Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Overview

Gosh, what can I say about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet? I’m very a lot in two minds about this recreation. On the one hand, as you’ve in all probability seen in trailers, the efficiency of the title could be very very tough. On the opposite… it’s in all probability the most effective Pokémon recreation I’ve performed in years. Possibly ever. 

For some 20-odd years now, mainline Pokémon video games have had fairly related story beats. There’s an evil staff inflicting hassle, there’s a world-ending menace on the horizon, and also you, a 10-year-old youngster, should resolve all of those issues, all whereas discovering time to squeeze in just a few health club challenges right here and there. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are completely different. 

Gone are the worldwide catastrophes and cartoonishly evil end-game bosses, changed with a narrative that focuses on what Recreation Freak does finest: characterisation. Scarlet and Violet are full of character-driven storytelling, with three distinct storylines on supply that every one ship an extremely robust story to vibe with. I’ll begin with the health club problem story. 

See, that is the a part of the sport that feels essentially the most like a Pokémon recreation. You’ve been tasked with defeating eight health club leaders, amassing eight badges, and taking over the champion to develop into a champion in your personal proper. It’s nothing mind-blowing or stunning, all the proper beats are right here, however it’s elevated by some actually beautiful characters. Your rival, Nemona, is a neighbour and a buddy, however she’s not the pleasant, do-nothing rival you’ve come to count on in current generations. 

Nemona is not any Hau, no Hop. She’s an achieved coach, with a fever for battling, and she or he’s additionally already reached champion rank. Yup, your rival is a god-damn champion. It’s a pleasant turnabout on what’s develop into a reasonably drained trope for the sequence at this level, and it pays off handsomely within the league storyline. As an alternative of your rival plodding alongside, protecting the identical beats you do, Nemona is off doing her personal stuff, solely popping in now and again to cheer you on and check your abilities a bit. It’s an extremely compelling dynamic. 

There’s no “oh no I misplaced a battle and now I’m unhappy” storyline for Nemona, as we noticed with, ahem, different rivals prior to now. She’s not trailing within the footsteps of any person else like Hop and Hau each did with Leon and Hala, respectively. She’s a rattling good coach, and she or he is aware of it. So why is she following you round? As a result of she’s bored. As a result of she longs for a problem and proper now, no one’s acquired the abilities to take her down. She needs you to win, to get stronger, to battle again like no one else has earlier than. She’s a battling prodigy who swept via the area’s strongest trainers with out a second thought, and she or he thinks you’ll be the identical. 

Regardless of the health club problem storyline being the extra subdued of the three, it’s laborious to not like Nemona. There’s different characters alongside the best way that you simply’ll meet, they usually’re nice too, however Nemona is the primary draw right here. She’s encouraging and eager for you, and it genuinely appears like she cares about how nicely you’re doing. She’s written in such a method which you can’t assist however need to get stronger. If it’s not apparent sufficient but, I feel Nemona might be the most effective rival within the sequence, and her part of the story may not be essentially the most mind-blowing, however it’s the most satisfying once you lastly get via all of it. 

Subsequent up on the checklist is the Titan storyline. I used to be coming into this anticipating it to be lots much less intense than it was. In my thoughts, there have been a bunch of big, rampaging Pokémon, I in all probability needed to defeat them to stop individuals getting harm, and that might be concerning the extent of story involvement. Boy was I unsuitable. 

The Titan storyline is concentrated on a personality referred to as Arven, and sadly, I can’t really speak all that a lot about his particular backstory. Suffice to say although, it’s deeply affecting, and there have been components of the Titan storyline outdoors of the particular Titan battling that made me sob like a child. Yup, a Pokémon recreation of all issues had such good writing, such good characterisation, and extra importantly, such good restraint, that it made me bodily emotional on multiple event. A good warning to anybody leaping into this blind, too: this storyline is laser-focused on making pet-owners really feel a variety of very robust feelings. 

