By Evan Dunne // Contributing Writer
Fans of both the Rick and Morty and Pokémon franchises, rejoice! This is the game you have been searching for. Fans of neither should not waste their time. There are many other RPG gacha games out there for them to sink their teeth into.
Pocket Mortys is a mobile game released by Adult Swim in partnership with Big Pixel Studios. The game takes place in the fictional multiverse of the wildly popular animated TV Series, Rick and Morty, which recently concluded its second season on Adult Swim. For those who are unfamiliar with the show’s premise, Morty Smith is an awkward 14-year-old boy whose grandfather, Rick, is a brilliant scientist and eccentric alcoholic. With the help of Rick’s handy portal gun, the two roam across space, time and alternate dimensions in all sorts of absurd, exciting and often twisted adventures.
The plot of Pocket Mortys is fairly simple – if you’re a fan of the show. You play as Rick from Dimension C-137. The Council of Ricks, a group of six powerful Ricks from other dimensions who regulate the activity of all other Ricks, summons your Rick and confiscates his portal gun. Meanwhile, Mortys from other dimensions have begun to run rampant. In order to have the portal gun returned to your possession and return home, you must travel from dimension to dimension, capturing Mortys and defeating other Morty Trainers. If defeating Trainers and capturing collectible creatures don’t already sound similar to Pokémon, just a few minutes of gameplay will attest to the statement that Pocket Mortys is a blatant clone of Nintendo’s fan-favorite RPG/cockfight simulator.
One could claim that Pocket Mortys is the mobile Pokémon game that fans have been craving since the inception of the App Store. It’s hysterical, it’s addictive and it’s free. The only difference is the absence of cuddly creatures, but the gameplay formula remains the same. Like the Rick and Morty TV series, the game delivers a healthy dose of humor. I can’t help but chuckle when my Rick trash talks other Morty Trainers and displays an utter disregard for the fact that he is essentially pitting clones of his own grandson against one another in violent battle. Players will quickly realize quite how demented the concept becomes when you take Pikachu out of the mix and replace it with a human child. However, fans of a TV show in which a microscopic theme park is constructed among a homeless man’s internal organs will probably find the deranged basis of Pocket Mortys hilarious.
One of Pocket Mortys‘ biggest setbacks is its repetition. While collecting and battling new Mortys is rather entertaining for a few hours, the game begins to drag a bit as the player progresses. Despite this mild annoyance, the game is generally more fun than frustrating.
Pocket Mortys‘ price tag of $0.00 deems a game of this quality quite the steal. Following the trend of many mobile games, Pocket Mortys offers in-app purchases. To the game’s credit, I’ve never felt disadvantaged by my decision not to make such microtransactions. Players can still succeed without spending real-world dollars, and I find this to be a huge benefit in a market of mobile games that pressure players to pay for an enhanced experience.
Overall, the game is a great time killer, but leaves much to be desired. A deeper story with new areas to explore could potentially propel Pocket Mortys to greater heights among the gaming community and allow it to stand its ground amongst the likes of conventional handheld games. A multiplayer function through which players could battle one another and trade Mortys would be a welcomed addition as well. Pocket Mortys is sure to make diehard Rick and Morty fans’ anticipation for Season 3 slightly more bearable, seeing as the new season has no set airdate. You don’t necessarily have to be a fan of Rick and Morty to enjoy the game, but it certainly makes the experience a bit more palatable. That being said, Pocket Mortys is definitely worth a try if you enjoy humor that is psychotic, yet shamelessly whimsical.
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