The Problems With Pokémon Go’s New Routes Feature
Pokémon Go players are not happy with the new Routes feature. Many have shared their issues online. They’re mainly upset about how the feature works with the Zygarde cells system. It’s making the game less enjoyable for them.
A post on Reddit on July 31 shed light on these frustrations. A player talked about a big problem with gathering Zygarde cells while completing routes. Players noticed a trick to get more cells but it comes with risks. They would slow down near the end of a Route to spawn a cell and grab it.
However, this method can lead to missing out. “I saw a green sparkle for just half a second before it vanished as the route ended,” the original poster said. They called out the game’s developer, Niantic, to fix this. They suggested making Zygarde cells part of end-route rewards. Or, at least, not letting them disappear when a route ends.
This complaint quickly got a lot of support. Many players jumped in, sharing their bad experiences. They agreed that slowing down before finishing Routes is tedious. Often, they would still miss the Zygarde cells despite their efforts.
Players also criticized the overall design of the cell spawning feature. They talked about how cells disappear too fast. This forces players to constantly look at their phones. This can be a problem, especially on long routes, which can be over six kilometers.
Because of this, players have to focus more on collecting cells than enjoying their walk. “We have to stare at our screens the entire route. If we don’t, we might miss the cell. This is hard when my route isn’t in a park. I have to be careful of other people and traffic,” another user added.
The Bigger Picture
Since its launch on July 21, the Routes feature has faced a lot of criticisms. Players feel the rewards aren’t good enough. They also think the design is flawed. Niantic has admitted that creating this feature was tough. It’s new, based on player ideas, and linked to real-world geography. They hinted that improvements could be on their way.
Pokémon Go’s community is used to coming together over game issues. They’re hoping Niantic listens and makes playing with the Routes feature better soon.