The Pokemon series has been plagued by complaints from fans through its last few releases, and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are no exception. Changes made to the Affection mechanic in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have received disapproval from some players, who claim that the feature drastically reduces the games' difficulty.
In previous Pokemon games, Affection existed as a separate stat that offered certain bonuses in battle. Pokemon with high Affection earned more experience, shrugged off status effects, and could even endure otherwise-fatal blows from enemies. However, since the release of the Pokemon: Let's Go titles, this mechanic was amalgamated with the Friendship stat, offering the same boons to party members.
The issue raised by fans is due in large part to the way that Affection bonuses are earned in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Because Affection is incorporated into the Friendship stat, simply walking around the overworld with a Pokemon will eventually trigger the in-battle effects, something that is unavoidable for the player. This causes party members to be extremely high-leveled relative to their opponents; in conjunction with the huge advantages the stat offers, players are finding that Affection bonuses trivialize most battles.
Pokemon Sword and Shield, the predecessors to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, offered a workaround for players who did not want benefits from high Friendship. In these games, a cap is placed on the Friendship stat, preventing in-battle effects. This cap can only be surpassed by using Pokemon Camp, a completely optional feature. In Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, this cap has been removed, making Affection bonuses an obligatory part of the player's experience.
As remasters, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl balance faithfulness to their original iterations with a multitude of new mechanics that have been introduced in the series. The Sinnoh titles were not designed with Affection bonuses in mind; however, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl do not tweak the levels of enemy Pokemon, creating an awkward difficulty curve for the player. If Affection bonuses were made optional, as they were in Sword and Shield, this jarring side effect could be avoided altogether.
Weighing the needs of a young target audience against those of older, longtime fans leaves the Pokemon Company in a difficult position. As the series aims for greater accessibility, older players can feel left in the lurch, sparking widespread discourse among fan communities. For now, players can still enjoy the updated experience that Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl provide, while also looking forward to the upcoming release of Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are available now for the Nintendo Switch.
