Pokemon Violet

 Switch
User Score
4.0

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 2050 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 635 out of 2050
  2. Mixed: 205 out of 2050
  3. Negative: 1,210 out of 2050
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  1. xSpOokie
    Sep 1, 2023
    6
    after the realease we all know that the game had controversies , because of its poor performance and because of the game optimization , is by far the worst point about the game but there are a lot of other negative aspects .

    1. the first negative aspect that you realise just in the beginning of the game is that the variety of the first pokemons you encounter is SUPER blank , in terms of    after the realease we all know that the game had controversies , because of its poor performance and because of the game optimization , is by far the worst point about the game but there are a lot of other negative aspects .

    1. the first negative aspect that you realise just in the beginning of the game is that the variety of the first pokemons you encounter is SUPER blank , in terms of looks , choice and even powerfull pokemons , the pokemons that generally we are looking for in a new gen is of course the new pokemons , but the first couple of pokemons in the route makes that impossible and every person you see playing the game ends up leaving the first route with a fletchling and hoppip.

    2. the poor performance of this game is what it makes almost impossible to enjoy , at the beginning everyone who played the game thinked for themselfs " ah this isnt to bad , clearly has some graphical issues but i can deal with it" but all of us thought about it before getting into the academy , after that we can see how lame the graphical issues and the performance are even 3ds pokemons games had better performance than this game .

    3. the concept of Crystallization at first look it looked interesting and fun but after playing the game for a while you see how useless and boring it is , was something just to "had" since shield had dynamax version but tbh it would be better without it .

    4. the story , it is good , i saw some people saying that the game was probably one of the best stories in pokemon and could compete with black and white but that is the biggest lie anyone could tell you about this game , the story is good? debatable , why you ask? because the only thing really good about the story of the game was the final who gave us a little bit of more emotion about the story and nice little flavor like " this was a interesting experience , not the best , not the worst , but it had potential" but the final apart the story is like a 6/10 .

    yeah overall its not a good experience just for the fact that any possitive aspect will be almost unrelevant because of its performance , makes it almost impossible to enjoy , its not the worst to tho its a experience that you end with mixed feelings , but majority of your walkthrough will depend of how much you love pokemon.    … Expand
  2. danisito123
    Aug 20, 2023
    5
    A ver, está bien, es un mundo abierto de Pokémon que en lo personal me ha dejado satisfecho, pero no me ha sorprendido. Tiene barbaridad de bugs, los gráficos, detalles y calidad es mediocre para un juego de 60€, no tengo mucho que decir de este juego ya que no es algo que merezca totalmente la pena, si te gusta Pokémon te gustará, está muy guay ir caminando por donde quieras y encontrarteA ver, está bien, es un mundo abierto de Pokémon que en lo personal me ha dejado satisfecho, pero no me ha sorprendido. Tiene barbaridad de bugs, los gráficos, detalles y calidad es mediocre para un juego de 60€, no tengo mucho que decir de este juego ya que no es algo que merezca totalmente la pena, si te gusta Pokémon te gustará, está muy guay ir caminando por donde quieras y encontrarte a los Pokémon caminando, lanzar a tu Pokémon a que haga un combate automático, tenerlo acompañándote y hacer las teraincursiones. Es un juego pasable pero solo para un tipo de público en específico… Expand
  3. Thunderfury1208
    Aug 11, 2023
    5
    mediocre at best. I have played every pokemon game that has released and I have witnessed this series evolve through its lifetime. The series has become easier and easier and I can see why the pokemon company would this and that's to make it easier for people to play the game. This game was an absolute joke when it comes to seeking a challenge. The story was okay but the fact that I hadmediocre at best. I have played every pokemon game that has released and I have witnessed this series evolve through its lifetime. The series has become easier and easier and I can see why the pokemon company would this and that's to make it easier for people to play the game. This game was an absolute joke when it comes to seeking a challenge. The story was okay but the fact that I had trouble with only 1 gym leader and that the only place that was even remotely challenging was area zero makes this game obsolete. Over the years pokemons designs have continued to plummet and with the recent news with the dogs like Riakou and Suicune becoming dinosaurs the designs just keep looking like utter crap. It is as if someone from the design team left their iPad unlocked and their children got ahold of it and designed something and pokemon company said "Okay we will go with that"… Expand
  4. thehexgames
    Jul 14, 2023
    7
    This game is so fun and the story was excellent...that's why it kills me to see how unfinished the final product is. Love to see Pokemon trying their hand at an open world game, but it plays like a beta version.
  5. MettaGo
    Jul 9, 2023
    6
    This is my first Pokemon game, I've watched the series when I was younger collected the cards, and has always wanted to play the game. I can say the game isn't perfect and pretty ugly, but it is so fun. The Starter Pokemon have never looked better, and the open world really gives a lot of content.
  6. drseven
    Jun 30, 2023
    6
    A change is needed in the Pokemon saga. The low performance and the level of bugs that the game presents is frustrating, the draw distance is nil. The game is fun and the open world is a good implementation in the saga, but one of Nintendo's pillars like the Pokemon saga deserves better treatment and standards, since all the good ideas they raise are clouded by their technical section.
  7. Rhex98
    Jun 24, 2023
    7
    El juego es divertido, cuenta con buenos nuevos Pokémon, tiene buenos personajes y una buena historia, además de ser el primero en tener un mundo completamente abierto sin tiempos de carga, el GRAN problema viene en su rendimiento, dios GameFreak como puedes sacar un juego en estas condiciones, tiene tantos bugs y un rendimiento terrible a 20 fps, horrible en todos los sentidos. Si eresEl juego es divertido, cuenta con buenos nuevos Pokémon, tiene buenos personajes y una buena historia, además de ser el primero en tener un mundo completamente abierto sin tiempos de carga, el GRAN problema viene en su rendimiento, dios GameFreak como puedes sacar un juego en estas condiciones, tiene tantos bugs y un rendimiento terrible a 20 fps, horrible en todos los sentidos. Si eres capaz de tanquear todo eso y eres fanático de la franquicia no te lo puedes perder, igualmente dudo que lo hagas.… Expand
  8. Ert0426
    Jun 11, 2023
    7
    Pokemon Violet could have been a fantastic game and a great leap forward for the Pokemon franchise, however, numerous bugs, graphical errors and oddities, framerate issues, a continued lack of voice acting, some weird omissions of features from previous games like catching pokemon without battling in legends: arceus, and an open world that, while vast and greatly detailed, can sometimesPokemon Violet could have been a fantastic game and a great leap forward for the Pokemon franchise, however, numerous bugs, graphical errors and oddities, framerate issues, a continued lack of voice acting, some weird omissions of features from previous games like catching pokemon without battling in legends: arceus, and an open world that, while vast and greatly detailed, can sometimes feel empty and lifeless. Fortunately, its new quality of life features, like auto battling, the unique designs of the new pokemon, the amount of freedom given to the player, and the new open world can at least keep Pokemon Violet on the level of being a good game, just not what it could've been.… Expand
  9. SolarEclipse
    Jun 8, 2023
    6
    PLEASE STOP CALLING ME MISS ECLIPSE IM NONBINARY

