Is USUM worth it?

May be a bit too early to call it but for those who have played USUM, do you think USUM is worth it? Is it worth the hype, money, to get if you have SM, etc? Why so?

Bonus Question(s) :
What are some similarities and differences between SM & USUM (besides the plot)? What similarities & differences did you enjoy/not enjoy in USUM, why? Did it effect your overall gameplay/view of the game?

I am about 4.5 hours into Ultra Moon... So far its been more than worth it! There added details, such as birds flying around. Its clear that they put more effort into making all of the little things. I'm also appreciating the species diversity.

I can give a better review later once ive beaten the story because I dont think I can give a proper response here with only 4 and a half hours of gameplay.

The first half of the game was very boring to me; With beefed up trainers and very slight alteration to Sun and Moon, but the latter half was gold.

https://twitter.com/pokejungle/status/932090508737785856

Worst Pokemon game ever? Well, it looks like 50% of Japanese players say so because they seem to be extremely let down over how "samey" the plot is to S/M.

Hikamaru said:

https://twitter.com/pokejungle/status/932090508737785856

Worst Pokemon game ever? Well, it looks like 50% of Japanese players say so because they seem to be extremely let down over how "samey" the plot is to S/M.

Click to expand...

To be fair, USUM is just a typical "third version" but split in two, and yet during the prerelease it was advertised as... not quite that. I'm sure lots of fans went in expecting something more extravagantly different, which will naturally lead to disappointment to find that it's just SM but with some different wild Pokémon and some alien people showing up to talk about "the blinding one."

I do think the added features (Mantine Surf and Photo Club) make it way better than SM, but honestly SM should have had this stuff to begin with, seeing as they were touted as the big "20th anniversary titles!!" I'd say if you've played SM but weren't all that enamored with it, USUM isn't worth it, because you're basically buying the same game again, and as good as the new features are, you likely wouldn't find them to be worth an extra $40. If you didn't play SM, USUM is worth it because they're what SM should have been from the get-go.

This new release is a special event for me because Pokemon Moon was the very first Pokemon game I've played in 19 years as the original Pokemon Stadium game was the last one I played before the nearly two decade long hiatus from the franchise. When I returned to the franchise with Pokemon this past August it was new breath of life to catch up with what I missed along with a new experience as my new Pokemon game was without the gym concept this time around in replacement of trails which I loved. So to be apart of the franchise during the release of an upgraded Moon that went ultra this was a continuation of my journey into Pokemon to experience both new and old as Ultra Moon has a huge throw back to the past from Giovanni to other past bosses I can experience for the first time since I've missed every leader since Giovanni! from experiencing surfing, taking photos of my Pokemon which is a great way to remember your Pokemon before they evolve, to now being able to have limited more interactions with specific pokemon when not in battle such as playing Pee-A-Boo or staring at them, to having similar events but happening differently then the original Sun and Moon I'm filled with new experiences and old experiences from the previous game being remixed in a new way and sometimes happening in a different location! So yes the Ultra lifestyle is more then worth it because it gives you the familiar while blending new experiences naturally with a gameplay that most Pokemon fans are familiar with!

I feel a bit let down. Even more so than in previous "third versions", this feels like DLC for its predecessor. USUM are good games, but for the exact same reason SM were good games. Where I am so far in the game (almost done the main story, prepping for the E4) there have not been many changes at all. Mantine surf, a few more Rotom lines, some new Pokémon and building types, and of course a new climactic event, even if that new climactic event only amounts to like 10 minutes of new content.

Maybe the postgame will be better but that's a bit pathetic if that's what Game Freak is leaning on as what they improved this time around. As it stands the main game experience is not impressively different from Sun & Moon at all.

I mean.. so far, nothing much to complain about? These games seem more difficult than SM which I give decent credit for, so there's that.

I feel a bit let down. Even more so than in previous "third versions", this feels like DLC for its predecessor.

