I was initially surprised to see the announcement for Aniimo during the 2025 Game Awards because it seemed like, with all the trouble that was surrounding a game like Palworld, you’d think other developers would try to stay away from making Pokémon games for a while—maybe give Nintendo some time to get less litigious. But like I said in my “A Critic’s Guide to Game Design By Inspiration,” I’m always happy to see new developers make games inspired by popular franchises if they can bring something new to the mix.
Spending hands-on time with Aniimo offered some valuable insight into its direction. The game is clearly inspired by Pokémon, but it leans into that influence in distinctive ways rather than attempting a simple imitation. What stood out most was how closely its design philosophy aligns with the Pokémon Legends titles rather than the mainline entries. That approach opens up several promising and enjoyable directions for the series to explore.
The first thing Aniimo... Read more