Recently Pokémon GO announced that some trainers may see changes to the Style Shop, and their avatars. Yesterday some of these changes went live to new accounts, including myself, so I wanted to share some of the options and give my opinions on them. Opinions are pretty divided on social media about this new avatar update, with some thinking it is fantastic, and others thinking the new models are a step down in quality from the original designs.
The first thing I want to note, is that the avatar options are no longer split by gender! You can mix and match body types, hair styles and more, with no restrictions on gender. This is a great update, meaning your avatar can more accurately reflect the real you (if you want it to).
Body Type
There are now a huge array of new set body types to choose from, as well as a completely custom option. You can adjust sliders focused on weight, chest, shoulders, muscle and hip to create your own body shape for the avatar. It is worth noting, the more feminine options no longer have the waist the previous avatar had, so they are all quite different looking, and clothes fit your avatar in some peculiar ways at times. In the gallery above I show all the different body type options, and below you can see the impacts of some of the more custom slider options. I’ve shown my avatar in a very covered outfit, and one that is more revealing, so you can see how the clothes look
Some of the poses look a little awkward with the new body shapes, but that is something that may improve during the testing.
Face
There are five new face shapes, with each shape tweaking the appearance of the nose, eyes and chin area, as well as much more diverse and realistic options for skin tones. The faces are a little weird at times, I’d like to see a bit more depth to them so that the lips are a darker tone compared to the rest of the skin, as right now, my avatar is looking a little ill if we are honest.
Eyes
Eyes also have a variety of new colour options so you can also more accurately recreate your own appearance if you wish to. There are six default eye colours, and the option to choose from extra options when you expand the menu. I have green eyes, previously I had one option, now I have three!
Hair
The new hairstyle options are fantastic! They are much more diverse in terms of length and hair texture. There are three sections, short, medium and long, as well as more new hair colours. The classic short male hair and female ponytail options are still available, alongside the new choices. Seeing curly hair, afro textures and twists is a brilliant update, and I’m very glad to see more diversity being added to the avatar options. I hope in time we might see even more options so everyone can see their true form depicted in Pokémon GO.
With the new hair styles does come a slight issue, hats. Some fit awkwardly, some look a bit glitched, and some of the hats/head accessories are not compatible with some of the new hair styles full stop. The Sylveon Bow for example, cannot be worn with one of the short textured hairstyles. I’m sure some people will think the way the curly hair looks with the hats isn’t right, but as someone with curly hair, I think the squashed on top look is quite accurate! I haven’t tested every hat with every hair style, so there may be other glitches.
Conclusion
As a wavy/curly haired plus size individual, I am so happy to be able to see my avatar more accurately represent myself in game! (Though my hair is orange right now, but I wanted my hair to match my outfit). I’d like to see the skin improved so that it has more depth to it, and potentially the option to adjust the waist of the avatar too. Currently the faces look a little blank in expression because they seem quite flat. Hopefully in the future we can get options for beards, and makeup!
In all, this looks like a pretty good quality of life update! Have you gotten access to this feature yet? Tweet us a screenshot of your new avatar!
