Customer Reviews (500)

#1Pokemonfans • 2025-03-28T10:44:44-07:00

Omg I love this game so much I love the dialog the beautiful scenery the characters and the pokemon and every single thing on Pokemon master ex is why I fell in love with this game so thank you for the best game I’ve played in a long time

Rico M 100 • 2025-03-28T06:57:53-07:00

Truly more Gems and more Stories with less dialogue

Thecutestjade • 2025-03-28T05:58:44-07:00

The game is pretty nice, but I want the player to be able to walk around themselves. Besides that I think it’s noice

Summary of Key Insights

Pokémon Masters EX is a generally well-received game, praised for its engaging gameplay, character interactions, and the ability to play with favorite trainers from across the Pokémon universe. However, several recurring issues impact user satisfaction, particularly regarding the gacha system, gem acquisition, and technical performance. A recent update related to the 5th-anniversary event has sparked significant negative sentiment due to perceived increased monetization and reduced rewards. The overall sentiment is mixed, with a strong base of loyal players contrasted by frustrated users struggling with technical issues or feeling pressured to spend money.

  • Strengths: Engaging gameplay, nostalgic character interactions, frequent events, and a strategic battle system.
  • Weaknesses: Gacha system perceived as pay-to-win, difficulty in acquiring gems, technical issues (loading problems, crashes), large storage space requirements, and recent changes impacting free-to-play experience. The 5th-anniversary event changes have been especially poorly received.
  • Overall Rating: The score distribution shows a polarized view: 54.2% (271/500) give the app 5 stars, while 20% (100/500) give it only 1 star. This indicates a strong divide in user experience. 26% gave a 2-star rating, 38% a 3-star rating and 65% a 4-star rating.

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but reviews appear to be recent, spanning from the past few years up to present day (October 9, 2024 being the date of the most recent reviews included).
  • Analysis Methods: The analysis involved manual review and categorization of user comments, focusing on identifying recurring themes, sentiment (positive, negative, neutral), and feature requests. Keyword extraction was implicitly used to identify frequently mentioned terms and issues.

Key User Pain Points

  • Gacha System/Pay-to-Win: Many users feel the game is increasingly pay-to-win. They complain about low pull rates for desired sync pairs, the high cost of gems, and the perceived need to spend money to progress, especially in challenging events. The pity system, while present, is seen as expensive and sometimes unattainable without spending real money. The recent increase in pity cost for Arc Suit banners was a major source of frustration.
  • Gem Acquisition: A significant number of users report difficulty in acquiring gems, especially after completing the main story. They claim that the game becomes stingier with gems, making it hard to save up for scouts. Recent updates have been perceived to reduce gem rewards from events.
  • Technical Issues: Several users report technical problems, including:
    • Getting stuck on loading screens (at 100% or otherwise).
    • Crashing during battles or updates.
    • "Not enough storage" errors, even with ample free space.
    • Data loss or account resets.
    • Connectivity errors (e.g., error code 30818, 20110).
  • Storage Space: The large storage space required by the game (up to 7GB) is a common complaint.
  • Repetitive Gameplay: Some users find the gameplay repetitive after completing the main story.
  • Lack of Character Variety: Complaints about the same characters being re-released with new outfits instead of adding new characters from mainline games.
  • Data loss: A number of users have reported losing game data even after syncing their accounts.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Player vs. Player (PvP) Mode: This is a very common request, with many users wanting to battle against their friends or other players.
  • More Ways to Interact with Friends: Users want more social features beyond co-op battles, such as trading items or trainers.
  • More Story Content: Many users want more chapters in the story mode or new story arcs.
  • More Customization Options: Users desire more options for customizing their player character's appearance, including clothing, hairstyles, and accessories.
  • Ash Ketchum: A recurring request to bring back Ash Ketchum as a playable character.
  • More characters from recent games: Adding characters from more recent Pokémon games, especially Scarlet and Violet and their DLC.
  • Catching Pokémon: A desire to have the ability to catch Pokémon in the game, rather than just obtaining them through sync pairs.
  • Easier methods to get event trainers: Players who missed event trainers want an easier way to obtain them.
  • Trading: Some users want the ability to trade Pokémon and items with friends.
  • More egg variety: Users want more ways to get eggs and more Pokémon to be available in eggs.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Engaging Gameplay: Many users find the battle system strategic and enjoyable.
  • Character Interactions: The interactions between trainers from different regions are a major draw for many players.
  • Nostalgia: The game allows players to interact with their favorite characters from across the Pokémon franchise.
  • Frequent Events: Users appreciate the frequent events, which provide new content and challenges.
  • Voice Acting: The voice acting is generally well-received and adds to the immersion.
  • Visuals: The game is praised for its beautiful scenery, artwork, and animations.
  • Free-to-Play Viability (Historically): Some users, particularly long-time players, have praised the game's past generosity towards free-to-play players, though this sentiment is declining.
  • Zero Ads: The lack of advertisements is a significant positive.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Technical Issues: Investigate and resolve the reported technical issues, including loading problems, crashes, storage errors, and data loss. Prioritize fixing issues that prevent users from accessing or playing the game.
  • Re-evaluate Gacha System: Re-evaluate the gacha system to address concerns about pay-to-win mechanics. Consider increasing pull rates for desired sync pairs, reducing the cost of gems, or providing more generous rewards for free-to-play players. Revert or adjust the 5th-anniversary changes that increased pity costs and reduced rewards.
  • Improve Gem Acquisition: Increase the availability of gems, especially for players who have completed the main story. Introduce new ways to earn gems through gameplay, such as daily quests or challenging battles.

