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. ToChoPals
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    Performance issues otherwise they are best pokemon games gameplay and storywise
  2. Brandoge2
    Dec 6, 2022
    8
    Great game, unpolished on release. If the graphics and performance issues were smooth on release would be much more well received.
  3. AzuraFeraligatr
    Dec 6, 2022
    6
    The game itself was extremely entertaining, being able to roam where I felt and being able to watch the Pokemon in the overworld was enjoyable to me. This was the first Pokemon game I have finished since the Ruby/Sapphire remakes, excluding Arceus.
    I found playing the game in handheld mode helped make a lot of the bugs less noticeable and i was able to play the game and enjoy it well    The game itself was extremely entertaining, being able to roam where I felt and being able to watch the Pokemon in the overworld was enjoyable to me. This was the first Pokemon game I have finished since the Ruby/Sapphire remakes, excluding Arceus.
    I found playing the game in handheld mode helped make a lot of the bugs less noticeable and i was able to play the game and enjoy it well enough. Playing on my 4K Samsung TV was out of the question however. All flaws where on full display and caused me headaches.
    If not for the bugs and the inability to play in docked mode, this would be a 9/10 game for me. The open world is a massive step up for the series, but the lack of scaling detracts from this improvement.
    Overall, I rated this game a 6 because I did have a lot of fun playing the game, although it could have been improved with level scaling to give it a more "choose your own adventure" feeling. The flaws in the game are unacceptable and i shouldn't be limited to playing in Handheld mode just to get a good gaming experience.    … Expand
  4. Alexander135
    Dec 7, 2022
    3
    Pokemon Scarlett is a game that seems to have been made by passionate programmers/artists/designers, but rushed and released unfinished. You will buy it because it's Pokemon, but the product is of overall low quality. The open world is beautiful, the battles are enjoyable, the gym leaders interesting, the story multifaceted and engaging. All of this is tarnished by poor performance.

    There    Pokemon Scarlett is a game that seems to have been made by passionate programmers/artists/designers, but rushed and released unfinished. You will buy it because it's Pokemon, but the product is of overall low quality. The open world is beautiful, the battles are enjoyable, the gym leaders interesting, the story multifaceted and engaging. All of this is tarnished by poor performance.

    There is a plethora of bugs. I'll break down the bugs into three categories below.

    Unavoidable & understandable: there are many times where the game slows down. For the minor instances these are understandable as many Switch titles have difficulty maintaining an ideal frame rate due to limited hardware. Additionally, distant characters will appear at varying levels of choppiness. Say you are next to a character, they move smoothly, you move 15 steps away and they are moving at 12fps, you move even further and now they are moving at 3fps. These are annoying and feel unpolished, but I could understand these being necessary to establish a smooth frame rate.

    Immersion breaking: there are several scenes, notably in school, where the obvious choppiness of the characters moving at only a few frames per second, distracts and detracts from the immersion of the game and diminishes the gameplay experience. If this was an intentional feature, they should have used pre-rendered videos rather than a live display. Here you are learning about math and these robotic children around you keep jittering around. Another issue is the at times extreme slowdowns. I've had the game freeze for several seconds, I've moved at far less than half of normal speed for 5-10 seconds, I've had cutscenes display improperly due to not rendering correctly. These are unacceptable and we are owed them being fixed.

    Game breaking: I've had several instances where loading screens never load. I enter a city, I'm looking at a blank loading screen, a minute goes by, then five, then ten. I have to close the game and relaunch it to play it. Additionally, seemingly at random times, the game will crash. This can be: mid battle, when running around, when entering a new area. It doesn't happen often, but I've never had a Switch game experience crashes like this. Something is not right.

    The story is pretty good overall, but poorly executed. Early on in the game you are given three main paths to pursue. All of them are necessary overall to advance, but you can do them in different orders. There is Team Star to pursue and beat to take down their bases, There is the option to pursue the Titans (which unlocks new areas to travel to), and lastly there are the gym leaders.

    One area that the game lacks is direction. It seems like they wanted the game to be open and more free than previous Pokemon games, which is great, but they also have linear elements to the story which prevent this. Example: early in the game you are presented with two options: travel West and earn gym badges, or travel East and pursue Titans. This is misleading though. Both directions contain both titans and gym leaders of undisclosed difficulty. I chose to go West, and encountered higher level gym leaders. I got a few gym badges, then came back to head East only to encounter a gym leader with Pokemon nearly 20 levels under me. In no way was it suggested that I should start with the Eastern gyms. While it's great that you have some freedom in the order that you battle the gym leaders, the lack of direction provides an unnecessary hurdle. If the intention was to have a game where you wander wherever you please and battle whatever gym you came across, then the gym leaders should have dynamic levels. Say that the first gym will have Pokemon lvls (10, 10, 11, 12), the second gym has Pokemon lvls (14, 14, 16, 16), this should be the levels of the Pokemon no matter who you fight. If your second gym is the Ghost leader, or the Fighting leader, or Normal leader, all of their Pokemon would be the difficulty that a second badge should be. If they wanted the game to be open but varying in difficulty depending on where you go and when, they should have given clues as to what path leads where. I do like the game overall, but it was delivered in a very poor condition to consumers. It's a game where I feel in six months it will have many issues ironed out, but I disapprove of the business model of "release a broken title and hopefully fix it later".

