With Pokemon Legends: Z-A right around the corner, its upcoming release is, at the moment, completely overshadowed by another piece of major news. After extensive data mining efforts, CentroLeaks, a credible source for game information, shared findings regarding the 10th-generation mainline entry.
Titled Pokemon Wind and Waves, it is set to take place in a region based on Southeast Asia and Indonesia, where the player is expected to travel via air or sea to explore the many islands that await. As interesting as that may sound, what really caught the attention of fans is how the game plans to manage its environments.
Based on the leak provided, the 10th Generation Pokemon entry is set to have procedurally generated islands. This means that no player is set to have the same environments or experiences, ensuring that there's always something new to discover and talk about.
The idea is certainly interesting, but I believe it presents an issue that could lead to the game's downfall. While there will be a lot of islands, each one expected to be different due to being procedurally generated, what if the only thing that sets them apart is their looks?
It is an issue that No Man's Sky faced before receiving huge updates, where one can visit different planets created by the game, but the things you can do in them are essentially the same. I feel that Pokemon Wind and Waves could have the same problem, and it's likely due to its setting.
I'm certainly excited about potentially visiting places based in Southeast Asia, as the game could provide me and other players with islands that heavily focus on what the region is known for, like its lush rainforests or historical temples. However, even I know that realism places limits on what can be done in such environments, which could mean they're nice to look at, but boring to play in.
If Pokemon Wind and Waves wants to avoid that issue, then it's going to need to provide procedurally generated islands with more than just aesthetic changes. As someone who lives in a Southeast Asian country, one of the best things I can suggest is that the game incorporate activities that are famous in the region.
That alone could make discovering every island more worthwhile, as there are so many and each country has its own unique ones that could provide endless hours of fun. While such a thing can be difficult to implement, I believe it will be worth the trouble, given what it can do to appeal to fans and ensure they keep playing.
There are likely other ways that Nintendo and The Pokemon Studio can think of to ensure there's always something to look forward to with the procedurally generated islands, but that will be on them to figure out. Hopefully, whatever ideas they come up with are ones that longtime fans such as myself can get behind. Otherwise, Pokemon Wind and Waves will have squandered the amazing opportunity provided by the new direction.
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