It finally happened. After months of anticipation, the mobile augmented reality game "Pokemon Go" was released in Beta form by developer Niantic Labs. That's a lot of information to unpack for anyone who wasn't already following this, so let's commence unpacking. If you don't know what Pokemon are, then I don't know what to tell you. Sorry about your childhood, I guess? Augmented reality, or "AR," is somewhat similar to virtual reality, but rather than using a device to insert you into another reality like the Oculus Rift headset might, AR uses devices to project images around your own environment. Anyone who has played certain X-Box Kinect games has probably experienced this.

"Pokemon Go" is a free mobile game that uses GPS and augmented reality to let us all live in a world where Pokemon roam free and we can become trainers to catch and battle them. I have been playing "Pokemon Go" for several hours every day since the Beta release and I have quite a bit to say.

First of all, everyone keep in mind this is the Beta version. You may read a lot of user reviews about bugs and glitches or the servers going down, but that is literally why companies do Beta testing, to find bugs and glitches so that they can fix them. As for servers going down, as someone who has played a ton of online games, that's just a thing that happens for any number of reasons. So far, I have only experienced the "Pokemon Go" servers going down one time.

I should also mention it is technically a "freemium" game, meaning that you don't have to pay for the download, but there are in game items you can purchase with real money to make your experience easier. In general, I am strongly against this practice. It's one thing to make a game that is fun and simple on its own, but some companies abuse the freemium model and make it nearly impossible to play or be skilled at their games without spending more and more money. Luckily, in this case, you shouldn't have to spend a dime to become a Pokemon Master.

While you can buy items to increase your experience points or increase the likelihood of Pokemon appearing, after spending $9.99 on some items and playing around with them, I can't say I noticed a huge difference.

But perhaps the coolest and most interesting part of the game is how it uses GPS. Nintendo and Niantic Labs really want you to get out of this to get the most from this game. Different Pokemon are more likely to be found in different areas. So while you could technically sit on your couch and catch some Zubats and Rattatas, if you go wander around your neighborhood for a while, then you could come home with dozens of species. Then there are "Poke Spots," actual physical landmarks like parks or restaurants around your town where you can go and get items to catch or heal Pokemon. These spots will also sometimes drop Pokemon eggs. When you download the game you initially have one egg incubator, but you can buy more from the in-game store. Each egg you find will only hatch after you have walked a certain distance (between two and 10 kilometers, from what I've seen so far). I took a two kilometer walk around my neighborhood and hatched a Jigglypuff, which I have not encountered otherwise. So it may be that certain rare Pokemon can only be hatched. I have yet to hatch my 10-kilometer egg, so I can't speak for the difference in rarity or strength of the Pokemon, but I have to assume there is one.

There are also gyms where you can battle your Pokemon. Similar to the Poke Spots, the gyms are landmarks around your neighborhood. Early in the game you are asked to pick one of three factions (basically it's red, yellow or blue) and then you can go to gyms run by one of the opposing factions to battle their current champion. I have yet to take on a gym myself, but I'll be dominating my neighborhood any day now with the team I'm building. So far, I have caught or evolved 32 Pokemon.

If you are a fan of Pokemon and/or going outside and walking around, then I should have just described the perfect game for you. And as a bonus, there is a really good chance that as you are walking around town looking for Pokemon, you'll run into other like-minded trainers and possibly make some new friends while you're at it. Nintendo has finally created a game that breaks down the walls modern gaming has created and wants you to go outside, get some exercise and maybe make some new friends along the way.