    Other than that it’s fine but the “Miss Eclipse” and the She/her pronouns are driving me insane
  10. SplitSecondRev
    May 16, 2023
    5
    I really wish I could give this the score it rightfully deserves, but when a game from 2017 runs 100x smoother without (almost) any frame issues, it's hard to overlook. I loved the game play and the open world. I loved being able to play with friends. There was so much right about this game, but the performance is really unforgivable.
    Pokemon has to push games out in order to sell    I really wish I could give this the score it rightfully deserves, but when a game from 2017 runs 100x smoother without (almost) any frame issues, it's hard to overlook. I loved the game play and the open world. I loved being able to play with friends. There was so much right about this game, but the performance is really unforgivable.
    Pokemon has to push games out in order to sell merchandise, TCG products, anime etc. Because of this, the games are rushed and can't be polished in a way that they deserve. I truly believe this game is a high 8 or 9, but is held back so much because of time constraints.
    Game play/Story, the only thing I wasn't a fan of was the Team Star story. I feel like it missed the mark and the older audience. It's certainly not like the story from previous installments and feels less like an "epic adventure" than before.
    I would love to change this score to what it should/could be, but even now all this time after release, the performance has not improved a single bit.    … Expand
  11. Ch4mallow
    May 15, 2023
    7
    Bon jeu , malheureusement pas très beau , avec quelque bug mais un bon jeu pokémon en monde ouvert je recommande de le faire tous de même
  12. jljosue
    May 12, 2023
    7
    Pokémon Violet presents many interesting and fun ideas, but unfortunately many of them are poorly executed. The premise of three routes or plots in this game seems unique to me, but the ease of many mini-games or challenges presented in Gym Leaders or Team Star discouraged me a bit. While many Pokémon are well designed and recreated in their habitats, the lousy performance of the gamePokémon Violet presents many interesting and fun ideas, but unfortunately many of them are poorly executed. The premise of three routes or plots in this game seems unique to me, but the ease of many mini-games or challenges presented in Gym Leaders or Team Star discouraged me a bit. While many Pokémon are well designed and recreated in their habitats, the lousy performance of the game terribly affects that sense of immersion with the Pokémon you encounter and the gameplay. All of this gave me the feeling that the game definitely needed more time, something Pokémon has been having a lot of trouble with lately, and their recent games speak for themselves. I hope that this in the future will change, and that these Pokémon Scarlet and Violet games will allow the Pokémon Company to rethink their priorities; where quality is above the amount of money they generate by wanting to release games on specific dates so as not to lose the economic business model they have. This business model, by the way, is affecting the company's image regarding the quality of their games. I, as a veteran fan of the Pokémon saga, know that they can do better and give more, and get out of that comfort zone.… Expand
  13. Somedude2
    May 3, 2023
    7
    Pokémon Violet is an interesting experience. The games story is in my opinion is pretty great the game juggles 3 story missions decently and it’s much better than most Pokémon games. The gameplay itself is standard to most other Pokémon games just this time the map is open and you can explore most of the map from the start. Personally I find this game pretty enjoyable for most Pokémon fansPokémon Violet is an interesting experience. The games story is in my opinion is pretty great the game juggles 3 story missions decently and it’s much better than most Pokémon games. The gameplay itself is standard to most other Pokémon games just this time the map is open and you can explore most of the map from the start. Personally I find this game pretty enjoyable for most Pokémon fans not the best game but also not the worst its right in the middle… Expand
  14. hk300
    May 1, 2023
    5
    I cannot deny that the gameplay loop and a lot of the concepts in the game are fun, ended up building a classics team full of pokemon from previous gens that I gel'd with. However, the technical state is disgusting both visually and performance wise, especially since I know the switch can handle games like Breath of the Wild, and Fire Emblem engage which run and look better. The new genI cannot deny that the gameplay loop and a lot of the concepts in the game are fun, ended up building a classics team full of pokemon from previous gens that I gel'd with. However, the technical state is disgusting both visually and performance wise, especially since I know the switch can handle games like Breath of the Wild, and Fire Emblem engage which run and look better. The new gen pokemon are grim if I'm to be frank though this is an subjective view. Though lack of voice acting isnt a point against it, it does start to grind on your gears when story battles have characters interrupting the action to talk, with no voices, cut scenes running with no voices. What is the point of attempting to be cinematic if you can't at least make these concessions. Maybe this should've had another year in the oven.… Expand
  15. azura_
    Apr 23, 2023
    5
    as many others have stated; the graphical issues and bugs are uncharacteristic of the series and frankly unacceptable. all made more frustrating considering theyve introduced some great new ideas for the franchise, the writing is fairly solid for pokemon, and that the bones of a good game are here. clawing back aspects of customization from x/y / sw/sh are also unwelcome, as is continuingas many others have stated; the graphical issues and bugs are uncharacteristic of the series and frankly unacceptable. all made more frustrating considering theyve introduced some great new ideas for the franchise, the writing is fairly solid for pokemon, and that the bones of a good game are here. clawing back aspects of customization from x/y / sw/sh are also unwelcome, as is continuing the recent trend of not including all current pokemon (not as necissarily obtainable in the game but at least transferrable from pokemon bank). overall theres decent enjoyment to be found here but i cant recommend supporting such an unpolished realese.… Expand
  16. Christian_TV
    Apr 15, 2023
    5
    This is the worst Pokemon game. The plot is boring,worse than Sun and Moon.The Graphic,the framerate and the bugs make this game an absolute torture.The worst thing are the buildings,not explorable and monotonus
  17. ElSmasher
    Apr 5, 2023
    7
    Before I start, I would like to congratulate Game Freak for taking the risk of having released for the first time a TRUE openworld (just like Sonic Frontiers) in such a short time. Pokemon Ecarlate and Violet are games that are unfortunately made "hastily", and this is felt with a technique that is excecrable, worse than that of Arceus. Bugs, clipping, aliasing, everything goes; TheBefore I start, I would like to congratulate Game Freak for taking the risk of having released for the first time a TRUE openworld (just like Sonic Frontiers) in such a short time. Pokemon Ecarlate and Violet are games that are unfortunately made "hastily", and this is felt with a technique that is excecrable, worse than that of Arceus. Bugs, clipping, aliasing, everything goes; The artistic direction however saves the furniture, and is better than LPA in my humble opinion. Apart from this "technical" part, the game is excellent. It is true that we can note some rhythmic problems because of the long pokemons captures, missing or weakened features in favor of the openworld or a weak post-game. But, its main frame is varied and is a pure pleasure, so addictive. RPG Codes are still as well retranscribed coupled with a lively openworld as air, we are free!!! The lifespan is impressive: 20-30h in rush, 60h if you take your time. We are a long way from Sword and Shield’s failure to take risks or the LPA’s broken promise. Pokemon Ecarlate and Violet is excellent, yes but unfortunately outdated by today’s technique, which makes it ugly.… Expand
  18. Aetherreal
    Apr 5, 2023
    6
    Despite having lots of good qualities, the game is a slog to go through due to lack of polish and slow pacing. Arceus is a much more rewarding experience.

