Pokémon Brilliant Diamond

Whether you’re a Pokémon fan who fondly remembers the original or a newcomer looking for a way in to the series, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond is easy to recommend. It may seem a little bit costly for a remake that stays fairly close to the source material aside from a snazzy new look, but there’s still a lot of game here. Even better, it’s enjoyable no matter your age, gender or skill level. Once you’ve started playing Pokémon Brilliant Diamond you really will feel the urge to catch ’em all. And the improvements here mean it’s never been as easy or enjoyable.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl, which will henceforth be referred to in this review as BDSP, has been long-awaited by fans. I count myself among them – Pokémon Diamond and Pearl was my very first Pokémon generation, so I am very attached to it. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t hear any criticism of the games where it’s warranted. Despite what Gen 4 did right, it had a few distinct flaws that make it hard to go back and replay. Going into BDSP, I was keenly l...

Thankfully, it’s nowhere near as technically flawed as GTA: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition or worsens the original like Warcraft III: Reforged. Still, it doesn’t reach the heights of previous Pokémon remakes like HeartGold and SoulSilver, which reimagined the source material as much as they preserved the originals for a new generation.

We thought about making the subhead of this review, “What is old is new again” but that could be almost any Pokémon game if we are honest. We welcome Kyle Moffat to the site to break down what has changed and what hasn’t for BD and SP.