A Pokémon fan's pocket monster-inspired FPS has been revealed with a peek at its brutal gameplay, which sees the user hunting down Pokémon and shooting them. Official Pokémon games are known for being family-friendly titles with only mild peril and threat, and while earlier titles often dealt with darker themes like the death of Pokémon, arguably the closest fans have gotten to canonically shooting pocket monsters is with a camera in Pokémon Snap.
Nintendo's longstanding Pokémon series is one of the company's biggest, but like most Nintendo games, the titles steer clear of blood, violence, and gore. While FPS games have certainly existed on Nintendo consoles, including the genre-defining GoldenEye 007, first-person shooters aren't typically associated with the brand. Even when tackling shooters, first-party Nintendo franchises typically opt out of potentially polarizing gameplay, and even when the company has targeted shooters, it has often done so in a family-friendly way. The company's popular Splatoon series is a good example of Nintendo's take on shooters, offering paintball action instead of bullet-spraying, a tactic which has helped the game appeal to a wide range of audiences who are currently awaiting the release of Splatoon 3.
Created by Dragon_GameDev2 (via TheGamer), the work-in-progress Pokémon-inspired first-person shooter has gone viral on Twitter, attracting lots of attention from Pokémon fans for its rather brutal gameplay. In a short gameplay clip, Dragon is seen traversing a Safari-like area filled with a range of popular Pokémon, all of which are shot at by the player. While not explicitly violent, blood can be seen as the pocket monsters take hits in fight-or-flight scenarios where the characters attack the player, which is explained further in development updates on Dragon's YouTube channel. The interesting spin on the classic franchise has drawn lots of comments on Twitter, with some praising the idea while others condemn it.
Nintendo likely isn't planning to release an official Pokémon FPS at any point soon, but the company is planning to change the tried-and-tested gameplay formula for the upcoming release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. The game is set to offer more strategic play in an open-world-like setting, where players can explore 3D environments at their own pace and even ride mountable Pokémon. Legends: Arceus will offer gameplay elements not typically seen in the franchise, with many comparing its trailers and gameplay previews to titles like Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Dragon_GameDev2's Pokémon-inspired FPS is an interesting take on the typically family-friendly franchise, but the project might face the wrath of Nintendo. The company is known for swiftly closing in on fanmade projects - especially those that include content that contradicts the IP's values - and it's possible that Dragon_GameDev2's game might never come to fruition. Those looking to keep up to date with the fan-made Pokémon game's development can follow the creator on Twitter and YouTube.
Source: Dragon_GameDev2/Twitter, Dragon/YouTube (via TheGamer)