Early this morning, Nintendo unveiled their newest title in the famed Pokémon series, and it’s not quite what you might expect. Taking the series in a slightly new direction, Pokémon Conquest will still feature many of the Pokémon creatures that we know and love while throwing them into an entirely new environment, both in location and in gameplay.
Pokémon Conquest takes place in a unique new world known as Ransei. Inspired by the Japanese feudal era, Pokémon Conquest eschews the traditional Pokémon Trainer likeness found in the other games and replaces them with Warlords that are linked to a Pokémon. The players must set out to recruit other Warriors to make their kingdom stronger.
The game will feature nearly 200 Pokémon, and according to the press release, the Pokémon selection may be a mix of favorites from previous games. Nintendo cited creatures from the recently released Pokémon Black and White versions will be present in Pokémon Conquest, but involvement from creatures in other titles is only speculation at this time.
Perhaps the most interesting part of Pokémon Conquest is the play style of the game. All of the previous major titles in the Pokémon universe have been RPGs, with Final Fantasy-style, one-on-one, turned-based combat. In a bold new direction for the series, Pokémon Conquest will be a turn-based strategy game. Though details are currently vague, it sounds as if this new title will play similarly to the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics or Fire Emblem. Players will control multiple Pokémon at once, making decisions to use the correct types to take advantage of each opponent. Battles will be intense and involve up to six-on-six situations.
Also interesting is that Pokémon Conquest is a game being developed for the Nintendo DS. That’s not a typo—the game will launch on Nintendo’s last-generation portable in 2D. The press release does ensure that the game can also be played in 2D on the Nintendo 3DS. A curious decision from the big N, for sure.
Pokémon Conquest sounds like an interesting new title in the storied franchise. Despite its massive success, the series has seen much criticism from fans and critics alike for not changing the same old formula over so many games. Pokémon Conquest may finally be the game to shake everything up and offer something completely new to the fans.
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