Now, certain, there’s all of the stuff about defeating gigantic Pokémon too, and that’s a bit… y’know, no matter, you hit the large Pokémon and win. Nevertheless it’s these moments of downtime between these fights, the place it’s simply you and Arven and a pair Pokémon hanging out, chatting concerning the previous, determining the longer term, that’s the place Pokémon Scarlet and Violet shines. Like most characters in these video games, Arven is a personality with nice depth. He’s a conflicted character, a polarising character. He’s not good, and he by no means feels same-y, as a result of we see him in such a spread of emotional states that he feels actual. Effectively, not fairly actual precisely, he’s nonetheless a personality in a recreation, however he’s a particularly good character in a recreation that I grew fairly keen on all through its runtime, regardless of principally hating at first. 

And that brings us to the final of the storylines, the Staff Star path. I wasn’t really certain what to anticipate with this one — on the floor, it seems like your commonplace “evil staff kinda sucks so go beat them up” story. However… it’s not that, probably not. It’s a little bit that, however there’s a variety of depth to all of it, too. Plenty of comedy as nicely, from a particularly stunning supply. I received’t give it away, however when a sure character first appeared on display screen, I really burst out laughing as a result of sheer absurdity of all of it. 

When you’ve performed any Pokémon recreation since Solar and Moon, you’ll know that this complete “evil staff” factor not often works out that method, and with current video games we’ve began to see Recreation Freak broaden on the function these groups take. Scarlet and Violet take the framework laid by Solar and Moon’s Staff Cranium and run with it, giving us a gaggle of “villains” which are a few of the most fascinating and sophisticated characters that the sequence has to supply. I can’t say far more with out giving all of it away, however I’ll say that I’m glad there have been moments of comedy to interrupt up a few of the intense character-driven work achieved on this storyline. 

Whereas these tales are largely separate and segmented from one another, there are moments the place it comes collectively to make all of it a really cohesive expertise. I can’t go into an excessive amount of element on that, for a lot of causes, however the set-up all through the sport could be very a lot well worth the payoff. Your motivations for shifting via the story are lots, and there’s all the time the thriller of the good Paldean crater looming on the heart of the area, ready to be uncovered, however spending time with some completely beautiful characters is admittedly on the core of the Scarlet and Violet expertise, and it really works extremely nicely.

So! Now that the story’s out of the best way, and we all know that I completely cherished the overwhelming majority of it, let’s speak concerning the gameplay. Scarlet and Violet are kind of a wierd combine between current video games by way of gameplay — it’s a giant step up from Sword and Protect, but additionally not fairly as excessive in its variations as Legends Arceus. Let’s speak concerning the largest change although: the open world. 

Yup, The Pokémon Firm hasn’t been mendacity to you about what Scarlet and Violet are, that is completely a giant, linked, open-world recreation. There’s a few very tiny exceptions, like the sport’s large hub metropolis, however apart from that, you’ll be able to stroll from anywhere in Paldea to some other place within the area with out ever hitting a load display screen. It’s not like Legends Arceus, which had a sequence of various open areas segmented by loading screens, it’s a full fats, “if you happen to can see it you’ll be able to go to it”, open-world recreation.

It’s a reasonably rattling good open world, too. I’ve been a bit harsh on video games like Breath of the Wild prior to now, primarily as a result of whereas they’ve large open worlds, they all the time really feel a bit bit empty. I don’t assume Scarlet and Violet have that downside. The world is completely bustling with Pokémon, all on the market dwelling their very own lives, doing their very own issues. They have an inclination to spawn in fascinating patterns too, with a variety of variability in what these patterns can deliver. You’ll very often see a Mankey snoozing on the foot of a tree, or a Growlithe preventing off a horde of  Skiddo, or a gaggle of child Hoppips huddled round their mama Skiploom. 

There’s lots to see and do across the area, too. In fact, you’ll be able to seek out uncommon Pokémon, it’s a Pokémon recreation, however there’s gadgets scattered about to choose up, towers and constructions to poke round in, caves to discover. It’s all a variety of enjoyable, and it’s extraordinarily straightforward to only get misplaced on the earth and spend hours wandering round. At one level, I advised myself that tonight was the night time I used to be going to tackle the final Titan… after which I spent 5 hours wandering round, catching wild Tera Pokémon, on the lookout for shiny Pokémon, and simply usually seeing what the area needed to supply. 