Medium Priority:

  • Add PvP Mode: Develop and implement a Player vs. Player (PvP) mode to provide a new level of engagement and competition.
  • Expand Story Content: Add more chapters to the story mode or introduce new story arcs to keep players engaged.
  • Improve Character Customization: Expand character customization options to allow players to personalize their avatars more fully.
  • Optimize App Size: Reduce the storage space required by the game through optimization techniques.

Low Priority:

  • Reintroduce Past Event Characters: Consider ways to make past event characters available to new players, such as through limited-time reruns or a special event shop.
  • Add Trading System: Explore the feasibility of adding a trading system for items or trainers.
  • More egg variety: Increase egg availability and variety.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Pokémon Masters EX Companion App: A companion app that provides detailed information about sync pairs, events, and strategies, as well as tools for team building and tracking progress. Could include a pull rate calculator to help users understand the odds of obtaining specific sync pairs.
  • Mobile Game Data Recovery Service: A service that helps users recover lost data from mobile games, including Pokémon Masters EX.
  • Gacha Game Rebalancing Consultancy: A consultancy that helps gacha game developers design and implement gacha systems that are fair and engaging for both paying and non-paying players.

Trends and Observations

  • Shift in Sentiment: There is a clear trend towards increasing negative sentiment regarding the gacha system and the game's monetization practices, especially with recent updates.
  • Technical Issues Persist: Technical issues have been a recurring problem for some users for an extended period.
  • Desire for Social Interaction: The consistent demand for PvP and more social features indicates a desire for greater interaction with other players.

Conclusion

Pokémon Masters EX has a strong foundation with its engaging gameplay and beloved characters. However, to maintain player satisfaction and attract new users, the developers must address the concerns regarding the gacha system, gem acquisition, and technical issues. Prioritizing these improvements, while also adding requested features like PvP, will be crucial for the game's long-term success. The negative reaction to recent changes highlights the importance of carefully considering the impact of monetization strategies on the player experience.

Overall Recommendation: Focus on improving the core gameplay experience and addressing user pain points before introducing new features. A more balanced and generous approach to monetization is essential for maintaining player loyalty and attracting new players.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pok%C3%A9mon-masters-ex/id1442061397?uo=2