Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness

THE GOOD:
The good aspects of this game greatly outweighed the bad. This is partly in due to the massive improvements since last generation, along with welcomed new additions.

The good properties included:

- The inclusion of more Pokémon, making for a total of 491
- Massive storyline
- Much larger ring of characters, both in terms of protagonists and antagonists
- New items, including game exclusives
- New Dungeons
- Ever changing Dungeons
- Wigglytuff's Guild
- Bigger Treasure Town with more shops
- Beautiful graphics for the cut scenes
- Belly (filled)

THE BAD:
Bad aspects were, luckily, at a minimal. Thought in all honesty contributive to the game, they were still an annoyance none the less.

The bad properties included:

- Overly long cut scenes, with a lot of talking between main characters
- Time consuming missions
- Stronger bosses

SUMMARY:
So, how does Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness fair in terms of in comparison to the last generation and as a game?

The inclusion of more Pokémon was, in all honesty, going to be an obvious inclusion with the new game. Having previously released Pokémon Diamond/Pearl, it was clear to see the new Mystery Dungeon would have a lot more to offer. Sadly since Diamond/Pearl did not offer any new types, neither did the new Mystery Dungeon. Having said this, however, the inclusion of so many new faces lead to a much richer game and a lot more enjoyment.

The storyline was extremely enjoyable. It was much more in depth and lengthy than that of the last generation. This greatly affected how much you want to play the game and for how long. It provides one with more value for their money and something to fill in the spare time no matter how long or short. The creators keep you guessing as to the pieces of the puzzle (being the truth of the storyline) right until the end, with constant twists and turns within.

Characters galore! So many Pokémon play a role in the bigger picture in the new Mystery Dungeon. That meant a whole lot more personality which in turn meant a whole lot more realism. It's so diverse that anyone will be able to personally relate to at least one character, bringing out emotion/s and therefore enhancing the gaming experience.

New items! Something a lot of people should be happy about are the new items, not to mention items specific to one or the other! It's certainly lucky that the treasure bag expands with the achievement of certain in-game events, you wouldn't be able to hold all the items you want to take!

Items played a crucial role in the last game, furthermore so in this one. The use of one item can determine the whole outcome of a mission or boss fight. It's all about strategy, which makes the player think more than they used to creating a more fun game for those who are intellectuals. This also goes for what item/s you may make your team hold.

A whole new set of dungeons! The new dungeons are a lot nicer to look at, with a greater eye for scenery and a great attempt to make every dungeon look as unique as possible. Included in this is the fact that each floor is completely randomized, so every adventure is different even if you keep going to the same dungeon!

Wigglytuff's Guild is another big feature in the new game. Simply put, Wigglytuff's Guild is a Headquarters for Rescue Teams in the employment of Wigglytuff. Along with his right-hand man Chatot, they will ask you to take on specific duties for the Guild along with special events which will pop up throughout the storyline. It is how you will play through the game after meeting your partner, who asks you to form a team with them.

Treasure Town has increased in size with the new generation, more shops means more features! Some of the shops feature new faces, such as Marowak running the Dojo, Electivire running the Link Shop and Duskull in charge of the bank. Three new shops have joined the town which are Chansey's Hut, Xatu's Locksmith and Croagunk's Trade Post.

Chansey's Hut brings a part of the main games into Mystery Dungeon, the concept of Pokémon Eggs. These can be obtained in a mission marked with "???". Simply obtain them as a reward and they will be sent to Chansey to nurture until hatching point. This normally takes a couple of in-game days but really depends on what Pokémon is inside. They hatch at level one, which means if you want to include them in your adventures you're going to have to put them through some training to catch up.

Xatu's Locksmith is a largely welcomed new addition. With the inclusion of Treasure Boxes, which may be obtained by defeat of wild Pokémon, you now have the ability to gain access to very rare items including Pokémon specifics! To gain access to what's inside, it will cost you a mere 150 Poké per Treasure Chest. Whenever you find a Treasure Chest it is more than worth it to pick it up and to bring it to Xatu.

Croagunk's Trade Post is just as the name suggests, trade an item for a different item. This can be great for obtaining rare items.

Beautiful graphics! That's right, evocative depictions of scenery spread out over both the screens in eye-catching cut scenes. From those who like the look of a dead wasteland to those who would rather gaze upon a beautiful lake featuring a beautiful water fountain, the new Mystery Dungeon has it all.

Of a small mention is the belly filled aspect which was also present in the last generation. I, personally, found myself using a lot less apples and so found it more enjoyable with having more space to carry other items. An empty belly can be further avoided by the use of items other than food such as the Pure Seed which will transport you to the staircase, being very handy for long and windy floors or when surrounded by the enemy.

Having said all of this, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon does have a couple of downsides. Though not major, they do detract the game from a perfect status.

The cut scenes, despite being vital to the storyline and most of the time interesting to the eyes, can be overly long. This means spending long intervals simply mashing the A button. This can, in the long run, become rather a nuisance and especially when you don't have the time for it which can result turning off the game and having to go through that scene again the next time you play.

Again with the time consuming issue is some of the storyline missions. In conjunction with cut scenes, they can take a very long time and again become a bother.

Finally, there are the stronger bosses. This can be negative or positive depending on how you look at it. A stronger opponent will always be annoying, but the inclusion of the new items can more than make up for it with a decent strategy in place.

In conclusion, did the game live up to the standard set by the last generation? Was it even better? Is it really a great game? The answer to all of these is yes and I would certainly recommend this game to any Pokémon fan or could-be Pokémon fan as they will easily become hooked. Overall, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness is a fantastic game and worthy of a 4.5 out of 5 rating.