Posted in: Games, Mobile Games, Niantic, Pokémon GO | Tagged: pokemon, pokemon go fest, Pokémon GO Fest 2024

What It's Like To Attend Pokémon GO Fest 2024: NYC

I attented Pokémon GO Fest 2024: New York City. Was this event worth it? Here's what Niantic did right & what they can improve for next time.

Every year, Niantic chooses a few fortunate cities as hosts for their biggest annual event, Pokémon GO Fest. This year, New York City was one of those lucky locations. Thanks to Niantic, I was able to go to the event and play it on Randall's Island in exchange for an honest write-up. So… was it worth playing? Let's get into it.

This is the second year in a row that Niantic featured Pokémon GO Fest in New York City. Having played both, I was able to compare the two offerings… and there were, indeed, major differences. When it comes to gameplay, both were standard, fun Pokémon GO events. If you've gone out and played GO Fest Global in any of the years where it's offered remotely, you can easily imagine what it's like to play the event on location. When the event is remote, Niantic offers rotating habitats that take over the game during certain timeslots. When the event is on-location, these habitats are actual places that you walk to, which have habitat-specific spawns, research, and even decorations. If you enjoy playing Pokémon GO, and you're reading this so I assume you do, there's no way you wouldn't have fun at this event.

However, there are certain elements that were lacking when compared to last year's event. Honestly, take a look at the photo below. The set-up of the Ghostly Woods, with webs haphazardly hanging from the trees, looked cheaper than a volunteer haunted house. The smoke machines on the ground were producing less vapor than Trainers walking past with Geek Bars. This was the first thing I noticed after walking off the ferry, as I remember being impressed by multiple set pieces last year. The visual aspects of this event, I think any Trainer would agree, seemed to say: "Ah, whatever, they're here for the Shinies."

With Pokémon GO Fest Global offering more actual content than these on-location events, though, there has to be some actual incentive to attend the on-location events. The set pieces could certainly use a makeover. People are spending money, time, and most of all… energy. It was deathly hot. Because of that, I think the people of NYC and all of the travelers who migrated to the event deserved more effort.

The event itself, however, was great. I liked how the Special Research was both interesting and challenging, making Trainers traverse the entirely of the Randall's Island set-up. The focus-Pokémon were interesting, with new Shinies, rare spawns, and, of course, the introduction of the new Alolan Mythical, Marshadow. My personal favorite catch, though? Shiny Phantump. I've been trying for quite a while, and I was able to catch one early on in the event.

While I have virtually no critiques about the gameplay itself, the actual organization of the map left a lot to be desired. There was a location where security was funneling Trainers through a trail that led from one of the habitats to another. There was a catch, though. Unlike last year, where we were able to walk freely, you were not permitted to walk back through the path once you crossed it. After crossing from one habitat into the other, security was making trainers leave Pokémon GO Fest entirely on a fifteen-minute walk through an industrial part of the island, crossing roads, and then eventually re-entering. Trainers having to spend a portion of the time they paid for out of the playable location seems like an egregious oversight to me and was a hot topic among players both at the event and after on social media.

The best aspect of the gameplay wasn't limited to Randall's Island. Necrozma and Ultra Beast Raids took over New York City, allowing you to continue playing before and after your timeslot.

Overall, while the organization and execution of Pokémon GO Fest 2024 was flawed compared to 2023, I think most Trainers would've left more satisfied than frustrated. Hopefully, Niantic is able to work out the kinks for next year, because it's already an event worth attending. This event, and in many ways Pokémon GO as a whole for the past few years, would only need a few improvements, handled with care and logic, to live up to its incredibly high potential.

Be sure to check back on Bleeding Cool for daily updates on all things Pokémon GO.

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