One of the new Pokémon games that was announced just before E3 was Pokémon Masters, but at the time there wasn’t a whole lot that The Pokémon Company had to share about the new title other than a very brief description of what the game would be like, and that it would be coming to mobile devices. There are now a whole lot more details about the game and it’s been announced that it’ll be coming to Android and iOS devices this Summer, though still with no exact date.
Summer has just barely started, so it could still be a couple of months before the game is released, but players interested in giving it a go now have a firm time frame for when to expect it. The Summer-time release is just one small fraction of the information that’s been given. Alongside when to expect the game, The Pokémon Company has also shared details about gameplay as well as a video which showcases cinematic footage as well as some in-game footage.
Game Setting
As this is an all-new game that was developed for mobile devices from the ground up, complete with a brand-new story, Pokémon Masters is also taking place in a brand-new setting. The location will be called the Island of Pasio and will be a place where trainers gather from all different regions to compete against each other, kinda like Mortal Kombat tournaments but much less bloody and entirely more kid-friendly.
Gameplay Details
This is of course where things get good. The overall theme of the game is going to center around players forming teams with other trainers and their Pokémon to face off against another team. Teams will be made up of three trainers each and battles will be in real-time which means there will be an element of challenge to combat that tasks players with staying on their toes to react more quickly if needed.
These teams will be made up of “Sync Pairs” which will consist of one trainer and their partner Pokémon. Based on the description it seems like players will start off on Pasio venturing around until they meet another Pokémon trainer with a partner Pokémon, and they can then form bods with those trainers to become friends and progress to having them as a Sync Pair with which to team up.
Meaning you may not start off immediately with a team of three as it sounds like it’s based on who you’ve met. Once you meet well beyond three different trainers though you’ll be able to sync up with any combination of pairs that you like, and there are loads of combinations as there will be a total of 65 Sync Pairs at launch, with a possibility for more being added in the future.
Once battles have commenced they’ll feature a strategic element to them as players will have the ability to command the trainers on their team for things like attacks, using healing items, and skills that can help boost the attacks of their other Pokémon. The strategy doesn’t stop there either.
Choosing the right Pokémon Sync Pairs could be crucial as battles will often allow for Sync Move attacks which combine attacks between specific Pokémon pairs. In other words some Sync Moves may be stronger than others, so choosing your pairs wisely is certainly a recommendation. These will only be available occasionally, so they’ll also be something you probably want to save for the moment when you really need it as there will be a timer attached to them.
Pokémon Masters will be a game that costs nothing to start playing, so that means it will be a free download. It will have in-game purchases as well but it’s not entirely clear yet whether or not that will include a purchase to unlock the full game or if that will simply mean there are micro-transactions for certain things. If you;re finding yourself in need a of a Pokémon fix and are getting a little tire of Pokémon GO, this is one to watch.