    Pros: 400 Pokémon in the dex, 100 new Pokémon! New regional variants slap. The quality, detail, and originality of designs for characters and Pokémon is fantastic. The battle animations are great. The new mechanic provides a nice    Despite having lots of good qualities, the game is a slog to go through due to lack of polish and slow pacing. Arceus is a much more rewarding experience.

    Pros:
    400 Pokémon in the dex, 100 new Pokémon! New regional variants slap.
    The quality, detail, and originality of designs for characters and Pokémon is fantastic.
    The battle animations are great.
    The new mechanic provides a nice change for competitive players.
    Lots of different things to do (3 big "questlines")
    Fully open world and the freedom to do things in any order.
    New auto-battling mechanic reduces grind.
    Accessing storage boxes from the inventory is beautiful.
    Auto-heal and quick party reorganising are lovely.

    Cons:
    Bugs, visual glitches, corners cut all over.
    Various performance issues and one crash to date.
    Pacing is incredibly slow.
    Textures in the natural overworld are very lackluster.
    The legendary Pokémon is very low-quality in cutscenes. Very cringe.
    EXP share is still obligatory. Why no player agency?
    Music is fine.    … Expand
  19. HungryLarry
    Apr 2, 2023
    7
    This is the good game about pokemon with very bad graphics and classic pokemon catch system
  20. irai16
    Mar 28, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Yeah...this is a hard game to review. Even though I have enjoyed my time with it overall, I really can't give it a higher score due to its pathetic graphics and performance. The main story is alright, but the best part of the game is definitely the post-game in Area Zero which shockingly might have the best story in the entire series (RIP Turo!). The multiplayer as always is very fun, though they really need to add some guidance on stuff like EVs and IVs in the game itself, all the info is still only online. If you're a Pokemon fan, well, you probably already have this game, but if you're not, don't feel bad about skipping this.… Expand
  21. Bearyunite
    Mar 26, 2023
    7
    Actually even though most people don't like the game i do recommend it as it has a great story but it is bare bones so i wouldn't buy it unless you want to also get the DLC
  22. TJD2
    Mar 5, 2023
    7
    The game is fun to play and the Pokemon designs are pretty good. That said, the game is marred by technical issues and poor performance. The framerate will stutter and the game will slow down to a crawl even when nothing is going on. It feels like a power point at times. The open-world ambition is offset by these issues and they are too glaring to overlook. I wanted to absolutely loveThe game is fun to play and the Pokemon designs are pretty good. That said, the game is marred by technical issues and poor performance. The framerate will stutter and the game will slow down to a crawl even when nothing is going on. It feels like a power point at times. The open-world ambition is offset by these issues and they are too glaring to overlook. I wanted to absolutely love this game, and I like it enough not to return it, but Pokemon Legends Arceus is a much better game that does not suffer these problems. If a patch is not released soon I may not even end up beating this one.… Expand
  23. TheQweast
    Mar 3, 2023
    7
    Is the performance bad. Yes. Are the textures pretty damn low quality. Yes. Is the game fun to play. A million times over yes. The open world format fits Pokemon so well it's a great game I think the biggest issue is that it's a shame it couldn't have been done better some of the new Pokemon are a bit lackluster like all of the future forms being all samey. Also compared to the twoIs the performance bad. Yes. Are the textures pretty damn low quality. Yes. Is the game fun to play. A million times over yes. The open world format fits Pokemon so well it's a great game I think the biggest issue is that it's a shame it couldn't have been done better some of the new Pokemon are a bit lackluster like all of the future forms being all samey. Also compared to the two mainline games before it the dialogue is kept to a minimum.… Expand
  24. DarkQuill
    Mar 1, 2023
    6
    The game is actually pretty dang fun. Most of the bugs and glitches are visual-based, and those that affect gameplay aren't too big of a deal and usually correct themselves.

    The problem is that fans were promised a high-quality polished game in exchange for cutting Pokemon out, and now we've got neither of those. If this was the demo release it'd be another story, but it's a full-priced    The game is actually pretty dang fun. Most of the bugs and glitches are visual-based, and those that affect gameplay aren't too big of a deal and usually correct themselves.

    The problem is that fans were promised a high-quality polished game in exchange for cutting Pokemon out, and now we've got neither of those. If this was the demo release it'd be another story, but it's a full-priced game with a day1 patch and it's ridiculous how bad things are.

    I played this for a few hours but ended up returning it after finding out my favourite Pokemon was cut. Losing the motivation to find your favourite Pokemon coupled with the constant stuttering and camera glitches was too much, and not worth continuing. Gamefreak rushed this game out in such a poor state, and still can't put Pokemon in a Pokemon game, so why should anyone be anything but critical of them.

    6/10, because the game is a lot of fun, you can very easily see that when you play it. The problem is that what you see runs at 5FPS.

    01/03/2023 - After the v1.2 patch, the game runs significantly better. Hopefully there are still more optimization updates to come, but it is shaping up to be a better game now. The biggest thing the game has going against it is how extremely slow battles are, which unfortunately will probably never be updated. 6/10 for now, this is what the game should have at least been on launch.    … Expand
  25. Edele
    Feb 28, 2023
    6
    This is my first Pokemon game on the Switch. After the 3DS, I haven't played any Pokemon games for a long time. It's not a bad game, but once I finish it, I won't be opening it again.
  26. mepphy
    Nov 22, 2022
    7
    cool game,hope dlcs and next one can ACTUALLY evolve the formula also fixes were appreciated, would be cool to enter in houses
  27. Daniel1516
    Feb 24, 2023
    7
    esta culero mazizo lleno de errores en ocaciones ni se puede disfrutar Puntos(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 implementad    esta culero mazizo lleno de errores en ocaciones ni se puede disfrutar Puntos(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 implementad .    … Expand
  28. Degia24
    Feb 12, 2023
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game has a good potential, but it's too glitchy and with a lot of FPS drops (and certain wild Pokémon hordes makes the framerate more lower)
    Plus, the game could crash very easily in certain cases ("The software was closed because an error occurred") - especially during rainstorms, playing co-op or in some areas where FPS drops are common.
    Plus again, why gave to the player characters an absurd suit-and-tie 1960 style school uniform instead of a complete customizable set of clothes?

    Peccato!    … Expand
  29. Super_Oshawott
    Feb 8, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After the review bomb that happened on the day of the release and playing it all the way through, I can say that everyone that reviewed negatively docent know what fun is.

    It's not perfect, especially with the stability of the game, but this is way better than Pokemon Sword by a long shot. The story is fun, Arven is a great character and the connection your character has with the main legendary is a lot more unique than anything Nintendo put out for the series since Black and White.

