One of the reasons Animal Crossing: New Horizons got so popular in 2020 was the ability to visit your friends’ islands virtually. All these years later, it remains many people’s go-to space for cozy virtual hangouts. But admittedly, there’s not that much to do together, though the 3.0 update definitely added more options. However, after playing the multiplayer mode in Pokemon Pokopia, I’m pretty sure this game could outdo New Horizons in a few key ways.
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Pokemon Pokopia will have both single-player and co-op gameplay options. And during my recent hands-on preview, I got to try a bit of both on for size. As a forever solo gamer, I confess I initially wanted to stick to my own little space. But after seeing what multiplayer has to offer in Pokopia, I came away pretty impressed. So if you enjoy a nice cozy co-op gameplay session, this game might need to be near the top of your list.
Pokemon Pokopia‘s Multiplayer Creates a Space with Shared Goals
The first time my long-distance bestie visited my island in New Horizons, I have to admit I was a little… underwhelmed? It was fun to run around together, but the game doesn’t really let you do much together. Sure, she left a message on my village noticeboard and went home with some apples to plant. But I would’ve liked a bit more in the way of guided activities to actually take on together. The 3.0 update’s slumber islands help with that, and it looks like Pokemon Pokopia took a similar idea and made it even better.
When you play co-op in Pokopia, you step into a new multiplayer island together. This gameplay space is designed specifically with the multiplayer experience in mind. It’s separate from your home base in the single-player game. Though the overall gameplay loop is similar, this version of Pokopia gives your group specific goals to work towards together. This includes finding certain Pokemon and rehabbing the rundown Pokemon Center. Even with my social anxiety making me nervous to play with strangers at the event, I really liked the direction Pokopia took with multiplayer.
This gameplay mode gives you a space to work on together, with goals specifically geared towards a co-op way to play. Rather than just visiting one another, you’ve got a new collaborative space to grow with friends. Having goals to work on together and a separate island to craft with pals is a nice way of letting the multiplayer section really stand on its own, and I can’t wait to spend a bit more time with it. That said, it might not scratch the exact same itch that visiting a friend’s home base in Animal Crossing: New Horizons does.
Multiplayer Could Have One Unfortunate Limitation in Pokopia
Given my total inability to design a beautiful island in New Horizons or anywhere else, I very much prefer my friends not see where I do my usual gameplay. But for many creative folks, inviting friends to see what you’ve created is a lot of the fun for a game like Animal Crossing. And that’s where Pokopia’s multiplayer could have a downside. From what I gathered, Pokopia might not let players visit each other’s standard home islands. The dedicated multiplayer space is nice, but I’m sure some players would love to also see what their pals have created in the main game.
Of course, you can design and build something unique with the multiplayer islands, too. When you host a co-op game in Pokopia, the host player will have that island saved to their game. So, theoretically, this could become a beautiful, creative space to show off to friends, too. One that was built together. But if you like sinking hours into designing your solo space, it might be a bit sad if we really can’t show it off by inviting our fellow Human Dittos to come visit.
Despite this potential drawback, I think multiplayer is going to be pretty solid in Pokopia. I liked the idea of sharing a space with specific goals to work towards together, and it seems to be implemented pretty well from what I saw. In terms of collaborative teamwork gameplay, Pokemon Pokopia just might top Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Although I suspect the crossover audience means plenty of us will still be enjoying both.
Do you like co-op modes in cozy games? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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