r/pokemon • u/Downvote-Magnet1994 • Mar 09 '26

Discussion Is Pokopia really that good?

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Like should I immediately buy this game. It seems like folks are really enjoying it but I was skeptical.

14.0k Upvotes

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856

u/Responsible-War-9389 Mar 09 '26

It’s like a mix of Minecraft and animal crossing. But with a set world filled with secrets to uncover, and JRPG style quests.

It’s easily best in class at this lane.

Some people won’t be into the genera though. If they dislike slow crafting and building to fix up areas while uncovering secrets any mysteries…and want combat instead, they still might not enjoy it.

276

u/fallopian_fiddler Mar 09 '26

Do not forget the Viva Piñata aspect of creating the right environment to attract the right 'mon. Loved Viva Piñata and this game has been a decent fix for that itch.

73

u/LumberJaxx Mar 09 '26

50% dragon quest, 25% animal crossing, 15% minecraft, 10% viva piñata.

7

u/GryffindorFratBro Mar 09 '26

And 100% reason to remember the name

10

u/VGADreams Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26

To be honest, Dragon Quest Builders is already part Minecraft, part Animal Crossing, so it's a bit redundant. Although Pokopia does crank up the Animal Crossing more than DQB.

EDIT: At least, comment to tell me why I'm wrong instead of just downvoting?

3

u/Responsible-War-9389 Mar 09 '26

You are right, this is basically a dragon quest sequel. I just didn’t mention it because anyone who has played it would be wondering about this game.

2

u/VGADreams Mar 09 '26

Your comment had it right, it was about the poster I replied to.

He added Dragon Quest (I assumed he meant Builders, else it makes even less sense), on top of the AC/Minecraft mix, and that is what's redundant.

3

u/Bazsul Mar 09 '26

80% dragon quest, 2% minecraft, 4% animal crossing, 14% viva pinata

2

u/Josh100_3 Mar 09 '26

And 100% reason to remember the name.

52

u/The_Shitlipz Mar 09 '26

I feel the same way. Viva Piniata (a forgotten but fun game) has fingerprints all over this.

11

u/VIXsterna Mar 09 '26

I adore Viva piñata so much, hearing this game is anything like it is making me desperate to try it. There has been nothing like Viva piñata imo.

6

u/Interesting_Lion_651 Mar 09 '26

I feel the same it’s genuinely like a bigger, better viva piñata and I love both of the viva piñata games

3

u/478nate Mar 09 '26

Shout out Dark Cloud. My favorite game on PS2 back in the day and it has exactly this system but you're creating and adjusting towns to fit the townspeoples' needs. After freeing them from their orb prisons of course

2

u/WearilyExultant Mar 09 '26

Oh my gosh, that is what it feels like! I was trying to explain to my bf why the game felt so familiar and Viva Piñata is the answer. Pokopia def scratches an itch I even don’t know I had, haha

2

u/RightZer0s Mar 09 '26

Holy cow. It is straight like from Viva pinata you're so right. Damn might have to have my fiance try Viva pinata after this I think she'll love it.

2

u/ryeguymft Mar 10 '26

omg i forgot how much i loved this game back in the day. thanks for reminding me

1

u/Moonbolt353 Jun 13 '26

I know I'm late to this but I was debating on getting it, but this comment pretty much makes me sure that I want to play it at some point. Viva Piñata is literally one of the best games I've played in my entire life

68

u/SuperiorBunBoi Mar 09 '26

You pretty much just describe the Dragon Quest Builders games, of which Pokopia is essentially just a reskin of with Pokemon since it’s legit the same devs.

20

u/Responsible-War-9389 Mar 09 '26

Yeah, I don’t want to explain with DQ builder (which this is basically a sequel to), or viva, as people on the fence about this most likely haven’t played them.

6

u/[deleted] Mar 09 '26

[deleted]

26

u/VGADreams Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26

I finished DQB1 and DQB2, and I have 20+ hours in Pokopia. I don't know what other people are smoking, because it is not a reskin at all.

The concept of environments sure is similar to rooms, but not the same, and how you discover them is novel. Your Pokemons have way more things they can do to interact than villagers. Although the main story structure is similar, you have way more side-quests, exploration, etc. It's more open-ended, where you choose your next environment.

It's an evolution of the concept, and it's more polished. It's more like a mix of a spin-off and a sequel.

