Let me start with the conclusion. I didn't want to play this game at all. Judging from the name "Pocket Awakening", it is part collection of elves, part guild war and cross-server hegemony, and the smell of domestic card fraud comes to your nose. But I was pressed on the head by my friend for two hours and tried it, and now it tastes really good. This thing is actually a conscientious stand-alone game that can be played on a mobile phone. In other words, it at least makes the stand-alone experience above the passing line.
First, let's talk about what is worthy of praise about this game. First of all, there is the number of elves. It is advertised that there are 800 types. After actually playing, at least the illustrations I encountered in the early and mid-term are not given with phone charges. Each elves have independent modeling and skill modules. They are not sold just by changing the leather case and attributes. As a collector, just opening the illustrated book can give you a lot of fun, and the elves you catch can really be played, instead of just lying in the warehouse as decorations. There are many games on the market these days that give you hundreds of characters, only a few of them can be used, and the rest are all made up. This game at least gives you something to do.
The second is the core gameplay. It is not the kind of numerical game where you fight automatically and watch your combat power be crushed without any brains. Gym challenges and league championships really require your brain. Attribute restraint, skill matching, and team positioning all have to be figured out by yourself. I fought in a certain grass-type gym and used the main force of the fire-type to charge hard. I was taught by the ground-type skills on the opposite side, and I was replaced by an unpopular elf who knew ice-type moves. This cycle of "getting stuck - using your brain - adjusting - passing the level" is what a stand-alone game should have, instead of mindlessly piling up combat power and waiting for VIP levels.
Let's talk about what surprised me the most, the development system didn't force me to death. In the game, you can basically rely on your liver to evolve elves and learn skills. There is no disgusting mechanism where you have to wait three days for a CD without recharging money. I played to level 30 and had zero krypton. The three or four main players in the team were captured and raised step by step. There was no hard level that you had to draw ten times in a row to pass. Of course, if you want to complete the illustrated book, you will really be upset, but this is the dignity that single-player players should have. We created it ourselves, and that is the sense of accomplishment.
Another thing to mention is that although the game is "free to download", it does not engage in a scam where the first deposit will give you a mythical beast. I have been playing for more than half a month, and I have not seen forced pop-up ads, nor have I been confused by recharge prompts. This kind of restraint is simply unparalleled in the current mobile gaming industry. Although it has "awakening" in its name, at least it didn't "wake up" my wallet.
Of course, there are also shortcomings. The numerical expansion in the later stages of the game is a bit severe, and the development curve of some elves is too steep. It is really impossible to defeat them without grinding materials, which is a bit forced to prolong the game time. And guild battles and cross-server battles, to be honest, lone wolf players like me are really too lazy to touch them. Fortunately, if you don't play these parts, it won't affect the mainline single-player content. The developers probably want to take advantage of both sides, so that single-player players have content to play and social players have a place to fight, but the balance between the two sides is not bad, at least they don't hold a knife to your neck to make you join a guild.
In short, if you are tired of those mobile games that require a first-time recharge when you open them, and the gameplay is all about drawing cards, and there is no plot at all, this game can be downloaded and played as a stand-alone game. It is not a masterpiece, but it definitely deserves the word "conscience". You can catch 800 kinds of elves at will, and you can fight the gym alliance by yourself, so you can have a smooth game without spending money. Brothers, there are not many domestic games these days that a picky old gamer like me can voluntarily promote as a tap, so just play and cherish them. It's free anyway, so it won't cost you anything.