Pokemon Scarlet

 Switch
User Score
3.4

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 3197 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 755 out of 3197
  2. Mixed: 290 out of 3197
  3. Negative: 2,152 out of 3197
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  1. SwanRonson111
    Jan 11, 2023
    10
    A mix between Arceus and a traditional pokemon game that kept me engaged from beginning to end. Small performance issues, mostly graphical but nothing that reduced the fun I had playing this installment. I suspect the performance issues are mostly caused by the switches weak hardware and Nintendos refusal to release a modern console/online services. Definitely worth playing!
  2. ErwannLechat
    Jan 14, 2023
    10
    Bonjour, tout d'abord, effectivement le jeu possède pas mal de bug, mais perso, je n'ai jamais eu de bug, j'ai du avoir beaucoup de chance. Je mets un bon gros 10/10 car ce jeu est très bon, il est même excellent, je ne me suis pas autant amusant sur un jeu pokémon de la série principale depuis la 6g. C'est un jeu en monde ouvert avec beaucoup d'amélioration par rapport aux précédents jeu.
  3. Shiro23
    Jan 15, 2023
    10
    There are some bugs and frame rate problems, but this is the best pokemon game ever made.
  4. ga001
    Jan 18, 2023
    10
    Very good game story. despite the performance issues (most of them a fixed in the update) this game very good
  5. Tetcher
    Jan 18, 2023
    9
    The story is really good. Not perfect but I was invested. So many quality of life changes. Misses a couple opportunities (like group release). Couple bugs but nothing that really ruins the experience. Overall it's about as 9/10 as you can get. Almost perfect.
  6. gpguipacc
    Jan 27, 2023
    10
    Jogão! apesar dos problemas ele te prende do inicio ao fim não acreditem na midia ela mente
  7. Susolive
    Jan 28, 2023
    9
    Uno de mis pokémon favoritos. Lo jugué casi del tirón. Súper divertido y el mundo abierto está muy bien pensado.
  8. Romeo009
    Feb 22, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. De los mejores juegos de Pokémon que he jugado pese a su mal rendimiento … Expand
  9. Niltrio
    May 5, 2023
    9
    This game is truly a step in the right direction for the Pokemon franchise. Despite the reported performance issues and glitches ( which, in my case, weren't game breaking at all, but mild inconveniences ), it's the first true non-linear, open world Pokémon game. The tera gimmick, although a downgrade from megas, is an upgrade from Z-moves and Gigamax, allowing for more competitiveThis game is truly a step in the right direction for the Pokemon franchise. Despite the reported performance issues and glitches ( which, in my case, weren't game breaking at all, but mild inconveniences ), it's the first true non-linear, open world Pokémon game. The tera gimmick, although a downgrade from megas, is an upgrade from Z-moves and Gigamax, allowing for more competitive strategic opportunities. The pokemon designs work and experiment with new ideas ( palafin, tatsugiri-dondozo to name a few ), plus the Paradox designs bring new life to beloved mons from past generations. The weekly raid events help to keep the players engaged.
    The only downside are the performance issues, which makes it hard to justify the full price tag, but i don't think the game should be downgraded for it, and instead it should be judged by what it is: a well-executed modernization of the beloved, tried and true Pokémon format.    … Expand
  10. ScreenS
    Jun 5, 2023
    10
    The best modern Pokémon game, and the standard by which causal open world games will be judged.

    One of the strongest assortment of new Pokémon, Garganacl and Lokix are some of my new favorites. The story and characters were actually really well written and after the joke that was Leon we actually have a competent and believable champion who commands respect. The ability to fight an gym in    The best modern Pokémon game, and the standard by which causal open world games will be judged.

    One of the strongest assortment of new Pokémon, Garganacl and Lokix are some of my new favorites. The story and characters were actually really well written and after the joke that was Leon we actually have a competent and believable champion who commands respect. The ability to fight an gym in any order actually means that for the first time in over 15 years the game has some actually challenging moments. (Level scaling would run this TPCi please don’t add it)

    Honestly the only negatives are the auto trainer battles are so mindless they might as well not exist, and so many Pokémon new and old feel so power crept it’s almost comical. E.g. why are both convergent species worse than their labor original? Why was Tinkaton given almost no attack and one of the worst signature moves ever? Why is Iron Jugulis weaker than Hydreigon?

