A free-to-play Pokemon MOBA sounds like something that could be a great deal to some, but it is a shameless cash grab for others. My doubts about Pokemon Unite’s ability to successfully combine the best elements of Dota 2 and Pokemon were a concern. But my delight was rewarded when I saw how much fun this mobile brawler can be… at least for a while. The landing of Pokemon Unite is not perfect. It’s a casual MOBA that has some questionable microtransactions, and very little interest in pushing the limits. Similar Game : Venge Io
Anyone who has ever looked at a MOBA over the past 10 years will instantly recognize the Pokemon Unite premise: Two teams of five players, two lanes dotted with auto-defending towers and a “jungle” stuffed full of neutral enemies. Each player controls a single Pokemon from the decent 21-strong roster (including favorite favorites Greninja, Garchomp), which gets stronger with each match. You will clash along the lanes killing your opponents, pushing towards enemy towers, until one team is driven back to their base and forced to watch as their towers fall.
But they don’t fall in Unite’s situation. Unite’s matches don’t end with the destruction of the enemy base. Instead, they are on a 10-minute clock with the winner being the team that scores more points before the buzzer goes off. These points are called Aeos Energy and are earned by defeating wild Pokemon that appear on the map. Then, they are banked by dumping them Space Jam-style in the enemy team’s Goal Zones. This is Unite’s version the towers that protect each lane. Although it’s a clever twist on established genre mechanics, the match timers and simple objectives made me feel like I was replaying the exact same match every time no matter which Pokemon I chose.
I quickly started to notice parallels between Unite and another MOBA that tried to make the genre more accessible: Blizzard’s Heroes of the Storm, which has been quietly plugging along since development was slowed in 2018. The character progression system in both games is similar. Unite’s Pokemon have access to only two activated skills per match, plus two passives and a slow charging ultimate ability. As you gain experience, each activated skill can be redirected into one of two options. This allows you to easily customize your playstyle during matches. For example, Cinderace is a fast ranged attacker that can choose between Flame Charge (a devastating dash attack) or Feint (a evasive buff great for outplaying). This pared-down system makes your customization choices slim compared to games like League of Legends or Dota 2, but each Pokemon at least feels distinct from the others even within these strict confines, and I was able to find two or three Pokemon that fit my playstyle in just a few matches.
Pokemon Unite is a fun and entertaining MOBA. It checks all the boxes, but has very little to contribute to the discussion. There are also questionable free-to play choices such as being able pay for power. The game’s small battles and adorable presentation make it an enjoyable experience, especially when played with friends. However, I felt the limitations of the oversimplified system before I played for a full dozen hours. This made it feel too fast.