Alekon

Genre: First-Person Shooter / Misc.

Players: 1

You can find a video of this review here!

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Review:

Alekon, released in 2021 on PC and ported to Nintendo Switch in 2023, is a family-friendly photography-focused First-Person Shooter clearly inspired by the Pokemon Snap series, with a similar goal of photographing strange creatures in colorful environments. However, more than just copying Pokemon Snap’s formula, Alekon attempts to improve on it in multiple ways, and at times it actually succeeds.

The fictional creatures you’re photographing in this game are called… well, Fictions, and each represents an abstract thought, emotion, or compulsion, something you discover in between your photography assignments when chilling in the game’s main area and chatting with them. The snail-like Orashell, for example, represents concealment, and absolutely adores partaking in secret clubs. Meanwhile, possibly my favorite character of the game, The Enlightened One, is a four-legged blue creature with a brilliant purple coral-like mane, and it fancies itself the most profound thinker in existence… which translates into it spouting the sort of questions you would expect to find in a Philosophy 101 class and then acting stunned, slack-jawed, when you respond with equally “deep” questions instead of attempting to answer.

But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself. The main gameplay in Alekon is indeed trying to photograph these Fictions in their natural habitat, getting points based on their size in the photo, whether they’re facing the camera, and so on. You get points for each creature you photograph, and each different activity you photograph them in. As you proceed through the on-rails tours of the location, you can interact with these creatures in increasingly varied ways, starting with donuts you can toss to (or at) them, and you’ll also get opportunities to trigger additional routes that give new photography opportunities. So… all pretty standard Pokemon Snap stuff.

However, each new species that you photograph unlocks one of the creatures in the main area, and each of these creatures has a task or minigame to complete, which will often lead to other new mechanics you’ll be able to make use of, including the ability to redecorate the main area to your liking. These tasks can be anything from “interpreting” job applications for The Captain (a giant crablike creature) so that they sound more piratey, to haggling with McMuney (a hermit crab-esque creature in a treasure chest), to helping Bizyburd (a horned seagull) do party planning for the other Fictions. None of these tasks is especially difficult, but they’re often highly creative, and they’re varied enough that they give players tons of stuff to do outside of the photography.

Furthermore, this game commits to doing the one thing that Pokemon Snap fans have been begging that series to do since its inception – let them go off the rails. Once you complete all paths in a location, you’re allowed to free-roam the entire area in first-person, taking photographs at will. I feel like this feature is a double-edged sword – on the one hand, it is an absolute delight for perfectionists wanting to get the best photo possible of every creature in each locale. It’s also great for explorers wanting to check every nook and cranny for hidden possibilities. However, I think this also has the unfortunate effect of removing the feeling of skill and accomplishment that Pokemon Snap had – now that getting the perfect photo of every critter isn’t as frustratingly difficult, it doesn’t really mean as much when you actually do it.

And while Alekon may not be quite on par with the excellent visuals and sound of New Pokemon Snap, it still fares very well, with some wonderfully colorful visuals, creative 3D character designs with good animation and subtle use of cel-shading, some good distinctive sounds for all the critters, and an overall look and feel that gives the game an overall fantastical presentation. This is backed by a thematically-appropriate instrumental soundtrack that’s more atmospheric than melodic, but it nevertheless works very well for the game.

When it comes to complaints, I do think the variety of creatures you find in each location is much lower than what you have in the Pokemon Snap games, and as mentioned, the free-roaming elements are not going to be appreciated by everyone. However, if I’m perfectly honest, I have to really search to find flaws with this one, and the $16 price tag is outstanding for just how polished and well-crafted this game is.

In the end, I am thoroughly surprised to find myself saying this, but Alekon takes the Pokemon Snap formula, addresses a common complaint with that franchise, brings its own personality, and adds in a slew of new elements to make for a game that actually rivals the series that inspired it. If you are a fan of Pokemon Snap who doesn’t just love the game because of the Pokemon characters, you absolutely need to try Alekon. And if you’re new to the photography-focused First-Person Shooter genre, this is an outstanding game to make your first entry in that genre. Either way, this is an exceptional game that’s well worth getting.

tl;dr – Alekon is a family-friendly photography-focused First-Person Shooter where players take pictures of fictional creatures (literally called Fictions), with gameplay that is clearly inspired by the Pokemon Snap franchise. However, more than just being a copycat, Alekon is a wonderfully-accessible, varied, and just overall delightful game that actually manages to rival the Pokemon Snap games to become a truly great game in its own right. Fans of the Pokemon Snap franchise should consider this a must-buy, and anyone curious about photography videogames may want to consider making this game one of their first entries into the genre.

Grade: A

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2023 Game Awards:

Winner:

Game of the Year: Bronze Award (Third Place) – There’s a reason I chose this game to review to launch eShopperReviews.com. Many reasons, in fact. It’s a wonderful game with heart, humor, and a lot of polish. It’s a creative game that takes Nintendo’s formula for Pokemon Snap and expands on it in some outstanding ways, making each of the critters on your little safari not only targets for your photography, but characters in their own right with quests for you to take on. It’s my biggest surprise of 2023. It’s a game that has been sadly overlooked by most major videogame outlets, and it’s a game that kept bringing a smile to my face the more I played it.

How can a game that gets so much so right go so completely overlooked? Well, I for one will absolutely make it my mission to sing this game’s praises. In a year full of truly incredible games, this unassuming title was one of my absolute favorites, and I’d wager there’s a good chance it could become one of your favorites too.

Best Misc. Game – It is quite a feat to make a game on par with, or possibly better than, a similar game produced by Nintendo, but that is exactly what has happened here, with Alekon being an absolutely incredible game that can go toe to toe with the Pokemon Snap series and even bring some unique elements to the table to set it apart in its own right. If a photography adventure in a fantastical land with quirky creatures sounds at all interesting to you, this is definitely a game you should play.

Most Overlooked (No Metacritic score for any platform, no OpenCritic score) – Perhaps it’s this game’s unusual name, but even so I’m shocked that so few have been singing its praises. There’s really no excuse for it, either – this game came out on PC in 2021! That’s more than enough time for everyone to try out one of the best takes on the Pokemon Snap formula I’ve ever seen.

The “Wow, this game was way better than I expected!” Award – Prior to playing this game, I had heard nothing about it. To me, it looked like something whimsical and kid-friendly involving taking photographs, not bad, but I certainly wasn’t expecting anything impressive. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this to be a highly-polished, imaginative, creative take on the Pokemon Snap formula that in many ways manages to outdo Nintendo’s own franchise. In a year with plenty of delightful surprises, Alekon is the one that most exceeded my expectations.

Runner-Up: Best Game for Kids and Casual Players, Best Value ($16), Funniest Game, Most Efficient Use of File Storage Space (1.4GB)

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