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- Seen Aug 19, 2024
I've been playing rom hacks now for close to a decade. I've played most of the big names - Unbound, Glazed, Rocket Edition, etc - as well as countless QoL and modernization hacks. I've enjoyed most of them, but I recently played one that really opened my eyes about what I'd been missing. That hack was Pokemon Elysium by BlackKaiser. It's not perfect by any means - it's relatively old, lacks most QoL features modern hacks have lead me to expect, and the english is passable at best, and there are a few parts that are very grindy or feel kind of unfair - but despite all of that, it's still one of my favorite hacks. And that's because it has the one thing I feel like the vast majority of rom hacks overlook, or treat as an afterthought: a compelling story.
I can't remember the last time I played a hack where I actually cared about the characters. I don't know if I've ever played a pokemon game where that was the case at all, even an official one. Even great hacks like Unbound never really grabbed me in that way - I never really felt connected to the characters. I never really cared what was going on in the story. It was just set dressing to lead my around the world. Nothing more, nothing less. But in Elysium, there's character growth, there's real stakes, things actually happen to characters, to you. It's not the most incredibly story I've ever expererienced in my life, but it was compelling, it did make me want to find out what happens. That's something I don't believe I've ever felt while playing a rom hack before, and something I hope i get to expereince more in future hacks.
So what do you guys think? What are the hacks with the best stories in your opinions?
I can't remember the last time I played a hack where I actually cared about the characters. I don't know if I've ever played a pokemon game where that was the case at all, even an official one. Even great hacks like Unbound never really grabbed me in that way - I never really felt connected to the characters. I never really cared what was going on in the story. It was just set dressing to lead my around the world. Nothing more, nothing less. But in Elysium, there's character growth, there's real stakes, things actually happen to characters, to you. It's not the most incredibly story I've ever expererienced in my life, but it was compelling, it did make me want to find out what happens. That's something I don't believe I've ever felt while playing a rom hack before, and something I hope i get to expereince more in future hacks.
So what do you guys think? What are the hacks with the best stories in your opinions?