Pokémon have had divided fan opinion since their release in November 2022 between those who can't look past the performance issues and those who adore the fun-spirited and entertaining nature of the Gen IX games. All issues aside, Scarlet & Violet have changed the scale and boundaries for what makes a main series Pokémon game, with many features and additions impressing players and Pokémon fans alike.
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Pokémon Scarlet & Violet appear to have learned from aspects of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which was released at the start of 2022 and served as a revolutionary game for the Pokémon franchise. Critics will prey on the issues that Scarlet & Violet have experienced, but there is still so much to highlight and celebrate.
10 Scarlet & Violet Bring An Open-World Pokémon Experience
The concept of a Pokémon game being an open-world experience has been requested for years, and 2022 has duly delivered, with Pokémon Legends: Arceus teasing aspects of it and Scarlet & Violet taking it further. Pokémon games have always been about adventure in exploring towns and regions, so adding the freedom of an open world was the logical next step for the franchise.
While there is still a recommended route and order for taking on the various challenges throughout Scarlet & Violet, players can to do things at their leisure. Some areas still require certain abilities to access or traverse, but these are few and far between and feel like organic inclusions.
9 The Map Has All The Important Markers For The Perfect Guidance
The map has never been as useful in the mainline Pokémon games as in Scarlet & Violet. The zoomed-out version shows the markers for all the Gym Leaders, Team Star crews, and Titan Pokémon and even numbers them in the order the player defeated them.
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Yet, it is upon zooming in that the map shows its real worth. Players have learned that clicking in the right stick locks the map in place and stops it from rotating randomly. As well as the various challenges and storyline markers, the map shows Tera Raids with their typing, Pokémon Center fly destinations, and much more.
8 There Are New Quality-Of-Life Features, Like Auto Healing
Pokémon paved the way for the Pokémon games to be more accessible with various quality-of-life improvements, and Scarlet & Violet have continued that trend. The Gen IX games have impressed players in many areas, but the Auto Heal function deserves special recognition.
Provided players have healing items in their bag and the Pokémon they wish to heal is above 0 HP, the - button will heal them from the menu without going into the bag. This could be refined further to incorporate Revives and status items, but this is a solid start.
7 Auto Battles Are A Huge Addition To Ease Grinding
Players may not be able to throw Poké Balls and catch Pokémon with the speed and ease of Legends Arceus. Still, Scarlet & Violet have brought that streamlined experience to instigating battles. Wild Pokémon can still be surprised when attacked from behind, which grants the player an extra turn. While players can do this with ZR, pressing R instead brings out the lead Pokémon for a walk.
The difference between the two approaches is that by pressing R, the Pokémon will instigate Auto Battles. This is perfect for hunting Shiny Pokémon in Mass Outbreaks, farming materials, and much more. Auto Battles are a neat addition in allowing players to play how they want.
6 Collecting Materials & Crafting TMs Is A Creative New Touch
With the items gained from defeating Pokémon in Auto Battles and Tera Raids, players can now craft TMs or sell the materials for the LP currency. Crafting may not be on the same scale as in Legends Arceus, but the ambitious addition to the franchise certainly paved the way for its inclusion in Scarlet & Violet.
Trading materials for TMs is a great way to take from the sometimes-overwhelming scale of Paldea and its main story beats. However, getting further with the Team Star storyline will unlock more TMs to craft, adding an extra incentive to progress down that path.
5 The Various Story Beats Have Heart & Substance
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet pride themselves on the freedom they offer their players. While they present their storylines as different paths to choose between, they can be enjoyed in any order. Each path has its merits, and while the usual Victory Road route is as engaging as ever with its intense battling, the other two storylines are just as compelling.
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Traveling Paldea with Arven in search of Herba Mystica and Titan Pokémon is exciting. Still, Arven's story is packed with unprecedented levels of emotion that help it to stand out. Even the Operation Starfall path tackles real heartfelt issues and puts a clever twist on the old Pokémon trope of a "villainous" gang or organization.
4 Legendary Pokemon Are More Actively Involved With The Player
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Pokémon Scarlet & Violet have put twists on many tropes and concepts that have appeared in past generations. Still, its incorporation of the cover Legendary Pokémon into the early game and as a vital mode of transport stands out above the rest. Scarlet's Koraidon and Violet's Miraidon are introduced early in the story and are essentially Gen IX's answer to the necessary HMs of old.
Both cover Legendary Pokémon are ever-present throughout the story, with this constant presence often being missed in previous games. Keeping a degree of mysticism around a Legendary Pokémon makes sense, but incorporating them into the game's story helps fans appreciate and connect with them a bit more.
3 The Terastal Phenomenon Has Surprised & Impressed Fans
Dynamax, Z-Moves and Mega Evolution are all interesting concepts introduced and explored in the previous three generations. Scarlet & Violet brings a new exciting one to the table in the Terastal phenomenon. Terastallizing a Pokémon allows a trainer to either alter their Pokémon of choice's type when they activate the crystal-like form or it can simply serve as a further STAB boost to the same type.
Terastallizing is set to change the landscape of competitive Pokémon, as it allows for new strategies around type matchups. All Gen IX Gym Leaders have a Tera Pokémon of a different type that fits their Gym's typing, which makes for some engaging battles and tricky scenarios for players to contend with.
2 Tera Raids & Other Co-Op Features Are Great Alternatives
Dynamax Raids were one of the defining additions brought in Sword & Shield, and Tera Raids have picked up the mantel and run with it. The concept is similar, adapted to accommodate the new Terastal phenomenon, but obvious efforts have been made to make it a more streamlined experience.
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Players don't have to sit through every other player's turn and subsequent animations, which helps when considering the ever-looming time limit on each Tera Raid. However, Tera Raids are just a part of the co-op play that has finally come to the mainline Pokémon games. Players can join their friends and run around Paldea together or go off independenly and further their storylines while their friends do the same. It is the perfect way to play together while working to keep the actual co-op parts from quickly becoming stale.
1 Scarlet & Violet Have Introduced Exciting New Pokémon
The Gen IX games Scarlet & Violet have excelled in many areas, but the highlight for most players has been the new species of Pokémon that have been introduced. For years, many Pokémon fans have complained about there now being too many species of little consequence, but Scarlet & Violet seems to have changed that notion.
From the funny names to the exceptional designs, Scarlet & Violet have introduced over 100 new Pokémon, with many becoming instant fan favorites. There are new Paldean forms and evolutions for existing species, with exciting concepts like Paradox Pokémon. There will always be those upset with these Gen IX games, but at the end of the day, these games are all about Pokémon, and Scarlet & Violet certainly got that important aspect of the game right.
NEXT: Pokémon: Every Generation, Ranked By Their Starters