    The fact that Terastallizstion is the only battle gimmick to be agreed upon to be good, is really impressive, and it truly is a lot of fun to use even if staying the same type is the right call 90% of the time.    … Expand
  11. RatingRating
    May 27, 2023
    8
    These idiots are saying that this games are bad because of glitches? HAH! These people are just sloppy gen wunners who don't know what they are talking about. If the glitches in Gen 1 are "Charming" and "Nostalgic", then go play Cyberpunk. But I will give you one thing, the framerate SUCKS.
  12. Disvolti0d
    May 27, 2023
    9
    It's fun, but performance and bugs, glitches... aren't fun. Let's say I'm giving this a 9 because of the review bombing it's getting. They should really fix this before getting on with the next one.
  13. Pokegaming
    May 29, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think this is the best game that Gamefreak has made in a while. I love the story, love the music, even if it was buggy, I found it fun. Better than Sword and Shield and barely better than Legends Arceus.… Expand
  14. RealKritic
    Jun 3, 2023
    10
    Awesome game I love it keep them coming! Probably the best Switch game ever it's perfection. So much freedom and things to do!
  15. Jar87
    Feb 2, 2023
    10
    Si te gusta Pokémon te la vas a gozar con este juego, no agais caso a las críticas negativas ya que son haters nada mas
  16. Bluesifer
    May 14, 2023
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Despite it’s issues I believe that Pokémon Scarlet hides a great game behind all the bugs. If a game can keep me hooked for days on end then I believe it has merit.… Expand
  17. Spacemerune28
    Feb 14, 2023
    8
    After playing a few hours, this really is the best Pokemon game to date. The world building and new Pokemon animations are incredible! The games performance is definitely an issue, but not any worse than Fallout 4. A solid RPG, and a great Pokemon game.
  18. Ryugo
    May 24, 2023
    10
    Hands down the best Pokémon title I have ever played in 20 years!! BRAVO to the audio department! they deserves an award for this! I have never seen in any game I have ever played, outstanding track after track, changing so frequently, again and again, never giving you a moment to rest... it truly is unrelenting, i feel like iv already heard 30 great tracks an im only 8 hours through (aHands down the best Pokémon title I have ever played in 20 years!! BRAVO to the audio department! they deserves an award for this! I have never seen in any game I have ever played, outstanding track after track, changing so frequently, again and again, never giving you a moment to rest... it truly is unrelenting, i feel like iv already heard 30 great tracks an im only 8 hours through (a lot of games will leave you with few options for music) and the musical transitions in and out of battle are truly unique to this game alone. the little animations of Pokémon are so adorable. and the 3d animations for some reason seem to appeal way more than any other previous title. and after playing Pokémon archeus, this game is a breath of fresh air to be in the modern environment, all the while keeping those classic game boy Pokémon tunes.

    the graphics is obviously a problem for people. but to me it doesn't bother me at all.
    but I do understand, if you are a stickler for graphics, then this game isn't for you.    … Expand
  19. GavinRhodes
    Nov 26, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is an amazing game an excellent game if you loved Pokémon sword and shield especially ignore the review bombing and definitely give the game a shot its content rich compared to legends Arceus and has a great story… Expand
  20. Skuty
    Jun 22, 2023
    9
    These, alongside Legends Arceus, are the best Pokemon games in the series. The Pokemon company have finally found their Breath of the Wild formula, and it is absolutely wonderful to play. As someone who has grown up on the likes of Playstation 1 and Nintendo 64, the "lag" and "bad graphics" don't affect my gameplay in the slightest, so this review is purely based on gameplay.

    Never    These, alongside Legends Arceus, are the best Pokemon games in the series. The Pokemon company have finally found their Breath of the Wild formula, and it is absolutely wonderful to play. As someone who has grown up on the likes of Playstation 1 and Nintendo 64, the "lag" and "bad graphics" don't affect my gameplay in the slightest, so this review is purely based on gameplay.

