Pokémon Scarlet & Violet is the time to return to the franchise

There is no denying that the Pokémon franchise is at an all-time high. Despite being more than 25 years old, the machinery has not stopped with several video games, card games, mobile titles, tournaments and merchandise of these particular characters. Just a few weeks ago, Ash's victory in the anime attracted the interest of everyone, generating a wave of memes and motivational messages for all those who have been lifelong fans, once watched the anime, or out of curiosity came to play the first versions of the game to eventually quit.

It seems like a coincidence, maybe it's not, but a new installment of Pokémon is about to hit consoles, ushering in a new generation to the Nintendo Switch. For several years now, GameFreak's franchise has been presenting a formula where catching them all while traversing the Pokémon world remains a constant. The new installment that arrives this week, Scarlet & Violet proposes a revolution in terms of the structure of how we explore this world inhabited by the beloved pocket monsters.

If after 24 years you're looking to get back into Pokémon, or Ash's victory motivated you enough to once again get on the path to become the best, Scarlet & Violet proposes something totally fresh that might interest you.

It’s a whole new world we are living

Returning to Pokémon after several years presents some changes and improvements. Beyond an evolution in the presentation, this world has received new mechanics and tools that make the game more complex. On one hand, the base of the game remains the same: lead your character to catch them all and be the champion through battles and by upgrading your teammates. Over the course of 8 generations, we have witnessed a very similar, and in some cases, rigid structure.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet proposes a big change in the paradigm of the game, presenting a totally open world, very similar to what we have seen in recent years with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, or even Elden Ring, being an installment that seeks to be very ambitious. With this, we have one of the most important changes that the series has had and in which gradually has been worked. On the one hand, we have a world that you can roam freely, where you can see the Pokémon where you walk, deciding whether to face and capture them, or simply avoid them.

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This leads to a world where freedom can be overwhelming as you don't know where to go. However, the game still presents a story that proposes pathways to follow, being a student of a prestigious school with a great adventure ahead of you. Like the previously mentioned open-world titles, the world is yours to explore and create your own experience. Pokémon Scarlet & Violet presents players with 3 routes to travel:

How you decide to do these paths is up to you. Whether to start with a specific one, and then move on to the next, or to alternate them is entirely up to each player.

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All Pokémon, large and small

Another essential part is the Pokémon, and boy has the list grown in recent years. If you stuck around when there were about 150 of them, the list has grown quite a bit. This time the Pokémon will be roaming around and enjoying the terrain where they appear. Magikarps will be swimming in the ponds, while Fletclhings will be in small groups on the grass.

For those looking for competitive play, a new transformation will be present in the game in the form of teracrystallization, which is a transformation that gives greater power to Pokémon during battles. An element that will give a twist to the competitive mode.

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Visuals, between light and shadow

For some players, the visual aspect is one of the most important and the most recent Pokémon releases have found themselves in a controversy related to this aspect because of some in-game details. Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, despite having some appealing visual aspects, continues this trend.

On the one hand, the game presents a great level of detail, especially in terms of Pokémon modeling. Seeing a Psyduck or a Pikachu up close and how velvety they look makes you want them to jump out of the screen to hug them. The same goes for the characters' clothing, or the indoor spaces, which look extremely detailed. However, the open world of the ninth generation does not have that level of detail. Although the world is inhabited by Pokémon within its habitat, and they show curiosity or flee at your presence, aspects such as mountains, or plains, or even people in the distance, show a low level of detail.

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The same ambition the game seeks in presenting an open world with no loading screens is its weak point, at least visually. This is not to say that the game looks or runs poorly all the time. There are moments of incredible confrontations and stories. What's more, seeing shooting stars in the clear night sky is one of the aspects I never thought I'd see in a Pokémon game, however, if there are moments where the low textures, or the lack of detail in the environment around you shows how inconsistent this area is. If the graphical aspect is not a problem, then the Pokémon adventure continues.

Ongoing maintenance

That Pokémon Scarlet & Violet is an open world opens up a whole host of possibilities. Historically, the main Pokémon releases have received new versions that polish the generation. If you're looking for a game that continues to grow after you finish it, Pokémon naturally has an endgame that seeks to make you collect them all, however, the most recent main installment, Sword and Shield, was the first to receive a couple of downloadable content, expanding the region and the number of Pokémon to collect. Although at the moment nothing particular has been announced for this edition, we can only guess through what has come with past content.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet arrives on November 18 for Nintendo Switch. You can see more news in the game's tag.