I enjoy the partner mechanic dearly, but the game has little identity of its own because every supplementary mechanic feels gimmicky or unfinished. Also, despite getting a fresh coat of paint, every world design issue carried over from previous renditions of Kanto is in full effect. Getting around is a slog, with mazelike towns, unmemorable route layouts, and dense trainer placement that'll waste 5-10 minutes of your time on your first bout through and area.