    Never before have I said "Wow!" on route 1. It was usually just a couple of patches of grass and that was it. But not in this game. From the beginning to the end, I was left amazed of how beautiful the landscape was structured. Optional trainer battles were the step in the right direction as well. And the Pokemon are everywhere! It is not just a couple Pokemon here and there, and the variety is perfect as well. They are flying high in the skies, lurking deep in the seas and lakes, sleeping, eating, running in the fields... It really fells alive!

    The next part is the story, and what a step up from previous series it is. There are 18 badges! One for each type. Personally, I enjoyed the Team Star badges the most, as the Starmobiles turned out to be quite the challenge at times, but the gyms and titan battles were amazing as well. Three different stories in one game, that beautifully merge into an ending I would never have expected from a Pokemon game. Getting the mascot Legendary at the start of the game and bonding with it throughout the story was an excellent choice. Koraidon has now earned the spot of one of my favorite legendaries.

    This game truly is a dream come true for old school Pokemon fans, and I could say a million good things about these games, but apart from the technical difficulties (which I am not discussing in this review because everyone is talking about it already), there are a couple of things I would still like the games to improve on. The first one being text boxes. When you are in a battle, and the sandstorm is active, and both parties are using items such as leftovers, and you are poisoned, and so on... The game will stop, put up a textbox, stop, run the animation, stop, textbox.... Its just to much! All of this should just be performed in a single action. When the Stone Titans ability activated, every single boost had it's own animation and it's own textbox... Just run the animation one time and a textbox that says "All stats have been raised" and that's it. Battles take way too long, and for a company that removed the battle frontier because "Kids these days don't have a long attention span" this should be a priority. And the other thing would be difficulty. It's is great that it's an open world game and that you can go at your own pace, but there should still be a "master mode" just like in other open world games, to make replaying the games more fun.

    This is it, this is the future of Pokemon, open fields with living Pokemon roaming them. If you truly cannot enjoy these games because of its technical difficulties, I totally understand, and I hope you keep on annoying Game Freak about it until they listen, because I really want all Pokemon fans to enjoy these games.

