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. OneSomeGuy
    Jan 9, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have not yet beat it but the open world concept is great and the Pokedex is very diverse. It has everything I want in a Pokemon game. the recycling of background characters is whatever I don't mind but when you can see two identical characters on screen at the same time it kind of ruins the moment but super minor. One thing though when you first spawn in your house you can basically walk up to any item and press "A" and get a little info on whatever you are looking at which I really like but it does not seem to continue through the rest of the game which is a bummer.… Expand
  2. fabinho12
    Jan 10, 2023
    10
    the games are good actualy i fell like the hate in this game is principaly due to people thiking the after legends: arceus all pokemon games whould just become or japonese art old styled design, the fact is that the games have a bunch of life quality improvements, the pokemons spawns generaly looks natural and you can actualy get fun playing the game, the mojor problem isn't the glithesthe games are good actualy i fell like the hate in this game is principaly due to people thiking the after legends: arceus all pokemon games whould just become or japonese art old styled design, the fact is that the games have a bunch of life quality improvements, the pokemons spawns generaly looks natural and you can actualy get fun playing the game, the mojor problem isn't the glithes that normaly only happens in multi player and the mojority of the time don't affect the game play, but really the fact that the game is a bunch about pokemon, that may sound weird but pokemon games have a bunch of human interactions in their gameplay overall, most in citys and towns, but this game is a lot about the open world exploring the map and the nature, and thats expected from the first real open world game in the series, so really in my opinion most of the time people just say things with no sence cause obviously if they took 5 year to make the game it would be better but the ones that say that simply don't "play the game", yes they make to the end of the history but thats not really playing, completing the pokedex, hunting shiny, battling other players and participating in events thats playing the game, the ones that really do that shouldn't have to wait 5 years so they can make a game with a good history and cotent that focus in the history, cause things made to the post game can and have been done in this like 1 year time span, just so the game look a little better and you can enter all the homes just to hear a old lady saying to you that she likes to cook cakes, out of that the competitive scene needs to be take in account, like this games introduced amazing pokemon and reduced the stall that have been a "problem" in singles, so the games completely make their job not in being the best game ever that wow "if u don't play u should kill your self, now sell your mom to buy it", but in opening new doors, being fun, taking further the concept of online events, maaking easier to trade if u don't have friends and introducing new mons to the competitive, so overall they are good games that i would certly recomend to a friend play and i'm sure that if he just played it like a normal person he would have fun.… Expand
  3. SwanRonson111
    Jan 11, 2023
    10
    A mix between Arceus and a traditional pokemon game that kept me engaged from beginning to end. Small performance issues, mostly graphical but nothing that reduced the fun I had playing this installment. I suspect the performance issues are mostly caused by the switches weak hardware and Nintendos refusal to release a modern console/online services. Definitely worth playing!
  4. ErwannLechat
    Jan 14, 2023
    10
    Bonjour, tout d'abord, effectivement le jeu possède pas mal de bug, mais perso, je n'ai jamais eu de bug, j'ai du avoir beaucoup de chance. Je mets un bon gros 10/10 car ce jeu est très bon, il est même excellent, je ne me suis pas autant amusant sur un jeu pokémon de la série principale depuis la 6g. C'est un jeu en monde ouvert avec beaucoup d'amélioration par rapport aux précédents jeu.
  5. Shiro23
    Jan 15, 2023
    10
    There are some bugs and frame rate problems, but this is the best pokemon game ever made.
  6. ga001
    Jan 18, 2023
    10
    Very good game story. despite the performance issues (most of them a fixed in the update) this game very good
  7. Tetcher
    Jan 18, 2023
    9
    The story is really good. Not perfect but I was invested. So many quality of life changes. Misses a couple opportunities (like group release). Couple bugs but nothing that really ruins the experience. Overall it's about as 9/10 as you can get. Almost perfect.
  8. gpguipacc
    Jan 27, 2023
    10
    Jogão! apesar dos problemas ele te prende do inicio ao fim não acreditem na midia ela mente
  9. Susolive
    Jan 28, 2023
    9
    Uno de mis pokémon favoritos. Lo jugué casi del tirón. Súper divertido y el mundo abierto está muy bien pensado.
  10. Romeo009
    Feb 22, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. De los mejores juegos de Pokémon que he jugado pese a su mal rendimiento … Expand
  11. Vxxid
    Apr 13, 2023
    0
    it's just **** the worst game I've ever played. **** Game Freak. It is not even worth 9 dollars
  12. Okdan
    Apr 28, 2023
    0
    **** trash, better play the og diamond and pearl bro. Or if you want to play comp just play showdown.
  13. Niltrio
    May 5, 2023
    9
    This game is truly a step in the right direction for the Pokemon franchise. Despite the reported performance issues and glitches ( which, in my case, weren't game breaking at all, but mild inconveniences ), it's the first true non-linear, open world Pokémon game. The tera gimmick, although a downgrade from megas, is an upgrade from Z-moves and Gigamax, allowing for more competitiveThis game is truly a step in the right direction for the Pokemon franchise. Despite the reported performance issues and glitches ( which, in my case, weren't game breaking at all, but mild inconveniences ), it's the first true non-linear, open world Pokémon game. The tera gimmick, although a downgrade from megas, is an upgrade from Z-moves and Gigamax, allowing for more competitive strategic opportunities. The pokemon designs work and experiment with new ideas ( palafin, tatsugiri-dondozo to name a few ), plus the Paradox designs bring new life to beloved mons from past generations. The weekly raid events help to keep the players engaged.
    The only downside are the performance issues, which makes it hard to justify the full price tag, but i don't think the game should be downgraded for it, and instead it should be judged by what it is: a well-executed modernization of the beloved, tried and true Pokémon format.    … Expand
  14. dbegonja18
    May 16, 2023
    1
    Very bland. Nothing like arceus. Very glitchy seems rushed. The environment is boring.
  15. ScreenS
    Jun 5, 2023
    10
    The best modern Pokémon game, and the standard by which causal open world games will be judged.

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

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

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

    The fact that Terastallizstion is the only battle gimmick to be agreed upon to be good, is really impressive, and it truly is a lot of fun to use even if staying the same type is the right call 90% of the time.    … Expand
  16. RatingRating
    May 27, 2023
    8
    These idiots are saying that this games are bad because of glitches? HAH! These people are just sloppy gen wunners who don't know what they are talking about. If the glitches in Gen 1 are "Charming" and "Nostalgic", then go play Cyberpunk. But I will give you one thing, the framerate SUCKS.
  17. Disvolti0d
    May 27, 2023
    9
    It's fun, but performance and bugs, glitches... aren't fun. Let's say I'm giving this a 9 because of the review bombing it's getting. They should really fix this before getting on with the next one.
  18. Pokegaming
    May 29, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think this is the best game that Gamefreak has made in a while. I love the story, love the music, even if it was buggy, I found it fun. Better than Sword and Shield and barely better than Legends Arceus.… Expand
  19. RealKritic
    Jun 3, 2023
    10
    Awesome game I love it keep them coming! Probably the best Switch game ever it's perfection. So much freedom and things to do!
  20. Jonnybravo222
    Jun 26, 2023
    2
    Man... Gamefreak needs to step it up big time. The world feels empty, the performance is the worst I've ever even seen. Just an absolute dumpster fire.
  21. Mrimaginary
    Feb 21, 2023
    2
    Most games deal in either/or. Either you can have great graphics, or you can have a huge world. Either you can have full voice acting, or you can have lots of dialogue, or a compromise with some Voice acting. On the other hand, modern Pokémon is: Neither.

    You have a technically broken game. The first truly open map is nice, but its still basic, lacking interesting exploration or    Most games deal in either/or. Either you can have great graphics, or you can have a huge world. Either you can have full voice acting, or you can have lots of dialogue, or a compromise with some Voice acting. On the other hand, modern Pokémon is: Neither.

    You have a technically broken game. The first truly open map is nice, but its still basic, lacking interesting exploration or atmosphere. Visually this looks like roblox, a free online game. You have couple of flat textures copy pasted on surfaces as if by an amateur. When you walk into major cities, like the the electric gym, it's like you are looking at the concept notes of a place. It would be cool, if it was actually finished. As it is, the flat textures look ugly everywhere, there are hardly any interiors and barely any foot traffic. Whatever NPCs that walk around look like broken automatons because of the framerate. How do you immerse the player in a bustling, high tech city setting when the visual details, frame rate utterly fail to create that atmosphere? The only thing that comes through and works well is the music. Compare this to other games, like the hubs in Splatoon that also try to convey a busting urban area - It's embarrassing by comparison. They even took away the extensive wardrobe customization

    In order to offer meager modernization in the form of 3d, open worlds, Pokemon has regressed beyond belief in almost every other regard. The flow in Legends Arceus, where battles were seamless and wouldn't chug along with each notification "X was paralysed!" Stopping everything one by one is abandoned, and again now Pokemon is excruciatingly slow, slower than before because of the performance. How do you offer such a technically basic world, lacking features, and also have it look this bad and ALSO not even run well?

    I understand Gamefreak and Pokemon Company can make a lot of money regardless. The brand is strong. But for how long? And why are they comfortable with disrespecting their own brand so much? Pikachu is like Japan's mickey mouse. The highest grossing entertainment franchise, Pokemon is like a cultural institution and a form of soft power for Japan. Following on with the Disney comparison, which is globally deeply associated with American culture, you would never see a major Disney film with poor production. They might not be good films always, often formulaic. But across the animated work, star wars and marvel, the production will be professional and high quality. It goes to show how empty and nihilistic corporate Japan is, that they do not treat their own cultural treasure of Pokémon with the same grace. Eventually the brand will be weakened by this.

