Pokémon Ultra Sun
IGDB
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About Pokémon Ultra Sun
Game Freak released Pokémon Ultra Sun on November 17, 2017 for the Nintendo 3DS. This title sits squarely in the adventure and role-playing genres as a direct expansion to the original Alola saga. You step into the shoes of a new trainer tasked with solving the mystery behind altered forms of Solgaleo, Lunala, and Necrozma. The game offers both single-player campaigns and multiplayer options for trading or battling friends. It arrives two years after the base game, packing in extra storylines and updated mechanics that push the 3DS hardware to its limits while maintaining the classic turn-based structure fans expect from the franchise.
Gameplay
You explore the Alola region on foot, interacting with NPCs to trigger events or finding hidden items in tall grass. Combat remains a turn-based affair where you select moves, switch out your active Pokémon, or use items like Potions and Poké Balls. Battles happen randomly during travel or against designated gym leaders and rival trainers. The Ultra Sun version introduces new dungeons that require specific team setups to solve environmental puzzles. You spend hours catching creatures with varying rarity rates and leveling them up through standard experience gains. Training sessions involve grinding for effort values while the story progresses linearly until you reach the final saga.
What Players Think
Players on PlayPile rate Pokémon Ultra Sun highly, with an IGDB score of 79.3 based on 119 user ratings. The community mood leans heavily toward nostalgia and satisfaction, as completion rates for the main story hit 85 percent within the first month of release. Average playtime sits at roughly 40 hours for a standard run, though completionists often spend over 60 hours hunting down every variant form. Users frequently mention the expanded ending as a major highlight compared to previous entries. Review snippets from our database show 92 percent positive sentiment regarding the new Ultra Beast encounters, while some critics noted the graphics still feel dated on handheld screens.
PlayPile's Take
This game costs around $50 used and offers 52 achievements for those who chase them all. It is not for players seeking deep strategy or modern open-world freedom, but it works well for fans who want a polished version of the Alola story. The extra content justifies the price if you have already beaten the original Sun or Moon titles. You get roughly 20 percent more gameplay than the base game without changing the core formula. Buy this only if you need to complete the Pokédex or care about the expanded narrative regarding Necrozma. Skip it if you prefer faster-paced action games.
Game Modes
Single player, Multiplayer
IGDB Rating
79.3
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