    If you are not in a hurry to get this title, I suggest you wait until they iron out the bugs so that you can have a nice gameplay experience.    … Expand
  5. TeMor
    Dec 6, 2022
    4
    New Pokemon's design are so good, and it has good story. But some characters will restrict your alternative, though this is open world, and so stressful.
    Furthermore, as many say, there is so many bugs, and sometime your Switch will be crashed. Probably this game is so heavy than Switch assumed.
    If bugs are fixed, it may be good game.
  6. Namiman03
    Dec 7, 2022
    9
    I love the gameplay and array of new pokemon. There is lots to do and the music at the bops at certain points. The framerate is admittedly a problem but it doesn't ruin the experience too much imo. Best story in a pokemon since a long time.
  7. MaiThang
    Dec 7, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokemon Scarlet is the game I dreamed of playing as a little girl. Marred by technical issues that the internet has blown out of proportion, the open world breathes new life into a franchise that had long gone stale, along with some of the best new pokemon designs in generations. On top of all that, the smaller-scope story and exploration of the theme of finding one's own meaning in life gives the story staying power that Pokemon games generally don't have.… Expand
  8. ZeldaXLove95
    Dec 7, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dont listen to the reviews play the game yourself, then decide. ✨ its an amazing open work experience, with pokemon reimagined in a refreshing way that also pays homage to the old school mechanics of the original pokemon adventures many of us have grown up with and love.… Expand
  9. cHughes
    Dec 7, 2022
    7
    An encapsulating story filled with lovable characters creates an utterly fantastic campaign, followed by the best ending sequence of the Pokémon series to date makes Pokémon Scarlet an extremely enjoyable experience for Pokémon fans. This is in addition to a wide array of fantastic new Pokémon designs and new ‘Paradox Forms’ which are a great idea to switch up the norm. Unfortunately, thisAn encapsulating story filled with lovable characters creates an utterly fantastic campaign, followed by the best ending sequence of the Pokémon series to date makes Pokémon Scarlet an extremely enjoyable experience for Pokémon fans. This is in addition to a wide array of fantastic new Pokémon designs and new ‘Paradox Forms’ which are a great idea to switch up the norm. Unfortunately, this game is let down by the frustrating performance issues which are inescapable when playing, from the Windmill in Artazon to Pokémon lagging in the wild, the game is extremely hard to watch and is not as pleasing to the eye as Pokémon Sword and Shield.
    This being said, Pokémon Scarlet is a fantastic of example of how to structure a main series Pokémon game, but also of how important the performance of these games are. Overall however, the game is extremely enjoyable and is a worthy addition to the series.    … Expand
  10. MeterSmash2022
    Dec 7, 2022
    0
    The conversation surrounding this game shouldn't be about whether it's "Fun" or not, it's about the utter disrespect to the loyal Pokemon fan base by releasing an unfinished, rushed and buggy product, it's completely broken. Under there, there's a good game, I saw a lot of potential here but it's ruined by the performance and how ugly the game looks. If the Switch is capable of moreThe conversation surrounding this game shouldn't be about whether it's "Fun" or not, it's about the utter disrespect to the loyal Pokemon fan base by releasing an unfinished, rushed and buggy product, it's completely broken. Under there, there's a good game, I saw a lot of potential here but it's ruined by the performance and how ugly the game looks. If the Switch is capable of more impressive games, why did Gamefreak do the bear minimum here? Hell, Arceus was more stable and looked better than this, and that shouldn't even be a compliment since that game looked extremely bad.

