“Add me on Pokémon Go,” an influencer, GlitchxCity, asked me. “I haven’t opened the app in years,” I admitted. “Hold on, let me redownload it.” Unimpressed, Glitch turned away and back to her posse. Slightly embarrassed, I shrugged and downloaded the Pokémon Go app, once again. Pokémon Go is decidedly back. Or did it ever go away? Over the past weekend, Nintendo and Pokémon aimed to prove to a pool of journalists and content creators gathered at Paris’ shopping district that the once ubiquitous game is as fun as ever, and full of surprises. Hours before it would open to the public, we were asked to complete a Parisian stamp rally. A stamp rally is generally a real-life side quest, where you visit multiple locations to collect stamps, and try to visit them all to exchange for a sizable reward. It’s an idea that perhaps perfectly embodies the experience of playing a Pokémon game. After all, the motto of Pokémon is you gotta catch ‘em all. So we found ourselves in Paris, not seeing the Mona Lisa, riding the elevator to the top floor of the Eiffel Tower, or piling on the macarons and baguettes, but getting our steps walking towards the Champs-Élysées. Part athleticism (it still takes skill to aim a Pokéball!) and part bonding experience (it’s more fun with friends), the game has plenty to keep fans on the hook. Since the last time I opened the game nine years ago, it has added tons of side missions, battle passes, ways to spend real money, battle raids, and other features. At the end of the Paris Stamp Rally, I had my very own Mega Charizard and 18,000 steps logged in my health app. Before I knew it, I was busy catching Flabébés at the airport, until my bag was full of the fairy type Pokémon. It may not be the next big RPG, Pokémon Z-A, which we’ll be sure to cover more of when it launches (in less than a month!), but Pokémon Go in 2025 is still very much alive and well. -Shannon Liao, Inverse Deputy Gaming Editor |
