Locations/areas you'd like to see expanded

[Bolt Strike]

This is one of the main reasons why I'm not excited for this game, what can they expand on with new areas? Everything I can think of and everything being mentioned here is more along the lines of what we saw in Emerald, the same basic region with a few extras peppered in. BW2 had entire chunks of new areas and was a much larger scale improvement and a more fresh take on the region. Since Alola is an island region and most of the actual landmass is full, I don't really see how they could do what BW2 did short of adding new islands, and I don't see that happening. Alola just don't have the same potential for exciting improvements as some other regions.

 

[Stratelier]

Short answer: Everything.
Because once you've played Breath of the Wild, you just want to climb over EVERYTHING and not be boxed in inside some invisible walls and a skybox.

Oh, and maybe there should be a golfing minigame/event in that hotel. Even if they only gave it the Nimbasa stadiums treatment (i.e. letting you just walk around the field and battle NPC trainers daily) that would be cool.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

• Open up the golf course on Akala Island.
• Let us explore more of the volcano
• Those buildings we can't enter in Heahea City and Paniola Town.
• Add maybe another city to Poni Island
• Clean up Po Town.
• The Tapu Village. Just build a city there somehow.

 

[Almonds]

Agree with the Golf Course and the Fossil Park.
Also a trial-related village dedicated to the Fairy captain.

 

[Morningstar]

This is one of the main reasons why I'm not excited for this game, what can they expand on with new areas? Everything I can think of and everything being mentioned here is more along the lines of what we saw in Emerald, the same basic region with a few extras peppered in. BW2 had entire chunks of new areas and was a much larger scale improvement and a more fresh take on the region. Since Alola is an island region and most of the actual landmass is full, I don't really see how they could do what BW2 did short of adding new islands, and I don't see that happening. Alola just don't have the same potential for exciting improvements as some other regions.

I kinda disagree. I'm one of the few people here that Kanto/Johto sequels have potential because of how drastic the passage of time might have on the region. and GSC itself and BW2 have not broke that trend.

• GSC's case is admittedly a bit more negative, what with the lack of a Safari Zone, but it also included stuff like Blue and Janine being the Gym Leader, Mt. Silver and changed Cinnabar Island
• BW2 was greater in that respect, with new areas, new routes, a similar shift in Gym Leadership (3 new Gyms, Lenora and the Striaton siblings retiring and Iris becoming Champeon). Of course the fact that it doesn't have to include a geographically adjacent region helps.

I'm certain Alola will follow the trend. A lot can changed in only 2 years, new (small) landmasses could appear, the Golf Bourse could open and some towns and cities would likely get a bit further developed, plus There is still Ultra Space.

 

[PinkIceFox]

Here's hoping they add at least a few small baby islands off the coast from other islands for us to surf around and visit. For an island region there was a shockingly low amount of water travel via pokemon. It's like the polar opposite of Hoenn!

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Ultra. Space.

 

[PurplePopplio]

What if the volcano on Akala erupted and split the island into more islands?

 

[Johnny Boy]

Vast Poni Canyon would be cool to see revamped. Who knows? Maybe we can finally get the famed Crystal Onix in that place.

 

[Bolt Strike]

Short answer: Everything.
Because once you've played Breath of the Wild, you just want to climb over EVERYTHING and not be boxed in inside some invisible walls and a skybox.

8th gen is probably our best chance at something like this, the region design would have to be designed around that and Alola still adheres to similar conventions as past regions. About the only thing they could reasonably do in this game is remove the barriers on each island and let you go anywhere on the island when you first visit it, but I don't see Game Freak doing that. Maybe with the Switch their "let's design this region for casuals only" philosophy will change, but I don't think they want to do anything about it now.

I kinda disagree. I'm one of the few people here that Kanto/Johto sequels have potential because of how drastic the passage of time might have on the region. and GSC itself and BW2 have not broke that trend.

• GSC's case is admittedly a bit more negative, what with the lack of a Safari Zone, but it also included stuff like Blue and Janine being the Gym Leader, Mt. Silver and changed Cinnabar Island
• BW2 was greater in that respect, with new areas, new routes, a similar shift in Gym Leadership (3 new Gyms, Lenora and the Striaton siblings retiring and Iris becoming Champeon). Of course the fact that it doesn't have to include a geographically adjacent region helps.

I'm certain Alola will follow the trend. A lot can changed in only 2 years, new (small) landmasses could appear, the Golf Bourse could open and some towns and cities would likely get a bit further developed, plus There is still Ultra Space.

I think Kanto/Johto sequels have potential separately, but together they're going to have pacing issues. One of the main things I want to see in those sequels is for the regions to expand, and they can afford to do that because like Unova they also have adjacent landmass to expand into. The problem is, Alola doesn't. It's an island region and there is no unused landmass, just ocean. And sure they could do things like open the Golf Course, but that's just one new area. BW2 had over a dozen new areas. So Alola's additions would feel like nothing compared to what BW2 did which would make it a comparatively disappointing upgrade.