    Overall, I am completely disappointed, I could look past Arceus' issues and still have a great time, but this? This is pushing it, have more respect for the consumer, and to blind fanboys have some respect for yourselves, don't support this lazyness or defend it, you are all pathetic.    … Expand
  11. Oreon
    Dec 7, 2022
    2
    Best bug and glitch of the Pokémon franchise with a dash of game. I don't know the audacity of this developers to push the game for release. Absolutely no respect for its fanbase.
  12. Doggus
    Dec 7, 2022
    0
    This, is not how to make a game, is joking for everyone who spend 60$ and time for this thing called "games".
    The openworld is fake because you need to fully upgrade the koraidon (or miraidon), the only skill useful for exploratory purposes is unlocked much further on, there is nothing to explore in fact after the first aerials at 100% you will follow the path that is not there anyway it    This, is not how to make a game, is joking for everyone who spend 60$ and time for this thing called "games".
    The openworld is fake because you need to fully upgrade the koraidon (or miraidon), the only skill useful for exploratory purposes is unlocked much further on, there is nothing to explore in fact after the first aerials at 100% you will follow the path that is not there anyway it is nothing to explore.
    the plot is trivial, the characters seem fake with only one mood, the gameplay remains what it was in the previous chapters, with a hint of difficulty, very easy...    … Expand
  13. LyshXD
    Dec 8, 2022
    0
    este juego es una mierda, enserio es infumable, está rotisimo pero aunque no tuviera bugs es un juego de mierda, enserio es mas divertido no jugar a nada que jugar este insulto a los fans de la saga.
  14. Armynd
    Dec 8, 2022
    0
    It makes Pokémon Arceus a good game if we compare it, They sold us a beta for $60
  15. WahleeBoi
    Dec 8, 2022
    0
    The graphics are absolutely terrible.Please take your time and release optimised games from next time
    .Its such a downgrade from Legend Arceus
  16. Reez96
    Dec 8, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Die grafic im spiel ist eine Katastrophe und die glitsche sind auch müll pokemon kassirt nur geld wegen die marke.… Expand
  17. Rooster93
    Dec 9, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Add an option to turn off exp share. Why do end game trainers have less than 3 Pokémon? Why does Penny get off scot-free for stealing the equivalent of $4,800?… Expand
  18. BreaSpirit
    Dec 10, 2022
    0
    Thecnical problems everywhere, low quality engine, bad graphic, a too much simple plot and a lore which is limited only to the library.
    In other words, a bunch of ideas and an unfinished work
  19. JulienK06
    Dec 11, 2022
    6
    Could have been one of the greatest Pokemon games of all time, sadly ruined by the difficulty and the amount of bugs
  20. wafflemetal2
    Dec 11, 2022
    9
    Someone here said that sun/moon (the worst generation by far) is better than this... it's just insulting. Are you even into Pokemon? Been here from the start and this is problably the best game to date period. Just like in gen 1, the technical issues don't break the fun. Thanks Game Freak, a lot to improve but the ideas are all right.
  21. Tareethewheel
    Dec 17, 2022
    10
    While the performance is questionable at best, the story and enviorment is phenomenal, compared to Shield etc. I cant wait until they Perfect the Open world concept.
  22. jailsondx
    Dec 23, 2022
    0
    A quantidade de bugs que estragam a experiência é inaceitável para um jogo com preço tão alto AAA, além de se quer contar com legendas em PT-BR.
    Nota-se que a GameFreak está apenas disposta a colher dinheiros dos fanáticos da franquia sem se importar em produzir e entregar um produto de qualidade.
  23. KingPaladin5591
    Dec 24, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I can't even explain the pain I feel about this sad excuse of a pokemon game the main function and gimic take so long in battle by time it's finished I've lost the match and the no way you can enable skip battle animation like in sword and sheild pokemon can spawn in the wall. This seems more like a poorly made fan game than a actual addition to the pokemon title lineup and its sad Nintendo and game freak should feel ashamed they forced this pile of trash out… Expand
  24. GreenTekken42
    Dec 27, 2022
    1
    Pokemon never really stood out to me. Its insane how a series this Popular can get away with recycling objects and models from previous games as well as being a buggy mess
  25. OwenBingChillin
    Dec 26, 2022
    1
    I can't believe that people still support GameFreak. They've released so many crappy games.
  26. Papalee516
    Dec 27, 2022
    8
    This game is being criticized solely for bugs that rarely interrupt game play and graphics that are consistent with the series past offerings. Despite nothing actually being wrong with the graphics, entitled basement dwelling Trolls who have yet to mentally develop past the age of 9 are screaming at their mommy about how "ugly" these games are. They are incredibly well written for PokémonThis game is being criticized solely for bugs that rarely interrupt game play and graphics that are consistent with the series past offerings. Despite nothing actually being wrong with the graphics, entitled basement dwelling Trolls who have yet to mentally develop past the age of 9 are screaming at their mommy about how "ugly" these games are. They are incredibly well written for Pokémon titles, the graphics are fine and in tune with what we've come to expect graphically from a Pokémon game, the region is fun to explore and the new creature designs are outstanding.… Expand
  27. nttung762000
    Dec 30, 2022
    8
    The gameplay is very attractive, the story is unique and meaningful, all the characters are interesting, and the post-game is not boring
    However, there are still disadvantages such as the camera is not flexible, the open world being sketchy, poorly optimized
  28. gdplays
    Jan 4, 2023
    10
    game was awesome. best from Pokémon in a long time. reviewbombed by losers ignore the userscore
  29. Guevara0032
    Feb 18, 2023
    2
    I don't want to be cruel, but I always speak the truth and Pokemon scarlet and purple are to say the least... disappointing, it's not the worst game I've ever played, but the worst games are from indie studios with a budget of 3 dollars and 50 cents.
    As good points it has the story and the music.
    As bad ... the rest
  30. Jsjsak
    Nov 19, 2022
    1
    El peor juego de Pokémon por mucho, una decepción gráficamente, mecánicamente y jugablemente. Los NPC van a 5 FPS xD.
  31. 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
  32. AmIEval
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Highest grossing franchise in the world putting out Dreamcast games for $60 on the Switch.
  33. sasanarx
    Nov 19, 2022
    2
    Worst pokemon game.
    VERY LOW FPS, average below 30 and for outside even below 20 and 10.
    No customizable clothing like pokemon shield and sword.
    Fake open world, no guide and no balance.
    GF please fix yourself, this is pure ****.
  34. Yimore
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    they did not game test this ONCE in three years. even the first area of the game is completely broken and the balancing is atrocious
  35. dutchozk
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    I have never been more disappointed by a mainline Pokemon game. There's so much wrong with this game that 5,000 characters could never be enough. The optimization issues, level of graphical fidelity, bad animations, bugs, lack of scaling, removal of set mode, removal of the ability to disable battle animations, the hideous character designs, the continuation of one generation long battleI have never been more disappointed by a mainline Pokemon game. There's so much wrong with this game that 5,000 characters could never be enough. The optimization issues, level of graphical fidelity, bad animations, bugs, lack of scaling, removal of set mode, removal of the ability to disable battle animations, the hideous character designs, the continuation of one generation long battle gimmicks, and incredibly low target audience age for this game in particular.… Expand
  36. joaresazrio123
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Over 5 years of experience and yet their best and smoother game is the first one lauched on the switch. This game is extremely broken in many ways. The game itself is a broken and buggy mess. The game meta is broken from the get go with recovery nerfed, a OP gimmick and a lot of offensive new threats and online still garbage. Fix your bloody game GF!!
  37. RalphTheFrog
    Nov 30, 2022
    5
    Its fun. Definetely not perfect, but fun. They were much more ambitious with this game, but because of this they left behind various things that used to be garunteed with every Pokémon release (like running properly)
  38. fbmbat
    Nov 19, 2022
    2
    Its not some performance problems! Its FULL of performance problems, every single part of the map has graphical glitches, shadows that runs with 1 fps, walls and boulders disappearing, you get stuck inside glitches. Zero anti aliasing near and far.

