may have found the moment to upgrade, for my family at least. From now on, almost all Nintendo games will likely be Switch 2 exclusives. This will remain in the mix for a long time to come.