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. buffering
    Nov 20, 2022
    5
    Besides from all the bugs everyone knows about (which are inexcusable, especially for an AAA game), the game feels weirdly empty for something that's supposed to be open world? We're given three different 'plotlines' at the start of the game, but no idea on how basic features of the game work. I had to find out several features from forums and talking with friends. I don't need a tutorialBesides from all the bugs everyone knows about (which are inexcusable, especially for an AAA game), the game feels weirdly empty for something that's supposed to be open world? We're given three different 'plotlines' at the start of the game, but no idea on how basic features of the game work. I had to find out several features from forums and talking with friends. I don't need a tutorial for everything, I've been playing Pokemon since Fire Red, but knowing how to change your appearance or that there's a reward system for collecting certain amounts of Pokemon seems like something that should be told to you.

    There's nothing to do in towns besides buy food that give you effects that you have to guess on what they do exactly and buy accessories for your outfit. NPC's don't say anything interesting and there's no unique places to visit in the towns (like a fanclub or an academy) - I half expect to see tumbleweed blowing through the streets.

    There are some bits I like - the raids, some of the newer Pokemon designs, the Pokedex design - but they're completely overshadowed by the game crashing every other time it's loaded, the awful lagging, the stripped features, the weird emphasis on other features that aren't super important (seriously, what is with all the sandwiches), the 'targeting system', the illusion of choice, and the fact your mount goes as fast as you do running (or maybe that's just the lag - I literally don't know).

    Lesson learned, I guess. I think the only reason I'm giving it a 5 is because I'm (somehow) still hopeful I'll find something else to like about this game.    … Expand
  2. SirSabza
    Nov 21, 2022
    5
    This is my first review, and fitting as its the first pokemon game i've played since Pokemon Emerald on the Gameboy Advance.

    I want to start with what the game does positively because this game will get drowned out on the negatives so people who already knows it runs like ass can see what the game does well to see if its worth the purchase. POSITIVES This game actually has some    This is my first review, and fitting as its the first pokemon game i've played since Pokemon Emerald on the Gameboy Advance.

    I want to start with what the game does positively because this game will get drowned out on the negatives so people who already knows it runs like ass can see what the game does well to see if its worth the purchase.

    POSITIVES

    This game actually has some really deep well thought out storylines about bullying, self identity and loss of loved ones. I really did not expect it to have stories like this as its basically a childrens game. I don't want to spoil the game, but it was a pleasant surprise.

    As i haven't played a Pokemon game since Emerald, i'm unsure what quality of life features are new or old, but all pokemon getting exp from battles, getting more exp from new catches to incentivise you to catch new pokemon and being able to access boxes anywhere are really good.

    NEGATIVES

    What can i say? Gamefreak and by extension Nintendo, are honestly losing their flair and grip when it comes to one of their most influential franchises. The Nintendo Switch, continues to be the biggest blight in gaming history. It's outdated hardware forces console exclusives to be so behind the curve of modern gaming that they can do almost nothing spectacular or push any boundaries because it forces the game to have poor performance in doing so.

    Pokemon Scarlet/Violet is no different. It runs awfully, doesn't matter if you're docked, handheld, new or old device. This game at times will run like a windows 94 PC. Can we really blame Gamefreak? Yes, yes we can. People will compare this game to breath of the wild, but honestly, breath of the wild is a far more empty world that looks pretty, whereas S/V is a way more populated and interesting world, but looks like its on PS1.

    Combat is unbelievably slow, if you don't auto battle it feels like watching paint dry, but if you auto battle you get less exp so you end up taking forever to grind up pokemon.

    The open world honestly was just a miss. It was an interesting attempt but making the open world essentially a circle where you can go left or right, means one side gets neglected and you're vastly over levelled when eventually travelling there. Also if you still keep the badge system where pokemon only listen to you based on how many badges you have, whats the point making it seem like the game has player freedom, as you'll have to tackle these gyms just to play the game.

    The end game zone was a massive let down, without spoiling, the pokemon there are basically no different to anywhere else save for the 6 specific paradox pokemon for each version, it seems like they could have done a lot with that zone. But no minimap, no raids, no ability to even see the zone even post game on the map, just seems weird.

    Why is your box legendary shiny locked? Do you really feel like people will leave so quickly that you need to put their shiny version in a future update forcing people who didn't know this to play a second playthrough to potentially get it?

