New details give us a better idea of how Pokemon Go will look and play

Earlier this week, we got an unofficial glimpse at Pokemon Go — the upcoming augmented reality mobile game — thanks to a leaked video. Now, The Pokemon Company has released some official new details and screenshots to give a better idea of how the game looks and plays. The new images don’t look all that different from the video, with 3D versions of characters like Squirtle superimposed on real backdrops, and a map that looks sort of like Google Street View with a Pokemon makeover.

As for how the game will play, the developer says that you’ll be able to find certain pokemon in specific locations, and it all depends on their type. So if you want a water pokemon like Squirtle, you’ll need to head to a lake or river in the real world to find it. No word on how that might apply to fairy or ghost-type pokemon. When you do get close to a creature your phone will vibrate, and you’ll then be able to toss a pokeball at them using your device’s touchscreen. You’ll also be able to get pokemon by collecting eggs, which will hatch after you walk a certain distance. Just like in the main Pokemon games, you’ll earn experience as you play, and as you reach higher levels you’ll be able to capture more powerful pokemon.

There’s also a multiplayer element: you’ll be able to join up with one of three teams, and then engage in gym battles with other players. You can assign a single pokemon to a gym, and your team is essentially trying to capture territory by being in control of multiple gyms. Just like with the pokemon, you’ll only be able to find familiar Pokemon locations — like stores to buy pokeballs and gyms for battling — by heading to corresponding location in the real world.

The Pokemon Company notes that the look and feature list isn’t final, as the game is still in development. As of now, Pokemon Go doesn’t have a release date — though you can expect to play it some time this year on both iOS and Android.