Pokémon Go updated with useless but amusing ‘appraise’ feature

Pokémon Go’s most recent update, which launched yesterday, isn’t doing much to mitigate player frustration or the game’s declining popularity.

Instead of adding features users actually want, like trading, trainer-to-trainer battles and a tracking system that features some level of accuracy, Niantic is instead taking the opposite route and has opted to add features to the still incredibly popular mobile game that players aren’t actually asking for.

The latest update to the game adds a new ‘Appraise’ feature that allows players to select Pokémon in their team to have the Pocket Monster appraised by their squad’s gym leader. Hardcore players have already worked out what Pokémon are worth keeping and what ones are worthy of being sent to Professor Willow’s likely horrible Pokémon Candy factory, but this feature isn’t design to make that process easier.

While appraise gives the Pokémon Go world’s leaders an actual purpose, making them seem like active characters in the game and less like figureheads, the information appraising a Pokemon provides isn’t actually all that useful. For example, my CP858 Jynx “is a wonder! What a breathtaking Pokemon.”

Along with Appraise, Niantic has also changed a few other features in the game. Pokémon in your team can now faint while fighting at a friendly gym, making ‘Revives’ significantly for players who spend time levelling up gyms.

Perhaps most interestingly, however, it seems Niantic is aware players are starting to get restless. The developer included the text below in Pokémon Go’s most recent update, likely indicating that new features players actually want are on the way.

“We are still working hard on several new and exciting features to come in the future of Pokémon GO.”

Pokémon Go’s latest update is available on iOS and Android.

[source]App Store[/source]