The tenth generation of Pokémon games, Pokémon Winds and Waves, will finally release in 2027. I’m trying to keep my expectations in check, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a believer in the potential that that this game has. Through Legends Arceus and Legends Z-A, Game Freak have shown that they can make a Pokémon game that most will enjoy, while still experimenting with the classic formula. With Winds/Waves, I hope that they’ll be able to build on this and address some of the issues raised by previous mainline games.
One of my hopes, though not a big one, is for more customization options. It was one of the most fun aspects of Legends Z-A for me after Scarlet/Violet’s limited approach. Legends Z-A returned to how Sword/Shield handled customization, with shops where you can buy any part of an outfit, as well as the ability to fully customize both your hairstyle and eye color. On the other hand, Scarlet/Violet only provided preset options for an outfit and didn’t allow you to customize your hair as freely. At the moment, it unfortunately seems like Winds/Waves will be going for the same style as its predecessor. Here’s hoping, though, that the full release will allow me to customize a bit more than just my phone case.
Another is for the open world to feel a little bit more lively. Though I loved being able to go anywhere in any order, the areas in between points of interest like Gyms felt very empty. I want a feeling like I got with the most recent Legend of Zelda and Spider-Man games—like I can’t go anywhere without being sidetracked because there’s so much to see. It would be nice to have side quests or smaller points of interest in the more barren areas of the world so that exploring feels more like exploring and less like going from point A to point B with nothing in between.
This next one is really big—I need a shorter tutorial. If I have to have my hand held for hours at a time before I can go anywhere on my own accord, I am going to scream. All of the tutorials explain stuff I already know from my years of playing Pokémon, which can easily be retold in a more concise manner. Ideally, a way that doesn’t feel like the game is holding my hand for the first hours of gameplay. Making the tutorial shorter, or optional, or a little more engaging than just multiple consecutive cutscenes, would be more than enough for me.
I will also agree with the most popular request in the Pokémon fandom: I want voice acting in the animated cutscenes. There were scenes in Scarlet/Violet and in Legends Z-A that would’ve benefitted from it in my opinion. It’s not a necessity by any means, but would be nice to see nonetheless. If the story will be as rich as it has been in recent installments, it would improve its delivery. Unfortunately, I am not sure how likely this addition is.
Lastly, though very unlikely, I love the Legends battle format. How you can move during the battle and how the turn-based system becomes more dynamic as a result made these battles much more entertaining for me. The catching system in is also improved as a result. Being able to catch Pokémon without having to battle them makes completing the Pokédex more fun and less tedious. Yes, I know it’s a battle format specifically associated with the Legends games, so it’s unlikely to come to the mainline entries. Still, I’m hoping Game Freak tries something similar and takes the classic gameplay formula in a newer direction, unlikely though it may be.
At the end of the day, I’m hoping that Winds/Waves is like its predecessor, except with a shorter tutorial section and borrowing some aspects from Legends Z-A. It’s not a lot of changes, but in my opinion they’d be enough to make the experience much better.
