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. Toiletgnome
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Constant frame drops, pop-ins, freezing, texture bugs, lights flickering, and the list goes on. I don't know how Nintendo allowed a flagship game to be shipped in this state, maybe they're just testing a new grifting mechanic for next gen. Possibly the most embarrassing installment in the Pokémon game series.
  2. Relolelo
    Nov 19, 2022
    1
    It just keeps getting worse and worse, even when we thought Pokemon Sword and Shield were the bottom. PLEASE do not support this company until they change for the better.
  3. TommySmiths
    Nov 19, 2022
    4
    When the game works it's pretty fun, exploring the open world, catching beasts, and doing the story at any order you want is great. Being able to find creative ways to tackle Pokemon stronger than you is fun and the story is actually pretty good. All things considered the game is actually fun but there is one little probem and that is...

    THE GAME IS NOT FINISHED! That's right this    When the game works it's pretty fun, exploring the open world, catching beasts, and doing the story at any order you want is great. Being able to find creative ways to tackle Pokemon stronger than you is fun and the story is actually pretty good. All things considered the game is actually fun but there is one little probem and that is...

    THE GAME IS NOT FINISHED!

    That's right this game is definetely unfinished because the performance is not bad in the well it's a Switch game bad no it's completely broken. While anyone should expect lower resoltuion and low frametates of around 25-30fps due to being an Open World game on the Switch this game is worse, much worse. Framerates dip into the single digit category here folks. Anytime you are in the open world it feels like molasses. Not only is the frame rate poor but there's slow down gallore. The game can barely run. The Switch is going at full power trying to run this unoptimize nightmare. But not only is the framerate and speed of the game faulty but there's a constant gallery of glitches and bugs. Things pop in and out worse than Sonic in Frontiers going at Mach 4 it's embarrasing. Things in the background look like bad n64 games. You will see inside walls, the ground and even inside the very people themselves. THE MENUS, THE MENUS LAG! Heck even the LOAD SCREEN LAGS! Overall because of the performance I can not recommend this game to anyone until GF fixes this.    … Expand
  4. Bohon
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Pokémon scarlet is runs so badly it ruins the whole game for me would not recommend
  5. Netluiz
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Designer of the pokemon every game is worse, and there is no subtitle portuguese-Brazil.… Expand
  6. Krispeur
    Nov 19, 2022
    1
    I’m sure to enjoy this game once a playable version will be released. Version 1.0.1. is so full of glitches, bugs, framerates drops, crashes that ruin that the immersion in the game. Really hope for a patch to fix this.
  7. giollo
    Nov 19, 2022
    1
    There's no excuse for a switch game to look and run this bad. This is a billion dollar company making worse looking games than PlayStation 2 or indie games.
  8. Dhigos
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    É uma vergonha o que ta acontecendo com essa franquia, apesar de ser minha favorita eu reconheço que nunca foi uma boa franquia em novidades ou coisas mega elaboradas... Mas a gente chegou em um nível que da vergonha
  9. skylar445
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Good concept, terrible execution, I discourage people from preordering games now, there is no incentive to do so. This game is filled with so many bugs and Im not talking about bug type pokemon.

    If the switch can run breath of the wild there is zero excuese for this garbage. Gamecube had better graphics then this.
  10. chucksneedfeed
    Nov 19, 2022
    2
    I can't even play the game because it keeps crashing or the camera gets stuck somewhere.
    How far Pokemon has fallen. Genuinely pathetic
    When it does work, the glitches.... oh my god the glitches... Random pokeballs the devs forgot to remove? Check Horrible headache inducing framerate? Check Glitched player models blowing 10x their size to resemble Attack On Titan? Check    I can't even play the game because it keeps crashing or the camera gets stuck somewhere.
    How far Pokemon has fallen. Genuinely pathetic
    When it does work, the glitches.... oh my god the glitches...
    Random pokeballs the devs forgot to remove? Check
    Horrible headache inducing framerate? Check
    Glitched player models blowing 10x their size to resemble Attack On Titan? Check
    Seizure-inducing (No, I'm not kidding) graphic glitches? Check
    Camera AND player clipping through the environment? Check
    Falling through the world? Check
    Player model breaking their bones and twisting themselves like in Uzumaki? Check
    Masuda's Bugs inside MISTAH MERRIKU? Check

    Don't buy this game.

