It would have been fine if the exp share was given much later in the game. Being able to use it right from the start of the game and the fact that it just gives bonus exp to everyone in your party just feels too cheap, the sort of "hand-holding" nintendo has been introducing more and more with every gen (now its much easier to EV train+free lucario etc.). Its a matter of principle.
This isn't hand-holding at all, it's an option. Hand-holding is when a game just downright helps you and tells you exactly what to do. (See: Luigi's Mansion 2 with E-Gadd's forced calls, Skyward Sword with Fi) I am not gonna deny X/Y does have some hand-holding, but it's only just telling the player where to go for the main campaign.
Saying EXP.Share or a freebie Lucario (which I didn't use, nor any of my friends did) is hand-holding is kinda like saying "super play" in New Super Mario/Donkey Kong Country is hand-holding. Super Play is just a way to let people who are bad at platformers still have fun with the games, but it's an option that you only get if you die in a level a lot. A veteran like me would ignore it, but I never complained about it being OP. In fact, I love the addition of that, it lets players experience the whole game without the risk of getting stuck in a hard level. It's similar with EXP.Share, but it has two functions: Helps people who are new to Pokemon or kids so they don't have to worry about being overwhelmed, or helps people who absolutely have no time for grinding or hate it.
Freebie Lucario is fan pandering anyway. Is freebie Lapras handholding too? (And yes, it's pretty damn good in-game.)
Where is the sense of exploration? Nowadays legendaries are simply given to you on a silver platter and you don't need to bother to find them in the first place (think regis).
I don't know what you're talking about, personally. X/Y is the first game to give me any sense of exploration since R/S. The region is big and well-designed and the variety is endless. The only legendaries (event ones aside) that you can easily miss even after looking through every nook and cranny are the Regis anyway, and I guess Rayquaza and Mewtwo if you were like me.
The AI and opponent's teams/movepools are still bad in general, you can still find ways to beat them even if you are slightly underleveled.
Exactly! And the one time it is ever hard is when the level difference is huge which ends up more annoying than fun.
If they have put more thought into improving the challenge in the game rather than just giving out freebies it would be great.
I disagree. I don't see any point in making the games more challenging, since Pokemon was never designed around that. Making the A.I any smarter and giving them better team will easily overwhelm people who are new and kids. The challenge was always after the Elite 4. (or sometimes the E4 themselves, for some people I guess.)
Personally I'd like a hard mode, but if B/W2 is anything to go by, it'll STILL be easy. lol