Here's how long it takes to beat Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
The quest to be a Pokémon Master isn’t very long.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are set to release November 19 on Nintendo Switch, and reviews are already out. With hardcore trainers likely making their big decisions with regard to starters, team comps, and strategies ahead of launch, it might also help to tackle the subject of the games’ average length. If you intend to marathon Diamond and Pearl over the weekend, how long will it take you to do so? That’s precisely what this article aims to figure out.
How long does it take to beat Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?
While the original versions of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl took about 40 hours to beat on average, you can expect the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes to take about 20 hours for a rushed playthrough and 30 hours for a more casual stroll through the Sinnoh region.
While faithful to the originals, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are also much easier.
The main reason for this is that the updated games have a few modern features that make the experience less grindy than the first iteration. Instead of having to level up each Pokémon in your party individually, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have adopted the more modern Exp. Share system first introduced in 2013. With it, all the Pokémon in your party gain experience whether they’re used or not. It’s a huge time-saver, but it also ensures you can easily overlevel your team against gym leaders who haven’t been rebalanced to accommodate this change. With that fact in mind, the main campaign is just a bit easy.
Those who want to potentially double their time to 60 hours or who want a more challenging experience overall are encouraged to visit the Grand Underground. Without spoiling too much, this is a new area almost as large as the main campaign’s map. It features more powerful and exclusive Pokémon hidden in areas called Hideaways. If you like to scour every inch of a Pokémon post-game, this is where you can do it.
How many gym leaders are in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?
Like all other mainline Pokémon games, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have eight gym leaders. Here’s a look at their names, their go-to Pokémon type, and their location.
- Roark, Rock-type, Oreburgh City
- Gardenia, Grass-type, Eterna City
- Maylene, Fighting-type, Veilstone City
- Crasher Wake, Water-type, Pastoria City
- Fantina, Ghost-type, Hearthome City
- Byron, Steel-type, Canalave City
- Candice, Ice-type, Snowpoint City
- Volkner, Electric-type, Sunyshore City
As is the case with other games in the franchise, you must collect all eight badges from the gym leaders before moving onward to a confrontation with this region’s Elite Four.
What do the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl reviews say?
If you like old-school, top-down Pokémon games, then Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are for you.
While there was a lot of controversy about the Diamond and Pearl remakes following leaks that appeared online last week, critics seem to have a more favorable opinion than the online public. While many outlets still haven’t received review codes, the games currently have a 77 on Metacritic with around 30 critical reviews. Major players like IGN and GameSpot have yet to score the game, but we imagine those impressions will be coming soon.
Overall, though, this looks like a fairly faithful recreation of the DS classics.