    It's has its issues, but it's fun. And that's all a game really needs.    … Expand
  30. magerehein666
    Feb 5, 2023
    7
    The framerate issues and glitches took away a bit of how fun the gameplay is. I have been a fan of Pokemon for over 20 years so I am a bit biased to like the game. But I found the storyline nice, better than Sw/Sh. Postgame is fun as well. Excited for the DLC
  31. XEclipse360
    Feb 4, 2023
    6
    I like this game, but I despise the tera raids.
    I feel like they are way too hard. Why does the timer go down during an animation.
  32. StarterBordlord
    Feb 3, 2023
    7
    Pretty fun game, only reason I'm giving it a 7 is that I got softlocked because I kept on crashing in the 7th gym. Took me a literal month until it worked again.
  33. Tubey
    Feb 3, 2023
    5
    Pokémon Violet is the first game in the series where I've thought "you know, maybe it's not for me anymore." Not because of the technical issues, but because the game is so dumbed down with Exp. Share and auto-battles and the 'open world' aspect is so half-arsed that it just all feels... wrong.

    I loved Arceus, I had high hopes of Violet/Scarlet after seeing it being pitched as a hybrid    Pokémon Violet is the first game in the series where I've thought "you know, maybe it's not for me anymore." Not because of the technical issues, but because the game is so dumbed down with Exp. Share and auto-battles and the 'open world' aspect is so half-arsed that it just all feels... wrong.

    I loved Arceus, I had high hopes of Violet/Scarlet after seeing it being pitched as a hybrid of a traditional game and the new introduced in Arceus, but... while it actually DOES do that to a large degree, it just doesn't work.

    To touch briefly on the technical troubles, yes, it runs terribly, objects and people in the distance are extremely off putting as they half load into existence, and I had one complete system crash at one point, so it's an unoptimised rushed mess. But it's Game Freak, it's what they do, Sword/Shield was similar too, so as a series veteran I basically expect semi-broken games at this point, so it's not as big a factor to me as it would be for someone coming in fresh.

    I like the new Pokémon, no problems there, and the academy system is OK. But... yeah, the game just feels all kinds of wrong and the series is moving in the wrong direction. Yes, your target audience is younger, but you don't have to treat kids like idiots, they know how to play games, they don't need everything to be baby mode.    … Expand
  34. Pugtron
    Jan 31, 2023
    5
    Lechonk!!!!??!?!!!?!?!??!??!?!??!???!!???!??!?!??!??!??!??!??!??!!?!??!?????!!???
  35. RevUBrah
    Jan 29, 2023
    7
    I've been one of GF's biggest critics since the Gen 6 Battle Frontier fiasco, and if not for the rushed development I'd call this a step in the right direction. Good mon variety (aside from some uninspired designs like "Flamigo") and freedom to catch & explore like Legends Arceus shows that they've learned from some of their mistakes. However, the lag and removal of Megas/Nat Dex ensuresI've been one of GF's biggest critics since the Gen 6 Battle Frontier fiasco, and if not for the rushed development I'd call this a step in the right direction. Good mon variety (aside from some uninspired designs like "Flamigo") and freedom to catch & explore like Legends Arceus shows that they've learned from some of their mistakes. However, the lag and removal of Megas/Nat Dex ensures this game will never stand among the greats like SoulSilver or Emerald.… Expand
  36. GlassesGamer55
    Jan 17, 2023
    5
    This is simultaneously a really fun pokemon game and the biggest embarrassment Gamefreak has ever made. I played through the entire thing with a friend and I might not have gotten through it otherwise.

    The open world is super fun to explore and the story has some good moments especially toward the end. The new pokemon designs are also amazing. This is balanced by **** gym puzzles and    This is simultaneously a really fun pokemon game and the biggest embarrassment Gamefreak has ever made. I played through the entire thing with a friend and I might not have gotten through it otherwise.

    The open world is super fun to explore and the story has some good moments especially toward the end. The new pokemon designs are also amazing. This is balanced by **** gym puzzles and the entire team Star questline being uninteresting.

    It's quite hard to recommend this game in its current state while it's full of glitches, crashes and poor performance issues which will probably never be fixed.    … Expand
  37. Noperope
    Jan 4, 2023
    5
    The overall gameplay isn't bad but not exactly great either. It's clear it was rushed out the door before it was ready, but hopefully something will be done in the future to correct most of the bugs and glitches.

    I genuinely like the story, even with it being much more darker than the games I've played. It has relatively diverse characters, some that I can even relate to. There are some    The overall gameplay isn't bad but not exactly great either. It's clear it was rushed out the door before it was ready, but hopefully something will be done in the future to correct most of the bugs and glitches.

    I genuinely like the story, even with it being much more darker than the games I've played. It has relatively diverse characters, some that I can even relate to. There are some characters and aspects of the story that could have been written better but, at this point, I'll take what I can get.

    What has really bothered me is the Tera Raids. More specifically, how the Tera Raids only have a certain amount of time for players to defeat the Tera Pokemon. That also includes how time is taken away whenever a Pokemon faints. I personally believe they should have kept the same or made a very similar mechanic as to Pokemon Sword and Shield. It could still be frustrating but it was no where near as bad as in Violet and Scarlet. I'll be honest that I can be quick to frustration but I've never been so easily frustrated with time-sensitive games until Violet and Scarlet. I've lost count of how many Tera Raids I, and most certainly others, have lost in a row because of the current time mechanic. The most I would change is taking time away when a Pokemon faints, seeing how the more times you faint, the longer it takes to be revived back into battle. I genuinely believe it would make it a much more bearable game.    … Expand
  38. ILIKETHEGAME
    Jan 3, 2023
    7
    i beat this game and the game is fun. but the graphics are... horrible HOW NINTENDO CAN PUBLISH A GAME LIKE THAT
  39. ND-Bringer
    Jan 3, 2023
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. To kick off Generation Nine, we have Scarlet and Violet. And man, I wish this game did so much more. Because this is the most fun I've had with a modern Pokemon game in a long time. Of course I can't deny its obvious flaws, but out of all the Pokemon games I've played on Switch, I find this to be the most enjoyable one.

    In this world, you have been accepted to join a prestigious Pokemon Academy to learn how to become an expert trainer. It reminds me of Kaiba's Duel Monsters Academy from Yu-Gi-Oh Gx. But before you can start that, you come across a mysterious motorcycle dragon Pokemon injured on the beach known as Miraidon. And at the start of the game Miraidon really reflected my current mood.

    Seeing the poor performance rate mixed in with the sprite glitches I feared that this was the new norm for Pokemon any many other future Switch games. Unenjoyable game design that spits at the legacy of the past titles. I thought I was in for the same old predictable formula that returned in Sword and Shield. And then I was given a delightful surprise.

    I was tasked with completing three different adventures. One involving the traditional Pokemon League challenge, one involving duels with giant boss Pokemon to collect rare healing herbs for Arven, and one for dismantling the bases of the peer-pressure group known as Team Star. And what's really great about these challenges is that you can take on each individual stage in any order you want. This feature feels incredibly refreshing.