    Why yet again after the sword and shield debacle do you feel the need to keep half the pokemon missing from the game and say you're going to add them in a few months? why not just delay the game till they could all be in it?    … Expand
  3. Zoinkinator
    Nov 21, 2022
    5
    Gameplay wise I think GameFreak have finally cracked the code when it comes to pokemon. The world is fun to explore, the battles are just as fun as they have been(albeit still a bit of a slog), the structure of the game makes it more replayable than any pokemon beforehand, and the ability to actively play online with friends elevates it into being one of the best pokemon games for a longGameplay wise I think GameFreak have finally cracked the code when it comes to pokemon. The world is fun to explore, the battles are just as fun as they have been(albeit still a bit of a slog), the structure of the game makes it more replayable than any pokemon beforehand, and the ability to actively play online with friends elevates it into being one of the best pokemon games for a long time....At least it would be if the game was finished.

    I have never before played a game that is so clearly, utterly unfinished to the point of taking away from the experience as a whole. The graphics are...fine actually. Not amazing but ultimately inoffensive. The performance however is absolutely dreadful. Generally speaking I dont mind it when a game doesn't run great, especially on the switch, but this is inexcusable. Constant stuttering, frame drops, pop in, character animations become choppy the moment you walk 4 feet away from them, lighting errors, pokemon disappearing and reappearing, the list goes on and on. It is clear to me that Pokemon Scarlet/Violet were rushed out the door(likely by the Pokemon Company and Nintendo) in order to meet the holiday deadline.

    It really sucks because underneath that there is a legitimately phenomenal pokemon game here, but its so hard to look past the technical errors when they're a constant inconvenience. Im positive that in a few months the game will likely be looking and running a lot better, but in its current state I can't in good conscious recommend it to anyone unless you're a fan of the series or you really just wanna play with friends. Ill update my review when the game is finished.    … Expand
  4. Gnomesbane
    Nov 21, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Performance wise, the game is pretty bad. I haven’t run into any of the big bugs I’ve seen people talk about, but for the Lake Titan boss fight of the story, and also the Fairy Base for Team Star, the fact that there is some water nearby makes the game chug down to a snails pace. Really kills the fun and dynamic aspect of a big cool boss fight when all your Pokémon attacks look like a slow-mo move from the Matrix. Menus also run pretty slow, and you can feel the game struggling to keep up. Graphics range from “wow look at the textures of fur on Hoppip!” To “are those mountains copy/paste backgrounds from Goldeneye 64?” Graphics aren’t always a big deal in these games, to me at least. It’s about the adventure and the discovery of stuff. The story is where this game honestly shines, and is really all that’s propping this up from being a complete joke of a game. Most Pokémon games are more or less the same. Fight the gyms, save the world or whatever from some bad guys. This game has three separate storylines to complete in more or less whatever order you want. There’s the usual Gym/Elite 4 battle, which is whatever. Then there’s the Titans, where you help a person find these rare herbs to ultimately heal one of his Pokémon, and not gonna lie I kinda cried at the end. It felt very relateable. Then the third story is about stopping the “bad guy Team”, Team Star in this region. Turns out there’s a lot more to it going on, and even though a few of the twists are kinda obvious, the ending again has a good message to it that I think a lot of players can relate to. The core gameplay is great. If you liked Legends Arceus, you’ll probably like this even more. It’s still classic Pokémon catching, but a HUGE world that manages to feel both very empty and bursting with things to see at the same time. Lots of little winding paths and holes to look in, or mountain trails to nowhere for exploring. By far the most fun I’ve had with a Pokémon game, just held back by technical difficulties that can hopefully be fixed.… Expand
  5. CarlosAyon
    Nov 22, 2022
    5
    Nunca he esperado una buena historia de pokémon (me encantaria que la tuviera), sin embargo esta vez si se pasaron, los diseños de los pokemon son horribles, los iniciales están mas o menos, pero nunca había experimentado un rendimiento tan horrible en un juego de pokémon, ya ni Leyendas Arceus presentó tantos problemas y a mi parecer está mejor desarrollado y las texturas son mejores queNunca he esperado una buena historia de pokémon (me encantaria que la tuviera), sin embargo esta vez si se pasaron, los diseños de los pokemon son horribles, los iniciales están mas o menos, pero nunca había experimentado un rendimiento tan horrible en un juego de pokémon, ya ni Leyendas Arceus presentó tantos problemas y a mi parecer está mejor desarrollado y las texturas son mejores que en Scarlet / Violet. GAME FREAK, PONTE A TRABAJAR.… Expand
  6. MrViking
    Nov 22, 2022
    5
    Me parece bien más allá de lo gráfico. Hay que darle una oportunidad, y rogar que actualicen pronto.
  7. whoiswolfpack
    Nov 23, 2022
    5
    The story is front and center the entire game. The new Pokémon are very likable. The performance of the entire game is very bad! Framerate drops everywhere, especially during some of the gym tests. There are game crashing bugs in the game. Hopefully Pokémon Home Intergration saves it. Textures look ugly. Pokémon just walk around, none of the behavoir in Pokedex entries are actually presented.
  8. 777g
    Nov 23, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Game is extremely buggy, lighting is choppy and doesn’t generally work, and the amount of framerate dips is appalling. Otherwise the game can be decently fun in a perfect situation.… Expand
  9. PawOfLaw
    Nov 24, 2022
    5
    The story is interesting, the new pokemon kind of cool and i like the new characters the story introduces. But thats it for the good stuff.