Click to expand...

Every third version could've been DLC for its predecessor instead. To the best of my recollection, there has not been a single significant storyline alteration in one third game that comes to mind. Third versions have always been more about offering more post-game content than anything else.

I enjoying both games a lot. I love spending time taking photos on my journey it really makes the game more worth wild. I want to upload them to my twitter account or just upload to my PC in general.

Now that I've completed both main and post-game... Well... I'll say I am disappointed because it wasn't worth all the hypes I had for it before I got it.

First half was literally a New Game+ but without the '+', you get the idea, with some alteration to Sun & Moon. Second half was interesting at least, with more twists.

Post-game was still disappointing, the team leaders were all too weak despite the fact they are using a legendary Pokemon, Giovanni was ok but not nerve wrecking enough.

Second half would be considered an "overly expensive DLC" to me. Don't get me wrong, I love the game, and still love Pokemon, but uh, compared to all the hypes I've got from the teasers, this game really isn't worth my wait.

Hikamaru said:

https://twitter.com/pokejungle/status/932090508737785856

Worst Pokemon game ever? Well, it looks like 50% of Japanese players say so because they seem to be extremely let down over how "samey" the plot is to S/M.

Click to expand...

[Disclaimer: this is not directed at you, but at the sentiment represented in that tweet at large]

Are there really all that many people who, like, care about this issue? I'm through the entire first Island and I've found more than enough differences - which aren't even plot-related - to satisfy me and make the game exciting and new.

I just don't get this perspective. Maybe I'm really old for the fandom now, and a lot more players started out with Black and White or later generations, but I can't relate to taking issue. If the only games one has ever played are the 3DS line, then yeah, I guess I see how one wouldn't have expected a third version to be so similar. Maybe even if one has played the fifth generation and later, since B2W2 were legitimate sequels and could have created a notion of high difference.

But if people have played things like Platinum, Emerald, Crystal, and Yellow - basically, if they've been around long enough to experience the rest of the series or they've gone out of their way to do so anyway - then they know this is really nothing new. This is more different from the original versions than any of those; if you hold it to the standard of B2W2, which you probably shouldn't anyway, then sure, it'll fail that test.

So far, I think it's well worth the purchase. The game is more challenging, is bursting with new features and changes and even new locations, and from the small bits and pieces of the story I know (I've tried not to spoil myself), it seems to be as different or more so than other third versions.

It's Sun and Moon plus a decent amount more - hence the names, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. I think the originals are the best games in the series so far; I'm probably going to think these are even better, and I think they represent more or less the definitive experience for the DS/3DS chapter in the series' history. I can't wait to keep playing!

Playing through the first and second island in USUM, I have a feeling that S/M was a beta version. All of the previously blocked off areas now contain side quests and the trial Pokemon and Kahunas in USUM are super hard compared to the S/M versions.

Definitely worth playing if you want to feel challenged by a game again, though!

Worth getting. Both story and post game is good. The games are quite good and a vast improvement over SM in my opinion.

I've been having this conversation with people a lot lately and it all boils down to how much you liked Sun & Moon.

I LOVED Sun & Moon. Everything about it. It's been a year since I've played, so I'm not 100% what was in and what wasn't in the last game, but there's enough new content here for myself. The hand holding at the beginning is better, there's more Pokemon to find which is making team building huge amounts of fun (Zorua & Inkay right off the bat, what's not to love?), the story has been tweaked as far as I can see, and that mantine surfing is a blast. About as far as I can go, only on island 2.

But if you're looking for a brand new experience, it's not really here. It's fresh enough, especially after being away a year, but it's the same base game as far as I can see. I'm fine with that, the new Pokemon, story additions and game play tweaks have got me quite contented, but I can understand why some people may not want to dive in at full price.

So if you loved Sun & Moon and want to play it again, with updated content, go for it. It's a blast. But if playing through Sun & Moon again sounds dull, well that's your answer.