    - Rep. of Fortunes /vp/    … Expand
  11. LuanAmorim
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Em pleno 2022, ano da tecnologia, ano da copa, ano da eleição e o jogo é lançado desse jeito: Serrilhado, framerate podre, gráficos podres, sombras podres, animações podres, sem legenda em ptbr e 300 conto. Padrão Nintendo e Game Freak
  12. Googy
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    an irredeemable mess from a multi billion dollar franchise, Crashes/frame rate issues poor texture quality poor pop in poor texture pop in, dreadful music. the first game in the series I will be refunding.
  13. OnlyOneHere
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    This game is an absolute huge steaming pile of worthless garbage. The greedy developers are charging $60 for a game that is completely broken. It doesn't even have the AAA quality to justify the $60 price tag. Wait, did I say $60? These greedy developers continue the Pokemon tradition by cutting the game in half and selling it separately for $60 each. So in reality this game is worth $120.This game is an absolute huge steaming pile of worthless garbage. The greedy developers are charging $60 for a game that is completely broken. It doesn't even have the AAA quality to justify the $60 price tag. Wait, did I say $60? These greedy developers continue the Pokemon tradition by cutting the game in half and selling it separately for $60 each. So in reality this game is worth $120. Imagine charging $120 for an indie quality game, not to mention how broken it is. This outrageous greed makes EA, Activision, Take-Two, Ubisoft, Sony, Microsoft, CDPR, Square Enix, and just about any greedy game company I can think of look like literal saints in comparison. They should have delayed the game, but these greedy developers clearly rushed it out for that Christmas money.

    Not only is this game a buggy mess, it is full of game breaking glitches. The FPS is beyond horrible, I even had a section of the game where it ran 1 frame every 5 seconds. I had the game crash on me multiple times. The textures are absolutely terrible. The ground textures are laughable. It literally look like they were taken from a Nintendo 64 game. Did I forget to mention how late these textures load in? This is literally PS2 quality for $120. Too many performance and clipping issues. I saw NPCs walking towards invisible walls. Speaking of which, some of my Pokemon turned invisible. There is too much freaking lag, and keep in mind that I wasn't even playing multiplayer when I was experiencing all this lag. I could write a novel on the amount of glitches this game has, but I think I made my point. Even if this game gets fixed, that doesn't change the fact that these greedy and lazy developers had the audacity to charge $120 for a mobile game.

    The AI is incredibly stupid. The physics are a complete joke and so is the soundtrack. The animations are so terrible, it literally looks like a shovelware game. Those stupid pokemon monsters that turn into bikes is the most cringeworthy thing I have ever seen in my life, not to mention how horrible the bike mechanics are. I played shovelware and mobile games with better motorcycles physics and animations than these piece of trash bikes. That is embarrassing. The sand literally looks like it was made with Microsoft Paint. The combat is boring and repetitive. I should be seeing combat that has the detail and animations of the Pokemon anime. All the lazy developers did is put pretty lights during every move, to give players the illusion that the game is fun. None of that is fun for me. There is loading screens when entering interiors. That is pathetic. This is a 2022 $120 game, I should be able to enter the interiors in real-time at that outrageous price. The floors are magically floating in a black sky. The developers heavily advertised the ability to make a sub sandwich, which is nothing more than a gimmick that gets old. How about the spend time actually improving the gameplay instead of coming up with gimmicks. Better yet, how about they fix this joke of a game.

