Pokémon Pokopia Preview: Animal Crossing-like with less downtime

When Nintendo starts stepping out of its comfort zone, you know that anything can happen. Pokémon has long been a series that, despite some interesting spin-offs, has struggled to break out of its boxed-in patterns and find new ways to convey gaming joy. Lately, however, it seems that Nintendo has realised what a treasure they have and that they can use their world-famous pocket monsters to create gaming experiences that are not just about "Gotta catch 'em all," but can be so much more. Pokémon Pokopia is the latest example of this turning trend, where Nintendo has chosen to draw inspiration from the cosy, creative setup of Animal Crossing to deliver a game that focuses on creating pleasant environments for you and your Pokémon friends to live in.

The first thing that happens when my two hours in Pokopia begin is that I wake up in a cave. I immediately discover that I am not alone, but am accompanied by an individual named Professor Tangrowth, a Pokémon who tells me that all living creatures, both humans and Pokémon, have disappeared from the world and that he is the only one left. My sudden presence, I am told, is therefore something completely unique. What is even stranger is that, despite my human appearance, I am also a Pokémon, more specifically a shape-shifting Ditto that has taken the form of my old trainer. The relatively simple character creator that determines my appearance is perhaps not the most advanced, and my character therefore does not feel quite as personal as in Animal Crossing, for example, but that may change when Pokopia is released in a few weeks.

After our introduction, I am shown the open game world that will be the setting for my stay in Pokopia, which is a gloomy place, filled with weeds and dreary environments. Suddenly, however, I encounter a new individual, a Bulbasaur lurking in the tall grass. Another Pokémon! Now there are three of us! In addition to showing me that the world may not be as devoid of life as we first thought, my new friend also teaches me how to grow new grass in an instant, one of many important abilities that will be crucial in making the desolate environment a better place. With my newfound skill, I can create more homely grassy areas that will soon attract new friends to our growing group of pocket monsters.

Since I am a Ditto, my shape-shifting ability makes me very receptive to learning new skills, and as I meet more Pokémon of different types, I accumulate more and more powers. For example, a Squirtle teaches me how to spray water, while a Hitmonchan shows me how to crush rocks, and a Scyther instructs me on how to chop wood. Planting new plants and removing unsightly piles of rocks not only makes the world much more pleasant to look at, but in the process I also gather a lot of information about which environments attract new types of Pokémon. For example, a group of four grass tufts by a tree is enough to attract a Pidgey, while a quick reworking of the beachfront brings a Slowpoke along after a short while.

As new Pokémon join our growing oasis, the existing inhabitants begin to ask me for various services in exchange for new abilities or building materials. Designing interiors and various objects is also an important part of Pokopia in a way that is reminiscent of how it works in Animal Crossing. This means that I am constantly sent off on various side quests to build more gadgets or collect new items, which makes exploration a natural part of the experience. One task leads me to a new part of the world where I find new Pokémon, which activates a new mission, and so it goes on. During my time with the game, I never experienced a lack of things to do; it always felt like I had two or three projects going on at the same time.

After a little over 90 minutes of playing, it's time to try out the multiplayer mode. Together with a Danish journalists and two Norwegian influencers, I am transported to a new island where our joint mission is to rebuild a ruined old Pokémon centre. We are informed that a lot of materials and two specific types of pocket monsters are required to make this possible. Someone with good muscle strength and someone else with fire-breathing abilities, and it's my understanding that the construction of larger structures works just like that. As a player, I present a plan and need to coordinate the work among my recruited residents. Before long, we manage to track down a Charmander and a Machop, who put our collected materials to good use, and in no time at all, we have erected our first building. It's a fun way to experience Pokopia together, as it feels like we have a good opportunity to coordinate the construction of our growing community in a way that is somewhat reminiscent of how it might work in Minecraft, for example. We also learn that Pokopia enables cloud gaming to such an extent that the person who is the "owner" of the current world does not need to be online for other players to be able to jump in and play. This brings to mind how it works with a shared Minecraft server, where the project belongs to everyone and not just one host player.

Visually, what I saw of Pokopia was really cosy, and Nintendo is once again taking advantage of its habit of creating beautiful and colourful gaming experiences with limited hardware. Playing as a human is also a fun creative choice, especially when it comes to using the game's many available powers. Seeing how my arms transform into Scyther claws to split a tree or how I can completely transform into an ultra-cute version of a Dragonite and glide over to the neighbouring island helps to create a playful aesthetic that feeds my curiosity about what my Ditto will learn next. The music is also really pleasant.

What I take away from Pokopia is an experience very reminiscent of Animal Crossing, but at a slightly faster pace and with less downtime. There always seems to be something to do, and the game has a huge cosiness factor that I think will lead to long sessions under a warm blanket in the winter darkness, while travelling, or really anytime you feel like experiencing Pokémon in a new and creative way. I look forward to finding out more when Pokémon Pokopia is released on March 5.