    The good: The open world structure is nice, the narrative is more fun than most previous entries too. They have refreshed how professors, legendries and more fit into the Pokemon world. It's far behind other games still - Even games aimed at all ages - But there is some more thoughtful worldbuilding than previous entries. The formula works well with an open world and the 3 non-linear mission paths. It would not be hard to make this game fun and acceptable, and it would not be especially expensive or time consuming. But the technical issues and sheer sloppiness are just so distracting, it continually impedes any immersion for me. Like I said, every area feels like concept notes, not even a Beta state of the game. It literally feels like a free online game, but its full retail instead. Every step forward in terms of modernization seems to be a new low for GameFreak and Pokemon.    … Expand
  22. Patrick95
    Nov 27, 2022
    7
    Dejando a un lado los bugs, una de las razones por la que no le doy mejor nota. Lo considero una mejora con respecto a "Espada y Escudo" o "Leyendas: Arceus". Es el primer mundo abierto REAL de la saga y eso hace que sea sin duda un juego muy divertido de jugar, además, poder jugar con tus amigos y recorrer Paldea juntos es una delicia con no demasiados límites que hacen que estos dosDejando a un lado los bugs, una de las razones por la que no le doy mejor nota. Lo considero una mejora con respecto a "Espada y Escudo" o "Leyendas: Arceus". Es el primer mundo abierto REAL de la saga y eso hace que sea sin duda un juego muy divertido de jugar, además, poder jugar con tus amigos y recorrer Paldea juntos es una delicia con no demasiados límites que hacen que estos dos puntos sean los mejores del juego.

    Sin embargo, la trama me ha parecido simple y sosa, me gusta que al menos sea coherente, pero ha sido una trama bastante ausente durante el 90% del juego. Todo ocurre básicamente al final, y lo que ocurre tampoco es que sea muy bueno, aunque sí es mejor que otras tramas de la saga como las de 8ª generación o 6ª. Tampoco me gusta el balanceo de niveles. El juego no tiene un crecimiento de niveles coherente, lo que provoca que superes antes de tiempo, sin querer, gimnasios o pruebas que aún no debías (porque realmente se superan fácilmente, es Pokémon), esto hace que todas las pruebas anteriores se vuelvan extremadamente fáciles y aburridas de superar. Si van a seguir creando mundos 100% abiertos, la saga necesita urgentemente un escalado de niveles, o al menos, un diseño de niveles coherente y natural por muy libre que sea. Tampoco me ha convencido la gran falta de postgame, que esta vez es real.

    A pesar de mi problema con los niveles, la trama o el postgame, el juego es en general muy divertido, me parece una buena primera experiencia de Pokémon en mundo abierto y creo que van en buen camino para crear el posible "Pokémon definitivo" con el que todos soñamos. Le daría algo más de nota si no hubiese salido con tantos bugs y problemas técnicos. Una pena.    … Expand
  23. OlilovesMovies
    Mar 15, 2023
    5
    Pokemon Scarlet is the worst game I've ever loved. It's honestly hard to properly review a game like this, because from a purely critical perspective, it is an absolute mess. How a game from the largest franchise in the world can be released in such a state is beyond baffling. It could possibly be excused if the game was gorgeous, but it's biblically ugly!

    However, I haven't enjoyed a    Pokemon Scarlet is the worst game I've ever loved. It's honestly hard to properly review a game like this, because from a purely critical perspective, it is an absolute mess. How a game from the largest franchise in the world can be released in such a state is beyond baffling. It could possibly be excused if the game was gorgeous, but it's biblically ugly!

    However, I haven't enjoyed a Pokemon game this much since Heart Gold/Soul Silver! The story is vastly improved on previous entries and I haven't been this motivated to "Catch them all" in a long long time. The gameplay loop is absolutely captivating.

    The fact that this game came out and actually stopped me from playing God of War Ragnorok is insane, and that is not to imply for one second that this is a better game, but there is something completely enchanting about it.

    I wish, this could be a warning to the Pokemon company, that they can't keep releasing games like this, but the truth of the matter is, they have no reason to try any harder. The games will always sell well.

    But if, IF they could take the time and effort to release a Pokemon game that took the timeless gameplay and merged it with a gorgeous functioning world, it could be one of the best games ever made.

    Instead we have Scarlet and Violet, a very confusing generation of vastly contrasting qualities.    … Expand
  24. smahlt
    Nov 30, 2022
    7
    It's pretty decent. The gym questline is your typical pokemon affair, but the other two main quests and the finale quest are decently interesting. It's a shame the pokedex only has 400 mons, but gotta sell that DLC I guess.

    Now onto the technical aspects. It has framerate issues, but I've rarely encountered any massive glithces that everyone else seems to go on and on about. I firmly    It's pretty decent. The gym questline is your typical pokemon affair, but the other two main quests and the finale quest are decently interesting. It's a shame the pokedex only has 400 mons, but gotta sell that DLC I guess.

    Now onto the technical aspects. It has framerate issues, but I've rarely encountered any massive glithces that everyone else seems to go on and on about. I firmly believe they are overexaggerating them to get clicks and views. The game is not broken, but it is rough.    … Expand
  25. eeyk
    Feb 6, 2023
    5
    Game is fine, not too much tutorials but the frame rate is horrible also the story is just too mild,
    It the same animations it's lazy, also the world is kinda empty this game would be fine if it was released in 2013 on the wii u, but in 2022 this can't be accepted.

    Next game must be better or am finish with pokemon games.
  26. muttsy13
    Nov 28, 2022
    3
    Had my save deleted from the memory leak issue the game right now has so many bugs but the gameplay before i lost my save was enjoyable and a good change bar the no way to rematch the elite four id wait till its patched to buy the game
  27. Akk3d1s
    Jan 22, 2023
    6
    This game can be an 8, but due to the technical issues i subtracted some points. Games in this state shouldnt be released. Its extremely laggy and that hasn't changed at the time of this review and i fear this will turn people away within the first moments launching the game...That aside, the game has a LOT of potential and it gets addictive once you make peace with the poor performance asThis game can be an 8, but due to the technical issues i subtracted some points. Games in this state shouldnt be released. Its extremely laggy and that hasn't changed at the time of this review and i fear this will turn people away within the first moments launching the game...That aside, the game has a LOT of potential and it gets addictive once you make peace with the poor performance as unlike sword and shield, it actually has quests you are interested in finishing within an interesting world...Its just sad this one wasnt left in the oven for a few more months...… Expand
  28. frederik1478
    Nov 28, 2022
    5
    I had a ok time with the game but most of them come in the last 2 hours when you go to a certain place .

    Is open world kind of boring and small it was not really that interesting to explore and I think the graphics are well. Below what you would expect from a game of this price. This game should have more time in development is feels like they didn't have enough and I enjoyed Pokemon    I had a ok time with the game but most of them come in the last 2 hours when you go to a certain place .

    Is open world kind of boring and small it was not really that interesting to explore and I think the graphics are well. Below what you would expect from a game of this price.

    This game should have more time in development is feels like they didn't have enough and I enjoyed Pokemon archers way more than this.    … Expand
  29. HunterXJacob
    Nov 29, 2022
    2
    Game substance is moving in the right direction however it is just barely playable in its current state. This company makes too much money to release games in this state. Please game freak fix this game. It will be my last purchase otherwise.
  30. LMD
    Feb 7, 2023
    3
    An awful, unfinished, bare mess.

    Its open world is an interesting mechanics, but it is empty, laggy, ugly, and useless. The controls are ridiculous; who in the hell thought summoning your mount had to be on the PAUSE button? and the menus are a headache to navigate, but they look cool. The three-part story is also pretty fine in itself, it's just getting through that is bad. The new    An awful, unfinished, bare mess.

    Its open world is an interesting mechanics, but it is empty, laggy, ugly, and useless.
    The controls are ridiculous; who in the hell thought summoning your mount had to be on the PAUSE button? and the menus are a headache to navigate, but they look cool. The three-part story is also pretty fine in itself, it's just getting through that is bad. The new Pokémon, mounts included, look good despite the graphics. But the rest is ugly, waving in the ground, performs like hell. There is waaaaay less content than Breath of the Wild, and it runs worse.

    One of the worst Pokémon games for sure, and it might be where I decide to buy them only when a properly made Pokémon with care and more than a year will release. Until then, not a dime on Pokémon anymore.    … Expand
  31. TJohn
    Sep 1, 2023
    7
    As far as Pokémon games go it was fun. The school setting was brilliant, the characters are some of the most memorable to me since Gen IV, and the setting of Paldea is probably one of my most favorite Pokémon regions. The 3 main questlines, and free roaming of the map is also a welcome change over the old stories that were more linear. I liked the new Pokémon as well. The battling is funAs far as Pokémon games go it was fun. The school setting was brilliant, the characters are some of the most memorable to me since Gen IV, and the setting of Paldea is probably one of my most favorite Pokémon regions. The 3 main questlines, and free roaming of the map is also a welcome change over the old stories that were more linear. I liked the new Pokémon as well. The battling is fun as usual, and I love that all the Pokémon are running around in the world.

    When I think about it, I really like the game, but it's held back by some really aggravating choices by the developers. Chief among these issues is the graphics, they are terrible. Character and Pokemon models are generally fine, but most of the textures are downright awful, characters and pokemon really close to you walk at like 5 FPS and the pop in is obnoxious. I actually think SwSh had better graphics than S/V, or at least they were more consistent and the issues less noticeable. A lot of people complained about FPS drops and bugs but neither of these were much of a problem for me. I never experienced a crash, and the FPS drops were noticeable but never lasted for very long and didn't impact my enjoyment of the game. When I see games like TOTK, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, DQXIS, etc. running on the Switch and looking great, it really makes me angry that this game looks so bad and has such obvious graphical problems.