 

[Zeb]

I just remembered Mount Lanakila and I think someone mentioned it earlier in this thread. But that's definitely a location that needs to see some changes, since it's basically just a long path with a final open area of grass.

 

[Silktree]

I really don't see Game Freak messing with Hawaii's geography by creating new islands out of the blue. Sure, Alola is a fictional region, but it was based on Hawaii for a reason.

More artifical islands would feel forced, too. They could add a new facility anywhere in Alola.

 

[Anime Psyclone]

What should be expanded? Hm...

• Wela Volcano Park. Why can’t I enter the caves and catch, like, Durant or something?
• Po Town should return to it’s former glory. I actually think that if Gyms are added Po Town could house the last one. But after I beat Team Skull, with nobody left in the town, shouldn’t it’s former residents return? At least Nanu, since I think he’s from there.
• The lighthouse.
• The Lake of the Sunne/Moone. It could’ve been a really cool postgame dungeon where Necrozma resides, but they just shoehorned that Pokemon into a place from the beginning of the story.
• Ula’ula Island is based on the big island of Hawaii, but it actually feels small compared to other islands. I think every island having a big dungeon that is explored before you beat the game would be good to make it feel larger.
• Mount Lanakila. Similar story to the island it’s on. It’s based on the largest volcano and mountain in the world yet it’s so tiny. Expand plz.
• The ruins. Missed puzzle opportunity. If each ruin had a puzzle based on the terrain their guardian summons, like the Ruins of Hope has mist that you need to find a way to get around, or the Ruins of Conflict having machinery that you have to activate to advance, then they’d feel like mazes. Hate to break it to you, but do you think ancient ruins are straight paths? No!
• Secluded Shore is “Isolated and unwelcoming”. For who? It’s easy to get to and there’s not dangerous Pokemon or terrain there.

• Finally, I get to talk about this! The place with the most missed potential, the place where there’s no reason to go at all... What’s the point of Exeggutor Island!? You battle an Alolan Exeggutor, have a cutscene, then leave. You would only go back there for Alolan Exeggutor(If you want to catch a wild one) and Serperior. And this place used to be a trial site. For what? Walking uphill in the rain? There’s no reason for this place to exist. If it was the site of a new trial, that would fix it, but as it stands, you don’t need to go there whatsoever other then that one cutscene.

 

[KrisiChiki]

I liked the fact that Alola doesn't have this distinct separation of the town and non-town areas. The region feels more organic (is this the right word?). However, I was very disappointed by the fact that a lot of areas were either inaccessible, like the Lighthouse, or skipped by letting us quickly get to the top. I really want them to open up areas on every island and allow us to explore more.

Exploration is one of the primary things that I love in Pokemon. I want more things like the Mirage Tower in Emerald's desert, the Abandoned Ship, the Battle Zone in Sinnoh, long routes and big caves etc. I know things seemed cooler when I was a kid, but I felt like most of Alola's routes were... too short? Not to mention the lack of Dive was a huge missed opportunity, and one of the reasons Hoenn is still my favourite region.

Then we have the Ultra Space. Game Freak please, there is so much that can be done there. I was excited to see something like the Distortion World, and yet all we got was just a fancy cave. Let me struggle through the Ultra Space, let me battle loads of weird alien Pokemon, let me sweat and suffer until I reach Lusamine, but most of all... let me explore the Ultra Space and get lost.

 

[Morningstar]

I really don't see Game Freak messing with Hawaii's geography by creating new islands out of the blue. Sure, Alola is a fictional region, but it was based on Hawaii for a reason.

Actually that brings up a couple questions.

1. How many Islands does Hawaii have (compared to Alola's 4 main islands and Exeggcutor Island)?
2. Would other parts of Polynesia appear in this game, either in a Sevii situation or more like BW2?

 

[godiego]

Actually that brings up a couple questions.

1. How many Islands does Hawaii have (compared to Alola's 4 main islands and Exeggcutor Island)

Hawaii has eight main islands and hundreds other smaller islands and atolls. Alola includes the islands of Hawaii (Ula'Ula), Maui (Akala), O'ahu (Melemele), and Kaua'i (Poni & Exeggutor Islands).

 

[Morningstar]

Hawaii has eight main islands and hundreds other smaller islands and atolls. Alola includes the islands of Hawaii (Ula'Ula), Maui (Akala), O'ahu (Melemele), and Kaua'i (Poni & Exeggutor Islands).

So this means that GF could add up to 4 islands if they wanted too (plus small islands in the vein of mirage spots)?

 

[Anime Psyclone]

So this means that GF could add up to 4 islands if they wanted too (plus small islands in the vein of mirage spots)?

I think dat good idea

 

[godiego]

So this means that GF could add up to 4 islands if they wanted too (plus small islands in the vein of mirage spots)?

hypothetically, yes. realistically? i don't see them adding more major islands.

 

[Anime Psyclone]

The islands feel too small to me, just making the places larger would help a lot