    Really, I cant enjoy the fun because of the bugs.
  39. jdeveraux
    Nov 19, 2022
    1
    For anyone on the fence about buying this: don’t buy it yet. Wait for them to fix this game (if they do). It seems like the only way Game Freak will take on feedback about the quality standards of these games is by a decline in sales. It’s getting to the point that the Pokémon company should be embarrassed about releasing something of this game’s quality. No voice acting. Frame rate andFor anyone on the fence about buying this: don’t buy it yet. Wait for them to fix this game (if they do). It seems like the only way Game Freak will take on feedback about the quality standards of these games is by a decline in sales. It’s getting to the point that the Pokémon company should be embarrassed about releasing something of this game’s quality. No voice acting. Frame rate and memory leak issues. No Pokémon Home support yet. It plays and feels like a beta version of the game. There needs to be a longer development time allowed for these games. It seems like there isn’t any focus on visual or gameplay quality at all.… Expand
  40. Olag
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    a huge piece of junk. this game is a disservice, made only to extract money from people who are content to consume garbage because it reminds them of their childhood and affects their nostalgia.
  41. Tequilae
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Hay tanto que ya se ha dicho, y solo quiero reiterar lo feo que se siente como fan de Pokémon ver estás entregas con tanta falta de cuidado... Sin duda este juego sería un 7~8 sin las fallas técnicas, pero me siento responsable de alzar la voz como los demás con el desacuerdo que siento.
  42. Lunatic7
    Nov 19, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After Arceus I expected more, I believe the game is better than Sword and Shield, but some things from Arceus are no longer here. The ambient world of the game has very bad FPS, it could be better and it's not the switch's fault, because we have other JRPGs with a much prettier open 3D world.