    The multiplayer is complete trash. These developers are so cheap, they can't even be bothered to spend their budget on voice acting. This isn't the 90's. Voice acting should be a staple on $60-$120 games. I demand a full refund for this game. I don't recommend this poor excuse of a game at all. I don't know anyone in their right mind that would think this broken garbage is worth $60, let alone $120. Game Freak are the greediest and laziest penny-pinching cheapskate developers ever known to mankind.    … Expand
  14. TheRavolta
    Nov 19, 2022
    4
    This game sadly is not good at all. I like the direction the game goes to, but everything good has at least 3 bad things overshadowing it. It is also clear that Game Freak went for the open world style not because they had a good vision they wanted to execute, but because they wanted to squeeze money out of that very successful trend, especially looking to BoTW, without even realising howThis game sadly is not good at all. I like the direction the game goes to, but everything good has at least 3 bad things overshadowing it. It is also clear that Game Freak went for the open world style not because they had a good vision they wanted to execute, but because they wanted to squeeze money out of that very successful trend, especially looking to BoTW, without even realising how far they missed the mark.

    The gameplay (when it is not just a buggy mess) is pretty good. Just usual Pokemon stuff you would expect.

    The art direction is pretty interesting, and most things look a lot better designed.

    The technology of this game doesn't even compare to N64 titles. Constant graphic glitches (I am not kidding, you will constantly see some kind of graphic error). The game is in a comparable technical state as Cyberpunk 2077. NPC's, your player character, and the world around you just casually glitch out at any given time. The FPS are bad, not even cracking 30 FPS. And that is just sad if you look at what the Switch usually is capable of if you give your games enough time, which Game Freak clearly did not do.

    Graphics are as bad as a NGC game today. It is not doing the Nintendo Switch any justice, and could have been easily improved to at least 3DS or Wii U standards. If Game Freak really would try, they could easily do it, but not in 3 years.

    Animations are as robotic as they have been since X/Y. The only difference is: X/Y is 9 years old, and was the first fully 3D pokemon title. There are some exceptions though: The main characters have some good looking animations in certain cutscenes, that even feel natural.

    The sound is pretty mediocre, as it has been since OR/AS. It is not bad, but not outstanding as well.

    Overall it breaks my heart that Game Freak just does not care about the customers. They throw half backed lackluster games on the market, because the executives force them to. And I am sick of fans defending them like their own family. People would often say: "The Pokemon Company forces Game Freak to rush their games", or the classic "What else can you do on the Switch? It has not enough power", which is just mind boggling to me. Game Freak is part owner of the Pokemon Company, so clearly TPC doesn't dictate Game Freak to do anything. And for the power of the Nintendo Switch: look at BoTW, look at Xenoblade Chronicles, look at Mario Kart 8 (which originally has been released on the Wii U), and you are gonna tell me the Switch does not have enough power?! Game Freak just needs to do it right, give the games more time, but they clearly don't feel the need to do that even with nearly unlimited money, because the hardcore fan boys and girls buy it anyway and defend them with their own lives. I hope Game Freak gets a well needed wake-up call.    … Expand
  15. Gutenberg02
    Nov 19, 2022
    2
    A game that is literally Unplayable, too bad because there Is a potential there, but from this last experience i realize how little GF is interested in making satisfying games for their fan...
  16. Aalves
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Unbelievably bad. I stopped playing at 10 minutes due to how slow the engine was, not to mention frame rate and graphics. It’s utterly unplayable…
  17. NexusThomsen
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    This is.. Inexcusably bad. The graphics are muddy, the overworld idea makes it incredibly confusing as to where to go, the fact you'll overlevel unless you use a team per path, the removal of set mode, the overabundance of glitches, the absolutely dry and lackluster story... Just all of it.
    Cannot recommend, despite being a hardcore pokemon fan for over a decade. Personally never touching    This is.. Inexcusably bad. The graphics are muddy, the overworld idea makes it incredibly confusing as to where to go, the fact you'll overlevel unless you use a team per path, the removal of set mode, the overabundance of glitches, the absolutely dry and lackluster story... Just all of it.
    Cannot recommend, despite being a hardcore pokemon fan for over a decade. Personally never touching another pokemon game, until I have proven evidence of it being worth it, through others playthroughs.