Accessing Koraidon, your trusty steed and lovable little dragon lad, so early within the recreation implies that shifting round within the area is a heck of a variety of enjoyable. You received’t have entry to all of its motion skills instantly, you’ll should do some story stuff for that, however even simply with the ability to hop on for a experience and zoom across the area instantly is a giant impetus for exploration. Koraidon performs a fairly large half in a few of the story too, as you’d in all probability count on, and I like him a lot. The poor little man simply wants a bit bit of affection and care. 

The sport’s development advantages lots from the open world, too. You are able to do any of the sport’s gyms, Titan fights, or Staff Star battles in no matter order you want. Need to tackle the toughest health club first? You are able to do that. You received’t have a enjoyable time, and your Pokémon will completely get thrashed, but when that’s what you need to do, then go for it. You’ll be able to select to go down one path at a time, knocking out the health club problem path in its entirety earlier than ever setting foot in a Staff Star base, or you’ll be able to combine it up a bit. I deliberate to do the previous, taking over just a few Titans in a row, however there’s a small caveat that made me default to doing the latter as an alternative and mixing my actions — there’s a degree cap, and in case your Pokémon hit that cap, they received’t hearken to you anymore. 

This has been a factor in earlier video games as nicely, however tended solely to have an effect on traded Pokémon. Right here, each Pokémon stops listening if it’s the next degree than the cap. To lift the cap, you’ll want to get health club badges, so if you happen to’re planning on doing one story at a time, it’s in your finest curiosity to do all of the health club challenges first. That mentioned, there’s so many improbable new Pokémon to play with, and doing every of those tales individually slightly than mixing them up offers a very fascinating incentive to modify up your staff with every storyline. Clearly, when you end the health club storyline, you’ll be sitting on a staff of degree 60+ Pokémon, which might be a bit overkill for your entire remainder of the opposite storylines. 

Which really brings me to my subsequent level: there’s no degree scaling for the actions within the recreation. When you rush to the ultimate health club the second you begin your journey, you’ll be going through Pokémon within the 50+ vary, and you’ll get your butt handed to you. I do know lots of people received’t be notably pleased with this, preferring that every vital exercise within the recreation scales relying in your Pokémon ranges or what number of badges you’ve acquired, however I really want this type of development. As enjoyable as it will be to see a Bug health club chief with degree 55 Pokémon, having particular degree ranges for particular fights implies that these on the excessive finish really feel appropriately epic, thematically. It’d really feel a bit bizarre for me, personally, if I toughed it out to achieve the highest of an icy mountain to take down the Ice health club chief Grusha, just for him to ship out a degree 10 Bergmite. 

One other good thing about forgoing scaling is that it permits you to make your personal challenges. I did this just a few occasions, taking over gyms and Star bases that weren’t the “supposed” subsequent problem within the checklist. One among these was unintended, as a result of I wasn’t certain what the following problem was really alleged to be, however after the push of that first one and developing with higher methods to take it down, I began doing it increasingly more. Certain, it meant that after I went again to the precise supposed challenges, they weren’t notably troublesome, but when each problem was scaled to match my degree, these sorts of tales of triumph wouldn’t be doable. Once more, it received’t be for everybody, and I settle for that some gamers would’ve a lot most popular to have correct degree scaling, however for me it labored out simply high quality. 

After which we come to the nitty-gritty of the evaluation, a bunch of small issues that don’t in the end imply a lot in isolation, however contribute general to the expertise — for higher or for worse. I like very a lot that character customisation just isn’t even the slightest bit gender-locked. Each outfit, accent, and coiffure is accessible to whichever physique type you choose. That’s nice! It implies that the shape you do choose solely impacts the pronouns different characters use for you. There’s sadly no possibility for they/them pronouns, nonetheless, one thing that different video games have gotten fairly good at, however Pokémon remains to be a bit missing in. It’s a small step forwards, at the least.

