Pokémon Sun and Moon

Four tropical islands where gyms gave way to trials and rituals.

Release: 2016
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Region: Alola
Generation: VII
Style: Classic RPG
Category: Main series

Attribute hexagon of Sun and Moon. Scores: Story 4, Competitive 3, Difficulty 3, Exploration 2, Nostalgia 2, Freedom 1.

Reading the profile

Scores from 1 to 5, in the atlas's own assessment.

Story score 4 out of 5 Lillie's family carries one of the most personal plots in the series.
Competitive score 3 out of 5 Sits at the average of the games in the atlas.
Difficulty score 3 out of 5 Sits at the average of the games in the atlas.
Exploration score 2 out of 5 The world is small or guided.
Nostalgia score 2 out of 5 It is something new, with no longing involved.
Freedom score 1 out of 5 There is only one path.

Alola trades the gym structure for an island challenge: trials with their own rules, closed by a Totem Pokémon that calls for backup. It is one of the biggest changes of formula the series has ever made.

The story gives the characters a lot of screen time, Lillie above all, and so the beginning is heavy with dialogue. Regional forms and Z-Moves debut here.