    This and Legends Arceus have really been a dream come true and I can't wait to see what the Pokemon company has in store next.    … Expand
  21. Fugative68
    Jan 20, 2023
    10
    Best pokemon game to come out in years. Performance issues aside, definitely worth the buy.
  22. dannyvqz
    Dec 15, 2022
    10
    Bueno para empezar es un juego de Pokémon perteneciente a la saga principal muy distinto a lo que ya estábamos acostumbrados. si bien les falto tiempo para terminarlo me atrevo a decir que la historia es una de las mejores si es que no la mejor de los juegos de Pokémon. al igual mencionar que los diseños 3D de los Pokémon fueron cambiados y mejorados.
  23. MetaChar
    Jan 31, 2023
    9
    Fun, fun, fun, and fun. Nothing but fun. The open world is great but I do not like how you can go to every gym/titan/team star base but the levels don't change. It might encourage new players to go to any gym just to get swept completely.
  24. Brocoliteeth
    Feb 6, 2023
    10
    Best ps2 game ever when this game released in 1961 i was rushing out of the farms to get it at tescos
  25. Nordmansk
    Feb 12, 2023
    10
    Juegazo! Los bugs me dan nauseas, pero este port de 3ds me está encantando...
  26. Terhi
    Feb 13, 2023
    9
    Overall fun game, i experienced some minor issues on the start cutscene but the game run well after it. I preordered this game and played 100+ hours. New pokemon are cool sadly no snorlax but maybe in future dlc? I didnt mind the graphics but they could use some polishing.
  27. Skorm_Critic
    Mar 17, 2023
    9
    Extremely amazing game to enjoy. One of the only Pokemon games I have enjoyed returning to frequently. Only reason keeping this away from a 10 is because in about 3 areas it is filled with lag throughout the game and it could get repetitive, especially when trying to catch a Pokemon in the specified areas. Overall an amazing game to play yourself or with friends/families. I would recommendExtremely amazing game to enjoy. One of the only Pokemon games I have enjoyed returning to frequently. Only reason keeping this away from a 10 is because in about 3 areas it is filled with lag throughout the game and it could get repetitive, especially when trying to catch a Pokemon in the specified areas. Overall an amazing game to play yourself or with friends/families. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and relaxing Pokemon game.… Expand
  28. Creblu
    Mar 19, 2023
    8
    The 9th generation of Pokemon games are an exciting romp through Paldea from start to finish. The new designs for the Pokemon are only getting better and more creative as time goes on, and this game exceeds on immersing you and your Pokemon in an actual thriving and alive region. This may also possibly be the best story in any main-line Pokemon game to date; being able to take on threeThe 9th generation of Pokemon games are an exciting romp through Paldea from start to finish. The new designs for the Pokemon are only getting better and more creative as time goes on, and this game exceeds on immersing you and your Pokemon in an actual thriving and alive region. This may also possibly be the best story in any main-line Pokemon game to date; being able to take on three different paths with compelling characters and interactions makes me glad to read the dialogue for once. The only two things I can see holding this game back are it's performance/bugs and it's controls, which are big downsides to the game, but it is possible to look past them. Not everyone can find enjoyment in a Pokemon title, but for those who do, this is a great work from Game Freak.… Expand
  29. Thequack05
    Mar 23, 2023
    8
    great game, good new pokemon and if you ignore the very few glitches there are now its a great game!
  30. Cyndaqui1Master
    Mar 30, 2023
    9
    Pokémon Scarlet is a great game, but it can be annoying at times. I like the plot, and I do recommend - for people who have great patience. You don’t need very much, but it is frustrating at times. Can’t wait for the DLC
  31. Jrsmall
    Apr 28, 2023
    8
    It’s rough at first, but it does not deserve a 3.3. It’s so much fun, and I find myself wanting more. This is a great step forward for the standard franchise. However, it’s a continent away from what we got with Legends Arceus.
  32. Enes425
    May 4, 2023
    10
    Pokemon scarlet and violet is the best pokemon ever. The reason is that the story is best, the new pokemons are good, open-world, and more, I can talk all day why pokemon scarlet and violet are best. Pokemon scarlet and violet is better than the "best" Pokemon SoulSliver and HeartGold.
  33. proJRgamer
    May 10, 2023
    8
    Es una de las mejores entregas de la saga. La historia me flipó, así como las nuevas mecánicas como la Teracristalización y la montura. El post-game también impresiónate. Y en mundo abierto es algo que me fascinó las diferentes áreas como las habían integrado y los guiños a España. Lo malo es que no salió completo, hay veces que hay bugs que los van arreglando. Creo que si esto loEs una de las mejores entregas de la saga. La historia me flipó, así como las nuevas mecánicas como la Teracristalización y la montura. El post-game también impresiónate. Y en mundo abierto es algo que me fascinó las diferentes áreas como las habían integrado y los guiños a España. Lo malo es que no salió completo, hay veces que hay bugs que los van arreglando. Creo que si esto lo arreglan, podría ser el mejor juego hasta la fecha de Pokemon.… Expand
  34. Tesl
    May 13, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It is so good and it represents the history and culture of Spain in a very good way.… Expand