    The large world acts like the Wild Area from Sword and Shield. In fact, this is what I wanted from Sword and Shield originally. This open world style of gameplay that's popular in titles like Super Mario Odyssey has finally arrived in the core series. It has evolved from the simple spin-off game experiment that it was in Legends Arceus.

    The only thing limiting exploration is the locked abilities hidden with in the dragon motorcycle, that can only be unlocked by completing the Titan Pokemon challenges. But thanks to the fast travel system, backtracking is anything but a pain. Just make sure you pay close attention to the terrain on the map.

    As for the levels themselves they're pretty nice. Plenty of secrets to discover, aggressive Pokemon ready to force you into battles, rare Technical Machines to fine, the works. My favorite part of the game was climbing up the steepest mountain in the area and admiring all the surroundings as the moon rose with my dragon motorcycle.

    This dragon motorcycle by the way, is a legitimate character in the story. I have never bonded this much with a Legendary Pokemon before. It loves to beg for sandwiches, it licks people like a dog, it's just packed with personality. As for the characters and story in general, they feel refreshing too in comparison to the past Switch games.

    Sword and Shield had a rushed climax mixed in with villains that are designed to insult your intelligence. While Legends Arceus had an obvious villain and some poor storytelling elements in the final act. But here in Scarlet and Violet, the story is really enjoyable. You learn about Arven's sad childhood, interact with plenty of fun gym leaders, and learn about Team Star's misfortunate tragedy. Which is the most interesting part of the game.

    Team Star are not generic villains with the sole purpose of fulfilling the villain trope of the Pokemon universe. They are a group of students that banded together to stop the bully infestation that plagued their academy about a year ago. It is revealed that the academy was once a more ruthless place. It was such a poor learning institute, that the former instructors erased the data about the bully war to escape the blame.

    The Team Star bases were really entertaining to take on. You are tasked with using three Pokemon to auto battle the majority of the grunts. It's more of a survival challenge than a dungeon challenge, and while I still miss those challenges, this is an acceptable substitute.

    There are signs of quality game design regarding the new exploration, battle, and catching mechanics. And with much more polished storytelling that rivals Sun and Moon's, it seemed that GameFreak would be developing a Switch game that was a cut above the rest. You'd think that despite its performance issues we would get a solid game. Well, that's almost true.

    The biggest problem of this game is Champion Geeta. It's a good thing she isn't the real final boss, because her team is pathetic. It's full of holes and mediocre advantages. She is a disgrace to the title Top Champion.

    But being the highest level trainer to rematch in the post game, she represents the only ultimate battle challenge right now. With the lack of a Battle Tower and Downloadable Content, there is no real challenge to take on after the main story is complete. I enjoyed the main game thoroughly, but there is nothing left for me to do right now.    … Expand
  40. Hesht
    Dec 29, 2022
    6
    The Good;
    The characters are arguably the deepest the series has introduced. Each of the players’ friends have strengths and flaws, and are even relatable in ways previous games missed.
    The new Pokémon designs are great. There’s a few who stand out above the rest, but it’s definitely one of the better generations for new Pokémon. The map is great, and the open world was implemented in the    The Good;
    The characters are arguably the deepest the series has introduced. Each of the players’ friends have strengths and flaws, and are even relatable in ways previous games missed.
    The new Pokémon designs are great. There’s a few who stand out above the rest, but it’s definitely one of the better generations for new Pokémon.
    The map is great, and the open world was implemented in the best possible way. Where Legends Arceus walked, Violet and Scarlet ran.
    Team Star we’re a nice change of pace from the usual evil team.
    Telling part of the game’s story through going to class and befriending teachers was a good idea. I originally dismissed the school classes as unnecessary until I tried them, and found them very worthwhile in the end.

    The bad;
    Game performance. You’ll be lucky to maintain more than 20 fps in the open world. The longer the game remains open the worse the performance. Closing the game and reopening helps to a degree, but not for long. The performance is the only thing I marked the game down for, so believe me when I say it’s bad. I haven’t played a game with performance this bad since I tried playing Crysis on a Windows Vista laptop with less than a GB of RAM.    … Expand
  41. VinceTrousers
    Dec 29, 2022
    5
    Overall, a shockingly disappointing downgrade from Legends Arceus in almost every regard. The world may be open, and you may be able to tackle objectives in any order, but the whole ordeal is so lifeless. It's like looking at a table with various slices of cheese laying about, not on plates or anything, just kinda sitting flat on the table. Some slices are slightly moldy, others have catOverall, a shockingly disappointing downgrade from Legends Arceus in almost every regard. The world may be open, and you may be able to tackle objectives in any order, but the whole ordeal is so lifeless. It's like looking at a table with various slices of cheese laying about, not on plates or anything, just kinda sitting flat on the table. Some slices are slightly moldy, others have cat hair on them, and the rare few that are clean were left out of the fridge for too long and taste somewhat passable, but are a little too soft and dubious to truly enjoy. You can eat the slices in any order you'd like though!… Expand
  42. Fra99
    Dec 26, 2022
    5
    The game looks glitchy and empty. The map is empty, the cities are empty, all the npcs are useless and doest say anything interesting. You cant customise your character that much, in fact during the online matches we trainers look all the same. The plot is quite interesting but the difficult is set too low. The raids are glithcy as well a
  43. Divad27
    Dec 17, 2022
    7
    What a shame game, one of the most fun in the saga that is affected by how bad it is, apart from being ugly it looks really bad, with exaggerated drops in fps and textures that make you dizzy. If you try to forget about all that, it is very very entertaining and has a story that is possibly the best in the series (After BW and BW2)
  44. LysanderAG
    Dec 10, 2022
    5
    This game feels very rushed, doesnt even feel like an actual pokemon game because of how much bugs it has and the gameplay it has aswell, the graphics and sounds are some points, ill give you that, but id rather play pokemon yellow than buy and play this.
  45. epeternally
    Dec 10, 2022
    5
    Rather lovely at its best moments, but hilariously buggy and shamelessly unfinished. This is one of those games that didn't need another 6 months of development, it needed another 12-18. The core gameplay loop is still fun - there's only so far you can screw up Pokemon, but none of us should have put up with this level of disrespect from Nintendo.
  46. nzmetacritic
    Dec 9, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Hi Guys. I am enjoying this game so far. However, I have Mix reviews on this game. Technically I would rate this a 6.5/10 however I am a bit nostalgic and I still love Pokemon even if it wasn't to my expectations.

    The Storyline is great, its actually really enjoyable. However it is bit of children storyline and too simplistic for me. it doesn't give me a wow factor for sure. The Characters are great, full of personalities and great design. The animation is much better than the old, old Pokemon games.
    The open world is great for exploring but the design element is very, very poor. The interior design inside the buildings are amazing! But the outside world is lacking any innovative designs. Its basically just snow, grass, some trees, same cliffs, and water. It doesn't make me feel connected to the world that I am in. Monster Hunter World is one of the few Switch games that I have actually felt mesmerized by the world. But I love the fact that you can explore the world with 1-4 players in the same party, battle and watch your friend get beaten by your other friend, do raids together, ride mounts together etc.
    I like how I can change some of my clothing accessories but unfortunately you can't change your uniform which is a shame.

