This week’s Community Review: How do we feel about Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?
The arrival of a new Pokémon title is now invariably accompanied by a wave of discourse around the community reaction. Pokémon fans know what they like, and like what they know. And it seems they know the Diamond and Pearl editions better than almost any other.
In addition to being long-time fan favourites, Diamond and Pearl are regarded as the first games in the series that Gen-Z got to grips with as young children. The level of nostalgic hype among that younger crowd has been at an all-time high. But has it paid off?
Critics seem to like it okay. It’s currently holding onto a 76 on Metacritic and retains a 77 average on OpenCritic.
The user score on Metacritic however, sits at a 5.8 with a fairly even division between positive and negative takes. One of the primary complaints from those giving negative reviews is that neither game contains any of the content introduced in Diamond/Pearl contemporary Pokémon Platinum. Another complaint is that it is more of a 1:1 recreation of those original games, rather than a HeartGold/SoulSilver level remaster with quality-of-life changes.
Those who enjoyed the game argue that this don’t-fix-it-if-it-ain’t-broke approach recreates the Diamond/Pearl experience more authentically.
As Kotaku AU received no review code for this particular title, I picked up a copy over the weekend but haven’t had a chance to jump into it yet.
How do you feel about it? Have you played it yet? Do you prefer the 1:1 remake approach for preservation’s sake, or would you prefer Nintendo had done more to update the game around modern sensibilities?
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