PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond Review [SPOILERS]

The story of PokéPark 2 is more involved and complex than the previous game. Taking place some time after the events of the first PokéPark, the game begins with Reshiram and Zekrom discussing a grave existential threat that is set to befall PokéPark. However, Reshiram says that there is still a light, and hope for PokéPark to be saved. From there, it cuts to Pikachu and Piplup, headed to a new PokéPark with new friends to meet. Upon arriving at the new PokéPark, they hear about Wish Park, an alternate dimension promising lots of amusement and fun. 

Upon entering Wish Park, however, Pikachu and Piplup realize something is very wrong. The Pokémon who have visited Wish Park are in a trance due to eating the cake there, and saying that they will never leave. Pikachu and Piplup decide to get out of there, with Oshawott arriving to help them. However, Piplup is captured as the other two escape through the portal. The young, headstrong Oshawott is determined to solve the case of Wish Park, and agrees to help Pikachu rescue Piplup and all the other Pokémon. They find out that the portals to Wish Park’s areas are opened through the collective wishing of enough Pokémon. The two gather all of the friends they’ve met in the first area of PokéPark, Seasong Beach, and open the portal to Wish Park. From there, they clear the area’s Attraction, run by Cofagrigus, and defeat him in battle. They learn that the true plan for Wish Park is to create a world of endless fun, and trap the inhabitants of PokéPark there. They then ring the Wish Bell to free the other Pokémon from their trance. Piplup decides to stay and investigate further while Pikachu and Oshawott continue onward. 

From there, the goal is simple for Pikachu and Oshawott. They must go to the other areas of PokéPark, the Arbor Area, Crag Area, and Tech Area, befriend enough Pokémon to open each area’s Wish Park portal, and clear each Wish Park area’s Attraction to free the entranced Pokémon. Along the way, they meet two other Pokémon, Snivy and Tepig, who join them in their quest. However, as they progress, they notice a large black hole growing larger in the sky. That is the Dark Vortex, and it is the existential threat that Reshiram and Zekrom spoke of. Pikachu and friends, determined to stop Wish Park and the Dark Vortex, enter the final zone of Wish Park, ring the Wish Bell, and enter Wish Palace. Inside of Wish Palace is an entranced Piplup, who asks Pikachu to join him in Wish Park forever. Pikachu refuses, and battles his hypnotized friend. Piplup then returns to normal but runs away in embarrassment. Then, Darkrai, the mastermind behind it all, appears. He erases the memories of Oshawott, Snivy, and Tepig, leaving Pikachu sad and alone. 

In this moment of darkness, Piplup returns to Pikachu’s side, apologizes for running away, and says that Pikachu can find his friends and restore their memories. He is able to successfully do so, reuniting the four friends. They then return to Wish Park, and battle Darkrai in a final duel. After Darkrai is defeated, however, the Dark Vortex reaches critical mass and begins consuming both PokéPark and Wish Park. In order to stop the Vortex, Reuniclus of the Tech Area brings forth a device that can stop it, but it must be brought by a Pokémon into it while four others ring each Wish Bell. Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, and Tepig each ring a bell, but the three Unova starters are sucked into the Vortex. Darkrai, wishing to redeem himself after causing all of this with his plan for Wish Park, enters the Dark Vortex himself with the device. The Vortex is stopped, the Pokémon sucked into it are free, and PokéPark is saved.

In the postgame, Pikachu and friends must decide what to do next. Piplup decides to explore more of the new PokéPark, as he spent a majority of the adventure in Wish Park. Pikachu and the Unova starters, meanwhile, investigate what happened to Wish Park. The place is still operational, despite the Dark Vortex’s damage to it, and is now a normal place to play. They learn that Darkrai is still stuck in the Vortex, and may never come out again. Despite his wrongdoings, Pikachu and the gang decide to rescue Darkrai because of his act of redemption at the end. They enlist the help of Reuniclus, Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus to meet with Reshiram and Zekrom, who are capable of saving Darkrai. After defeating both Legendary Pokémon in battle, Darkrai is saved, and he expresses his thanks, now understanding what friendship really means.

Gameplay-wise, PokéPark 2 offers more in some areas than its predecessor, but less in others. The main new addition is the expansion of playable characters. In addition to Pikachu, you can now play as Oshawott, Snivy, and Tepig, with the ability to switch between them at any time. Each character has different abilities that help traverse the world, with Oshawott being able to swim, Snivy having a higher jump, and Tepig being able to break rocks. These new characters add much more depth to the game compared to the last installment, which featured only Pikachu. When it comes to befriending Pokémon, there are four main games you can play with them, all returning from the last game, those being Chase, Hide-and-Seek, Quizzes, and Battles. One drawback is that there are only four Attractions, one for each area of Wish Park, as compared to the numerous Attractions in the previous PokéPark. 

Graphically, PokéPark 2 is on par with its predecessor, offering nice looking 3D environments and Pokémon. The soundtrack of PokéPark 2 is also very good, offering what I think are more fleshed-out tracks as compared to the last game. My favorites are the various songs in the Cove Area, Verdant Court, and the Lakeshore theme from the postgame Arcane Area. 

To conclude, I had a good time with PokéPark 2, just like its predecessor. The new playable characters and higher-stakes storyline offer a new and different experience while also keeping the basic elements of the previous PokéPark. The game is not too long, and I would recommend it to any Pokémon fan, especially if you were into the last game, or if you’re just looking for a new and different Pokémon experience. As of now, this is the last installment of PokéPark, and I would love to see it make a return someday.