    I also wished they incorporated the Legends Arceus style of catching and battling, as that was more fast paced and fun. It's another aggravating decision by the developers, as the technology already exists and has already been applied to another Pokemon game and proven to work... it's just strange that they didn't add it to this game.

    So yeah, I actually really enjoy this game, but I can't give it more than a 7 with all the obvious cut corners that the development team made to get it out. It's a fun game, no doubt held back by executives pushing tight release windows on the development team. 7/10    … Expand
  32. FluffySpartan
    Apr 5, 2023
    0
    This is an alpha... It's pretty much a cash grab. Parents should get theyr kids something better worth these money and ppl who like pkmn should get the pearl and diamond remakes instead... They at least are finished games.. Ppl should stop buying these games just because of the name on it
  33. DeadSmack
    May 17, 2023
    0
    While on paper it is a great effort, it simply don't deliver what they wanted. The bugs, the poor optimization, the emptiness of the world can't take this game to the higher grounds. It's such a shame to see my beloved franchise in this matter. Simply not good enough. GameFreak, Nintendo, Investors, someone needs to change.
  34. RiftSilver
    Mar 20, 2023
    7
    Pokemon Scarlet and Violet push the franchise forward, while also holding the franchise back.

    The most glaring flaw in Scarlet and Violet is evident right at the start, the performance issues are a major problem and actively distract fr0m the game experience. With good performance as rare as frame-drops are in many other first party Nintendo titles, it's a near constant fight to ignore    Pokemon Scarlet and Violet push the franchise forward, while also holding the franchise back.

    The most glaring flaw in Scarlet and Violet is evident right at the start, the performance issues are a major problem and actively distract fr0m the game experience. With good performance as rare as frame-drops are in many other first party Nintendo titles, it's a near constant fight to ignore the issues to attempt to enjoy what else there is to like here. With pop-in, level of detail, texturing issues and flickering characters, Pokemon spawning inside of walls and camera clipping, there is rarely an instance where you won't be finding issues. Compare this to GameFreaks previous entry Legends Arceus, and you have to wonder how it all went so horribly wrong as many of the issues experienced here are non-existent there. While performance will affect many others differently, it affected my overall enjoyment greatly, and is inconsistent with what the previous entries led me to expect.

    The Open World is a great addition to the series, with the ability to choose your own path within reason, and choose whether or not you want to fight your way through higher leveled areas right away and have your own challenge, or start lower and work your way up. I often found myself getting lost within the world and continually catching new Pokemon and finding ways to battle Pokemon sometimes nearly twice my own level. While sometimes areas feel a little barren, for the most part I think the areas were pleasant to visit and enjoy. Proper Pokemon scaling is a welcome addition, although sometimes a nuisance for smaller Pokemon as the lock-on feature is again, not as polished as the previous entry, and while Let's Go is a great way to battle, collect materials, shiny hunt and have Pokemon follow you, the distance at which your Pokemon will disappear fr0m you and some speed issues make it feel less like a companion feature, and more like a utility to be used sparingly. Picnics are a fun idea, although also marred with technical issues that are noticeable enough, I often view this as a utility for shiny hunting or breeding alone.

    While I enjoy riding the title Pokemon and developing its powers, the encounter system feels half-baked compared to Legends Arceus. Throwing Pokeballs fr0m a distance and accompanying repositioning of your trainer to fit into a proper battle area feels clunky, and while the battles themselves maintain a competitive based formula, they also feel lacking. Contact animations are noticeably absent for many moves where they existed within Legends, and the battle system camera, while rotatable, results in some odd visual issues at times that would have been better solved with either a moveable trainer, or a completely dynamic fixed camera similar to what already existed within gym battles. Multiplayer ends up being an enjoyable feature, exploring the world around your friends and seeing their progress is great, and being able to breed Pokemon with your friends without the need to trade is a neat addition.

    The story is one of the better within the Pokemon Series and benefits with an air of mystery around certain aspects that reminded more of how Souls games might approach the history and lore of the region rather than your typical Pokemon game. This is definitely a highlight of the game, and something that actively kept me going despite performance issues. As of the current update, much of the story aspects are left unexplained, and so we can only theorize as to what is to come in future updates (hopefully alongside performance improvements).

    The characters within the game itself are also very enjoyable, each Gym Leader, main character and teacher within the world with their own personality and interactions within their respective sphere that made it much more enjoyable to visit with characters than some of the recent entries.

    Despite all my gripes with the game and how it would have benefited greatly fr0m extra time in development, the good aspects of the game remain one of the more memorable entries in my mind. If GameFreak can patch up the performance and many of the bugs, I think the entry could be one of the finest the series has to offer. However, at the moment, it fights against itself and becomes an entry that was marred by the franchises own dependence on a fixed release schedule. I can only hope that GameFreak allows themselves more time for future entries, as well as invests heavily in better technical prowess. As the evolution of gameplay continues, the technology needs to do the same to continue pushing the series to new heights, instead of holding it back.    … Expand
  35. Protomario
    May 12, 2023
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokemon Scarlet takes players on an exciting adventure through the enchanting Paldea region, delivering an engaging gameplay experience reminiscent of the beloved Pokemon franchise. With its immersive storyline, diverse cast of characters, and captivating features, this game offers a fresh and thrilling addition to the Pokemon universe.

    The game begins as players, taking on the role of a new resident in the small settlement of Cabo Poco, prepare to embark on their studies at the prestigious Naranja Academy in Mesagoza. The introduction of Nemona, the head of the student council and a Champion-level Trainer, sets the stage for a dynamic partnership as both players and Nemona choose their starter Pokemon to train and journey alongside each other.

    One notable feature in Pokemon Scarlet is the Terastal phenomenon, which grants the ability to transform and empower Pokemon using the Tera Orb. This mechanic adds depth and strategy to battles, allowing players to enhance or alter their Pokemon's natural attributes according to their innate Tera Type. It opens up a range of possibilities for team customization and adds an extra layer of excitement to every encounter.

    The game's narrative branches into multiple storylines, each providing a unique perspective and set of challenges. Whether players choose to follow the Victory Road, Path of Legends, ★ Starfall Street ★, or The Way Home, they will find themselves engrossed in an immersive world filled with intriguing characters, unexpected plot twists, and impactful decisions. The branching paths offer replayability and encourage players to explore different storylines, ensuring a fresh experience with each playthrough.

    Paldea's Gym challenge, a staple in the Pokemon series, makes a return in Pokemon Scarlet. The eight Gym Leaders, with their diverse Pokemon teams and distinctive battle styles, pose exciting challenges for players to overcome. The non-linear nature of the game allows players to tackle the Gym challenge in any order they prefer, granting a sense of freedom and personalization to their journey.

    The Elite Four and the Top Champion provide formidable adversaries, testing players' skills and strategy to the fullest. The intense battles against these powerful Trainers are both satisfying and rewarding, showcasing the growth and development of the player's team throughout their adventure.

    In addition to its engaging storyline and challenging battles, Pokemon Scarlet features multiplayer functionality, allowing up to four players to explore the world together, trade Pokemon, and engage in thrilling battles. This multiplayer aspect enhances the social experience, making Pokemon Scarlet a fantastic choice for friends to embark on their Pokemon journey side by side.

    The Paldea region is richly designed, boasting visually stunning environments and a diverse range of Pokemon species to encounter and capture. The attention to detail in the game's graphics and sound design immerses players in a vibrant and captivating world, bringing the Pokemon universe to life in a new and refreshing way.

    While Pokemon Scarlet shares similarities with Pokemon Sword and Shield, it stands on its own as a unique and captivating experience. Its engaging storyline, innovative features, and polished gameplay make it a must-play title for Pokemon enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

    Overall, Pokemon Scarlet delivers an enthralling adventure set in the Paldea region, inviting players to explore, battle, and uncover the mysteries that await. With its immersive world, engaging gameplay, and captivating storyline, this game undoubtedly deserves a place among the best in the Pokemon franchise. Get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey in Pokemon Scarlet!    … Expand
  36. Ic3_winterhell
    Nov 30, 2022
    0
    No se puede hacer reseña de un juego que no está terminado, el juego se cae a pedazos cada 30 segundos, ya sea por texturas que no cargan, poping a 1 metro, geometría que colapsa, elementos que corren a 10 fps, teletranportaciones por falta de coalisiones en los poligonos ... etc etc un desastre!! hay juegos indies Early access con mucho mas trabajo que está basura. Amo pokemon peroNo se puede hacer reseña de un juego que no está terminado, el juego se cae a pedazos cada 30 segundos, ya sea por texturas que no cargan, poping a 1 metro, geometría que colapsa, elementos que corren a 10 fps, teletranportaciones por falta de coalisiones en los poligonos ... etc etc un desastre!! hay juegos indies Early access con mucho mas trabajo que está basura. Amo pokemon pero apoyar lo que están haciendo aquí hace que Gamefreak cada día sean mas mediocres y lo somos tambien nosotros al comprar su porqueria de juego. Los invito a jugar Dragon quest 8 de playstation 2 ya sea en 3ds o emulado y se van a dar cuenta que hace 20 años Level 5 hacia cosas muy superiores a esta cosa del 2022 y ni que decir de ni no kuni de ps3 que aplasta a este juego en todo. Quieren una muestra de un buen JRPG contemporáneo, hay muchas propuestas, Tales of Arise, YS 8, DQ11 en fin si alguin prefiere jugar este pokemon en lugar de verdaderos juegos de calidad, después no se quejen de que desaparezcan sagas emblemáticas porque no las apoyaron.… Expand
  37. NazgulzLegacy
    Aug 31, 2023
    3
    Raid events are way to hard so only a few people will even be able to do it and get the rare pokemon its unfair and unfun.
  38. Genji1
    Nov 30, 2022
    1
    Completely unacceptable rushed trash. Bad graphics. Horrible frame rate. PVP is unplayable due to a bug. Nintendo needs to take away Pokemon license from Gamefreak and give it to literally any other company at this point.
  39. wheelsbot7
    Jan 31, 2023
    0
    Hello Douglas Wreden. Hello Twitch Chat. So nice to see you here. Would you like a divorce?
  40. Jar87
    Feb 2, 2023
    10
    Si te gusta Pokémon te la vas a gozar con este juego, no agais caso a las críticas negativas ya que son haters nada mas
  41. Bluesifer
    May 14, 2023
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Despite it’s issues I believe that Pokémon Scarlet hides a great game behind all the bugs. If a game can keep me hooked for days on end then I believe it has merit.… Expand
  42. Jardanes
    Aug 8, 2023
    0
    After the best pokemon game ever (Pokemon Legends:Arceus), the Pokemon company releases their worst game yet. Really bad performance and visuals. It has many bugs that ruins the experience of playing the game. Terastal Pokemon look stupid. The idea of bicycle legendary Pokémon is just ridiculous. The design team should go back to school and learn a few things with the Zelda BotW and TotKAfter the best pokemon game ever (Pokemon Legends:Arceus), the Pokemon company releases their worst game yet. Really bad performance and visuals. It has many bugs that ruins the experience of playing the game. Terastal Pokemon look stupid. The idea of bicycle legendary Pokémon is just ridiculous. The design team should go back to school and learn a few things with the Zelda BotW and TotK teams. They charge you US$60,00 for a R$5,00 game. Huge cash grab.… Expand
  43. Syhlcam
    Dec 1, 2022
    7
    Pokémon Écarlate / Violet sont des jeux incroyable à deux doigt d'être des équivalents à Breath of the Wild pour Pokémon. Mais ces jeux souffre d'un manque de travail cruel sur la technique, qui pénalise l'expérience de jeu. Des textures horribles, des ralentissements et bugs, des choses évitables mais qui l'ont pas été.

