Every Pokémon Region So Far, Ranked | Game Rant
The world of Pokémon is one that has continued to evolve over time. From our start at the grid-based region of Kanto, we've now explored an archipelago-styled region, ventured through Wild Area and had far too much water. Today, we're going to be diving in, and taking a look at the design of every region, and ranking them. With 8 from the mainline games to explore (sorry Orre), there is plenty to get into. Thus, let's get right into the list.
8 Kanto
This is probably a bit bias, but Kanto just, isn't fun anymore. Sure, the regional design is solid, every region on this list is, but we've romped through Kanto so many times now that it just, isn't that enjoyable. As the Kanto Region was one of many designed in a very grid-like manner, it really isn't too fun to explore in 3D either, which is one of the main problems that people had with the Let's Go! games. It has everything that you want out of a Pokémon region, that's obvious. But, it doesn't go above and beyond in any way, which is why it ends up at the bottom of the list. Not a bad region, but its the worst that we have in the series.
7 Johto
The Johto Region is very pretty, that's something that we can all agree on. Johto pulls on the Japanese culture that it is inspired by a bit more than Kanto does, and that goes a long way in making Johto a better region than Kanto. Ecruteak City is one of the prime examples of this, as it is absolutely one of the most beautifully designed cities that we have in the region. While Johto was still made in the series' infancy and thus, isn't very advanced, it has a leg up over Kanto. Now, let's move to one of the newer regions on the list.
6 Alola
See, it's sad that we have to put Alola so low on the list, because, on paper, the idea of having a set of islands to explore is super interesting. It would allow for players to have somewhat small, yet open spaces to explore at their own pace. Unfortunately, though, this is not how the Alola Region was designed. Alola is one of the most linear regions that we have, period. It is incredibly linear, just as much as the earliest regions of the series.
There's barely any places that players can really go to explore off of the beaten path. Alola sounds great, and it really should have been. Unfortunately, the design philosophy of the games that feature Alola as its setting don't allow it to reach its full potential.
5 Sinnoh
Sinnoh is probably the last region that feels as if it was built for grid-based games, and as such, the formula is perfected pretty well. And while some aren't fans of Mt. Coronet cutting the region in half, it makes for some interesting design choices. Cities like Sunnyshore and Snowpoint really show off the diversity of Sinnoh, there's a lot to be explored here. While it isn't the most cohesive region that we have, it's strong, and has a lot of personality. The wonderful music that accompanied players as they explored really helped to cement this one in our minds, even if it isn't necessarily part of the region design.
4 Hoenn
Hoenn is certainly one of the most interesting regions that we've ventured into, mainly for its out there ideas in the design of its cities. Sootopolis and Pacifidlog are unlike anything that we'd ever seen in the series up to that point. Fortree is still in a league of its own in terms of... literally what is this? Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire's version of Mauville City is basically an indoor mall. Hoenn's great city design and various landmarks showed that Game Freak wasn't afraid to take risks in Region design, leading to innovation after innovation, which nabs Hoenn its spot on the list.
3 Kalos
The Kalos Region is beautiful. The thing about the region is that, had X&Y been 2D games, the Kalos Region wouldn't be as high on the list as it is. In the 3D transition, though, Game Freak made sure to leave an impact.
All of the cities in this region have their own style and feel, they're all unique. The landmarks and cities are both great. Of course, Lumiose City is the most stunning part of Kalos. It's absolutely massive, to the point that it has its own taxi system. It was revolutionary for the series. The Kalos Region was a great step into 3D for Pokémon.
2 Unova
While still designed on a grid, the Unova Region is absolutely stunning for a number of reasons. As the first region that wasn't based on Japan, it certainly made its mark.
Castelia City is an absolutely massive city bustling with people, and was one of the first of its kind for Pokémon. It showed just how big the world really is. There are tons of small areas to explore around the city, it feels lived in. Black City and White Forest are stunning, Nimbasa City is full of entertainment and diversions that make it stand out. The Desert Resort is mysterious, Marvelous Bridge is... marvelous. Unova is diverse and enchanting, there's so much to see and do. Seeing this region reimagined in 3D could really push it to the top. However, there is one region that took its design to another level, which is why Unova doesn't take the top spot on this list.
1 Galar
The Galar Region is without a doubt the best of the best in the Pokémon World. The Galar Region takes advantage of the Switch's extra power to create a stunning region. Places like Ballonlea and Glimwood Tangle are absolutely stunning, and aren't like anything else in the region, or world. Hammerlocke, Motosoke and Wyndon are huge, stunning cities that are filled with people, places and secrets to discover. Circhester is beautiful, Spikemuth sticks in your memory. And of course, the Wild Area is a massive, explorable area in the middle of the region that holds diverse landscapes, weather patterns, and Pokémon. While the locales around the region are already great, the Wild Area pushes Galar over the edge to make it the best region that players have ever gotten to explore.
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