Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia main story done!
I finished the main story for Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia this morning while I was on my way to work. Took me about 32 hours overall, including finishing all the pre-ending quests. That didn't take long.
Although I have to admit, I enjoyed the game much more than the first one. The first one was much harder, and you couldn't really beat it without the help of Poke Assists to aid in capture, but in the second game, it wasn't the case. It is actually possible to play through the entire game without the use of Poke Assists. It's possible, I know. Poke Assists only aid to make it easier to capture or aid with more annoying captures, but unlike the first game, I couldn't make the final three captures for the main story (Suicune, Raikou, Entei) without using Poke Assists at all. While for the second game, I could make the final two captures (Dusknior and Darkrai) without the use of Poke Assists! In fact, I even beat the Sinis Trio without using any!
Not only that, I didn't have to train to purposely level up my Styler (I had to do that in the first game damn it). It just gained level as I played through the game, and captured whatever that I came across and just release whatever I didn't need or release the just captured Pokemon. Being able to lift the Stylus during captures and using the friendship gauge was better and actually made more sense too. While you cannot wait too long or the friendship gauge would go back down, but at least you can dodge attacks and wait them out by lifting the Stylus and putting it back and continue looping, where in the first game I still remembered that when I was capturing Rayquaza in the first game, I was pressing the Stylus on the touch screen pretty hard...and my hand was kind of shaky but I was afraid that if I didn't press hard enough, I would have to start all over again. Using Ice Poke Assist against Rayquaza was useless =/
One of the neatest thing that was in the second game but not the first was the Recharge option when your allowed number of Pokemon was full. This allowed you to capture a Pokemon with the Recharge Field Move and use it with a full Friend Pokemon party, without having to release any other Pokemon! I used this occasionally. It was great.
And...the quests. The quests were fun, and adds more to the game compared to the first. The first game only had missions. But the quests were like side quests. They're always a nice thing to do to get off the main story for a while. Not only that, the quests were very rewarding. Some of these quests gains you more Partner Pokemon to use while the rest powered up your Styler and made it stronger, another thing that helped make the game easier.
Partner Pokemon. While you're still limited to only one Partner to come with you at any one time, you'll get more than one by doing certain quests (you'll get three from the main story) and you can switch your Partner Pokemon at anytime you can go back to the Partner farm. It was great. You only have one Partner Pokemon throughout the game in the first one.
As for the story, it's just your typical Pokemon Story. Evil wants to take over the world and needs Pokemon/wants to control Pokemon, you save the world blah blah blah. The story for Pokemon games have never been particularly too impressive, but it isn't horrible either...although I sometimes wished the main character actually...talked XD
Overall, the second game is a huge improvement over the first game, much easier and much more enjoyable, with more different Field Moves and you're not as restricted as the first game when it came to befriend Pokemon to help you.
Now to go do post game stuff, finish the Riolu and Darkrai Ranger Net Special Missions, challenge the Capture Arena and complete the browser! I actually feel like doing this and it won't seem impossible, unlike the first game. I actually stopped playing the first game after I had finished the post-ending missions and didn't bother with the Capture Challenge. No Poke Assists for the Capture Challenge (I forgot what it's called in the game) when the game itself seems near impossible without them? No way. Not only that, specific Pokemon only appeared there if you want to complete the browser. I really can't be bothered. But if you told me that you couldn't use Poke Assists in the Capture Arena for the second game, I would still try cause I had completed the majority of the second game without using Poke Assists. I only used them to aid in the more annoying captures.
Although I have to admit, I enjoyed the game much more than the first one. The first one was much harder, and you couldn't really beat it without the help of Poke Assists to aid in capture, but in the second game, it wasn't the case. It is actually possible to play through the entire game without the use of Poke Assists. It's possible, I know. Poke Assists only aid to make it easier to capture or aid with more annoying captures, but unlike the first game, I couldn't make the final three captures for the main story (Suicune, Raikou, Entei) without using Poke Assists at all. While for the second game, I could make the final two captures (Dusknior and Darkrai) without the use of Poke Assists! In fact, I even beat the Sinis Trio without using any!
Not only that, I didn't have to train to purposely level up my Styler (I had to do that in the first game damn it). It just gained level as I played through the game, and captured whatever that I came across and just release whatever I didn't need or release the just captured Pokemon. Being able to lift the Stylus during captures and using the friendship gauge was better and actually made more sense too. While you cannot wait too long or the friendship gauge would go back down, but at least you can dodge attacks and wait them out by lifting the Stylus and putting it back and continue looping, where in the first game I still remembered that when I was capturing Rayquaza in the first game, I was pressing the Stylus on the touch screen pretty hard...and my hand was kind of shaky but I was afraid that if I didn't press hard enough, I would have to start all over again. Using Ice Poke Assist against Rayquaza was useless =/
One of the neatest thing that was in the second game but not the first was the Recharge option when your allowed number of Pokemon was full. This allowed you to capture a Pokemon with the Recharge Field Move and use it with a full Friend Pokemon party, without having to release any other Pokemon! I used this occasionally. It was great.
And...the quests. The quests were fun, and adds more to the game compared to the first. The first game only had missions. But the quests were like side quests. They're always a nice thing to do to get off the main story for a while. Not only that, the quests were very rewarding. Some of these quests gains you more Partner Pokemon to use while the rest powered up your Styler and made it stronger, another thing that helped make the game easier.
Partner Pokemon. While you're still limited to only one Partner to come with you at any one time, you'll get more than one by doing certain quests (you'll get three from the main story) and you can switch your Partner Pokemon at anytime you can go back to the Partner farm. It was great. You only have one Partner Pokemon throughout the game in the first one.
As for the story, it's just your typical Pokemon Story. Evil wants to take over the world and needs Pokemon/wants to control Pokemon, you save the world blah blah blah. The story for Pokemon games have never been particularly too impressive, but it isn't horrible either...although I sometimes wished the main character actually...talked XD
Overall, the second game is a huge improvement over the first game, much easier and much more enjoyable, with more different Field Moves and you're not as restricted as the first game when it came to befriend Pokemon to help you.
Now to go do post game stuff, finish the Riolu and Darkrai Ranger Net Special Missions, challenge the Capture Arena and complete the browser! I actually feel like doing this and it won't seem impossible, unlike the first game. I actually stopped playing the first game after I had finished the post-ending missions and didn't bother with the Capture Challenge. No Poke Assists for the Capture Challenge (I forgot what it's called in the game) when the game itself seems near impossible without them? No way. Not only that, specific Pokemon only appeared there if you want to complete the browser. I really can't be bothered. But if you told me that you couldn't use Poke Assists in the Capture Arena for the second game, I would still try cause I had completed the majority of the second game without using Poke Assists. I only used them to aid in the more annoying captures.