Pokemon Go Review
The Embarrassing Truth About Why I Play
I’ll be honest with you. The main reason I open Pokemon GO most days is because it makes me go outside and jog. That’s it. That’s the review.
Okay, it’s a little more than that, but not by a lot. I started playing in 2022, have quit and come back a handful of times, and at this point I’ve made peace with what this game actually is for me: a reason to put my shoes on. I run it alongside a fitness band tracker, and honestly the two pair together better than you’d expect. If I’m already walking or jogging, I open it. If I’m sitting at home, it barely crosses my mind. Works on iOS, works on Android, works on whatever phone I happen to be carrying. The experience doesn’t really change between platforms. That relationship works surprisingly well.
What I didn’t expect was to genuinely care about it. But here we are.
What You Actually Do In It
In case you’ve never played, the loop is simple. You walk around, Pokémon appear on your map, you catch them. Spin PokeStops for items. Hatch eggs by covering distance. Jump into raids at Gyms for legendary encounters. There’s a competitive PvP mode called GO Battle League if you want it, seasonal events constantly rotating in, and a 10-year deep Pokedex to fill if you’re into that.
The beauty of it is that none of it demands your full attention. It lives in the background of a walk or a jog. You check in, catch something, spin a stop, and move on. It respects your time in a way a lot of games don’t.
The Goals That Keep Me Logging In
Here’s where it gets personal. I’m chasing a perfect Lugia. Four star, best buddy potential, the whole deal. My current one is 3 star but barely. Technically 3 star, realistically kissing the bottom of the threshold. It’ll do for now but it is not the one.
The other white whale is a perfect Mew. I’m currently 5 out of 8 steps through A Mythical Discovery, the only research line in the game that can get you a Mew. So the hunt is very much still in progress. At Level 40 these are the long-term goals that keep the game from feeling pointless between events.
And then the 10th Anniversary event happened. Pokémon GO turned 10 this year and Niantic went all out. I bought the Deluxe GO Pass for it, which is worth mentioning because I almost never buy battle passes for any game. This one I maxed out completely, caught all the original Pokémon, and had a genuinely great time with it. That says more about the quality of the event than any score I could give.
The Coin Problem
Here’s the honest frustration. PokeCoins, the in-game currency, are earned by defending Gyms. Max 50 coins a day from that. If you don’t live near Gyms or your walking route doesn’t pass them regularly, you’re basically locked out of earning coins without spending real money.
For players in dense urban areas with Gyms around every corner, this system is fine. For everyone else it’s quietly punishing in a way Niantic has never really addressed. I’m in the “not near enough Gyms” camp and it shows in how little I can accumulate without opening my wallet. Not a dealbreaker but worth knowing going in.
Worth Downloading in 2026?
If you want a reason to get outside more, genuinely yes. It’s free, it’s low commitment, and ten years of content means there’s always something happening. New season & constant event rotations keeps the game feeling fresh.
Just don’t expect it to replace a proper game. It’s a walking companion, not a gaming session. Used that way, it’s one of the better things on your phone.