    Do not buy. Seriously. Don't waste your time or money.    … Expand
  18. AmIEval
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Highest grossing franchise in the world putting out Dreamcast games for $60 on the Switch.
  19. Lncelote
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Arceus was a way forward this isnt its **** dont waste your money on such a cash grab go play arceus which wasnt perfect either but at least it wasnt buggy and the gameplay was fun
  20. ZShadow
    Nov 19, 2022
    5
    The game has cute pokemon and effects too, but it is full of bugs and glitches. I don't believe that the problem is the Switch because the Switch has beautiful games like Xenoblade 3 and Zelda, I believe it was totally laziness on Gamefreak's part, which even being a millionaire franchise cannot deliver an optimized game. The maps are empty without flashy details, the new pokemons are notThe game has cute pokemon and effects too, but it is full of bugs and glitches. I don't believe that the problem is the Switch because the Switch has beautiful games like Xenoblade 3 and Zelda, I believe it was totally laziness on Gamefreak's part, which even being a millionaire franchise cannot deliver an optimized game. The maps are empty without flashy details, the new pokemons are not very interesting, I liked only 5 and the story was never really the focus of pokemon so I wasn't expecting anything. The game has its qualities like "new fight system" and Coop.… Expand
  21. delgaucho35
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    If i was a developer of this game i would be ASHAMED.
    This is not a finished game.
    -Terrain glitches
    -Lighting glitches
    -Background glitches
    -Texture glitches
    The game can't run on stable 30fps despite its N64 quality level
    The pokemon models are good because they are made by Creatures Inc. and not by GF.
  22. Sbardy93
    Nov 19, 2022
    3
    Worst Pokémon game ever (this review comes from a person born in 1993, raised playing pokémon without interruptions from the 1st gen, until BW2, and even Alpha Sapphire, Brilliant Diamond, and Moon, the last one only ''NEW'' main pokémon game I've been playing seriously after the DS era)
    I wanted to buy Violet, but then I've started to see the reviews by ''specialized critics'' here and    Worst Pokémon game ever (this review comes from a person born in 1993, raised playing pokémon without interruptions from the 1st gen, until BW2, and even Alpha Sapphire, Brilliant Diamond, and Moon, the last one only ''NEW'' main pokémon game I've been playing seriously after the DS era)
    I wanted to buy Violet, but then I've started to see the reviews by ''specialized critics'' here and all over the internet, and I've thought ''mmm, maybe waiting is better''
    I've started to watch some livestreams on Twitch to see the game
    Best decision I've ever done
    Games without a soul, published in a FEW MONTHS (Pokémon Legends came out at the beginning of this year if you don't remember it) just because childish **** were impatient for the new generation
    But hey, the game will sell anyway, so why publish it in 2 years?
    The major responsibles of this disaster are exactly the consumers
    I can understand those who say ''I want to buy it because I want to touch it with my hands in order to judge them''
    But those who always say ''Even though the game will suck I will buy it because I want to see the new pokémon'' or ''because I want to have the new pokémon game in my collection just to expose it'' or ''because I don't want to miss the new generation''
    if you only care about the fu**ing monsters play Pokémon GO and Unite, I've got both of them, and they're cool
    If you only care about mere phisic possession of the game you're nothing but SLAVES
    Pokémon is dying from the beginning of the 6th gen (including the remakes of Hoenn and Sinnoh which are not bad, but so far away from Heartgold and Soulsilver), and you don't even realize it
    Well, keep attacking Pokémon BW, not my favorite games in the franchise, but of course the most underrated
    Unova games were gold compared to this
    60 EURO for THIS is just undefendable
    Of course congratulations to you TPC for being so superficial
    But at the same time congrats to you guys who don't care if buying Garbodor, motivate them to make even more Garbodor
    You're the final responsible for this disaster
    SHAMEFUL SLAVES    … Expand
  23. Yasukekun
    Nov 19, 2022
    2
    A huge buggy mess. Extreme Stuttering issues, camera issues, low rendering resolution for the most part with jaggy edges, you name it! Everything you would never expect from a AAA title of the Pokémon calibre in a single cartridge. Older titles of the series like gold and silver are praised to this day for their technical ingenuity and superior engineering, and now we have This mess. It isA huge buggy mess. Extreme Stuttering issues, camera issues, low rendering resolution for the most part with jaggy edges, you name it! Everything you would never expect from a AAA title of the Pokémon calibre in a single cartridge. Older titles of the series like gold and silver are praised to this day for their technical ingenuity and superior engineering, and now we have This mess. It is unacceptable for a title of such a beloved franchise backed by one of the biggest game companies in the world to deliver such a technically inferior product. I for once, as a long time fan that has waited with huge excitement for this release, do feel deeply disappointed. I hope gamefreak comes to realise that we are people and not moving wallets waiting to be exploited by our childhood nostalgia. we really do deserve better.… Expand
  24. Nymble
    Nov 19, 2022
    10
    Have you ever wondered what it would be like to shove a Nymble 'down there' and lay back in repose as she bucks her way out?

