Pokémon Masters EX had the potential to offer fans content surrounding favorite NPCs, but instead struggles with weak gameplay and cash-grab tactics.
The initial premise of Pokémon Masters EX is exciting for fans of the main series Pokémon games. Players can team up with NPCs from eight different regions, including main characters, Gym Leaders, and Champions. They can then battle in modified turn-based, three-on-three matches in stories and events. However, the enjoyment of Pokémon Masters EX has been greatly reduced thanks to a reliance on premium currency purchases with microtransactions, and a lack of depth in the character stories that have been the main draw for the mobile game.
Pokémon Masters EX gameplay is driven by collecting Sync Pairs. These Pokémon-Character duos are ranked by a five-star system, with a lower star count marking a less powerful pair, and higher star counts being the desirable Sync Pairs for a player’s battle team. These pairs must be scouted using a random lottery system where, for the price of premium currency or special tickets, a number of pairs can be pulled from a pool of possibilities. However, the chance for a better Pokémon Masters EX Sync Pair is low, and it is possible to continuously receive the same Sync Pairs multiple times, which leaves players paying thousands in premium Gem currency for a very low chance at getting Sync Pairs that can be useful.
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