The game is good and above average but taking into account the series slow and painful road, that's saying little.
Visually, I like how the routes aren't just straight paths but instead have curves, ramps and less obvious paths but in the end it felt short and used as a mean to make it feel biger when it's not. On the second island I was expecting something bigger and in the end - all paths open - the island is small. There's has been attantion to detail, which was indeed needed when having a game with realistic proportions, namely when filling the house interiors and cities but I feel that what has been pu here has robbed time for creating new Pokémon.
The overall fell of the islands is that at first they were having a longer pace but rushed it at the end...the third and four islands seem to me as small in content and so does the story.
Finally, there's a f*cking jungle instead of some woods or forest, but it became dull for not having a maze that made us be careful...instead we are collecting ingredients and under 3 minutes, Lush Jungle is explored.
As for the trials...I started with a Poplio and I felt it was easy. They were a good novelty but it grew boring quite fast if not for the characters and overall story. It feels lame that after introducing trial, the last one is already more than a nod to the old way, AKA Poké League. Why did it had to have that name, why the need to Stolen a mountain just to make something at the top...it would be better to just have the final battles at a renewed Po Town.
The battling...the routes trainers are still easy. The lack of rematches with increased difficulty is dumb and overall feel quite easy if not for what I consider as a stupid cheat that disrupts the battle that goes bythe name of Z-moves. And while at it, collecting crystals that I won't use is stupid. Something that I felt akward was the new positioning of Run, Pokémon, Bag and Fight...I was used to just press Down on the d-pad and the just left or right.
The new post-capture options are just great, although if used correctly, in the wild it can be used as a cheat.
I was surprised to the that in the battle background, time also goes by, with the moon being in different positions according to time.
Seeing the trainer in battle is something that was more than in time as well as trainers using different Pkballs.
Btw, what's with all the Kanto and Johto influence, but then only having one f*cking ball for each type of those made by Kurt? Lame!
As for the story and characters...I hated Hau and was instered in Gladion but in the end, it was the other way around. Nebby is...just too cute and awesome and marvelous to have it as our legendary. Lillie was a great surprise as character. As for Team Skull, I tought that GF might had something more after Po Town and how they were a group of young guys that wasted their lifes, but placing them as Aether's henchmen in the end leaves us with no true explanation for their motives and the need for them in rwlation to Aether's goals.
Lusamine is great and after SM, Platinum story need to a have a 2.0 version with the main legendaries having an Ultra form, because Arceus needs more story and spotlight. I was wishing for a long time for this extraterrestrial route due to all the Dex nods and Deoxys. I had a blast battling her and I loved how her team was good and different from the typical evil leader team.
Also, GF could get back more older characters and nods besides the Canalave Library and the Nugget Bridge. If Alola is close to Unova and the real world counterparts, it would've great to see N making an appearence (and not just an Aether guy that was a former Plasma).
Alolan forms...most underused-but-great mechanic ever. The anime had this a long time ago, but GF only remembered to use it know (GF is more numbskull that Team Skull grunts) and again, with all the Kanto and Johto nods, Alolan forms are just a handful of them. I'd love to see a second wave of Alolan-form starters: Water/Ice Empoleon, Grass/Fairy Meganium and Fire/Rock Emboar.
Too bad that as with all other great features, this will be contained to Sun/Moon, just like Pokémon following you and Seasons. What's wrong with you GF?
Customisation...total pain in the *ss due tot the limitations and lack of options for males and not having something in my bedroom room to change colthes.
Also, I'm tired of being an 11 year old child and having tutorials that aren't skippable.
PS: I wanna revisit Lusamine's lab...it's so awesome and I love that mansion.