    I don't know how some serious review managed to give this game a 100.    … Expand
  43. posimirules
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Terrible,terrible,terrible.
    GameFreak should be fired.
    Worst pokemon game.
    Sword and Shield was better.
  44. 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.
  45. Bog_boy
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    I cannot look past the face I paid $60 for a beta product. GameFreak the Pokémon company are so blinded by corporate greed they rushed this out for the holiday season. I’ve lost fate in this franchise. The sequel to the main line games should have been a successor to Legends Arceus. What a total misstep by all involved. People should lose their jobs for this.
  46. Snojarlz
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    I was really looking forward to this game and sadly, I had to return it. After Pokémon Legends Arceus blew me out of the water, the trailer for this game looked beautiful (AT FIRST). But after seeing other trainer's (people) gameplay and reviews of the game, I feel ashamed to agree with them. The switch is more than capable of handling AAA games (BOTW & Mario Odyssey) and running themI was really looking forward to this game and sadly, I had to return it. After Pokémon Legends Arceus blew me out of the water, the trailer for this game looked beautiful (AT FIRST). But after seeing other trainer's (people) gameplay and reviews of the game, I feel ashamed to agree with them. The switch is more than capable of handling AAA games (BOTW & Mario Odyssey) and running them smoothly as well. GameFreak has been the developer behind generations of games and this will be the first time I do not play through or buy (Returned copy) a newly released Pokémon game. I am extremely disappointed in Nintendo for being okay with a sub-par game and even more so with GameFreak for their lackluster game and a excuse of what is a "Pokémon" game.… Expand
  47. Nerotico25
    Nov 19, 2022
    1
    Juego sin terminar con problemas técnicos de toda índole. Por desgracia lo poco bueno que tiene no logra equipararse a todo lo malo (problemas nuevos y arrastrados de juegos anteriores). No recomiendo su compra bajo ningún concepto, ni siquiera como fan de pokemon.
  48. yourstupidmon
    Nov 20, 2022
    4
    Why do they just remove features for no reason? Removed outfits options, infinite tms, set mode and on top of that horrible bugs and performance. This game could've been actually good if gamefreak wasn't this incompetent.
  49. JayPasta
    Nov 19, 2022
    3
    This game could have been so much more. It, however, seems rushed in its delivery. Constant frame drops, bad graphics, and more. The game overall has an alright story, some decent characters & Pokémon, but it is definitely one rushed game. Hope the next one is better.
  50. Cesaryerk
    Nov 19, 2022
    3
    Podría ser un mucho mejor juego si no lo hubieran lanzado con tantos problemas técnicos.
    Además de que visualmente no es una maravilla.
    No podemos seguir permitiendo que Nintendo y GameFreak nos sigan vendiendo juegos que se ve que no les ponen nada de empeño.
  51. MR--Sigma
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Jogo bugado da p****. Game Freak mercenário. Renderização horrível designer horrível jogo rodando a 1 FPS. é lamentável
  52. Holyspear
    Nov 19, 2022
    2
    This game is basically unplayable on the first gen switch especially un docked. Not worth the price tag or the wait.
  53. maki_maki_guru
    Nov 20, 2022
    0
    It's like a PS1 game, very uncomfortable.
    The people move like robots, the buildings are like Minecraft.
    New Pokémon have no impact, they're a soup as thin as water.
    Where are the people who created Sword and Shield and Arceus?
    This garbage is nothing more than an experimental guinea pig for the next title.
  54. Shehazadi
    Nov 22, 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…

    This game is a 10/10 in terms of PS2 graphics, in switch terms it's a 0/10
  55. ZSheik96
    Nov 21, 2022
    0
    this game is full of errors. For the first 45 min u r in a one road game and u don't see any of the open world. The technical aspect is so bad that i won't play it even if it would be free... the objects that vanish if u go out of range, the constant frame lag, the pixel-ed shadows and borderlines. IT SUCKS SO BAD
  56. matsudake
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    This game is just bad, technically mostly. Also: i think you guys (Nintento and Pokemon Company) have enough funds to dub at least jap and eng language. Even CD Project RED made it, and it's an enormously smaller company compared to the Pokemon Company (at least compared on the income and brand popularity). Gee. Start putting some effort in these games. The brand is damn powerful, butThis game is just bad, technically mostly. Also: i think you guys (Nintento and Pokemon Company) have enough funds to dub at least jap and eng language. Even CD Project RED made it, and it's an enormously smaller company compared to the Pokemon Company (at least compared on the income and brand popularity). Gee. Start putting some effort in these games. The brand is damn powerful, but games (like this one chapter) are really weak.… Expand
  57. 32fromdiscord
    Nov 19, 2022
    2
    The main game is fun enough for Pokémon, the open world is nice and allows for lots of freedom, some of the battles were genuinely hard, but the presentation is just off. The game severely lacks polish with its terrible graphics, bad performance and unacceptable amount of glitches. Ignoring the technical issues, the game lacks the kind of content that made the older games so beloved. TheThe main game is fun enough for Pokémon, the open world is nice and allows for lots of freedom, some of the battles were genuinely hard, but the presentation is just off. The game severely lacks polish with its terrible graphics, bad performance and unacceptable amount of glitches. Ignoring the technical issues, the game lacks the kind of content that made the older games so beloved. The postgame amounts to an extra 40 minutes of story to conclude the game, a **** battle facility (calling it that is not even really accurate), 6/7 star raids and a wild area-esque area for catching Paradox Pokémon. **** GSC had more content than this, and that was on a 2 MB cartridge for a 20 year old console. Hell, Crystal even has a Battle Tower, which this game lacks. There's no excuse.