    Et c'est dommage car derrière, les jeux offre un bon open-world    Pokémon Écarlate / Violet sont des jeux incroyable à deux doigt d'être des équivalents à Breath of the Wild pour Pokémon. Mais ces jeux souffre d'un manque de travail cruel sur la technique, qui pénalise l'expérience de jeu. Des textures horribles, des ralentissements et bugs, des choses évitables mais qui l'ont pas été.

    Et c'est dommage car derrière, les jeux offre un bon open-world qui pousse à l'exploration. Un monde ouvert qui est généreux en objet, en Pokémon et en environnement. Un jeu qui offre également plusieurs quêtes intéressante, apportant parfois des nouveautés pour la série principale. Et qui se fini sur une quête très narrative qui nous transport dans une ambiance originale pour la licence. Le tout sur une bande sonore exceptionnelle et avec l'utilisation intéressante de la téracrystallisation.

    Mais on peut également noté que la personnalisation est certes bien amélioré mais déçoit sur certain aspect. Que la difficulté non basé sur le joueur facile l'expérience de jeu. Et que les cinématiques manque de doublage pour qu'elles soient plus impactante.

    En clair, Pokémon Écarlate / Violet sont de très bon jeu, qui propose un vrai pas en avant pour la licence Pokémon avec un bon open-world, mais c'est aussi des jeux qui souffre de leurs techniques.

    FULL TEST : https://www.geekexperience.fr/jeux-video/avis/avis-pokemon-ecarlate-violet/    … Expand
  44. Sercho
    Nov 30, 2022
    0
    THIS IS NOT A GAME IT'S A BETA OF A GAME OR AT LEAST IT LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE ONE. It's unbelievable the state this game was released. It has so many bugs and looks so outdated that it doesn't look like a first party game, people defending this game forget that pokemon is one of the highest grossing media so they have the resources and the people to make a good game however the pokemonTHIS IS NOT A GAME IT'S A BETA OF A GAME OR AT LEAST IT LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE ONE. It's unbelievable the state this game was released. It has so many bugs and looks so outdated that it doesn't look like a first party game, people defending this game forget that pokemon is one of the highest grossing media so they have the resources and the people to make a good game however the pokemon company doesn't care about quality and apparently they don't care about the fans. This is the worst pokemon game in terms of quality and it's very disappointing… Expand
  45. ZoroGust
    Jun 2, 2023
    0
    Game suffered for being the first in the franchise after Pokemon Arceus. He is inferior in everything to the former. Graphically the agony of the white lines in the connections of the elements, like roof and house. In rank, from the Switch generation, it is the second worst game in the franchise, just ahead of the horrible remake of the fourth generation. It may be working now, but theGame suffered for being the first in the franchise after Pokemon Arceus. He is inferior in everything to the former. Graphically the agony of the white lines in the connections of the elements, like roof and house. In rank, from the Switch generation, it is the second worst game in the franchise, just ahead of the horrible remake of the fourth generation. It may be working now, but the franchise has to make a huge change in the games that justifies the absence of all the little creatures, since the game no longer presents the possibility of playing with all the creatures, as it was until the 3DS generations. Overall, 2 out of 10. It's almost throwing (a lot) money away.… Expand
  46. theangryscapula
    Dec 22, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Having completed the main story, the post game, and prepped a team and battled to master ball in online ranked I can now confidently say this game was a massive disappointment.

    For additional context, I really enjoyed Sword and Shield, feeling that while flawed, those games made up for their shortcomings to become a product greater than the sum of their parts. I cannot say the same for Scarlet and Violet.

    It's unfortunate because as many reviewers have correctly pointed out, these games are pretty fun! The open world concept actually translates well for Pokemon, and compared to Legends Arceus the world design feels dynamic with lots of twisting paths and verticality. It is easy to get lost in this game --in a good way. Terastalizing, while goofy, is an interesting idea for competitive battling. Giving many weaker or overlooked Pokemon new strategies to find relevance on teams.

    But the bad things are truly bad. Forgive me, I'm shallow, but the graphics are a nightmare. I feel conflicted because Pokemon at its core is intrinsically asking a lot of the development team. What other video game has 400 main characters that all need to be lovingly realized with animations, textures, and personality enough to make someone fall in love with them. But the decision to push for more realistic textures AND a large immersive open world in a game this complex with such a rapid development cycle seems incredibly misguided. Enumerating all the ways in which the 'look' of the game is a failure from animation to textures to performance would make this review too long to publish, but suffice to say, it's bad.

    But even beyond the obvious visual and performance issues the game has major problems. Many aspects of the game are just not very fun to engage with. My personal biggest offender was online raids. A key element to post-game play that is so comically broken, glitchy, and frustrating I almost gave up trying to prepare a competitive team to try out ranked battles before writing a review. (I just wanted an ability patch! Is that so much to ask?) So many aspects feel like rough draft ideas, from hilariously trivial Team Star camp raids, to underwhelming and bizarre picnic and breeding mechanics, to gym challenges that are so short and have such unsatisfying controls that I by the time I figure out if I'm doing what the game wants -- the minigame is already over. I cant help but feel we are playing a beta of a game that should be releasing in 2025. Thankfully the game has a LOT of content so some of the weaker aspects can get shuffled into the pile and forgiven, but the lack of focus here, the wasted hours developing needless experimental trivial nonsense at the expense of core game mechanics is so ludicrously out of control I can't lay the blame at the feet of anyone but the game's leadership. Whoever was in charge of the scope and timeline of this game's development failed. Massively.

    Ultimately, Game Freak, The Pokemon Company, and Nintendo have shown their hand. Their format of releasing new games so rapidly no longer works with games so large and complex. Something must change. Either Game Freak is given more time to develop a more polished product, they scale back the complexity of what a console Pokemon game is, or they change format entirely. For me, seeing how successful the open world model is, and understanding The Pokemon Company's desire to make a big pile of money, perhaps its time to start thinking about that Pokemon MMO again. Final Fantasy 14 managed to pull itself out of the fire with regular updates and expansions, could something similar happen for Pokemon? Certainly not on THIS game engine. But I hope Nintendo/TPC/GF see the failure here and have the will to change course.    … Expand
  47. gabrieuum
    Apr 16, 2023
    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.

    If weren't the graphics and performance issues, the game would be at least an 8, though
  48. marcolr91
    Apr 25, 2023
    3
    Since Pokémon Blue and Red I always finish every each game even but this is the first time in my life I am not able to finish a Pokémon game. It is absolutely boring, horrible to watch and such a lazy job with absolutely no imaginations or creative effort. I am So disappointed…
  49. LucarioStan
    Mar 16, 2023
    2
    Let us start off with a quote from the official summary, shall we? "You'll be able to experience the true joy of the Pokémon seriesbattling against wild Pokémon in order to catch themnow in an open-world game that players of any age can enjoy." True joy? You say? Well, how are people supposed to enjoy true joy with these "Games" when things such as constant bugs, glitches, and frame rateLet us start off with a quote from the official summary, shall we? "You'll be able to experience the true joy of the Pokémon seriesbattling against wild Pokémon in order to catch themnow in an open-world game that players of any age can enjoy." True joy? You say? Well, how are people supposed to enjoy true joy with these "Games" when things such as constant bugs, glitches, and frame rate drops ruin the overall experience while traveling from one zone to the next on your "Legendary Pokemon?" All of this is the fault of the poorly thought-out and lag-filled Paldea region. One moment you'll be adventuring through the region at a stable 30 FPS, and then the next moment 15 FPS or lower.

