There's a problem with Pokemon Go. The idea that you can't quit playing because of the money and time you've already invested is called the 'sunk cost fallacy'. I'm trying my best to be a casual player at this point, but I nonetheless find many of Niantic's decisions jarring. Players have long become accustomed to the fact that raids and egg events are essentially paid, but these days there are so many events that are completely paid.
But there are too many Pokemon in this account. My many shining Rayquaza, my PvP team, and my Shundo Kaiohga. These monsters all hold tons of memories. I remember wandering around Brighton city center with hundreds of like-minded trainers, catching four sparkling Rays in one day. I remember the battle I won to reach Legend rank for the first time. I remember getting out in the rain for Kyogre, the first Shundo, who arrived 30 seconds after telling a fellow attacker, “At least there's Shundo.”
I've put over 2,000 hours into Pokemon Go and my financial contribution to Niantic's billions is probably around £250 over the years. I am level 44. Level 44 isn't even close to the max level 50, but it's a huge part of my gaming life. No matter what Niantic decides about the game, I don't want to give up.
After reading my colleague Eric Switzer's Monster Hunter Now adventure, I became envious. I envied his experience, and envied the gameplay loop that seemed fresh and engaging rather than a shallow adaptation of Niantic's smash hit. But how can I abandon my Pokemon Go account even after this time?
way out
It turned out that the solution to my problems was always in my hands. For the past three months, I've been playing Pokemon Go (and occasionally Monster Hunter Now) on my Honor Magic V3. It's a big improvement over the previous version, but the gimmick can't be fully utilized as a foldable phone.
When you open your phone for your shopping list, you can browse recipes on the left and write down ingredients in the My Notes app on the right. Sometimes I unfold it for a particularly serious Balatro run. Other than that, the phone will remain folded.
I've always thought foldable phones are a bit of a gimmick, and despite being a great, versatile and capable smartphone, the Magic V3 hasn't changed my mind about that. For a gaming machine, it can run an impressive array of titles, but it's never been able to play one at a time before.
You can see where this is going. But after seeing someone online playing Pokemon Go and Monster Hunter Now simultaneously on a foldable device, I decided to do the same.
Does it actually work?
Since I am right-handed, Pokemon Go is located on the right side of the screen. A perfect curveball can be thrown to the left, but throwing to the right is much more consistent.
Monster Hunter now goes left. Combat against low-level monsters is fine, as it just involves tapping the screen. But the bigger the battle, the more complex it becomes, which presents a conundrum.
Don't misunderstand. I love the fact that there's more to these encounters than the ones in Pokemon Go. Fighting big monsters is more than simply tapping the screen like in a Pokemon Go raid or throwing ball after ball like when you encounter a high-CP Charizard. You have to swipe and dodge in ways that actually matter, time your attacks between the monster's flailing limbs, and work for your reward.
It's tricky to do with one hand, especially when trying to multitask with the other hand. However, each game has enough downtime for each to focus on the other. Now you can take on bigger monsters in Monster Hunter. Even when waiting for the raid timer to decrease or the time it takes to register a capture.
This is a lot of work. I won't lie to you. I don't know if I can continue this forever, but it might be a skill I use when I get the chance to take a walk alone after work. Pokemon Go is pretty much an idle game now. When you launch the app, your hands go back to autopilot, but when playing with Monster Hunter Now you have to be fully focused.
Is it a bit much to play two AR games at the same time? yes. Am I enjoying this in the short term? yes. Is it sustainable? no. Will it put a big dent in my Magic V3's battery? Not to the extent you might imagine, but I doubt the entire Community Day will last. But for now I'm a two timing gamer and can't get enough.
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