I’m a lot much less a fan of what I’d name a sequence of high quality of life regressions, a few of that are utterly and completely nonsensical. For instance, shiny Pokémon not sparkle or make a noise on the overworld, regardless of their shiny colouration showing simply high quality. Why? What function does that serve? The system labored high quality in Legends Arceus, and for colourblind individuals like me, it was completely essential. It’s not one thing that wanted to be modified, and I can’t perceive the reasoning behind it. 

There’s additionally some bizarre stuff to do with menus. In a battle, the sport not remembers the place of your cursor within the transfer menu between every flip, so if you happen to’re in an extended battle and also you’re not utilizing the highest transfer within the checklist, you’ll should scroll all the best way down every flip. Each Pokémon recreation for like 25 years has remembered the battle cursor place, so it’s completely bonkers that this one by some means doesn’t. Therapeutic a Pokémon utilizing gadgets is equally unusual — current video games would let you choose an merchandise, say a Potion, after which go down the checklist one after the other with out having to reselect the merchandise in between. Or you might choose a decrease degree merchandise like an Oran Berry and spam it to heal up a Pokémon, to save lots of your self from utilizing up a costlier merchandise you’re saving for a giant battle. 

As an alternative, you now have to pick the merchandise every time, after which choose the Pokémon, after which do all of it once more as soon as the merchandise is used up. There may be an choice to auto-heal, although it’s just for one Pokémon at a time, in order that’s good, but when half my staff is paralysed after a troublesome battle, I’d actually like to have the ability to undergo the checklist shortly with therapeutic gadgets slightly than tediously doing it one after the other. 

You can also’t transfer held gadgets between your Pokémon on the primary menu. You’ll be able to add or take away them, however if you wish to transfer an merchandise from one Pokémon to a different with out it hitting the bag, you’ll should open up the bins menu. And there’s no search possibility within the Poké dex, from what I can inform at the least, so it’s a must to scroll via your entire checklist every time you need to see a selected ‘dex entry. Once more, a very unusual resolution. One other unusual resolution is the shortcoming to show off transfer animations. I really fairly like transfer animations, but when I’m going to grind up a Pokémon or hunt for a selected Pokémon whereas I grind, I’d like to have the ability to flip off a few of the longer transfer animations in battle.

None of those points are a giant deal, within the grand scheme of issues, however they don’t make any sense. Why would anybody resolve that this was a greater technique to do issues? A few of these eliminated options have been commonplace within the video games for over twenty years, they have been clearly working nicely for gamers, so why are they not right here? I simply don’t perceive the reasoning behind excluding objectively worthwhile high quality of life choices. Small points, as I mentioned, however they add as much as a variety of frustration over time. 

And I assume whereas I’m being detrimental, it’s in all probability a superb time to speak about efficiency. It’s unhealthy. Worse than Legends Arceus, about the identical as Sword and Protect at that recreation’s worst. There are fairly fixed body drops in most areas, and it will get even worse when there’s a variety of stuff taking place like rain or different results. A stable 30fps is uncommon, and that’s fairly unlucky.  It’s on no account unplayable, however it’s not precisely an incredible look both. 

Nonetheless… I can type of forgive it, to some extent. I do know this makes me sound like an enormous apologist, and I promise that’s not what I’m attempting to do right here, so let me make it clear: the extent of efficiency on this recreation just isn’t adequate. However, it doesn’t really feel like that is the results of extraordinarily poor optimisation or builders being “lazy” as some individuals appear to throw round lots. It is a recreation that’s completely gigantic in scope, and it seems superb visually more often than not. It feels lots like it is a recreation that’s simply too large in scope for the Change. 

Now, an argument may undoubtedly be made that Recreation Freak may and possibly ought to have scoped down a bit to suit throughout the console’s limitations, and I’d usually agree with that. Nevertheless it is a completely unimaginable recreation, no two methods about it, warts and all. When you’re inclined to eye pressure and movement illness as a result of decrease body charges, this isn’t the sport for you. However if you happen to can usually reside with the efficiency drops, you’ll discover a recreation that simply stands not solely above each different Pokémon recreation prior to now, however a variety of different JRPG contemporaries too. 

