Pokémon Masters EX

The biggest draw of the mainline Pokémon series for me is the collecting. I get a lot more enjoyment out of filling out the Pokédex than I do out of crafting the perfect team. However, sometimes a good old-fashioned Pokémon battle is just what I need. This urge really picked up for me once news about the Sinnoh remakes and Legends: Arceus started dropping more regularly, but I didn't want to start playing a whole mainline game with those right around the corner for fear of getting exhausted by the formula. That's when I remembered Pokémon Masters. I had previously passed it up thanks to its focus on battling over collecting, but suddenly it felt like the perfect fit.

The battle system in Pokémon Masters EX is far from traditional, but it works well and offers some unique nuance relative to the standard format. To start, battles are no longer one-on-one, or turn-based. Instead, you'll be directing three Pokémon, with the assistance of their trainers, in real-time fights that often require an impressive amount of strategy. Acquiring and powering up these Pokémon and trainer "sync pairs" definitely has a free-to-play, pay-to-win style to it, but I had already collected half of the available characters and powered them all up beyond the maximum recommended level to finish the story mode, entirely for free, in my first ten days of regular play, so I don't think it's a particularly malicious system for the casual player. 

In order to give the battles and the sync pairs meaning within the game, Pokémon Masters EX offers a few different game modes. However, they all end up functioning in pretty much the same way. With the game being so focused on the sync pairs that you collect, it tries to cater to both partners in the pairings. You'll find battles for the Pokémon and story segments for their trainers. Each of the modes may lean more heavily into one offering or the other, but it all really just boils down to battling and reading. Even though I came to the game for the fights, I really appreciated the focus put on the story bits. Although they were often pretty corny or inconsequential, it was neat seeing trainers from all over the main series interact when they never would have crossed paths without this game. A lot of characters in Masters don't get much recognition anywhere else, so it's nice to see them shine here. There are still a lot of unrepresented trainers that I'd love to make their way into the game, rather than all of the holiday/event costumes they do for existing trainers, but that issue is far from a deal-breaker.

While Pokémon Masters EX wasn't exactly what I was looking for, nor do I think it's exactly what anyone else is looking for, it ended up being one of the most engaging mobile-game experiences I've had in a while. Unfortunately, after I beat the story and shifted into the grind-events-to-keep-upgrading-your-sync-pairs phase, my interest in the game started to fade away. The team at DeNA has just started releasing a brand new story chapter by chapter, but I think I'll have to wait a while longer before I will be ready to come back. Ultimately, the first month or so with the game is a delight, and I heartily recommend it. After that, the grind isn't quite so magical, so you can take it or leave it at that point, but seriously, at least try this game. I made the mistake of passing it up for two straight years, and I am glad I finally decided to rectify that.

The game is available for Android here (as of 12/16/21): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dena.a12026418&hl=en_US&gl=US
The game is available for iOS here (as of 12/16/21): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pok%C3%A9mon-masters-ex/id1442061397

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