Developed by Niantic and Nintendo and released in 2016, Pokemon Go was an instant success. This game was incredibly popular with an audience of all ages, and quickly became a sensation in the AR world.

The mobile game utilizes the phone’s GPS to superimpose Pokemon at the users’ live location, so that the user may capture, train, and battle their Pokemon. The game promotes healthy lifestyles and motivates users to walk around their city in pursuit of new Pokemon to catch and train. Pokemon Go sets up quests and specific locations (Pokestops) for users to complete and venture to.

I personally really like Pokemon Go because it evokes a sense of nostalgia, as I grew up watching Pokemon episodes and collecting Pokemon trading cards. It is a lot of fun to see something from my childhood brought to life in front of my eyes. As a kid, I’ve always wished Pokemon were real, and Pokemon Go allows me to imitate that.

The game itself is engaging because it draws on its audience’s innate tendency to collect items and level up. Users (Pokemon trainers) are motivated to collect as many Pokemon as possible, and make them as strong as possible. There is something addictive about maintaining a complete collection -— an aspect that Pokemon Go cleverly draws upon. In addition, the game is very social, and allows users to work together with friends to complete quests and train Pokemon. Pokemon Go also takes advantage of a user’s competitive nature, and allows its audience to compete with friends in battle. This extensive social aspect makes Pokemon Go more engaging and allows users to gain a more satisfying reward from the game.

Features well done

Pokemon Go makes great use of geolocation, as it is able to track the user’s movements to help level up a trainer’s Pokemon or determine whether or not there is a Pokemon available at the current location. This feature is very well done — as a side effect, Pokemon Go certainly motivates users to explore their city and exercise. In addition, the use of geolocation allows users to gather with other users at the same location for “gym battles”. This leads to a congregation of people playing the same game, which can increase the level of excitement and enthusiasm for Pokemon Go.

Features to be improved

Although Pokemon Go is certainly a popular game, there are a couple features that can be improved. First, it can be easy to cheat the game. Often, to level up a Pokemon, the user must walk a certain amount of steps, intended to be completed by traversing a city or park. However, this can be bypassed by walking in a circle in a home, or even by driving slowly in a car. It might be useful for Pokemon Go to consider implementing cheat-prevention methods, such as uploading pictures of surroundings, or other proof of actual walking. Next, the idea of the game is rather repetitive, and the objective is simple. When players get past the initial excitement of nostalgic feelings and collecting Pokemon, Pokemon Go because just that — a game in which users can collect more and more Pokemon. However, this can get boring, and many players have stopped playing for lengths of time before new updates reel them back in. Pokemon Go should consider creating more side quests and other fun games within the app itself to keep users engaged and entertained.