It's most certainly up there. I've put over 300 hours into this game and it's for a good reason. Heres some points I want to flesh out so we can have a better picture of what I think the game did well on!
1. Removal of HMs: This is such a great change in how a trainer approaches his/her adventure. Not only is it a QoL improvement, it fundamentally changes how a trainer builds their team. No more HM slaves taking up a spot(s), or sacrificing a moveslot for a less powerful move. It also works as a world building element, having Pokemon be a part of day to day life with humans other than battling.
2. Totem Battles: On your your adventure, no matter what game you were playing, finding trainers that actually pose a challenge has been... difficult. Usually the "challenge" is throwing a bunch of trainers at you, which is more of a battle of attrition than an actual challenge. After all, who can stand up to your team of six well trained Pokemon? Well, the Totem battles try to even the playing field by creating boss Pokemon. In any other situation the fight would be unfair, due to the fact that these Pokemon boost their stats as well as outnumber you. But that creates a challenging situation that forces you to think creatively in how you defeat your foe. Take down the weaker support Pokemom first (and risk getting pummled, and having it replaced?) Or target the Totem Pokemon (and risk having the support Pokemon set up to create dangerous situations)?
3. Team Skull: These goofballs were such a refreshing take on the evil team dynamic. After seeing six generations of well funded, organized, cutthroat, malicious, and (overly) serious crime organizations defeated single handidly by children, Game Freak poked fun at the trope (and itself) with Team Skull, more of a band of delinquent dorks than an actual crime sindicate. Their leader (and your boy!) Guzma is both intimidating and pitiable, and his musical theme suits him perfectly. Which brings me to...
4. The Music: A lot of the time when a play a portable game, the music stays off. But this game has some fantastic tracks. The final battle for the championship of Alola was ome of the hypest moments I've haf in a while, with that stirring theme a major reason why. Speaking of which, how Sun/Moon handles the Elite Four makes so much sense. You're the champion and you need to defend your title. Took us seven generations to finally make it a concept, but I'm not complaining!
5. Z-Crystals: I'm honestly not much of a fan of Mega Evolutions, and when Z crystals were announced I was very skeptical. But what makes them work is twofold: One, every Pokemon can use them and two, they allow for some fun and varied movesets. Who knew that having Splash could actually be threatening? Or that Smogon would actually advocate having Fly on your moveset? Z moves bring a greater sense of unpredictability and creativity to battles, and I'm all for it.
6. The Pokemon: This one's a bit more subjective, but Alola brought with it not just new Pokemon (Mimikyu is an all time great. I also love Salazzle and Tsareena)... but a great twist on older Pokemon as well. Alolan forms have brought older, more forgotten Pokemon out of the shadows. Who knew that Muk and Marowak would be highlights in competitive Pokemon? And it's done in a way thay doesn't render the original forms completely obsolete. I will say though that I was very disappointed in how few new Dark and Ice types there are in Sun/Moon. As they're my favorite types, it was really a bummer to see a lack of cool new Pokemon to add to their respective ranks.
_
Those are the big things for me. All in all I'd say that it's the best Pokemon to date. Hopefully Stars isn't just a rumor! *crosses fingers*
1. Removal of HMs: This is such a great change in how a trainer approaches his/her adventure. Not only is it a QoL improvement, it fundamentally changes how a trainer builds their team. No more HM slaves taking up a spot(s), or sacrificing a moveslot for a less powerful move. It also works as a world building element, having Pokemon be a part of day to day life with humans other than battling.
2. Totem Battles: On your your adventure, no matter what game you were playing, finding trainers that actually pose a challenge has been... difficult. Usually the "challenge" is throwing a bunch of trainers at you, which is more of a battle of attrition than an actual challenge. After all, who can stand up to your team of six well trained Pokemon? Well, the Totem battles try to even the playing field by creating boss Pokemon. In any other situation the fight would be unfair, due to the fact that these Pokemon boost their stats as well as outnumber you. But that creates a challenging situation that forces you to think creatively in how you defeat your foe. Take down the weaker support Pokemom first (and risk getting pummled, and having it replaced?) Or target the Totem Pokemon (and risk having the support Pokemon set up to create dangerous situations)?
3. Team Skull: These goofballs were such a refreshing take on the evil team dynamic. After seeing six generations of well funded, organized, cutthroat, malicious, and (overly) serious crime organizations defeated single handidly by children, Game Freak poked fun at the trope (and itself) with Team Skull, more of a band of delinquent dorks than an actual crime sindicate. Their leader (and your boy!) Guzma is both intimidating and pitiable, and his musical theme suits him perfectly. Which brings me to...
4. The Music: A lot of the time when a play a portable game, the music stays off. But this game has some fantastic tracks. The final battle for the championship of Alola was ome of the hypest moments I've haf in a while, with that stirring theme a major reason why. Speaking of which, how Sun/Moon handles the Elite Four makes so much sense. You're the champion and you need to defend your title. Took us seven generations to finally make it a concept, but I'm not complaining!
5. Z-Crystals: I'm honestly not much of a fan of Mega Evolutions, and when Z crystals were announced I was very skeptical. But what makes them work is twofold: One, every Pokemon can use them and two, they allow for some fun and varied movesets. Who knew that having Splash could actually be threatening? Or that Smogon would actually advocate having Fly on your moveset? Z moves bring a greater sense of unpredictability and creativity to battles, and I'm all for it.
6. The Pokemon: This one's a bit more subjective, but Alola brought with it not just new Pokemon (Mimikyu is an all time great. I also love Salazzle and Tsareena)... but a great twist on older Pokemon as well. Alolan forms have brought older, more forgotten Pokemon out of the shadows. Who knew that Muk and Marowak would be highlights in competitive Pokemon? And it's done in a way thay doesn't render the original forms completely obsolete. I will say though that I was very disappointed in how few new Dark and Ice types there are in Sun/Moon. As they're my favorite types, it was really a bummer to see a lack of cool new Pokemon to add to their respective ranks.
_
Those are the big things for me. All in all I'd say that it's the best Pokemon to date. Hopefully Stars isn't just a rumor! *crosses fingers*