    Well after playing this game, I have. And that's why this game is a Perfect 10. It's a Nymble-bucking-good game.
  25. AlvaroTrainer
    Nov 19, 2022
    10
    The best game i'd ever played, fuecoco god. Mencia una diosa y muuuuuuuuuuuy divertido
  26. GStriker
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Filled with bugs, glitches, horrendous graphics, poor performance, tons of lag, buggy and bad animations, litteraly an unfinished game.
    If this is standars for pokemon games in 2022 its embarassing.
    Not worth 60$, not even worth 10$. If you want a pokemon game for nintendo switch i recommend legends arceus instead of this crap. Really dissapointing game coming from the grossest media    Filled with bugs, glitches, horrendous graphics, poor performance, tons of lag, buggy and bad animations, litteraly an unfinished game.
    If this is standars for pokemon games in 2022 its embarassing.

    Not worth 60$, not even worth 10$.

    If you want a pokemon game for nintendo switch i recommend legends arceus instead of this crap.

    Really dissapointing game coming from the grossest media franchise ever.    … Expand
  27. Tomplexthis
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    This game is unplayable, and all it does is crash, stutter, or freeze, at 5 frames a second.
  28. Norwinds
    Nov 19, 2022
    1
    The saddest part about this is that this game could be REALLY FUN if it was no bugs, fps drops, and more polish in general. But playing at 15 fps the entire game and seeing npcs dissapear, bugging myself into the enviroment, etc, just makes my head very dizzy and I can't really enjoy it.
  29. Johnnybravo812
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    There's no excuse for a switch game to look this bad. This is a billion dollar company making worse looking games then solo developers.
  30. airmaverick
    Nov 19, 2022
    3
    Rose colored pokemon goggles shouldn't save the performance dumpster fire of Scarlet and Violet.

    Characters and animations often move at a robotic 3fps, clipping, pop ins, stuttering, pausing between actions, ugly textures, wonky camera - and it happens non-stop. Whilst the aging switch hardware is a limitation, there many other better looking and more expansive games that run way    Rose colored pokemon goggles shouldn't save the performance dumpster fire of Scarlet and Violet.

    Characters and animations often move at a robotic 3fps, clipping, pop ins, stuttering, pausing between actions, ugly textures, wonky camera - and it happens non-stop.
    Whilst the aging switch hardware is a limitation, there many other better looking and more expansive games that run way better than this.

    If somehow you can get past all the performance issues (I couldn't) the game play itself feels mediocre at best. A lot of the innovation introduced by Arceus is ignored here.

    Music and sound is poor with weird silences throughout and the lack of voice acting for a fully realized 3D adventure is disappointing.

    If you want to play a Pokemon game I recommend any other in the series over this. After the "fresh air" of Arceus, this game is a new stifling all time low.    … Expand
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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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