    The only other game I've seen do that is True Crime: New York on PS2, a game released during the sixth generation of consoles back in late 2005, almost 20 years before the launch of the Gen 9 titles. And yet Pokemon Scarlet and Violet seem to run even worse than TC:NY on a console almost three times as powerful as the PS2. It is evident from how the last main entry went (Pokemon Sword and Sheild) the next games wouldn't fare much better, but to the absolute shock of everyone, Pokemon Scarlet is not only worse than Sword and Sheild but also the single-handedly worse Pokemon title ever made—a travesty on all fronts. Released from a triple-A studio, and we get a 60-dollar game that plays and performs like an early-access Steam game at best and a PS2 Tech Demo at worst. It's obvious that Game Freak rushed this game to launch, for one reason or another. I'm both shocked and appalled that nobody at the company stood up and asked for more development time, who knows? Maybe an additional year or so of development would've made this into a decent or better title. But no, we instead get sacked with an excuse of a video game that's one of gaming's biggest letdowns, if not the biggest letdown. Apart from offering refunds for this mess of code, Game Freak's efforts are downright appalling. Imagine this, say a patch comes out for a game that you've been waiting for weeks since its launch, only for said patch to delete your save file in which you've spent hours on, that's what happened to Scarlet and Violet. Even with the positives, such as its story and somewhat "interesting" replacement for mega evolutions in the form of Terastallizing, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will go down in history as not only Pokemon's worst game, but also Nintendo's worst game as well.    … Expand
  50. brssena
    Dec 1, 2022
    0
    Nintendo não respeita os clientes, o jogo está horrível, gráfico horrivel, rodando a 2 fps, não vale a pena
  51. Robertinho123
    Jan 3, 2023
    7
    I like the games, even though they're very buggy, but I don't get why it's open world if there's no level scaling. The order you play it in is very important if you don't want to be massively over or underleveled, so at least make the Pokemon Center recommend the ideal order instead of the closest by...
  52. Grdran
    May 16, 2023
    5
    Not rating it higher because it has performance and noticeable issues.

    Not rating it lower since I personally didn't get the game breaking stuff.

    If you brave through it, it's a pretty ambitious story, especially in the post game.

    Other than glaring frame rate issues and other things I could easily ignore because they didn't break the game, it's pretty fun.
  53. Daybrakgo
    Jul 3, 2023
    0
    Yes I’m giving a zero. There should be no reasons why it should have released the way it did. Why does it look so bad? A big multimillion corporation that keeps serving their fanbase gruel. If your goal was to turn a life long fan away well done. You obviously don’t care anymore.
  54. HircineSoldier
    Nov 27, 2022
    2
    El mapa está vacío, parece un mundo abierto de 2010, el apartado técnico es una burla, la historia es repetitiva, innovación prácticamente nula, gráficos y animaciones lamentables y de nuevo la pokédex está incompleta. Es un escupitajo en la cara de los usuarios para ser la franquicia más rentable de la historia y un completo desperdicio de potencial.
  55. eogp75
    Nov 27, 2022
    1
    No está nada optimizado, que hicieron desde Febrero de 2022 hasta su fecha de lanzamiento ? No lo probaron no lo testearon??? Tiene demasiados bajones los pokemon desaparecen de la nada, incluso el personaje principal desaparece y hay muchos blinking de las cosas. Tienen que arreglar esto cuanto antes, porque estoy a un paso de pedir el refund.
  56. felipegsm
    Dec 1, 2022
    2
    Simplesmente desisti de jogar devido os bugs no console, só consegui jogar através de emulação que por sinal estava rodando a 60fps e traduzido para português. Uma verdadeira vergonha para a desenvolvedora.
    O jogo em si está divertido com mecanicas boas porém a execução não foi das melhores.
  57. keivan98
    Jan 31, 2023
    3
    The game was released in a shameful version. Full of bugs, glitches and other technical problems, overshadowing the scarcity of content and the emptiness of the open world
  58. HyruLegend
    Aug 27, 2023
    1
    Character customization is "better' when starting but only for your face.
    No clothes to buy at all.
    Should of kept the movement from Legends Arceus , rolling to dodge Pokemon attacks for example running while tossing pokeballs. I love the transition with music from field to battle. "Finally updated graphic /texture to Pokemon." But at the same time they look terrible on the field until    Character customization is "better' when starting but only for your face.
    No clothes to buy at all.

    Should of kept the movement from Legends Arceus , rolling to dodge Pokemon attacks for example running while tossing pokeballs. I love the transition with music from field to battle.

    "Finally updated graphic /texture to Pokemon." But at the same time they look terrible on the field until you get close up & the overall game doesn't look that great. But graphics are not that important but they sure help Lol Cascarafa & Artazon is my favorite towns but it's lacking anything to do, like ALL other towns!

    Can change Nicknames on the spot.

    Can remember or forget moves on the spot.

    Can skip move learning & not be prompted to teach after leveling up.

    In the Paldea Region You have to talk to the trainers, They can't tell just by making eye contact to battle. Lol

    You can make TM s

    Auto heal

    You can send Pokemon out for Auto battles & Pick up items.

    Pokemon Center gives tips where to go.
    But also I miss walking into a building Pokemon Center.

    You can go back up to a ledge or area you jumped off of.

    Gives Advice on Pokemon learning a new moves

    "First true open world Pokemon" Even though Legends Arceus already exists lol technically semi open world.

    Players Can’t Catch Pokémon Outside Of Battle In Scarlet & Violet.

    Legends Arceus had a better Catching system. LA also had a better shopping setup where you can zoom in on said products, & plenty of clothes & merch to buy! Here you buy no clothes at all. Legends Arceus also had a better map system, you can only mark one spot on here vs alot in LA. This one has no markers ! The map is not good.

    No Buildings to walk into anywhere at All, gym lobbies , copy & paste restaurants & your home doesn't cut it & the Academy though cool , still lacking. Everything is copy & pasted essentially the food shops. Doors everywhere & none to enter     … Expand
  59. Castiel89
    Apr 22, 2023
    2
    Underperforming game and boring. It's a shame for Nintendo to bring such a game to there console.
  60. XsauroxGamer
    Dec 1, 2022
    2
    Very empty world, same gameplay as always, no dungeons, not to mentions the technical disaster
  61. Spacemerune28
    Feb 14, 2023
    8
    After playing a few hours, this really is the best Pokemon game to date. The world building and new Pokemon animations are incredible! The games performance is definitely an issue, but not any worse than Fallout 4. A solid RPG, and a great Pokemon game.
  62. Don_Rolando
    Feb 16, 2023
    3
    Technically a total disaster. A shame for one of the biggest brands in the world. @Devs: Please invest some of your money into a good graphic engine & developers. Or just ask the Zelda team for help. This is just a unplayable shame for this great brand!
    I gave 3 points because the gameplay mechanic is solid, but way to easy. Please add some difficulty settings in the future!
    Special wish:    Technically a total disaster. A shame for one of the biggest brands in the world. @Devs: Please invest some of your money into a good graphic engine & developers. Or just ask the Zelda team for help. This is just a unplayable shame for this great brand!
    I gave 3 points because the gameplay mechanic is solid, but way to easy. Please add some difficulty settings in the future!
    Special wish: Please add the pokemon voices of the tv show into the game & some voice acting! Come on, its 2023!    … Expand
  63. Linkarinka
    Apr 23, 2023
    7
    Pokémon Escarlata, pese a los fallos técnicos que posee, es un gran juego que, aunque tiene un gran mapa de mundo abierto, está vacío. No por ello es malo, ya que está bien estructurado y logra llevarte a donde quiere de una forma bastante orgánica. La historia no es nada del otro mundo, pero dentró de los estándares de la franquicia está bastante bien. Con un gran diseño de criaturas yPokémon Escarlata, pese a los fallos técnicos que posee, es un gran juego que, aunque tiene un gran mapa de mundo abierto, está vacío. No por ello es malo, ya que está bien estructurado y logra llevarte a donde quiere de una forma bastante orgánica. La historia no es nada del otro mundo, pero dentró de los estándares de la franquicia está bastante bien. Con un gran diseño de criaturas y una banda sonora bastante decente, en mi opinión, es de los mejores juegos de Pokémon pese a lo que diga una buena parte del fandom.… Expand
  64. CapitanQwark
    Jul 9, 2023
    7
    Buen juego de Pokemon, increíble monster catcher, e increíble mapeado del juego principal con montones de cosas que hacer. Lo malo es que el rendimiento es muy pobre. Tiene muchos bugs y la historia se percibe incompleta. También decir que el postgame es muy triste y que prácticamente hay zonas del entorno que están sin terminar. Decir que no hay prácticamente ni un solo lugar en el queBuen juego de Pokemon, increíble monster catcher, e increíble mapeado del juego principal con montones de cosas que hacer. Lo malo es que el rendimiento es muy pobre. Tiene muchos bugs y la historia se percibe incompleta. También decir que el postgame es muy triste y que prácticamente hay zonas del entorno que están sin terminar. Decir que no hay prácticamente ni un solo lugar en el que puedas entrar, casi todo el juego es al aire libre y en cuanto consigues la pokemontura, el rendimiento empeora aún más y se siente cada vez más vacío. No hay a penas legendarios. Otra cosa positiva que decir es que tiene montones de tramas principales que se van desarrollando de forma natural y una gran banda sonora. También decir que los combates están chulos, pero la cámara es malísima.… Expand
  65. Santi2277
    Nov 22, 2022
    7
    Pros:
    - Pokémon in 3D
    - extense world with a variety of areas - ride Pokémon, fly, climb, jump - gameplay feel like in classic games - character customization - online mode Cons: - graphics and performance - team star is unnecessary, maybe other secondary better missions - designs more for adult like in Arceus - some dynamic action battle like in Arceus (mixed with turn classic ones, maybe    Pros:
    - Pokémon in 3D
    - extense world with a variety of areas
    - ride Pokémon, fly, climb, jump
    - gameplay feel like in classic games
    - character customization
    - online mode
    Cons:
    - graphics and performance
    - team star is unnecessary, maybe other secondary better missions
    - designs more for adult like in Arceus
    - some dynamic action battle like in Arceus (mixed with turn classic ones, maybe on the giant Pokémon missions)
    - throwing pokéball like in Arceus
    - more number of Pokémon that you could ride
    - more clothes in character customization    … Expand
  66. Fraxxo
    Sep 9, 2023
    3
    This game is... totally worthless. Nothing works.
    Surprised this even passed the quality check, since this is clearly a pre-alpha game without any redeeming quality. Even the soundtrack, which was always good in the Pokémon franchise, is boring here.
    Seriously, I'm glad this game was gifted to me and I didn't spend a single buck on it. I tought Pokémon Legends Arceus was the starting    This game is... totally worthless. Nothing works.
    Surprised this even passed the quality check, since this is clearly a pre-alpha game without any redeeming quality. Even the soundtrack, which was always good in the Pokémon franchise, is boring here.
    Seriously, I'm glad this game was gifted to me and I didn't spend a single buck on it. I tought Pokémon Legends Arceus was the starting point for the the new era of Pokémon, but this... is just sad. Just bad. Just worthless.    … Expand
  67. Lumber_Jones
    Feb 16, 2023
    6
    overall this game is fun and what feels like a quarter baked attempt by The Pokemon Company. The game itself looks good, until you start to look at the things in the background that are supposed to make the game feel more alive and you notice the slideshow style flapping of Starraptor wings, or other trainers/pokemon moving at 3-5 frames per second. The story backtracks on itself at theoverall this game is fun and what feels like a quarter baked attempt by The Pokemon Company. The game itself looks good, until you start to look at the things in the background that are supposed to make the game feel more alive and you notice the slideshow style flapping of Starraptor wings, or other trainers/pokemon moving at 3-5 frames per second. The story backtracks on itself at the last possible moment because TPC decided to stop making a good point. While some features in the game help to make it feel better, such as being able to change your move set anywhere in the world or allowing your monsters to run free and make grinding less annoying. taking away the ability to drop eggs off on a daycare and the godawful online experience that is raid battling help to make this a more taxing entry in the series. I did enjoy two of the three main story lines, and I liked the direction that some of the gameplay features took but at the end of the day this was a more dissapointing entry and I hope that TPC takes the time they need to work on a game instead of going to a once a year release cycle.… Expand
  68. mepphy
    Nov 20, 2022
    7
    Enough time has passed and 1.2 fixed something, the game has grown on me a bit but there Is still a lot to do. Map Is still bad overall but framerate not being on 9-10 is a step up xD

