

These are animals in their natural habitats. They may be incredibly scripted, but these interactions truly make you feel as if you’re watching a living, breathing world as shot by Animal Planet.

That’s really a testament to the character designs and animations. Each and every one will be actively engaged in their own set of behaviors, everything from an Evee chasing a Chancey to a Scyther hiding in a thicket of brush. From it you’ll see dozens of Pokémon from the roster of the original set of Game Boy games, including Pikachu, Squirtle and Meowth, playing, fighting and living. That world is photographed from the confines of your ZERO-ONE a multi-terrain vehicle that proceeds down a very restricted course in every level. Pokémon Snap is built around this singular idea- it puts would-be photographers on a Safari in a Pokémon nature preserve and equips us with a camera to witness, interact and record.

But great worlds contain memorable characters with their own personalities- Pokémon has long had one of those worlds. More than any other medium, videogames possess the ability to immerse people in worlds, of giving them a sense of place, one that can be populated, filled out and come alive before our eyes.