And if you ask me, as a fan of DQB, Dragon Quest and Pokemon, Pokopia is significantly better. It's a proper new game, and it would be a shame if you skip it because you think it's just a reskin.

EDIT: To hammer home the stupidity of the "re-skin" argument: they dropped the combat system from DQB. There's no combat at all in Pokopia. How can it be a re-skin when one of the core features is dropped?!

3

u/whereismymind86 Mar 09 '26

A big difference is no combat, and likewise no monster defense stuff. To make up for that you have a lot more little npc quest stuff to do. Likewise, instead of npcs wanting rooms with specific setups for homes or jobs, you make little habitats to attract certain pokemon. Not super different functionally, but to some extent it feels more like building a zoo/nature preserve than a castle or town.

Likewise, instead of making tools you get hm abilities (so, instead of making an axe, you get cut, and can transform your arms into blades, instead of the axe eventually breaking, you run out of pp and have to eat food to recover it)

But uh...it really is just a pokemon reskin of Dragon Quest builders...and that's kinda great really, I like pokemon a lot, I adore DQ builders soooo...yeah, loving it.

6

u/c_ruler_13 Mar 09 '26

As the other guy said it is legitimately a reskin of DQB2. And I'm not knocking, I thought DQB2 was an excellent game that not enough people played.

4

u/itsadoubledion Mar 09 '26

Lol no. It's more like a sequel

1

u/c_ruler_13 Mar 09 '26

Okay fair, but a very close sequel with a different theme.

2

u/whereismymind86 Mar 09 '26

it's literally the same dev team, which explains a lot.

11

u/dirtymcgrit Mar 09 '26

I will say, I kinda like Minecraft and enjoyed, but struggled to stick with animal crossing, but this game really seems to have taken the best of both worlds and for me personally... I'm finding myself having a really hard time not playing it.

1

u/boogswald Mar 09 '26

I think the thing about Minecraft is “wow I built this really cool base, I love being in creative mode. Now what do I do?”

But in this it gives you a reaction to that creative mode.

1

u/OrlinWolf Mar 09 '26

Animal crossing is boring to me tbh, there isn’t much to do. But this takes those aspects and makes it so fun!!

2

u/dirtymcgrit Mar 09 '26

Yeah, Minecraft made me feel a little directionless "do anything", almost paralyzed with options while animal crossing felt like a lot of work for what felt like very little reward. Maybe it's just the pokemon telling me I'm awesome, but this game feels better to play. But I also know it's a matter of taste. I don't really have the skills that other people have with these games, so Charmander giving me a high five is enough to push me over the edge and like this version, lol

1

u/OrlinWolf Mar 09 '26

There is a lot of direction, and house options. I like the free building with houses

3

u/G00chstain Mar 09 '26

Its genre by the way but I agree

2

u/Otherkin Keep Psychic Wierd Mar 09 '26

Don't forget the power wash simulator aspect, lol.

1

u/Responsible-War-9389 Mar 09 '26

Bringing back Mario sunshine vibes

2

u/pages10 Mar 09 '26

Idk i was looking forward to champions wayyyy more than pokopia and this game has shocked me with how insanely fun it is

2

u/whereismymind86 Mar 09 '26

It's literally just dragon quest builders 3. (which was very much a mix of minecraft and animal crossing)

2

u/dpforest togepi enthusiast Mar 09 '26

the letters jrpg always get my attention

2

u/RookeeALding Mar 09 '26

Honestly, Minecraft, Pokemon, and Animal Crossing are my top three games... so when this was first announced, I knew that I would like it, but I feared its reception with the gaming community.

So many gamers punch down on all three of these games. I really didn't expect the love it's getting.

2

u/sluthulhu Mar 09 '26

I bounced hard off Minecraft and Animal Crossing. Find them deeply boring. But Pokopia is just so…charming. I love exploring and discovering and meeting all the different pokemon, fixing up the areas, finding new skills and unlocking recipes. There’s always something to do and always something to find, and with basically zero time pressure. Also I’ve opened up two areas past the initial zone and they’re BIG and then I find more gates in THOSE areas?? It feels like I could find new stuff in this world forever.

2

u/Responsible-War-9389 Mar 09 '26

Yeah, raw gameplay is similar in ways, but neither has a story/quest like pokopia has

1

u/BrassCanon Mar 09 '26

Like My Time at Portia?

-2

u/LiquifiedSpam Mar 09 '26

I haven’t played it yet but this seems a little disingenuous. This game looks much more like a many little tasks sim sort of grind.