However as I mentioned, so many phrases in the past, this isn’t fairly Legends Arceus. You’ll be able to’t simply chuck a ball at a Pokémon within the wild and catch it with out a battle. You’ll be able to, nonetheless, use a brand new function referred to as Let’s Go mode, which regardless of the needlessly complicated title, is kind of helpful. Activating it’ll let the primary Pokémon in your social gathering stroll alongside you, they usually’ll choose up gadgets and immediately battle random wild Pokémon they arrive throughout. It’s a neat little function for grinding up a Pokémon too, since you’ll be able to knock out 5-10 Let’s Go mode defeats in the identical time it’d take you to complete one or two conventional battles. 

There’s additionally Tera raids, that are a variety of enjoyable and a giant step up from Sword and Protect’s raids. Now, granted, I cherished the raids in Sword and Protect, however that is simply so so significantly better. As an alternative of ready round for every coach to pick their strikes, you simply use your strikes and it occurs instantly. It’s as if every coach is in their very own battle, preventing at their very own tempo, however the Pokémon they’re preventing has its HP shared between all of them. It’s very excellent. 

And wow, by some means I’ve gotten this far with out speaking about Terastallizing. That’s a reasonably neat mechanic too! It permits you to change the kind of a Pokémon, as soon as per battle. Or you’ll be able to double down on its present sort, and make the same-type assault bonus much more highly effective. Most random Pokémon you come throughout may have a Tera sort that matches one in every of their common sorts, however there are some uncommon wild Teras which have completely different Tera sorts, and most raids function a Pokémon with a unique Tera sort, too. There are a variety of Pokémon which are extraordinarily fascinating however, let’s face it, have crummy typing (taking a look at you, each single Ice Pokémon ever), so it is a nice technique to get extra out of a Pokémon that in any other case would wrestle a bit. Or you’ll be able to amp up an present good Pokémon to absurd ranges. Aggressive play goes to be extraordinarily assorted and enjoyable, and I can’t wait to examine all of it out. 

In fact, I’d be remiss to speak a couple of new Pokémon recreation with out speaking concerning the new Pokémon in it. I can’t notably speak in-depth about most of them, and I wouldn’t need to even when I may, as a result of a part of the attraction of a brand new Pokémon recreation is discovering new Pokémon for your self. Having mentioned that, that is simply one in every of my favorite generations for Pokémon designs, with virtually each single Pokémon an absolute banger. There’s one or two misses, for me, however most of them are completely nice. And there’s a variety of cool stuff occurring with present Pokémon too, that I’ll additionally depart you to find for your self. Belief me, you’re in all probability gonna adore it.

Oh and one other factor, simply to throw one final detrimental into the pile earlier than we end up, there’s just a few bugs within the recreation because it stands. Issues have been undoubtedly improved by the day one patch, however there’s nonetheless a few lingering points that may undoubtedly should be mounted in future updates. Most of them are extraordinarily tiny issues, which received’t actually have an effect on the expertise in any respect, however one stored popping up for me that was a bit annoying. In Tera raids, typically if you happen to’re the primary Pokémon to hit the raid Pokémon, it received’t present the harm you dealt to the Pokémon on the large well being bar on the high of the display screen. You undoubtedly did do harm, and you may see it when you choose a goal for a transfer, however the large well being bar will stay weirdly bugged for the remainder of the raid. It’ll go down on subsequent hits, however then it’ll appear to be the Pokémon is at half well being when it faints. It’s bizarre! 

There’s in all probability a lot extra that I may discuss, like the entire picnic factor that allows you to eat meals that enhance the chance of some issues taking place, or the best way that Star bases work, or the unimaginable minigames that include health club challenges. However truthfully, there’s a lot occurring in Scarlet and Violet, and it’s actually at its finest when it’s found, slightly than advised to you. I’ve additionally written virtually 4000 phrases at this level and my wrists are aching, so let’s end up. 

There’s little doubt that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are the most effective within the sequence. The open world is improbable, the story is unimaginable, and the sport seems superb, even when the efficiency could be very rocky. There are issues, and high quality of life points, however for each detrimental there’s a dozen extra positives that blew me away each step of the best way. It will likely be divisive, however for me, it’s virtually every little thing I need from a Pokémon recreation. 

Score: 4/5