Pokemonbecame a household name in the ’90s, and it’s hardly lost its place in the years since. It’s widely understood by fans at this point that the series is the biggest and most profitable gaming franchise of all time. With such great profits behind Pikachu, Eevee, and the large total of overa thousand creatures that make up the world ofPokemon, it’s rather reasonable for those who have loyally supported the franchise over the last 25 years to expect great products to come out of it. However, for some,Pokemon ScarletandViolethaven’t lived up to these expectations at all.
Players may be enjoying their adventures in the Paldea region, but as they’re exploring the brand-new open worldPokemon ScarletandVioletoffer, numerous issues have lessened the experience. Many agree that the ninth generation ofPokemoncould have waited just a little while longer as a result. While some believe this to be because of the technical problems, others believe that the overall presentation and balancing of the game could use more work, too, asScarletandVioletfail to live up to the game that came before. That game wasPokemon Legends: Arceus, which was the blueprint for the latestPokemongames.
RELATED:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Picnic Ruins Shiny Encounter
Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Balanced Battles
InPokemon Legends: Arceus, battles felt just right. Not only were battles given an extra edge to them since many creatures in the wild could be rather strong in comparison to the ones that the player owned, but the scale between levels made getting the upper hand by five or even ten levels feel empowering. Once fans were allowed touse the Strong and Agile Styleson their Pokemon’s moves, things felt even better, as the right move with the right Style behind it could change the tide of a battle dramatically, no matter the level difference.
However,ScarletandVioletopt to not include Styles rather than find a way to replace it, and the game feels like something is missing as a result. Thebattles in the ninth generationPokemongamesfeel as if they were made to feature a similar mechanic, but without one, even creatures ten levels higher deal the same amount of damage as a lowered level critter does when type differences aren’t applied. Often times, moves need to be super effective, or an opposing creature will go down in four hits regardless of the level difference. This makes battling Pokemon into a chore at times.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Visuals Have No Excuse
WhilePokemon ScarletandVioletsuffer from technical issues, most of these problems are merely cosmetic, which is why many players are still enjoying their adventures in Paldea. Even still, the state of the open, empty, cartoonish world lacking proper textures with finicky lighting almost begs for more. Why the game was shipped in this state could be in part due to the fact that whilePokemon Legends: Arceuswas presented similarly, fans who had issues withthe Hisui region’s graphicswere able to let it slide in the end.
The difference between the two games, though, is thatLegends: Arceushad a reason to be the way that it was in that it aimed to emulate the style of an old Japanese ink painting. This helped fans who weren’t fond of the style justify the environment found in the game, from the clouds to the rather blandly textured mountains. It was easy to forgive for the fact that not only didArceusrun better, but it at the very least aimed to accomplish something.Pokemon ScarletandViolettry very hardto make a bland world come alive, and instead it falls flat on its face.
Loyal fans may feel a bit of whiplash going fromPokemon Legends: Arceus, one of the highest rated games in franchise history, toPokemon ScarletandViolet. There are quite a lot of reasons why these games were received so differently by players, with the technical differences being the most baffling thing that sets them apart. Fans knew thatScarletandVioletwere usingLegends: Arceusas their blueprintfrom the very first gameplay trailer for generation nine, yet it doesn’t seem like the newer games have really learned anything fromArceus’success.
Unfortunately, it also seems unlikely that Game Freak will get to learn fromScarletand Violet’smistakes. Even with the game’s current low standing with players, it’s still set new franchise sales records despite all of its issues. Sadly,this tells Game Freak and The Pokemon Companythat the game was good enough to generate revenue and profits in the state it was shipped in, which means that future titles will likely be made at the same pace. Unfortunately, this leaves the future of Pokemon in a rather bleak place, as fans are left hoping that improvements will be made.
Pokemon ScarletandVioletare available now on Nintendo Switch.
MORE:Pokemon Scarlet And Violet’s Gimmighoul Evolves Into One Of The Best Pokemon Ever Made
