Pokémon Go has been great for showing off how a Pokémon game can function in augmented reality, and while it does a lot, like show creatures in the real world and allow players to capture and collect them, there’s still a lot the app can’t do. There’s no meaningful battle system like in the main line of handheld RPGs, and since you’re looking at the Pokémon through your phone, there’s still a great disconnect between them and the world around you.
One industrious fan wanted to see what a full-fledged, Pokémon-battling title could be like, so he went ahead and created PokeLens, a demo for the Microsoft Hololens, the company’s augmented reality glasses.
The edges of the demo could definitely use some polish, considering it was created by just a pair of fans, but we’re super impressed. The way they imagine it working is like a sort of hybrid between Pokémon Go and the Pokémon RPGs: You encounter a translucent outline of a Pokémon, and after engaging it in battle, you choose one of your own Pokémon to send out. Then, like in the games, you choose which moves to use in an effort to drain its HP until it faints or until it’s low enough for you to capture the Pokémon successfully.
The demo only includes Pikachu and Pidgey, but at the very least, it’s a strong proof of concept that shows that if fleshed out, this idea could be made into something really fun, and perhaps as overwhelmingly popular as Pokémon Go during its peak.
Featured image: KennyWdev