    Definitely performance issue. When moving around to the next place you can see the screen glitch a little, its minimal but noticeable. This means its running very low FPS. This is bad for a triple AAA game company. Why does Zelda and Immortal fenyx have better level designs and environment and still retain good FPS. Strange ?? The Sunflora animation is a good example of BAD FPS. The lighting and the shadows can be very poor or not optimized properly.
    Please optimize Gamefreak. I do miss the fishing rods and the tall grass. I wish they could have still implemented this idea and have more foliage, plants, forests, reefs, rock pools. more terrain, caves with crystals, gemstones or something to give more life to the Pokémons we love. This is a very low bar expectational game. The original addictiveness of the game still remains and still fun catching and battling. Tera Raids is ok, not my taste. Gamefreak you should always take your time developing and spend at least 4-5 years. Its not a bad game but it's not great either. This i why I give it a 7/10.    … Expand
  47. bremensberg
    Dec 9, 2022
    7
    A Pokémon game with many new ideas. The open world, different story paths the way of catching. They took many good things from Legends Arceus in the game and it makes fun. But you can not play the game without realizing that it is un unfinished game that was rushed in the developement. All those bugs and glitches, clipping through the floor, game crashes, low frames and all the bad stuff.A Pokémon game with many new ideas. The open world, different story paths the way of catching. They took many good things from Legends Arceus in the game and it makes fun. But you can not play the game without realizing that it is un unfinished game that was rushed in the developement. All those bugs and glitches, clipping through the floor, game crashes, low frames and all the bad stuff. The game would have needed half a year more in developement, the old attention to details, Pokémon ever had.… Expand
  48. Argonaut69
    Dec 7, 2022
    5
    I would've rated this game a 9, but after sun and moon, the pokemon games are getting worse. The pokemon company should take more time and make a better game than rushing and releasing an unfinished game with so many issues which makes us pokemon fans disappointed to play the new mainline game.
  49. xionthedark
    Dec 7, 2022
    7
    A better step up than the previous title. Fun game and good story. The game definitely should have been delayed and worked on further. No excuse on the state this game is in when launched. Would be a 8 or a 9 but right now. its a 6 for me.
  50. Rwebee
    Dec 7, 2022
    5
    Disappointing, but if I were a child, this would have been fun. Now that I'm older I understand when a game is simply not up to parr. It's so incredibly frustrating knowing pokemon is one of the highest grossing franchises and it's games can't even compare to many games that far less popular. Feels like a greedy cash grab to be honest.
  51. Bonez2520
    Dec 7, 2022
    7
    I've been playing Pokemon for years "since Red and Blue" and by far this one has me a bit flustered. The previous games that released didn't have hardly any performance issues this one has currently. And it just had it's first update with no improvements. It soooo laggy at most times, light from the sun and moon clips through mountain tops while playing. They removed the catching featureI've been playing Pokemon for years "since Red and Blue" and by far this one has me a bit flustered. The previous games that released didn't have hardly any performance issues this one has currently. And it just had it's first update with no improvements. It soooo laggy at most times, light from the sun and moon clips through mountain tops while playing. They removed the catching feature that was in Pokemon Arceus "which was great for catching Pokemon in mass outbreaks" but they kept the battle feature. Raids are so bugged right now, it gets so frustrating to battle when the bot your battling against buffs itself multiple times and debuffs you before you can even attack! I'm not saying that Game Freak won't fix some of these issues but come on fix the bugs in plain sight first before releasing the game. Stop this trend of releasing unfinished games! But the Pokemon in this game look awesome " they added fur and scales to certain mon" which look great. The map is massive compared to the other games and it looks almost breathtaking. Overall I give this game a 7 out of 10.… Expand
  52. shay4567
    Dec 7, 2022
    7
    Il gioco è bello, è bello l'open world e sono belli i nuovi Pokémon (circa) ma è una noia la modalità di cattura e il movimento non è soddisfacente come su Arceus.
  53. VanguardSoul
    Dec 7, 2022
    5
    The Good: Fantastic new Pokémon and evolution mechanics. Game Freak hit it out of the park as far as those are concerned. Decent story too.

    The Bad: The most extreme frame rate and visual glitch problems I’ve ever seen in a Nintendo game. It becomes downright unenjoyable to play at times. Additionally, I’ve rarely played an open world game such as this one that leans so heavily on the    The Good: Fantastic new Pokémon and evolution mechanics. Game Freak hit it out of the park as far as those are concerned. Decent story too.

    The Bad: The most extreme frame rate and visual glitch problems I’ve ever seen in a Nintendo game. It becomes downright unenjoyable to play at times. Additionally, I’ve rarely played an open world game such as this one that leans so heavily on the structured story. Half the point of an open-world game is the exploration and “making your own story”. This game doesn’t really do that too much, as the open world feels fairly shallow without much mystery or wonder in it. Also, the game is far too easy. I’m not expecting a Nintendo game to be too difficult, but this game is like a light stroll at the park, even for most children. Lastly, there is almost no postgame content. Once you beat the game, there’s very little to do, which has not been the historical case for Nintendo games which usually try to provide a replayable activity or series of particularly difficult challenges unlocked after beating the main game. This game doesn’t truly have that. All-in-all I would not recommend this game to almost anyone. Children may highly enjoy it, but anyone older than 12 years old is going to be frustrated with the lag, glitches, and ease of the “challenges” and bosses.    … Expand
  54. Eleiyas
    Dec 6, 2022
    6
    Pokémon Violet is a good Pokémon game - but it is not a good game, if that makes sense.

    It's arguably one of the most fun and most modern Pokémon experiences we've had, which is why everyone is giving this a 10/10, however it is marred by technical issues; poor graphics, poor performance, scummy marketing practices that are a decade-outdated and more. Despite the Switch supporting    Pokémon Violet is a good Pokémon game - but it is not a good game, if that makes sense.

    It's arguably one of the most fun and most modern Pokémon experiences we've had, which is why everyone is giving this a 10/10, however it is marred by technical issues; poor graphics, poor performance, scummy marketing practices that are a decade-outdated and more.

    Despite the Switch supporting 1080p, 60fps, this game runs (docked) at 720p, 30fps - yet the thing is, you'll barely ever get those 30fps, because of the constant stuttering and assets loading in in the background.
    In certain areas and cities, you will be lucky to get 20fps, let alone 30fps.
    The graphics, despite being much better than some past titles, still pale in comparison to nearly any other modern game - heck, Breath of the Wild still looks better and that game is a good few years old now. Anything in the distance becomes a blur of muddy, tiled texture-work, while when you get close it just slaps the higher-fidelity texture on, with zero fade-in. It's incredibly jarring.
    One of the most crazy things is that this game makes Legends: Arceus look fantastic - and although they were developed at the same time, Arceus did come out first, meaning the older game does look better.
    It's also still debateable whether they should have settled on Let's Go: Pikachu/Eevee art-style and graphics, rather than this semi-realistic look they are currently going for (and kind-of failing at).
    This doesn't even cover the terrible coding this game seems to have, with NPCs and Pokémon dropping to 3fps when they go more than 1 metre away from the player, while when entering a city, the models will pop into existence mere centimetres from the player.

