This fan has done a brilliant job of recreating iconic areas of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in Unreal Engine, giving us a glimpse of a possible direction that the series could take in the future.
papabeard88, we salute you. Their faithful reproduction of Twinleaf Town breathes new life into the location, surrounded by towering conifer trees and the muted, misty clouds of a crisp winter's day. The entrance to Route 201 sees the path stretch out either side of the signpost, with blankets of tall grasses where the character would walk to discover new pocket monsters and battle fresh faces. Really, the effort that's gone into the project is astounding, and fellow Pokémon players have commended papabeard88's creation. "Can we have the whole game like this? as well as all the ones prior? would be absolutely wonderful," said Reddit user Ryuu-Tenno.
"If I could put in more time I would put in small phased graphics, like some burned trees or small grass fires showing there was recently a Pokemon battles [sic] there with a type," said papabeard88. "Maybe the next day the fire damage would be gone and the area would look like normal." A reactive world where Pokémon scuffles and activities would have an impact on their surroundings sounds fabulous. With this, the player could hunt down Pokémon based on their tracks or the trail of cutesy chaos they leave behind, like a blend of Pokémon Snap and a core Pokémon entry.
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One fan commented on the possibilities of this becoming a Pokémon VR environment, and papabeard88 replied that they would love to see a VR version of Pokémon-Amie, from Pokémon X and Y. This feature would open up the Poké Ball and let the player pet and play with the members of their team, therefore boosting their stats by boosting their affection with the Trainer. Also, it was absolutely the most adorable thing ever. I love playing with my Pokémon while camped out in Pokémon Shield, and seeing a proper VR version of Growlithe scampering about would make my year. Perhaps even my life. (Disclaimer: I do love Growlithe a lot).
The fan art has also provoked a discussion over the visuals of the Generation 8 games, and what fans would like to see. It's no secret that the run-up to the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield was a shaky one, with fans criticising Game Freak's choice to reuse models and animations while shrinking the Pokédex due to the Switch's technical capabilities. Yet, with the rumours of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remakes on their way in 2021, and that "Switch Pro" which will allegedly upgrade the base hardware of the original console, perhaps these fan-made mockups aren't a castle in the sky, after all.
Featured Image Credit: papabeard88, The Pokemon Company