Shadows of Almia improves upon the first Ranger, but lacks some important qualities. Read Review!
User Rating: 9.5 | Pokemon Ranger: Batonnage DS
I personally found the first Ranger fun. But now, after playing Guardian Signs and Shadows of Almia, I find it poor, bad story, and too short. SOA is a great game, but at first I was actually considering taking it back. The first impression is horrible, but after say...Drapion, it really gets good. I have re-started it over and over, and it's still boring until the middle, but improves again and again. SOA definitely has length, perhaps too much, and decent graphics for the DS/DSi system. I played this, what 6 months after it came out, and thus I missed the Wireless events, making the game at least half as good(considering the events gave out Pokemon like Riolu + Aura Sphere, Darkrai + OT Almia, and the elusive Manaphy Egg), but it's still a solid RPG with a classic Pokemon storyline(Team _____ try's to control a deity and rule the world) thus I give this game an overall 9.5.
Scores for Shadows of Almia:
Graphics: 9.0 The overworld is well done, but like with all Pokemon towns, the landscape is small and un-realistic, and the Pokemon and crudely drawn.
Story: 3.0 It's getting old, let's face it; Team _______ is always there trying to control the region(i.e. Hoenn).
Game Style: 10 The new Capture Styler adds more fun to the capture of Pokemon, as apposed to throwing inappropriately named capture devices and waiting.
Overall: 9.0 Shadows of Almia is a solid RPG with a fresh way of capturing those freaky Pocket Monsters.