    Honestly, I haven't even touched on the various problems I have with this game, but pointing out the main ones should be enough to tell you everything you need to know about it. It is not acceptable for a game from the biggest franchise in the world to be released in this state at full price, and if there isn't a series of patches to fix the numerous issues with the game, then I would be very dissapointed. I give Scarlet/Violet a rating of 2 purely because I got some form of enjoyment out of playing it, which is more than I can say for SwSh, but I had to bring the score down due to the aforementioned issues.    … Expand
  58. sasori91
    Nov 20, 2022
    1
    Difícilmente disfrutable con unos gráficos de 1999, una pena la verdad porque me encanta el mundo de pokemon
  59. LiljaH
    Nov 19, 2022
    2
    Some good story ideas so far destroyed by graphic bug, glich, poor performance overall. And dont forget the fps drop
  60. Yoyoto
    Nov 21, 2022
    1
    The game, pretty But the lack of the national Dex and the HUGE amount of mistakes there are just simply horrible. Fix the game.
  61. hdmonteiro
    Nov 21, 2022
    4
    Don't get me wrong, the core of the pokemon game is fun, the idea of ​​collecting pocket monsters, trading and battling each other while exploring seamlessly, freely and without feeling punished for neglecting main quests is a great idea to sell the product, it is an evolution that the franchise needed, but the problem is how the developers leave the final product in half, poorlyDon't get me wrong, the core of the pokemon game is fun, the idea of ​​collecting pocket monsters, trading and battling each other while exploring seamlessly, freely and without feeling punished for neglecting main quests is a great idea to sell the product, it is an evolution that the franchise needed, but the problem is how the developers leave the final product in half, poorly programmed, with technical problems of poor construction of the game engine and the graphic limitations of the Switch .
    Despite the game being very fun for those who aren't too demanding, it is overshadowed by flaws in the textures, frequent bugs, constant gameplay below 30 FPS, rendering errors and among other things, such as mechanics that were successful in previous games, such as capture of pokemon arceus and the interaction with the pokemons captured from Lets Go, make the game a disappointment for anyone looking for something new to play on the switch and who is not yet a fan of the franchise, a fan on the other hand, will play it precisely because it is fan and already accepts that this is how it will always be.

    my note goes for the opportunity to be the definitive pokémon experience lost by the lack of competence of the game freak program and "take care" of the gold mine that is its product.    … Expand
  62. ColemanCosmo
    Nov 22, 2022
    1
    Can´t understand how people are defending this game, it´s graphical and technical features are the worst, an unfinished product getting praised by diehard pokefans that will make the developer continue on mediocre practices.
    Game don´t get a 0 because of it´s game play.
  63. Zekroxin
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    The Game itself the World and Gameplay are okay and would be Fun but the Performance is so extremly Bad its Unfunny its like a Game from a 10 People indie Company give out a Game in Early Access. Sad part is they will dont do anything about it because its Pokemon and all the People buying it and Supporting this mess.
  64. Aaronkun
    Nov 19, 2022
    2
    Ok, the story is fine and de difficulty is very acceptable
    But how I'm supposed to enjoy it if the game performance is trash???
    Come on TPC, you can do something better than this
  65. SuperBlaster
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    A game with lots of bugs and technical problems. Pokémon designs are horrible.
  66. dhossan
    Nov 19, 2022
    1
    inexcusable to launch a game in this state, this is a slap in the face to loyal customers who played these games for ages. Can't believe the scores of the official reviews either, it smells rotten to the core.
  67. Abell2221
    Nov 19, 2022
    3
    I'll preface this to say I'm a huge pokemon fan. I even liked Sword/shield and I know that was largely unpopular. So this review isn't coming from a place of outgrowing or hating the pokemon series. It's from a fan who wants this series to be the best it can be.

    Unfortunately no matter how good the story, gameplay and characters are, I can't play this game for more than 20 minute chunks    I'll preface this to say I'm a huge pokemon fan. I even liked Sword/shield and I know that was largely unpopular. So this review isn't coming from a place of outgrowing or hating the pokemon series. It's from a fan who wants this series to be the best it can be.

    Unfortunately no matter how good the story, gameplay and characters are, I can't play this game for more than 20 minute chunks without getting horribly nauseous from the frame rate issues. Seriosuly I've NEVER gotten motion sick from a game before. I had to buy motion sickness medication just to continue playing the game!

    In the current state this game is in, it's absolutely unforgivable for a $60 game to ship like this. The camera is clunky, the frame rates chug, the pop-in is horrendeous, the textures are repetetive or not there at all. Gamefreak is crunching and churning out lackluster games and its showing. All of this is sad to say because the actual content of the game is good. The story, the characters, the ideas behind it are there, but its impossible for them to even have a spotlight when the game is so broken! You can see the team had good ideas and a vision that just wasn't realized because these games are being churned out for cash at breakneck speeds. And thats the ONLY reason I didn't give it a 1. Because minus a vision being present, it's definitely a 1.    … Expand
  68. divegold
    Nov 19, 2022
    3
    Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have serious performance issues. For many people, it takes away the desire to play! and the worst thing is that they are primary errors!
    The game crashes, slows down, drops frames constantly and has bugs! Hope they release an update ASAP!