    now can i also Say i liked the three main character and the last story. Everyone is likeable and story isn't that complicated Difficult is... well still baby mode rpg, hope we can get an hard Battle somehow
  69. TokyoRebellion
    Nov 27, 2022
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is absolute dog **** I mean this as a Pokémon fan. Do not play this under any circumstance! My game has crashed four times, I lagged out of a raid, The clipping in atrocious, The load times in this game is on Sonic 06 timing, The background textures clip in and out of **** existence, and the raids are just dog awful. It is such a step backwards from sword and shields raids. It is astounding how they actively went down and production. Please by any means necessary Dodge this game do not get this game for Christmas. Your birthday Easter anything I don't care what it is. Do not buy it. Please if you're going to play anything, play Legends, play Pokémon Legends Arceus it's so much better and it's actually worth your money. I'm so sorry that this game came out this way, but yes please please dodge it.… Expand
  70. daklar808
    Jul 5, 2023
    1
    Lazy cash grab that has forever changed my opinion on pokemon games. i will never ever preorder another mainline pokemon game. It's unfinished and unpolished. Glitch fest with terrible graphics and not what i expect from a pokemon game. Unforgivable and a game changer in the wrong direction, so SAD!
  71. Zu343
    Dec 2, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Zu viele Bugs und Glitches. Das Spiel ist unfertig erschienen. Die Story und die Musik sind Super. Hätte das Spiel mehr Zeit bekommen, hätte es ein Meisterwerk werden können. Es ist aber leider keins geworden.… Expand
  72. 0nearmedbandit
    Dec 18, 2022
    7
    I got the game a few days after it came out, and had a lot of people to play with and I've put in about 100 hours now and seen pretty much everything the game has to offer. I'm about to dive into competitive battles soon as well after I'm done breeding a good team.

    This game was a lot of what I wanted pokemon games to be like and I'm happy with some of the decisions that were made, but    I got the game a few days after it came out, and had a lot of people to play with and I've put in about 100 hours now and seen pretty much everything the game has to offer. I'm about to dive into competitive battles soon as well after I'm done breeding a good team.

    This game was a lot of what I wanted pokemon games to be like and I'm happy with some of the decisions that were made, but I did still have a few gripes about certain characters, the lack of voice acting, and the performance of course.
    Ultimately, I have loved nearly all of the major moments of my experiences with this generation, so much so that I might go back and get a copy of Violet as well.
    I'm also doing a second playthrough in Japanese on my second profile. The dialogue is only a bit above my comprehension level, and they use Furigana, so it's easier to understand. Because I've only been studying for a few years and I'm still at a grade school level with the language. This game seems like a good game to try to play in Japanese, for what that's worth.

    I am sad about the presence of these performance issues and some of the issues it had caused when I did certain activities such as shiny hunting, etc. So I've docked a few points for it, but ultimately the changes to the formula and the way the gameplay loop feels, It got me to actually enjoy the first pokemon game since Sun/Moon, or gen 1-3. I still hope they fix some things in the future with this game, but even if they don't, I'm still excited about where the series seems to be heading. Cautiously optimistic at least.    … Expand
  73. AldoBaran
    Jun 13, 2023
    0
    It is a game that does not even deserve the slightest consideration.

    The game environment is boring and limited.
  74. pokeymanchild
    Jul 22, 2023
    0
    Really bad performance and visuals. It has many bugs that ruin the experience of playing the game. But it's okay as it will still sell thanks to blind nostalgia and brand loyalty.
  75. shw079
    Aug 11, 2023
    2
    I waited till now to play the game as I heard from my friends that there are already patches to fix the gameplay. I hate to say this but I really don't like my experience so far. I have been playing the games for 3 hours but am totally underwhelmed and in my opinion, the game is still far away from fixed. I have played all Pokemon main series and this is the first one that I feel offended.I waited till now to play the game as I heard from my friends that there are already patches to fix the gameplay. I hate to say this but I really don't like my experience so far. I have been playing the games for 3 hours but am totally underwhelmed and in my opinion, the game is still far away from fixed. I have played all Pokemon main series and this is the first one that I feel offended. First, the graphics is a downgrade from shield and I feel like I am playing a 3DS game on switch. Everything looks really bad (e.g. shadow, walls, houses, you name it). I don't mind graphics that much if the gameplay is smooth. However, the game also suffers from numerous performance issues. Second, the developers are being lazy. For most houses in towns, you cannot enter them as in previous games, and for most stores in towns/cities, you cannot enter them either -- you are simply shown a list of items that you can buy, and there are only very few NPCs who you can talk to. They don't even bother to design the simple dialogues. This level of laziness is unbelievable. Third, the control design is really bad. Whenever I leave some stores or finish talking to someone, I usually end up with stealth mode because of pressing B buttons. This is so stupid. Additionally, the camera rotates in a way that is so uncomfortable and makes you nauseous. I am easily addicted to games but this is the first game that I have self-control. After playing 3 hours, I am able to stop and tell myself -- ok, that is too much for today, which shows how lackluster it is. I do like the design of new Pokemons but the game was released too soon -- they should give themselves at least two more years and bring us the best game experience.… Expand
  76. Takrayzo
    May 11, 2023
    3
    I dont know how can people give a 10 to this game. The game has almost everything fans wanted, but it came out as lazy as it could be. FIrst of, graphics. The pokemon models are great and the textures on clothes are better than the previous games. The world is awaful. ITs grafically a bloody mess. the performance is horrible... the cliping still exists. They just made a few npc models andI dont know how can people give a 10 to this game. The game has almost everything fans wanted, but it came out as lazy as it could be. FIrst of, graphics. The pokemon models are great and the textures on clothes are better than the previous games. The world is awaful. ITs grafically a bloody mess. the performance is horrible... the cliping still exists. They just made a few npc models and clone them through the world. The npcs are just standing there waiting for us to interact instead of walking around the area. you can have a guy in a suit pined to the ground in the middle of the woods. doesnt make any sense. its time to upgrade. The game should have been a lot better. a lot better. and its been 6 months and istill has bad performance..… Expand
  77. lucasnascimento
    Nov 28, 2022
    1
    It's been a while since Game Freak has treated Pokemon fans with disdain.
    We have a habit of accepting whatever **** they throw at us for being Pokemon fans, and they take advantage of that. It's no different in this one. The open world is a wonderful addition and one that every Pokemon fan has been waiting for a long time. But not everything is flowers, the game is ABSURDLY buggy, with    It's been a while since Game Freak has treated Pokemon fans with disdain.
    We have a habit of accepting whatever **** they throw at us for being Pokemon fans, and they take advantage of that. It's no different in this one. The open world is a wonderful addition and one that every Pokemon fan has been waiting for a long time. But not everything is flowers, the game is ABSURDLY buggy, with terrible fps drops and all that with afully serrated graphics.

    Save your money.

    OBS: GAME FREAK/NINTENDO, SUBTITLE YOUR GAMES IN PORTUGUESE, PORRA!    … Expand
  78. guicalistrato
    May 24, 2023
    6
    this could have been goty if it had one more year in development. wonderful ideas but poorly executed. this game could have been way more than it is.
  79. tiago_santos
    Nov 30, 2022
    1
    This game is a blast to play! But i just think it's stupid that when trading back pokemon to the original owner the pokemon will still disobey you. By the time I was at the third gym (with level 20-25 pokemon I'm pretty sure) my Quaxly was at its final evolution just as an example of hiw much I over level. I don't know know how to but can someone appeal this to Gamefreak or Nintendo about this.
  80. Daniel1516
    Feb 24, 2023
    7
    esta culero mazizo lleno de errores en ocaciones ni se puede disfrutar Puntuacion(3) .

