It’s official: Pokopia is now the highest rated Pokémon game on Metacritic

Pokopia’s announcement may go down in history as the Pokémon franchise’s biggest “wait, huh?” moment. Game Freak’s stab at cozy, slice-of-life gaming has been turning heads for months, drawing a hearty cocktail of hopeful enthusiasm and cynical skepticism.

Now that the game is out, optimism seems to have won out. Critics and publications are praising Pokopia across the board, and the life-simulator game now sits at the pinnacle of the Pokémon franchise on Metacritic.

Critics are hailing Pokopia as one of the best pieces of Poke-content ever

At the time I’m writing this, Pokopia’s Metacritic score stands at a respectable 88. This score puts Pokipia ahead or neck-and-neck with some of the most revered games in the franchise. This includes the re-released and re-evaluated Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, HeartGold and Soulsilver, and X and Y, all of which are commonly hailed as the best games in the series.

Less than a year ago, a feat like this seemed impossible for a Pokémon spin-off title. Pokémon fans love our spin-offs; I know someone who’s put over two hundred hours into Pokémon Conquest over the better part of two decades. Still, the thought that a spin-off could challenge the mainline titles always seemed like a pipedream to most of us. Even beloved spin-offs like the aforementioned Conquest and the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games never attract the same level of attention as the mainline titles do.

Going by the reviews, Pokopia has taken that glass ceiling and drop-kicked it from the top bar. Critics from all walks have praised the game for its immersive gameplay loop, colorful cast, and surprisingly engaging narrative. It’s not just Animal Crossing with a coat of Pokémon-themed paint; it’s a fully realized experience in its own right that blends the snug trappings of cozy life sims with the adventurous appeal that turned Pokémon into a household name.

It’s still too early to say how well Pokopia will resonate with fans. Rave reviews are a fantastic catalyst for game sales, but critical acclaim doesn’t always translate to financial success (any fan of Psychonauts knows that). Still, the amount of praise Pokopia’s getting is a fantastic omen for the series. With Pokémon Winds and Waves painting a bright future for the mainline titles, Pokopia could herald a golden age for Pokémon spin-offs.

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Slay the Spire 2 isn’t your typical deckbuilder, where you don’t have to take care of your health.

While there are five different characters to pick from, none of them is immortal. They will all take damage, and they will perish if you’re not careful. Taking damage is inevitable; no matter what you do, you’ll always end up receiving damage.

What matters is whether you’re healing your character at the correct moments.

How to heal in Slay the Spire 2

Healing is a premium activity in Slay the Spire 2. You can’t heal whenever you want, and restoring HP comes at a price. You’ll occasionally come across Rest Spots that appear as a campfire on your path. These spots can be found only sporadically, so you’ll need to plan carefully. Their locations on every run is compeltely random.

When you’re at the spot, you’ll have two different options: Rest or Smith. If you choose the latter, you can improve a card by applying different upgrades. If you choose the former, you’ll be able to recover a percentage of your character’s lost health.

You can also find different Relics and consumables on your run, and some of them might allow you to restore HP. Potions are one-time use, and you can have a maximum of three at a time. This method isn’t a guaranteed solution since all runs are random. It could happen that you might be unable to find an applicable Relic or consumable.

Slay the Spire 2 has five characters, and one of them has a healing ability. The Ironclad’s default relic, the Burning Blood, allows you to recover 6 HP at the end of combat. This is an extremely useful relic to have, which ranks him well on our characters’ tier list.

Outside of these methods, there’s no other way to recover HP and restore the health of your character in Slay the Spire 2. The same methods also apply if you’re playing co-op with your friends.

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