    In terms of other cons, the National Dex cut does still affect these games, so be prepared for scummy DLC that re-adds a bunch more mons in.
    There's also the topic of the dual-version release, which is still just as scummy as it always was.
    Scarlet and Violet, just like Sword/Shield and Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, are the exact same game, just shipped with 2 lines of code differing between versions.
    As many dataminers have proved, you can actually get Violet to run as Scarlet using an extremely quick memory edit - which is ridiculous.
    This practice should have ended when the internet became accessible (DS era) - but it still exists in full force, to get unknowing/hardcore fans to pick up the dual pack and dual-DLC-pack for the extra $$$. Not to mention the Pokémon Home and Switch Online subs as well.

    Now, as I said, these games are fun and are arguably the best Pokémon games in a long time.
    For once, the story is actually darn good. Like, really darn good.
    Finding Pokémon in the overworld and such is also really nice and exploring Paldea on-top of the box-legend is a neat feature - although I would have preferred the Let's Go version where we could ride any Pokémon we owned.

    A big issue concerning the story elements though, is that there is no level-scaling. You can do everything out of order, which is a fresh-take on the formula, but the lack of level scaling means that if you do do things out of order, you might find yourself with level 30 mons against the "8th" gym with level 45-50s, or you could have level 60 mons against the "1st" gym that has level 14-15 mons.
    Essentially, if you don't want to get stomped, or don't want to do the stomping, you need to look up a "recommended guide/path" - which then makes the game extremely linear, just like every game before it. Also, because Gym Badges only work based on the caught-level, there is a high probability the player will take their level 5-10 starter and a couple of "route 1" mons and power-level to 50+, simply by exploring the map and catching/battling higher-level mons.

    I know I keep going kind of back and forth between pro and con here, but that is ultimately what the game is like. For every step forward, there are 1 or more steps backwards. Getting competitive Pokémon and power-levelling to 100 is easy with Raid Dens and such - but then you find out that certain options that were staples, like "battle mode" or "battle animations" have been completely removed for no apparent reason. Finding nearly the entire Pokédex, either in the wild or in Raid Dens is amazing, but then, due to the terrible pop-in and draw-distance, you will be zooming around on the box-legend and getting into so many tedious and unwanted wild battles, because you will not see the Pokémon you slammed into, before you slam into it.

    Overall, I'll rate Pokémon Violet (and Scarlet as they are the same game) a 6/10 on my end. They have potential, but should not have been released in this state - and for how long do we have to keep saying "it's a step in the right direction" before we get the game we actually should have on the Switch?    … Expand
  55. Bobbythekai
    Dec 6, 2022
    5
    Greatest pokemon game in a while, this is the first pokemon game with like full actual Co-op and I can't wait to see what happens with the franchise now
  56. JadenSpooky
    Dec 6, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This review is based on my complete experience of the game up until the post-story game sequence.

    I am absolutely absorbed in the game. After BW 1/2, I thought every main title game left something to be desired (mainly Speaking: SM, and SwSh). At least, this game tried to be a little different.

    Was going to write a megapost review, but I'll keep it to a few sentences.

    Tera transformations are a nice addition to the game. It changes the pokemon's type, and boosts moves of the same type. I wish they had used something besides the den system, but making it time based instead of knock-out cap was a welcomed change.

    The big bad didn't really connect the plot points together imo. It really only resonated with one story line, and the rest feels tagged along.

    The gym challenges are just okay. I didnt enjoy pushing the bean to the goal.

    Team Star challenges are pretty repetitive.

    Titans were silly.

    Breeding makes you play an active role, which I feel neutral to.

    The boss fight was pretty cool. I very much prefer it to SwSh's chairman bossfight.

    You all know about the framerate issues and glitches. I don't like them. Buuut Despite the issues i had with the game, I don't think SV doesn't deserve an initial score less than SwSh or BdSp.    … Expand
  57. Pyrobound
    Dec 6, 2022
    7
    This would honestly be the best pokemon game since black and white if based on story alone, however this is a modern pokemon game so it's filled with issues. Mainly performance issues. I won't claim the graphics themselves are bad (for pokemon), but the absolutely abysmal performance is unacceptable. Frequent slowdown, lag, and outright crashes from memory leak is NOT acceptable in theThis would honestly be the best pokemon game since black and white if based on story alone, however this is a modern pokemon game so it's filled with issues. Mainly performance issues. I won't claim the graphics themselves are bad (for pokemon), but the absolutely abysmal performance is unacceptable. Frequent slowdown, lag, and outright crashes from memory leak is NOT acceptable in the current day in age of games. It really does take away from the experience when you're trying to immerse yourself in the story and the npcs move at 5 frames per second. I am aware you can SOMEWHAT fix these issues by closing and reopening the game to reset memory leak, but I shouldn't have to jump through hoops to make the game playable in the first place. Your average player who does frequent internet discussion about the game won't know that they need to do this in the first place and more than likely experience terrible performance and glitches from memory leak. It's a shame because gameplay wise, this is the most solid modern pokemon game in years. The open world is vast and entirely explorable, right from the moment you get you ride pokemon. Though I do wish they had level scaling and team scaling specifically for the gym leaders, it's still incredibly fun to go off the beaten path and fight something 20 levels above you and win. You can just go straight to the final areas and catch the pseudo legendary of this gen right away if you want. I won't spoil anything, but the ending of the game is the best one we've had in forever. Finally the ability to play online in real time with your friends is a major plus and something we've needed for a while. Despite my thorough criticisms, I still think this is a good but flawed game. I had fun and I think you can too. I'm just warning you that the performance issues are vast and I can only hope they update them out because it's a shame that such a good pokemon game is bogged down with these kind of issues.… Expand
  58. grimreapersims
    Dec 6, 2022
    7
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  59. DukeOfKings
    Dec 6, 2022
    5
    While the games do have glitches, my copy had essentially none, and actual game quality wise, it's loads better than the slog Pokemon's put out recently. Normally I'd give 4/5, but I'll give leeway due to review bombs from people who haven't played it.
  60. Devashish623
    Dec 5, 2022
    7
    Pros: Amazing Soundtrack.
    Truly open world.
    When completely still/no bugs, game looks amazing! Heart touching story. Cons: Though I have not got any major bug, it might be cause I play offline solo, the game does run slow, which is to its detriment. Heck, a single player only person like me is giving this otherwise amazing game a 7 due to how bad the fps can be, and how slow and sluggish    Pros: Amazing Soundtrack.
    Truly open world.
    When completely still/no bugs, game looks amazing!
    Heart touching story.