    The technical point of the game is really terrible. It lags, animations get choppy when you are further away, the textures for the ground cant even hold up to Pokemon Arceus. If you look at a comparision you might even think that another developer    The story is interesting, the new pokemon kind of cool and i like the new characters the story introduces. But thats it for the good stuff.

    The technical point of the game is really terrible. It lags, animations get choppy when you are further away, the textures for the ground cant even hold up to Pokemon Arceus. If you look at a comparision you might even think that another developer team did the new game, since its just really blank in contrast to Arceus. The fluid transition from running in the open world to a battle we had in Pokemon Arceus is just gone, which takes the flow out of the game.

    I really love the story and want to keep going, but currently the game doesnt pull me in like Pokemon Arceus did, since the whole game just seems way to bland.    … Expand
  10. BanchoMischka
    Nov 24, 2022
    5
    The game has so much potential to be great but it fails in term of performance and bugs. This cant be accapted from a multi bliion franchise. I hope they will fix this issue
  11. KyuzoOhashi
    Nov 25, 2022
    5
    While being one of the most entertaining Pokémon games in the last years, its performance is heavily underwhelming. It slows down, crashes far too many times, connectivity issues... Even the PC suffers from lag. How can you get the PC perform even worse than the PC in GBA games? For Heaven's sake.
  12. eincello86
    Nov 26, 2022
    5
    Also an sich ist es ein gutes Pokémon Spiel. Das Ding ist es ganz einfach, dass man sich keine Zeit mehr nimmt um den Fans optisch und technisch mal ein richtiges Brett zu liefern! Die Switch hat einiges drauf und nach sieben Jahren kann kein Entwickler mehr sagen er käme mit der Technik nicht klar! Aber die Pokémon Company ist nur auf Kohle aus! Wenn es möglich wäre würden die jedesAlso an sich ist es ein gutes Pokémon Spiel. Das Ding ist es ganz einfach, dass man sich keine Zeit mehr nimmt um den Fans optisch und technisch mal ein richtiges Brett zu liefern! Die Switch hat einiges drauf und nach sieben Jahren kann kein Entwickler mehr sagen er käme mit der Technik nicht klar! Aber die Pokémon Company ist nur auf Kohle aus! Wenn es möglich wäre würden die jedes Quartal ein Hauptspiel raushauen um noch mehr Geld zu machen!… Expand
  13. LINK_____
    Nov 27, 2022
    5
    I like how it finally feels like an open world game but the amount bugs is absolutely horrendous and the graphical issues are terrible. It would be a 100/100 game if it were to be a Wii game form 2007 but for todays standards its an insult to the community.
  14. ayzelto
    Nov 29, 2022
    5
    A game that could have easily been a 9 ends up being a 5. The story itself is great, but the technical aspects are just too bad sometimes. There are moments in the game that is very frustrating, and the whole experience is just destroyed.