    Because it has everything to be a promising game! But with this performance, the grade can't be higher!
  69. 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.
  70. Makari0
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Um novo jogo da franquia que não possui o meu idioma nativo, PT-BR, 2022 e a Game freak não tem vergonha de lança um jogo desses.
  71. kldwsn
    Nov 19, 2022
    1
    This is the worst Pokémon game I’ve ever played. I can’t believe that they thought it was okay to release the game in its current state. Im sure the game is still going to make them a ton of money, but they should be embarrassed.
  72. Xarxess
    Nov 19, 2022
    2
    Embarassing, I don't know what to say, there is no way this game can save itself, always remember that The Legend of Zelda exists and we play it on Switch, not on the best performing PC.
  73. feleepe12
    Nov 20, 2022
    4
    Jogo muito bom, divertido, mas as falhas técnicas infelizmente prejudicam muito a imersão.
  74. Mayanknaithani
    Nov 21, 2022
    0
    Pokemon is for kids and I think developed by kids too.
    Worst looking game on switch. Please take time and sell a finished game.
  75. Tatsuya7
    Nov 23, 2022
    10
    After playing thoroughly I decided to change my rating, even though it has some performance issues it's one of the best Pokémon games I've ever played, it doesn't deserve the bad ratings it's being given
  76. Godyonce
    Nov 21, 2022
    1
    When I tell you this game is rough, this game is ROUGH. A total stepdown from Legends: Arceus, which I loved a lot despite the mediocre graphics. Massive glitches aside, the environment and textures look like they're an alpha version. Extremely ugly. Absolutely ZERO excuse for THE biggest media franchise to put out a $60 game like that.
  77. Makirou
    Nov 21, 2022
    0
    Trash.
    Simply unfortunate how this franchise declines more and more, the fans and Game Freak herself have the standard of quality down to the ground, it's paltry and pathetic.
  78. rbagatini
    Nov 21, 2022
    4
    O Arceus foi muito melhor! A imersão era muito superior. Esse parece feito na pressa, ao pegar um item no chão o personagem nem se curva para pegar, apenas ouço um "plim". Ao colocar algum pokemon adversário para durmir em batalha, ele nem fecha os olhos, ficam todos com os olhos abertos. Ao andar pelo mapa você vê objetos relativamente distantes, uns 20 metros, já teleportando quadroO Arceus foi muito melhor! A imersão era muito superior. Esse parece feito na pressa, ao pegar um item no chão o personagem nem se curva para pegar, apenas ouço um "plim". Ao colocar algum pokemon adversário para durmir em batalha, ele nem fecha os olhos, ficam todos com os olhos abertos. Ao andar pelo mapa você vê objetos relativamente distantes, uns 20 metros, já teleportando quadro quadro, você fica perdido pelo mapa, não tem uma história forte que te prenda ao jogo, parece um sandbox.… Expand
  79. Dramatix
    Nov 24, 2022
    8
    The game is very fun, but there are defintely quite a few drawbacks. This is the first time i've felt engaged with a Pokemon story, as it is really good (especially the path of legends). A lot of the new pokemon are also really cool, my favorite being Annhilape. Unfortunately, there are a LOT of bugs. The mount is as buggy as Wyrdeer in Legends Arceus. Also, they could've benefited a lotThe game is very fun, but there are defintely quite a few drawbacks. This is the first time i've felt engaged with a Pokemon story, as it is really good (especially the path of legends). A lot of the new pokemon are also really cool, my favorite being Annhilape. Unfortunately, there are a LOT of bugs. The mount is as buggy as Wyrdeer in Legends Arceus. Also, they could've benefited a lot from voice acting, but then again this is Gamefreak and they are lazy. Overall, I think the game is enjoyable.… Expand
  80. Sadlamps
    Nov 20, 2022
    1
    A incredibly huge disappointment. Both in comparison to PLA and on its own. How this got greenlit to be sold is beyond me....
  81. GGreed
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    I'm sorry for anyone who bought this game thinking to buying a valid product. No, it isn't, it's a disgusting product, and it's digusting because it's an insult to every indie company working with heart and dedication to produce something good that can excite players.
    This is garbage, I honestly think that every positive review it's from sites paid by Game Freak or simply by people that    I'm sorry for anyone who bought this game thinking to buying a valid product. No, it isn't, it's a disgusting product, and it's digusting because it's an insult to every indie company working with heart and dedication to produce something good that can excite players.
    This is garbage, I honestly think that every positive review it's from sites paid by Game Freak or simply by people that cannot be objective in any possible way.
    Don't buy this product, it's a shame and it's such a waste of money.    … Expand
  82. kcmthecomgeek
    Nov 19, 2022
    3
    The age of the Switch hardware is displayed front and center here, and it's clear that the ambition for Pokémon has outgrown Nintendo's business practices and hardware. The developers should be commended for the work they've put in as I believe the game itself is fun and the changes to the formula are a good thing, but the framerate and graphical glitches are equivalent to a N64 game whileThe age of the Switch hardware is displayed front and center here, and it's clear that the ambition for Pokémon has outgrown Nintendo's business practices and hardware. The developers should be commended for the work they've put in as I believe the game itself is fun and the changes to the formula are a good thing, but the framerate and graphical glitches are equivalent to a N64 game while docked at both 1080p and 720p. In 2022, that is simply unacceptable. Even while in handheld with slightly more stable framerates, the experience can be jarring with hitches everywhere, especially in larger world areas. It's a shame that Nintendo allowed this to be released in such a poor state.… Expand
  83. ShillMcgee
    Nov 19, 2022
    1
    The game is a mess. The art director has yet to learn what they are doing. The game is missing many previous mechanics, such as battle facilities, rematching the elite four, and daycare for shiny hunters( the picnic is a joke mechanic). Even if those get added, they will be behind a scummy paywall, which insults the fans.
    The game's highlight is the story, but people don't buy Pokemon for    The game is a mess. The art director has yet to learn what they are doing. The game is missing many previous mechanics, such as battle facilities, rematching the elite four, and daycare for shiny hunters( the picnic is a joke mechanic). Even if those get added, they will be behind a scummy paywall, which insults the fans.
    The game's highlight is the story, but people don't buy Pokemon for the stories.    … Expand
  84. Jun408954762
    Nov 19, 2022
    0
    Countless bugs, the worest Pokémon Game ever. I think GF doesn't understand how a Pokémon game should be right now.
  85. Carlos1569
    Nov 20, 2022
    0
    This is not a real endgame. They have so many mistakes. How a company like Nintendo think this is a really good game or just a finished game it can be possible.
  86. Xxxtentazione
    Nov 20, 2022
    0
    20 FPS, there is nothing more to say.
    It's the worst Pokémon game ever made.
  87. tdsantos
    Nov 20, 2022
    1
    Tecnicamente o jogo é muito porco, framerate muito baixo e vai piorando com o tempo. popIns constates, serrilhados em quase tudo e qualquer coisa a mais de 5 metros do personagem a textura é horrível. Era pra ser um jogo muito bom, mas tem tanto problema que irrita demais.
  88. Costasboo
    Nov 20, 2022
    1
    This game is garbage from framerate bugs glitches. Its unfished and doesnt show anywhere why it cost that much. i have seen much better games on android phones for free with better quality and thats what its suppose to achive such a big company? Thats shamefull
  89. Garret_Beastman
    Nov 21, 2022
    1
    This game could've been so much more and now it's being blatantly ridiculized on the Internet. Terrible performance issues, a lot of elements in the background running at low FPS, poor rendering and visual quality in general (as usual) and the only salvageable thing is the Gameplay because it's Pokémon of course, but still I'm very disappointed.