  35. dams_hyuga
    May 15, 2023
    8
    en tant que fan de pokemon j'ai adore jouer a ce jeu pouvoir jouer en monde ouvert a pokemon quelle plaisir l, histoire est vraiment cool le gros point négative c'est la technique mais vos prendre en compte que c'est le premier openworld de pokemon que la switch et pas toute récente ect mais après la technique ne fait pas tout
  36. gietergeit
    May 17, 2023
    8
    it is a good game but the performance issues are so bad how do you make something so glitchy?
    the game was very rushed but there is no excuse.
    the new Pokemon designs are cool tho.
    and the story was amazing
  37. Gasterthemaster
    Aug 19, 2023
    10
    Yay
    Dragon-bike doggo is very gud.
    Also why is this game better than all of the others in the franchise by like a mile?
  38. Harkor630
    Jun 3, 2023
    8
    Malisima optimizacion pero grandes mecanicas hubiera preferido que atrasaran el lanzamiento a que lanzaran el juego con tantos bugs
  39. tyty63
    Jun 17, 2023
    8
    It’s a very fun game. Hard to set aside. The world they created in this game is super cool to see.
  40. Nian_008
    Jun 24, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Nonostante i bug lo ritengo un gioco più divertente specialmente nell'online e la storia è una delle più interessanti delle ultime gen.… Expand
  41. Ihtayt
    Jul 26, 2023
    9
    This game brought me back into the series and since release I have clocked in well over 1k hours between the two versions (SV), across 3 full playthroughs and 2 pokedex completions. It honestly astounds me how low the user score is, because both games have some huge QoL improvements over previous generations, massive replayability, and overall great gameplay. The open world aspect feelsThis game brought me back into the series and since release I have clocked in well over 1k hours between the two versions (SV), across 3 full playthroughs and 2 pokedex completions. It honestly astounds me how low the user score is, because both games have some huge QoL improvements over previous generations, massive replayability, and overall great gameplay. The open world aspect feels very fluid and an amazing change of pace that will hopefully continue forward. I'm trying to give as fair of a review as possible; and the only reason I'm deducting the point is due to tera raids having their issues (which is ultimately a limitation of a time based battle with multiple animations going across several players at once); but these are still playable and still a huge draw for me back into the games month to month with their ongoing event raids.… Expand
  42. aeg
    Aug 2, 2023
    8
    beside the lag,the game is pretty damn good,story is good,vfx is pretty cool and the new pokemon design is also really cool,but because the lag was really really bad,especially when it’s raining,so i can’t give this game 10/10 and the camera turning speed is kinda slow.overall the game dosent deserve such a low user rating game fun,underrated game
  43. Arkuz
    Aug 8, 2023
    8
    Fun game, probably the most fun I have had with a PKMN game ever, however coming from a franchise like Pokemon, the graphics and performance are disappointing, to the point it feels these aspects were just done very lazy. Must play, must not worship. Ask your friend who already beat it so you can borrow it and experience it for two weeks.
  44. Bucket_Axolotl
    Aug 13, 2023
    8
    A fun game with massive issues, I generally really enjoyed it however it is riddled with bugs even many months after launch, hopefully the DLC adds much more outfit options since that is the one thing I absolutely hated at launch.
  45. Hadix123
    Sep 3, 2023
    10
    Best pokemon game in the series I didn't experience that many glitches and bugs but other than the glitches the game is a masterpiece
  46. Manquele
    Sep 11, 2023
    10
    Hola, definitivamente un antes y un despues en pokemon y en la industria, aun siendo para switch, el trabajo es excelente, se nota que mama mucho de Zelda, y es mejor que TLOU saga
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 118 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 118
  2. Mixed: 60 out of 118
  3. Negative: 2 out of 118
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 24, 2024
    60
    Not a bad game. It still has its solid core, new Pokémon, and what's worked for years continues to work. The open world is a questionable addition in my opinion. [Issue#324]
  2. VideoGamer
    Dec 14, 2023
    70
    Pokemon Scarlet and Violet take the long-awaited step into a fully open-world, but one poorly implemented and marred by frustration. A compelling story and characters are a saving grace in what is ultimately a fun game, but Pokemon's attempts at modernising continue to fall disappointingly short.
    Read full review
  3. Het Nieuwsblad
    Jul 31, 2023
    20
    A square wheel spins more smoothly and fluidly than this game. If three Pokémon or characters come into view at once, the whole game creaks and falters. Edge-off unplayable. And that's a shame. Because the addition of an open world is "on paper" a puffy idea to refresh the franchise. No more linear walking that takes you past gyms and ever stronger and different Pokémon, gotta catch 'em all. You can go wherever you want. With some tactics, you can take on some very tough challenges with Pokémon that aren't nearly strong enough. Fun! Except this game just wasn't ready. It's shameless that Nintendo and Game Freak are still throwing it on the market. Nevertheless: 10 million games sold in just three days.
    Read full review
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