So I'm currently playing through Pokemon Violet and I am enjoying. However, I've noticed something during my playthrough semi-recently that I've noticed whenever I play any Pokemon game: the level progression. Now in Pokemon Violet, it's open-world and also up to the player as to what path they take and what order they complete certain events in.
In any case, I've been following IGN's guide on the game and have completed (in this order) Cortondo Gym (Bug), Open Sky Titan (Flying), Team Star's Giacomo (Dark), Artazon Gym (Grass), Stony Cliff Titan (Rock), and Levincia Gym (Electric). The guide recommends that I go up against Team Star's Mela (Fire) next, so I'm currently working on leveling up a team of Water-type Pokemon. Most of them average at about level 20. The guide however recommends that I be at level 27 with my Pokemon. I'm trying my hardest but every time I load up the game, I'm hit with the constant feel that I have to go level up and I can't go do the next thing in game. It feels stifling, and this isn't the first time I've felt this while playing a Pokemon game. While doing a Nuzlocke challenge, I decided that I would literally invent a rule that says I could hack in Rare Candies to level up my Pokemon if grinding gets too boring and annoying.
Has anyone else felt this? I want to love one of my favorite franchises and keep playing the games, but I also don't want to boot them up and feel like I'm dragging a rock in a sack down the road.
I think this game has a bad design. There are no mendatory trainers to beat, so people doesn't fight them at all. But the trainer were always a indication of the difficulty in the region. But this game is designed with the intention to go to the open world and catch a lot pokemon, which is boring for me. My recommendation to level would be to finish some raids, the exp is decent on them
The open world exploration is nice and all, but it's so empty. Contrast that with Breath of the Wild that has so much environmental storytelling along with side quests that help you actually do stuff in those open areas. Excuse me for comparing Legend of Zelda to Pokémon, but both have released open world games and one is clearly designed more thoughtfully.
I don't like it as well and don't apologise it with the comparison of a roll model of open world games.