    If the Switch is able to handle games    This game could've been so much more and now it's being blatantly ridiculized on the Internet. Terrible performance issues, a lot of elements in the background running at low FPS, poor rendering and visual quality in general (as usual) and the only salvageable thing is the Gameplay because it's Pokémon of course, but still I'm very disappointed.

    If the Switch is able to handle games with the visual quality of Xenoblade, why not implement some of that for Pokémon? Because they're LAZY, that's why,    … Expand
  90. 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
  91. 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
  92. 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...
  93. 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.
  94. Bailgxer34
    Nov 19, 2022
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. From Italy. Game in very bad conditions. Disastrous bugs, lights that appear and disappear. Pokémon have remained anchored to a 3D of ten years ago. Dull designs, devoid of imagination. During battles, Pokémon sometimes interpenetrate their surroundings, and their surroundings are disgusting for a 2022 title. Icing on the cake, sold at full price. A waste of money regardless of the price. Horrific.… Expand
  95. Frane_Zolik
    Nov 20, 2022
    10
    Sin contar el aspecto Técnico.
    Este Pokémon es objetivamente el mejor de la franquicia.
    Historia atrapante, mundo abierto bien construido. Ciudades hermosas, música magistral. Buena dificultad incluso para más experimentados. Un segmento final épico Este definitivamente es el camino que Gamefreak debe seguir
  96. HalmSpr
    Nov 21, 2022
    1
    Why everthing nowaday need to be an Open world? Pokémon W/V is really a repetitive game due to all of this Open world bs.
  97. bf_jeje
    Nov 25, 2022
    9
    The game has visual problems, yes, but it's the Pokemon game I was wishing to play since I was a child.
  98. Doughkey
    Nov 20, 2022
    0
    Unplayable frame rate, glitches and crashes constantly, content is lacking compared to previous installments
  99. dr_heartless
    Nov 21, 2022
    0
    After being let down by Arceus I was VERY wary of this game and I'm lucking that I was able to test it out before buying. This game is trash. Plays like an old cell phone game with the bad visuals to match. This is a massive IP from one of the biggest names in gaming and what we got was the laziest of cash grabs.
  100. KorbenX9
    Nov 21, 2022
    0
    What a sad excuse for a full price AAA game... Gamefreak has to have so many resources available to them owning the Pokemon IP, yet we constantly get these barely functional messes that they try to pass as games.. I suppose they know that because it has "Pokemon" in the title that they don't have to make an effort at all and people will buy it anyway. So disappointing
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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.
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