    Nueva reseña el juego con las actualizaciones esta bien ya no estan tantos problemas tecnicos pero se ve la verdad muy mal a comparacion de otros de la misma nintendo yo en lo personal se siente algo vacio la idea es buena    esta culero mazizo lleno de errores en ocaciones ni se puede disfrutar Puntuacion(3) .

    Nueva reseña el juego con las actualizaciones esta bien ya no estan tantos problemas tecnicos pero se ve la verdad muy mal a comparacion de otros de la misma nintendo yo en lo personal se siente algo vacio la idea es buena pero como que le faltaron ganas para que este bien implementada    … Expand
  81. Chastizer
    Dec 15, 2022
    6
    With the 9th Generation of Pokémon we are finally beginning to see the foundation of what a truly next generation Pokémon game could be, however it is done with the presentation, graphical fidelity, and performance of an Itch.io porn game. Compared to what a game of this caliber should be, this was a tech demo.

    I was truly ready to write this game completely off, until the very last leg    With the 9th Generation of Pokémon we are finally beginning to see the foundation of what a truly next generation Pokémon game could be, however it is done with the presentation, graphical fidelity, and performance of an Itch.io porn game. Compared to what a game of this caliber should be, this was a tech demo.

    I was truly ready to write this game completely off, until the very last leg of the game where it began to bare it's fangs. To be quite honest, the whole game should just be structured like that last portion. In fact, I feel like the game would have been better off for it. That doesn't mean that you couldn't have wide open areas to explore and find Pokémon. I feel like a true middle ground could be reached if in the next generation of Pokémon they went the route of Xenoblade Chronicles and had massive areas interconnected with one another instead of one giant map that must be loaded in at all times. The world of Xenoblade 1 manages to still feel massive and interconnected despite it's loading zones.

    Performance aside, there are a lot of problems I have as a long time Pokémon fan that I would like to see addressed. Not nearly enough post game, no difficulty options, missing features that we've literally had since the GBA, A lot of the Pokedex still missing to likely be sold back to us.

    While Area Zero was a blast to play through, after I was done with it I couldn't help but feel frustrated at how I had to sit through hours of mediocrity just to get to the good part. The whole game should be the good part. While I did have fun doing menial things prior to Area Zero. Looking back I can't help but wonder why there was such a clear difference in effort in these two parts of the game.

    I love Pokémon, the series is a jewel and I know everyone wants to see it shine. We keep telling them how to polish it, but for some reason the jewel keeps getting rubbed in the dirt. Area Zero was the feint glimmer of hope shining off the jewel, reminding me that with polishing, the highest grossing media franchise on the planet could release something they can be proud of.    … Expand
  82. ClayLamm
    Apr 23, 2023
    0
    Unplayable, one of the worst states at launch for a AAA first-party title I've ever witnessed. I paid the total price for an unplayable game, and it's not like Nintendo has pressured GameFreak and Pokemon Company to fix any of this post-launch; instead, they just announced a $30 DLC! So, in summary, almost unplayable, still sold well, Nintendo learned nothing, the game is still borderlineUnplayable, one of the worst states at launch for a AAA first-party title I've ever witnessed. I paid the total price for an unplayable game, and it's not like Nintendo has pressured GameFreak and Pokemon Company to fix any of this post-launch; instead, they just announced a $30 DLC! So, in summary, almost unplayable, still sold well, Nintendo learned nothing, the game is still borderline broken, and DLC coming to add more broken content? Boo, go home Nintendo and don't come back until your Pokemon games run like Breath of the Wild!… Expand
  83. yooples54
    Jun 30, 2023
    2
    I don't hate people who like this game, but it's simply not good. the graphics are great, but it's overall awful. the story of this game is so dried out ad predictable it feels like a children's picture book. there isn't much to say about it's gameplay or the environments. I wish I could like this game, but honestly it was a waste of my time and money. once again though, I do not hateI don't hate people who like this game, but it's simply not good. the graphics are great, but it's overall awful. the story of this game is so dried out ad predictable it feels like a children's picture book. there isn't much to say about it's gameplay or the environments. I wish I could like this game, but honestly it was a waste of my time and money. once again though, I do not hate anybody for liking this game.… Expand
  84. The_D4RknesS
    Nov 30, 2022
    0
    I don't like pokémon but I came here just to give a bad grade for Nintendo's incompetence, worst of all and they say they don't know about the game's problems LOL
  85. Captaintails
    Nov 28, 2022
    4
    this game is an insult, it shows how fatal the development of this game was. it is glitched, and its pokedex is not the best, instead of buying this game with 60 dollars, better understand god of war ragnarok, this game is a jewel. This game is trash but more trash are the pokefans who defend this game
  86. Ryugo
    May 24, 2023
    10
    Hands down the best Pokémon title I have ever played in 20 years!! BRAVO to the audio department! they deserves an award for this! I have never seen in any game I have ever played, outstanding track after track, changing so frequently, again and again, never giving you a moment to rest... it truly is unrelenting, i feel like iv already heard 30 great tracks an im only 8 hours through (aHands down the best Pokémon title I have ever played in 20 years!! BRAVO to the audio department! they deserves an award for this! I have never seen in any game I have ever played, outstanding track after track, changing so frequently, again and again, never giving you a moment to rest... it truly is unrelenting, i feel like iv already heard 30 great tracks an im only 8 hours through (a lot of games will leave you with few options for music) and the musical transitions in and out of battle are truly unique to this game alone. the little animations of Pokémon are so adorable. and the 3d animations for some reason seem to appeal way more than any other previous title. and after playing Pokémon archeus, this game is a breath of fresh air to be in the modern environment, all the while keeping those classic game boy Pokémon tunes.

    the graphics is obviously a problem for people. but to me it doesn't bother me at all.
    but I do understand, if you are a stickler for graphics, then this game isn't for you.    … Expand
  87. TheNewGuy
    Feb 1, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. We get a new generation of Pokémon every few years, and Generation 9 might just be the most divisive one yet. Pokémon Scarlet (And Violet because Metacritic doesn't let you review both Pokémon games at once, you have to review them separately) is a game that I knew going in that I would have some glaring issues with, but surprisingly, I don't think this game is that bad. I usually start with the good stuff first, but I'm switching things up this time and starting with the bad stuff. First and foremost, the graphics and frame rate might just be considered a safety hazard. This was made by a team that has continuously put out quality titles since Pokémon's inception. While Sword and Shield did have their fair share of issues, those don't even come close to how atrocious Gen 9 is in the graphics department. There's really no excuse here! I know Pokémon is the biggest media franchise on the planet, but Game Freak really should've delayed the game and taken some extra time to polish everything up before the final release. Another thing that really bothers me is the lack of voice acting. This may be a weird point to bring up, but I feel that Pokémon is a franchise that would benefit greatly from voice acting. Take the big twist at the end of the game where it's revealed that the professor has been dead the whole time and is nothing more than a robot. This scene would have been even more surprising that it already is if there was voice acting alongside it. Same goes for the scenes with Arven and his Mabosstiff. The scenes are really awkward when there's just music and dialogue boxes and no voice acting to speak of. This is a feature Game Freak really should implement in the future. But that's it for the negative stuff. Now for the positives. As per usual, the character designs are fantastic. Game Freak continues to get more and more creative with the professors, rivals, gym leaders, etc. I especially like Larry, the normal type gym leader, who's literally just a regular guy, nothing special about him. The new Pokémon introduced in the Paldea region are a mixed bag, but the ones that really stand out to me are some of the best designed Pocket Monsters in the series! Finally, the music. While most of the music in the game is pretty decent, the tracks composed by Toby Fox are the real highlights here. I really love the Zero Lab battle music at the end of the game. Overall, this game has issues, a LOT of issues, but I still thoroughly enjoyed my time with the game. And if Game Freak can get it's act together and polish up the game in a future update, that would make this one of the best Pokémon games in the series!… Expand
  88. GavinRhodes
    Nov 26, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is an amazing game an excellent game if you loved Pokémon sword and shield especially ignore the review bombing and definitely give the game a shot its content rich compared to legends Arceus and has a great story… Expand
  89. Taken_Hades
    May 16, 2023
    6
    -5/10 story
    -6/10 gameplay
    -6/10 environments
    -5/10 characters
    -8/10 music
  90. TKSwiz
    Jul 15, 2023
    7
    Scarlet and Violet are very difficult games to rate. It some ways, they represent the lowest point of the series, such as the many performance issues that pretty much ruin any possibility of the world being immersive. And performance issues aside, the game is still pretty ugly, being completely outclassed by nearly every other 3D adventure game in the modern day, including lots of indieScarlet and Violet are very difficult games to rate. It some ways, they represent the lowest point of the series, such as the many performance issues that pretty much ruin any possibility of the world being immersive. And performance issues aside, the game is still pretty ugly, being completely outclassed by nearly every other 3D adventure game in the modern day, including lots of indie ones. The music is also a relative low point for the series, as there is not much memorable here aside from a few standout tracks that unfortunately do not come until late into the game. All that being said, I still think this game is worth checking out for any fan of the series, provided you can look past the huge performance issues. The layout and formula of the game works better than ever before, and I found it more fun to explore the world and catch Pokemon than ever before. The open world structure definitely could have been done better, as you are heavily discouraged from breaking too far off of the intended order of events. The story is a big step up from almost every other Pokemon game in my opinion, but it is still just okay overall. There are a good amount of characters that are at least somewhat interesting, but I found one of the three main plots of the game was extremely bland to the point where I completely stopped paying attention. That being said, the ending of the game is very strong, to the point where it was somewhat easy to forget the boring parts before that. As far as the new Pokemon go, I think there are a lot of great and fresh additions. The game still suffers from a lot of issues that have been plaguing the series since the Gen 1, namely dumb trainer AI and the game being way too easy in general. There is a big decrease in the number of required filler trainer battles, however, and I believe it works strongly to the games benefit. The end result is a game that is generally a lot more engaging than any entry since Gen 5. Overall, while there is a lot here to criticize, I still believe that at its core, this is the best Pokemon has been in quite a while. That's why it is such a shame that this return to form has been completely wasted by an embarrassing amount of technical problems and overall presentation issues.… Expand
  91. writer1062
    Dec 5, 2022
    7
    스토리가 굉장히 깔끔하게 잘 나왔고, 등장인물의 캐릭터성도 좋지만 버그와 최적화가 아쉬움. 개발기간을 좀 더 늘린 뒤에 디버깅에 신경쓰면서 천천히 발매했으면 더 좋게 나왔을 것 같음.
  92. Prizmeta57
    Jan 31, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. MY DONG IS MASSIVE!?! This game is like a big Monkey, but Donald Trump has committed war crimes? Go and play a real game like… Expand
  93. Agmaer
    Feb 4, 2023
    6
    This game. Was enjoyable, but definitely had its faults, the Pokémon were amazing but some of the scenery looked weird to me, and the performance is NOT good, at random times the game game slows do to the point. It sometimes stripes control from you and you’re forced to close the game, this happened to me and I lost a bunch of Pokémon, (though you could argue that I should’ve saved) butThis game. Was enjoyable, but definitely had its faults, the Pokémon were amazing but some of the scenery looked weird to me, and the performance is NOT good, at random times the game game slows do to the point. It sometimes stripes control from you and you’re forced to close the game, this happened to me and I lost a bunch of Pokémon, (though you could argue that I should’ve saved) but it’s not all bad, one thing I liked about the game was the story and music, Pokémon games tend to struggle with story so it was nice to see a story that actually got me invested. I think the game is worth trying but beware of performance issues and bugs that may hurt your experience… Expand
  94. Moustique
    Dec 22, 2022
    7
    It is really fun playing this, but we all know how awful the performance is. This creativity and all these ideas for the new rival, gym leaders, trainers, Pokémon and story are great, but the little things let this game look/feel like garbage
  95. Cesarantony
    Apr 26, 2023
    6
    The game have some softwere issues, but if they had more time i think the would be a great pokémon game
  96. Skuty
    Jun 22, 2023
    9
    These, alongside Legends Arceus, are the best Pokemon games in the series. The Pokemon company have finally found their Breath of the Wild formula, and it is absolutely wonderful to play. As someone who has grown up on the likes of Playstation 1 and Nintendo 64, the "lag" and "bad graphics" don't affect my gameplay in the slightest, so this review is purely based on gameplay.

