Loved the game. I played pokemon when I was a kid, this was a true strum of the heartstrings.
I would actually argue this game is more of what pokemon should have been and could have developed into. The creatures feel more thought out and honestly seem to have a more interesting design than pokemon has employed.
As far as gameplay and mechanics if you enjoyed pokemon you will find a wonderful experience. The game makes traversing a little easier for the play (which I appreciate). It offers more involved puzzles than "walk forward and battle trainer to move forward" and the dialogue never gets old. The characters don't get stale as they are constantly introducing new ones and giving new light to their deceivingly huge world.
I have sunk 26 hours of gameplay time into the game and I don't regret any of it! That is a rare feat for me. This game is put simply; what I wish I had experienced playing pokemon over the last 14 years.