    Anyway, I still think it's a good game and I hope they can fix these major things with the updates (if that's possible)
  15. Andrix92
    Nov 30, 2022
    5
    The worst Pokémon title on Nintendo Switch.
    The map is empty while the open-world is a bag full of bug, pop-up effect and elements moving at 5fps.
    There’s no level-scaling and the most of the story is so ripetitive and boring…wtf r’u thinking about while developing this game GF!?
  16. KRUS93
    Dec 6, 2022
    5
    Saved by the fact that the mechanic of catching, training and battling Pokémon is fun. The ambition of the game was right - Pokémon has been crying out to be fully open world, and the game does a great job of making the world feel alive with Pokémon roaming the world in appropriate habitat. The story is vanilla at first but really kicks up a notch too. Unfortunately though, the performanceSaved by the fact that the mechanic of catching, training and battling Pokémon is fun. The ambition of the game was right - Pokémon has been crying out to be fully open world, and the game does a great job of making the world feel alive with Pokémon roaming the world in appropriate habitat. The story is vanilla at first but really kicks up a notch too. Unfortunately though, the performance of the game is distracting. The character models look amazing, but the world looks like it was handed over to the interns, which ruins the immersion. With more polish and a year or two more in the oven, this could have been the perfect Pokémon game. If only TPCI would prioritise quality over quantity for once.… Expand
  17. ORNITOMUSIC
    Sep 11, 2023
    5
    Juego que se ha pasado al mundo abierto, con algunos aciertos, pero empeorandose conforme avanza el juego;
    Me gustan los mapas, son muy bonitos.
    Pero las misiones son repetitivas, faltan los puzzles que tanto caracterizaban la saga, los poblados estan vacios, los npc son vagos y no te dan recompensas, no incita a ir a hablar con ellos… la dificultad es irrisoria… en definitiva un juego que    Juego que se ha pasado al mundo abierto, con algunos aciertos, pero empeorandose conforme avanza el juego;
    Me gustan los mapas, son muy bonitos.
    Pero las misiones son repetitivas, faltan los puzzles que tanto caracterizaban la saga, los poblados estan vacios, los npc son vagos y no te dan recompensas, no incita a ir a hablar con ellos… la dificultad es irrisoria… en definitiva un juego que podría haber sido mucho mejor con más cariño. Prefiero que se alejen del mundo abierto pero enriquezcan mas mundo.    … Expand
  18. Suffering_BC
    Dec 11, 2022
    5
    I really had fun with the game but getting bullied and made fun of because of these buggy mess. Even the patches don't make it better. It's a shame that's so unfinished because I really liked the story. But hurting the Fans is Gamefreak's thing now. Stop bullying your fans since bullying is a thing you point out in this game
  19. AbyssGG
    Dec 13, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. El juego es divertido, tiene probablemente la mejor historia hasta ahora en lo que va de las recientes generaciones 3d, pero esto queda opacado debido a los glitches, bugs, texturas, caídas de fotogramas, entre otras.

    Es irónico que el juego no pueda correr ni siquiera a 30 fps estables, llegando a tener caidas de 15 fps cuando llegamos a ciudades al haber caminado por rutas, los fotogramas a los que se mueven los npc y algunos elementos del entorno (molinos, banderas, entre otras) son pobres, tiene muchos problemas de popping e incluso spawns bugeados de pokemons (aparecen dentro de edificios inaccesibles, paredes, dentro de los cristales del area cero e incluso debajo del agua).