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

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

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

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

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

    This and Legends Arceus have really been a dream come true and I can't wait to see what the Pokemon company has in store next.    … Expand
  97. Noahz
    Dec 2, 2022
    2
    the game closes during the raid, the FPS is constantly falling.This is the worst I've seen from nintendo and Pokemon
  98. LikeFahrenheit
    Apr 29, 2023
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Some say this game would be the best game in the series if it weren't for the technical problems. Why? because it's open world where there is hardly anything to do outside the story? Because the story is one of the best that GF has written, when they have a track record for subpar storytelling? The game has little to offer in gameplay and content. No contests, no Pokethlon, no pokestar studios, no musicals, not even a damn battle facility - a first for a new generation since Diamond and Pearl back in 2006! There is nothing to keep me entertained outside of catching Pokemon and battling trainers once. But at least we can make sandwiches. Seriously there's more entertainment in transferring Pokemon to Gen 5 with that mini-game than there is with sandwich making. Making curry in SwSh had more effort and actual gameplay than sandwich making.

    Paldea is a big region, and I like that, but damn is it ugly. low-res textures and just weird, jarring edges to cliffs and riverbanks. the buildings are hideously low-res up close. The region and towns look like they were modeled by a novice. But the Pokemon and characters have never looked better in 3D (by GF standards at least), compare to how they look in Legends Arceus is almost night and day.

    I don't know where people are getting this "best story" nonsense from. before Area Zero, the only real story is that with Team Star and the character backstories you learn as you progress, and that is something I think GF did well on, is characters (for the most part). Team Star was interesting to learn they were just bullied and ostracized, and Penny's motivations for doing what she did were understandable, only problem is you really have no stake in their story at all. You're just told to defeat them. It'd be nice if Team star was planning on something big that involved you personally, gave you a legitimate and urgent reason to fight them. In the end, it's the best narrative in the game but that's not saying much.

    Nemona's story, or rather the gym challenge, isn't a story at all. It's the typical fare for Pokemon. battle 8 people then face the Elite 4. there's hardly anything interesting going on. There's hints of dissatisfaction with Geeta but that goes nowhere. Nemona herself is a one note character, it's nice to see a rival this enthusiastic about battling, but that's all there is to her. It's be nice if she felt stifled by Geeta then she would overcome the champion to become one herself, but she's already the champ at the start of the game. She doesn't have an arc.

    Arven's story was nice, his reason for hunting herbs, but again it doesn't really involve you personally. not a whole lot anyway. you're involved indirectly through the Koraidon. But in the end the story reaches its climax in Area Zero where for some reason Nemona and Penny tag along. There is no reason for those two to be in Area Zero, they have no stake, no ties to the crater, but Arven arbitrarily says you need them to aid you. Why is Nemona there? She craves battling strong Pokemon, Geeta has a Pokemon from the crater. why not have her seek out tough Pokemon to be more like Geeta, as a final test to see if she's worthy of being champion? Why is Penny there? because the elevator didn't work? you all take Koraidon down there anyway. Why not have her admire the professor for her technical prowess and want to meet her? Simple motivations and characterizations like this can do wonders in story telling that GF for some asinine reason refuses to do. they rarely go the extra mile anymore in their games and this is one example.

    So the "plot" only really happens at the end where the AI professor tells you that Paradox Pokemon if run amok would cause ecological devastation to Paldea. Only problem is that Donphan already is on the surface but doesn't do anything, so where's the danger? A good way to involve all three storylines together is to have paradox pokemon gradually become more prevalent around Paldea. People are afraid of the damage they are causing. So Nemona helps the gym leaders defend the towns, Penny asks Team Star and the other trainers around the region to help, And you and arven in the endgame head to Area Zero to face off the professor (along with Nemona and Penny who now have a reason for being there). Instead of one decent story that ties everything together, we have 3 disjointed narratives that culminate in a subpar finale.

    This cannot be the game GF intended to make, when there is obviously so much room for improvement. Rushed, and uninspired there is no way Scarlet (and Violet) are the "best if you ignore the glitches". I critiqued this game minus the bugs and it still came up short in the worst way.    … Expand
  99. MaxiRSilva
    Nov 26, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't really understand why The Pokémon Company doesn't do anything to help out Gamefreak, maybe allowing them to hire more people, ask for help from other companies or just barely anything.
    It's been an issue since long time ago, but it just kept getting worse. The engine is way too under-developed, they should either focus on improving it or ditch it and try a new one, but my question stands: why don't they ask for help from other companies? Or at least make an alliance or colab or whatever.
    This game, not gonna lie, has a very nice and refreshing gameplay. It is basically what the game needed to evolve a bit from the formula, it could have been a masterpiece and the best pokémon game ever, but unfortunately the execution dies from the engine performance. Sort of reminds me to what Cyberpunk 2077 was on their launch, but worse in terms of how it looks and performs.
    And no, is not an issue from the hardware, the issue is the game engine itself. I don't really like to compare, but one of the recent games released for Switch, NieR Automata, which was originally released for PS4 and Xbox One, performs amazingly well even with so many particles and enemies on screen. And that is one of so many examples that Nintendo Switch can offer.
    Gamefreak, stop being so lazy and hire more people and do something about the engine, it just doesn't work. Please understand.

    *edit*
    I just finished the area zero arc, and wow... I was feeling bad after giving it that low of a score, this game deserves more appreciation so I think I'll just go ahead and rate some aspects of it:
    Being a technical disaster needs to be addressed and kept present, so on that part it gets 3/10 (because it works and is playable, but feels worse than an indie)
    I want to give it a 10 on the music department but since some songs aren't quite memorable I'll just go 9/10 (area zero arc is definitely a 11/10).
    Story gets a 9/10: I'd separate this game into 2 sections, the 3 main roads and area zero. The 3 main roads arc is fine, specially Arven's story. Team Star is good and the league road is just there, feels lacking to be honest but it is what it is. But after you finish them, you get to the Area Zero arc, and wow, finally something amazing storywise in pokémon since Black/White and it caught me off guard, maybe because of the 1st section being lighthearted.
    Mechanics are 8/10: They're definitely the best in the franchise, it would have been a 10/10 if it wasn't affected by the technical issues the game engine has. These mechanics are what Pokémon needed and I hope they keep it and improve it even further for the next gens.
    I'd cover more stuff but these were the main ones I thought were the most important for me, and now the final score I give this game is 7/10. I hope Pokémon Company takes this backlash the game is receiving as a lesson and hopefully they will decide to help out Gamefreak getting more funds for development.
    And lastly, I totally understand why there's much hate around this game, we've been coming from previous games that were also technical disasters (although not as much) and had so many stuff cut out that is just natural that the anger comes from back then (myself included), so seeing that this one is so unfinished, then this kind of stuff happens.    … Expand
  100. AlexMakesToast
    Dec 23, 2022
    6
    Pokemon Scarlet = 6/10
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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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