Niantic needs to change Pokemon Go graphics and the solution is obvious

Pokemon Go’s graphics have always been a point of contention among the community, but fans have been talking about them even more since the controversial avatar update and subsequent biome changes.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a current player who doesn’t have a strong opinion on the visuals in the game or what they’d like to see from it.

The recent changes in Pokemon Go like the new avatars and biomes seem to be pushing towards a more realistic style – but is it necessary? A nostalgic makeover that pays homage to the earlier generations of Pokemon could be just the ticket for the franchise to thrive.

Going back to the exact art style of Pokemon Red & Blue wouldn’t work that well with the current state of Pokemon Go but a more pixelated, stylized art style could help to make Pokemon Go feel more lively and perform even better on mobile, too.

This may feel like a sudden jump for players who joined the franchise later on or got into Pokemon thanks to the mobile game, but Pokemon Go has a lot in common with the first generations of the franchise.

It’s adventure-driven, placing players in the shoes of a Trainer who’s exploring the world around them. Uncovering a rare Pokemon is genuinely exciting, and obtaining all the Medals or completing the Pokedex feels like a mammoth task.

The idea of scaling back Pokemon Go’s graphics appeared in a recent fan discussion, with some players questioning why Niantic needs to chase high-end graphics in the game. A player mentioned, “I’d rather have almost red/blue type side scrolling than broken fancy. It’s like hanging a chandelier in a haunted house.”

Some players felt that the graphical requirements of Pokemon Go actually slowed down their phones and limited their experience. One player joked, “Thank you Niantic for adding these shaders and more intense GPU requirements. I’m not playing near as much and have a lot more time on my hands.”

One popular suggestion that cropped up multiple times here was the implementation of more buttons or opt-out toggles so people could choose to turn the higher graphics on or off. This could give players more freedom and enhance their experience overall.

Some fans even mentioned the April Fool’s Day joke that Niantic pulled a few years ago where 8-bit graphics were introduced for the day and how they’d prefer that over the current aesthetic.

While some of the new Pokemon Go graphical changes have been interesting to see, an update that opts for a high-quality nod to the older games could make a huge difference to player happiness and game performance.

It’s unlikely we’ll see these changes being made, but who knows? Niantic has shown they’re willing to listen to player feedback and opinions consistently lately, so there’s a chance that the art style of Pokemon Go could continue to develop.