Pokemon Go has been a smash hit for developer Niantic. However, the developer has had a popular mobile game for 4 years. That game is called Ingress, and it’s very similar to Pokemon Go.

Ingress, like Pokemon Go, involves exploring the real world to find various landmarks and interesting sights. Players are rewarded for controlling these sites as part of a global fight for supremacy.

Will Pokemon Go players like Ingress? Here are some ways in which they’re similar and other ways in which they’re different.

Similarities

Pokemon Go and Ingress both generally involve placing a virtual world over the real world. You’re rewarded for exploring real-world locations. Both games are derived from Google Maps, and you’ll find hotspots all around you – like at statues, signs, buildings, stores, and public spaces.

Ingress’s map usually looks a lot busier than Pokemon Go’s map, so not all of the locations have transferred over (only the most major locations).

Both games also involve you visiting real world locations to collect items that help you complete your mission. Neither game rewards players for just standing in one place.

The team concepts is also found in both games. There are three teams in Pokemon Go but only two teams in Ingress. Teamwork, however, plays a far bigger role in Ingress.

Both Ingress and Pokemon Go also have gameplay elements that involve battling for control of points. However, with Ingress, every marker is a battle – while in Pokemon, only the PokeGyms are battlegrounds.

Differences

The most noticeable difference in Ingress is the depth to the game – which makes sense, considering it’s been on the market for four years, while Pokemon Go is only a few weeks old.

Pokemon Go is very streamlined and straightforward. It doesn’t take long to figure out the game, jump right in, and start building your character. After all, the game is catered towards players of all ages.

Ingress, however, is a darker game that understandably gets marketed to older players.

Ingress also has chat, which lets you communicate with other players and among your own team. Pokemon Go has no communication whatsoever – which was probably a smart move to avoid any potential abuse problems.

Battling for points is more complicated with Ingress. There are a lot more moving parts required to take over a portal for your faction. You can install 8 different resonators on each portal, each of which has a different strength level. Taking over a portal requires firing XMP bursts that weaken the resonators. Meanwhile, if you walk by a portal that’s already in control of your team, you can reinforce it when walking by.

When you first start the game, you’re not going to have much of an effect on the world. However, players who have played for years have high-level characters and powerful attack items – so you’ll get there eventually.

Should Pokemon Go Players Play Ingress?

If you’re enjoying Pokemon Go but wish it had deeper gameplay elements, then Ingress might be exactly what you need – especially if you enjoy walking around your neighborhood and exploring new cities.

Nevertheless, Ingress is certainly the more complex game, and it can be tough for newbies to get into. A lot of the game involves navigating menus – not staring at your character on a map.

If you’re looking for a game you can really sink your teeth into, then Ingress might be for you. If you’re looking for a game to casually play when you walk around your neighborhood sometimes, then maybe stick with Pokemon Go.

You can download Ingress today for free from the Google Play Store here.