So far my opinion on the game is that it rivals the official versions. The pacing is really solid and the level cap encourages a more varied team while working with the tougher gym leaders to make the player think more strategically rather than throwing out on over leveled mon. There is a lot I could say about the game but short answer is yes, tis pretty good. As for the difficulty of the game, eh, I would say it is hard but more rewarding than torture. There is still no "one way to play" in that you can still play to you which is the way it has been and should be.