If anything, this is a game that wraps story, an amazing soundtrack, and addicting gameplay into a memorable experience.
None of these things, that have appeared in every Pokemon game in the main series, appears in this game. I admire this to an extent; it means I am not just playing Pokemon Red/Gold/Ruby/Diamond all over again, but it also means it could just be another Pokemon Dash, too. In fact, the only thing that truly compelled me to buy this was the story and challenge of the first Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game, and while I am not saying it was bad (in fact in my initial review I claimed it was very good) I thought that it, as a game, could have been better. But hey, the story is basically the best of Pokemon, which isn't saying that much, but it WAS pretty involving,
Now, two years later, Chunsoft has basically said, "Screw a true sequel, let's just reinvent things entirely," and has made a game that has basically nothing to do with the first game besides the core story and the actual gameplay. Is this for the better? Yes, definitely. That is the easy answer.
The long answer starts here:
The story is the most complex I have ever experienced in a Pokemon game, and the most dark, at that. Essentially you are a Pokemon was actually a human that has washed up on the ocean, and you are found by another Pokemon. Said Pokemon gets mugged, you help him/her, and he/she asks you to join a exploration team. From there on it goes into a story about how time is being sucked out of the Earth because someone is stealing items called "Time Gears", and how you and your partner go to the future and back to stop the full halt of the time flow of the planet.
I am sure as you were reading the first part, you were like, "This sounds JUST LIKE PMD 1," and at first it is. But it becomes something more than that. It becomes an involvement with the characters, their emotions, their memories, their past, their future...basically all the things that make them memorable characters. Not a single character in the entire game is boring, and pretty much all of them except for the villains are likable and possibly even relatable. Not only that, but it contains true personality and heart, something that is hard to come by in terms of a Pokemon spin off, and from games in general, and that is saying a lot. Not to mention, their are a ton of memorable moments, and while I won't mention them here, they were memorable enough to make me play the game again just to experience them again.
The plot, even when it is so great as is, cannot stand on its own. It needs music, gameplay, replayability and soul. And guess what? It's got them all.
Of course, first things's first.
Right off the bat, the actual layout of the game is enormously improved from the first game, as options are much easier to access quickly and efficiently. Item management is not as much of a pain anymore either, as your treasure bag increases enough that you won't have to debate on what items to keep or throw away. And as for difficulty, it's still there, but it's not NEARLY as bitingly hard as its predecessor. It is more forgiving in penalty and the dungeons are not as long, either.
Okay, okay, I am kind of avoiding mentioning the main game here, and for a reason: there isn't much to mention. The game in of itself is the same. It's still challenging, even if it is less so, it's slightly repetitive (it has to be because, basically, the entire genre is repetitive), and its ultimately rewarding. I will say though, like in Chocobo Mystery Dungeon 2, there is that cheap instant-death move like Fury Swipes that will kick your ass and either make you waste a Reviver Seed (or multiple ones, depending on how strong the attack is) or will wipe you out entirely. But at least now it isn't as frustrating. Plus recruiting members isn't as needlessly complicated as PMD 1, where you had to first buy expensive areas for the recruits to live in. Now you can just recruit them normally, which doesn't really make the game that easier since if your recruits die they use your Reviver Seed if you have one on you.
Of course, all this gameplay needs graphics to showcase it, and while the environments outside of the dungeons are gorgeous and inspired, the dungeons are not. Usually, the only thing setting one dungeon apart from another is the objects adorning it and color of them. I won't call them ugly, because they aren't, but they could look so much better. Couldn't they be, in fact, 3-D? Without adding to much technical gimmickry, I don't imagine that would be too hard to accomplish. It could have helped ease the repetition a little.
The sprites are fine, and I don't think I could complain about them even if I wanted to because since it has (almost) all 493 Pokemon, I'd think it would be too much of an effort to make the sprites more fit for the DS hardware to just make the game prettier.
Thankfully, for the most part, most of the games flaws from it's bland dungeon visuals. It's soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal, it's basically the best I've heard on the DS. Better, in fact, than Drawn to Life 1 or 2 and even rivals TWEWY. Tracks pertaining to the story are the most well-crafted, especially the ending theme, which is, well, one of the single greatest tracks I have ever heard in a video game. No, I am not kidding. It's that good.
Even the dungeon tracks are pretty great, especially Amp Plains, Chasm Cave, Quicksand Cave, and Temporal Tower/Spire. I will admit there are a few tracks out of the HUNDRED OR SO that are dull, but they are far in between and they aren't so bad that you will want to mute the DS.
The game games you something of an epilogue after you finish the main story, and while the stories that happen afterwards are entertaining and worth playing through, they don't really give more meat to the main story, save one involving Darkrai. That and you have Wi-Fi options with rescuing friends from dungeons and exchanging team data and so on.
You have probably noticed that I have given this game a nine out of ten. In my mind, that is a score to be deserved, and to be honest, this game almost doesn't deserve it. The game play is still too repetitive and the dungeons are bland. But the game just pours heart and soul. It's not so much the concept that succeeds, but the execution. Everything comes together so finely, so neatly, that it becomes more than the sum of its parts. It becomes a memorable experience and, even with its flaws in mind, that is what matters, right?
The Good:
+Heartwarming characters and story
+Rewarding gameplay
+Magnificent music
+Improved Interface and neat Wi-Fi options
+Lasts 25 hours, 30 if you delve into the epilogue
+Has a nice artistic touch outside of the dungeons
+Is full of personality and heart
The Bad:
-At times Repetitive
-Not as difficult as PMD 1
-Bland dungeon visuals