    Y en cuanto a la personalización de nuestro personaje, me encanta el poder modificar el aspecto de este, pero me parece bastante pobre los conjuntos a poder usar, teniendo 4 de estos en total (todos feisimos por cierto).    … Expand
  20. GuilhermePinhei
    Dec 25, 2022
    5
    Graphics horrible, pkmn designes worst, good stories but far away from a good game
  21. estockw1
    Feb 7, 2023
    5
    I played Pokemon Red when I was six years old. It was decently challenging but completely within my ability to play and beat. If a six year old could beat the original games, there is really no need to make the new ones easier, especially SO much easier. You can swap out Pokemon between your party and the boxes at any time, so there's no challenge in traversing a large distance betweenI played Pokemon Red when I was six years old. It was decently challenging but completely within my ability to play and beat. If a six year old could beat the original games, there is really no need to make the new ones easier, especially SO much easier. You can swap out Pokemon between your party and the boxes at any time, so there's no challenge in traversing a large distance between Pokemon centers without your whole party fainting. Most trainers only have one Pokemon and are often a one hit KO. You can fly right off the bat so you're never at risk of your party fainting outside of a few moderately tough boss fights. The have is still fun and I'm enjoying it, but there's zero challenge in it anymore and it's frustrating because there are probably as many adults who play Pokemon as there are children, and the original games were still more than accessible enough for children. There was no need to strip out any degree of challenge. Also Team Star aren't even bad guys. The whole thing is just Pokemon in ultra baby mode.… Expand
  22. GT9
    Jul 17, 2023
    5
    I recently played Pokemon Scarlet and I have to say, it was just okay. The graphics were decent and the gameplay was fine, but it didn't really stand out to me. I found myself getting bored after a while and not really feeling motivated to continue playing. Overall, I would give it a 5 out of 10. It's not terrible, but it's not amazing either.
  23. boo453
    May 15, 2023
    5
    This game has a lot going for it but it needed longer in the oven. The open world is great and the story is the best we've seen in a Pokémon game for a long time. There's no scaled progression despite being able to do the gyms in any order, so even though you can go "anywhere you want", you could end up at a high end gym as your first thing, only to breeze through the other gyms. It alsoThis game has a lot going for it but it needed longer in the oven. The open world is great and the story is the best we've seen in a Pokémon game for a long time. There's no scaled progression despite being able to do the gyms in any order, so even though you can go "anywhere you want", you could end up at a high end gym as your first thing, only to breeze through the other gyms. It also runs really bad, and there's tons of glitches.

    One more year in dev and qa, this could have been really good, but the performance issues really hold it back    … Expand
  24. Marioipod13
    May 25, 2023
    5
    Technically I like the game but it has numerous technical performance issues that make it very difficult to play comfortably. The battery on the switch drains like you won't believe playing this, and of course I really don't like the dex cuts.

    Additionally, Nintendo should not be cutting out entire postgames and selling it back as DLCs. They did this with Sword and Shield too; Platinum    Technically I like the game but it has numerous technical performance issues that make it very difficult to play comfortably. The battery on the switch drains like you won't believe playing this, and of course I really don't like the dex cuts.

    Additionally, Nintendo should not be cutting out entire postgames and selling it back as DLCs. They did this with Sword and Shield too; Platinum had a postgame nearly double the size of the postgame in the DLCs.    … Expand
  25. MisterWizard
    Jul 20, 2023
    5
    This game was enjoyable, but it is sadly so rushed. I heard that they made this in only 1 year, why gamefreak? Games don't take that much time to make anymore. There are so many glitches and the game looks awful, and that's not deu to the switch (take BotW and TotK for an example). It's ok, if you like Pokémon, give it a try. It just had so much more potential.
  26. toastmonster64
    Aug 20, 2023
    5
    Scarlet is overpriced and just generally not a fun game. Bugs aren't too much of a problem, although they can be annoying.
  27. Barny
    Nov 24, 2022
    4
    The game is unfinished: there are so many bugs that it is unbearable at times. It stutters to less than 10 fps very frequently and there is nothing that you can do about it, that's probably the biggest downside to it. That's my main problem.
  28. Eilanzer
    Nov 20, 2022
    4
    Game released full of bugs, MASSIVE slowdowns across the game, removed previous options in other games like exp-share and the list goes on and on...
    What i RLY don´t understand is...If they can´t or don´t want to upgrade to good graphics in 3d...Just do cell shade stuff or that semi 2d/3d they did in some games. People would be fine with that in an open world environment with more options    Game released full of bugs, MASSIVE slowdowns across the game, removed previous options in other games like exp-share and the list goes on and on...
    What i RLY don´t understand is...If they can´t or don´t want to upgrade to good graphics in 3d...Just do cell shade stuff or that semi 2d/3d they did in some games. People would be fine with that in an open world environment with more options for the player.
    Pokemon scarlet/violet is just a mediocre fast food version of the franchise, you can eat it...sure...But at what cost you let yourself pay to be **** raw with salt?    … Expand
  29. feleepe12
    Nov 20, 2022
    4
    Jogo muito bom, divertido, mas as falhas técnicas infelizmente prejudicam muito a imersão.
  30. Arikaen1984
    Nov 19, 2022
    4
    The game itself is fun but it runs so poorly it can really ruin it for you. Slow downs, frame drops, pop in, camera clipping through the terrain or sometimes just going somewhere else and not even seeing your character. Gamefreak should honestly feel ashamed of themselves for releasing s a pokemon game that just messes up so much.
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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.
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  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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