What Actually IS Pokemon Go?

If you haven’t heard about Pokemon Go, where have you been? You don’t have to be a ‘gamer’, it’s been everywhere — on the news, on Instagram, on Facebook — and now we want it.

So what is it?

It’s a virtual game on your phone where Pokemons are actually in your world — via your screens, anyway.

How the hell has someone invented that?

It uses some kind of bonkersly high-tech programme called Real World Gaming Platform that uses real locations to get players searching for Pokemons.

So what do you have to do?

Players are meant to find and catch more than a hundred different Pokemons in their actual surroundings. Your phone will vibrate when a Pokemon is near, and you have to find it and catch it (by using your phone’s screen to throw a Poke Ball at it, obvs).

Look out for PokeStops too, which are at interesting places, as you can collect Poke Balls and other handy stuff.

What’s the aim?

Essentially the aim is to catch as many Pokemon as you can, and to go up the levels as a trainer. The more you go up, the more sweet sweet equipment you’ve got and the more Pokemon you can catch to complete your Pokedex.

You don’t just have to catch Pokemon — you can pick up eggs at Poke Stops which hatch after you’ve walked a certain distance.

Can you play with people?

After some gaming time, you’ll be asked to join a team where you can assign your Pokemon to a Gym. Once a team is in a Gym, they can be challenged with a battle so you have to make sure your defense is strong, otherwise the opposing team can take it over.

Can you customise your character?

You’re called a ‘trainer’ and you so can — you can chose clothes and accessories.

When will it be available?

It was in America, Japan, New Zealand and Australia (thought it was in active development), and it's out NOW in Europe for both Android and iPhone! 

So why do people already have it?

Some clever people found ways to work around the location limitations. On iPhone, they basically trick it into thinking it’s somewhere else, and there’s a simpler way around it on Android — though there's no need now it's available via the App Store.

How much does it cost?

It’s FREE, unless you want any of the add-ons but they cost actual money.

Is it bad that I want it?

No, it's very understandable.

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What Actually IS Pokemon Go?