3.5/5 ★ – FancyFriday18's review of Pokémon White Version 2.

After buying this game years ago, I finally got around to playing it. When I first played Pokemon White back when it released, I was at a point in my life where I thought I was "too cool" for Pokemon. Because of that, I finished the game thinking it was just okay. Now, with my love for Pokemon fully rekindled, I came into White 2 with high hopes, especially since I’d only ever heard good things about it. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. I started my journey with Snivy, but it ended up not mattering much, I actually ditched my starter for the first time in any Pokemon game. I had used Snivy in my original White playthrough and didn’t feel the need to try out the other starters this time. As I played, I found myself gravitating away from many Gen 5 Pokemon and instead used others I hadn’t tried before. I finished the game with Starmie, Leavanny, Terrakion, Crobat, Arcanine, and Cinccino. Only half of them were from Gen 5, the rest were from Gens 1 and 2. While the team worked fine, I ran into a familiar frustration from older games, having to teach Pokemon HMs like Surf and Strength to progress. I’ve gotten used to modern games doing away with that mechanic, so it was a bit annoying to hit a wall until I finally got my Starmie late in the game. Another letdown was the difficulty. I’ve often heard White 2 described as one of the hardest games in the series. Aside from one Gym Leader who took me three tries, the rest of the game, including the Elite Four and Champion, was a breeze. I even beat them on my first try while being six levels under. It just didn’t deliver the challenge I was expecting. The story was also a bit of a miss for me. Maybe I’m wrong, but the narrative felt oddly paced, nothing really significant happens until after the 8th badge, and then everything hits at once. I expected more interaction with the antagonists throughout the game, but they really only show up at the very end. I think White did this too. You don't even catch the Legendary until after defeating the Elite Four, which just feels off. And while N’s character has an interesting premise, believing Pokemon shouldn’t be used as tools or kept in Pokeballs, it felt contradictory when he battled using Pokemon in Pokeballs. Like, practice what you preach man. Even though this might be my least favorite generation, I still had fun playing a Pokemon game. And to its credit, White 2 probably has the second best music in the entire franchise. Overall, I’d give it a 7/10.