    Cons:
    Though I have not got any major bug, it might be cause I play offline solo, the game does run slow, which is to its detriment. Heck, a single player only person like me is giving this otherwise amazing game a 7 due to how bad the fps can be, and how slow and sluggish it feels.
    The soundtrack does get boring soon due to repetition.    … Expand
  61. Lillix225
    Dec 5, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It is an very nice game with nice Storys bit the Grafic is very bad, many gliches in the wall or under the map......You can go with 2 fps… Expand
  62. QUIICKCLAW
    Dec 5, 2022
    7
    Pokémon Violet is a step in the right direction for GameFreak and the Pokémon Company.
    The first ‘truely open-world’ Pokémon game delivers on the expectation. Enjoyable world traversal, interesting locales to explore and unique Pokémon to find makes the Paldea region a joy to simply wander.
    For the first time in a while, GameFreak has also stepped up its character writing. Each of the    Pokémon Violet is a step in the right direction for GameFreak and the Pokémon Company.
    The first ‘truely open-world’ Pokémon game delivers on the expectation. Enjoyable world traversal, interesting locales to explore and unique Pokémon to find makes the Paldea region a joy to simply wander.

    For the first time in a while, GameFreak has also stepped up its character writing. Each of the prominent characters are a treat to deal with, Arven in particular, and Nemona is one of the first ‘Rival’ characters in some time to feel like a genuine rival to the player.

    Despite these excellent improvements to the series, Violet is not without some significant issues holding it back. Game slow-down is a major flaw in the Generation 9 experience, noticed in many areas across the game, sometimes to extreme degrees, quickly breaking immersion and gameflow.
    The game’s ‘Tera Raid Battles’ also suffer serious desync issues that result in buggy fights, confusion in what is happening and even serious glitches, such as being forced to sit on a white screen for up to a minute while battle sounds continue to play in the background.

    Pokémon Violet is 100% a step in the right direction for the Pokémon franchise, but its lack of polish is worrying as it seems to be becoming a bit of a norm.
    Had Violet been a polished experience on launch, it may have been lauded as the one of the best Pokémon games in a decade…    … Expand
  63. edta_na
    Dec 5, 2022
    6
    The story of this game, is one of the better ones since the days of B/W and B/W 2. But, the performance issues are atrocious. It would have been better, if Scarlet and Violet were scheduled for a late 2023 release instead.
  64. MrEmpee
    Dec 2, 2022
    5
    "Pokémon ha toccato il fondo e non contento si è messo a scavare" ... Questo è il commento più sincero che posso fare sui videogiochi di nova generazione, problemi di game design evidenti, world building grezzo, bilanciamento della difficoltà rotto, zero contestualizzazione delle creature nelle mappe, nessun interno di negozi o abitazioni, grafica da pre-alpha ps3, trama interessante ma"Pokémon ha toccato il fondo e non contento si è messo a scavare" ... Questo è il commento più sincero che posso fare sui videogiochi di nova generazione, problemi di game design evidenti, world building grezzo, bilanciamento della difficoltà rotto, zero contestualizzazione delle creature nelle mappe, nessun interno di negozi o abitazioni, grafica da pre-alpha ps3, trama interessante ma raccontata come se il pubblico avesse sei anni e tutto questo pattume è condito da bug e glitch di ogni tipo. Un prodotto nel migliore dei casi molto lontano dalla forma finale e nel peggiore perfettamente conforme alle scarse abilità dello sviluppatore, sicuramente il punto più basso della saga.… Expand
  65. 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
  66. Danelius216
    Dec 1, 2022
    7
    Pokemon Violet was the first game I've been able to complete since Pokemon Y or Omega Ruby. I have purchased and failed to complete Pokemon Moon, Sword, Brilliant Diamond, and Legends Arceus. I do want to eventually go back and finish them, but I struggled to maintain focus. Pokemon Violet (and Scarlet are riddled with graphical glitches, bugs, and frustrating mechanics, however the corePokemon Violet was the first game I've been able to complete since Pokemon Y or Omega Ruby. I have purchased and failed to complete Pokemon Moon, Sword, Brilliant Diamond, and Legends Arceus. I do want to eventually go back and finish them, but I struggled to maintain focus. Pokemon Violet (and Scarlet are riddled with graphical glitches, bugs, and frustrating mechanics, however the core of the gameplay, story, and characters kept me there for the entire game. Pokemon riding my ass while battling something else and immediately getting me caught in unwanted battles was real frustrating. The "Let's Go" feature is pretty rough around the edges. Feeling unresponsive at times. The pop in is really bad, and frame drops sometimes make me want to turn the game off with how bad it can get. But that was only twice and never did I get a crash or bug that broke my game. To be honest it didnt sour my experience much because I was just happy that the core game was good. Great even. The new Pokemon are wonderful, the story is the best in the series in my opinion. The region is stellar (when it doesnt chug at 10 frames per second with pop in and such) but that didnt really kill my excitement. I felt like a kid again. I think people are too cynical about performance. This felt like a real Pokemon game and I hope with patches and bug fixes that it will just continue to get better with time and DLC. When the problems get fixed I can easily see this as a 9/10, but for now 7/10 is my score.… Expand
  67. MechGundam13
    Dec 1, 2022
    7
    Pokemon does one step forward and three steps backwards.

    I'm not going to talk about the countless glitches, bugs, performance issues because I'm sure they are going to get fixed. Lets address the Elephant in the room, the graphics, the graphics even for a switch game are really bad and it's not like the switch couldn't handle better graphics, SMT, Monster Hunter, Zelda and even    Pokemon does one step forward and three steps backwards.

    I'm not going to talk about the countless glitches, bugs, performance issues because I'm sure they are going to get fixed.

    Lets address the Elephant in the room, the graphics, the graphics even for a switch game are really bad and it's not like the switch couldn't handle better graphics, SMT, Monster Hunter, Zelda and even Pokemon Lets Go are graphically way more impressive and that's what Pokemon should at least look like.

    The new story ,,paths'' are all nice and bring something new to Pokemon, but they are not executed perfectly well.

    Also while the game has cut scenes, they are in silence, they should have at least voice actors for the cut scenes.

    Archiving major accomplishments like beating the Pokemon League are not celebrate like in other games and is basically nothing special in this game.

    The new Pokemon's are all nice and I like the new Forms of certain Pokemon's.

    The new Tera transformations dosnt't look really nice and while it bring something to the competitive multiplayer, they don't bring anything to the main game.

    Also new mechanics like ,,auto-battles'' don't really work well, the path finding of your Pokemon screws up a lot.

    If we are also going to talk about the new open world, there is basically nothing to explore or see, it's just a empty world.

    Another thing I didn't like was you can't go in every building, you can't talk to every NPC and trainer battles are optional.

    Visual customization of your own character was cut in content a lot in comparison to sword and shield.

    I still had fun exploring the new Pokemon and I did like the Zone Zero area in the game, so that's why I still give the game a decent rating.

    Game Freak should take some time off there normal release schedule and really work on a good Pokemon Game.    … Expand
  68. Wushall
    Nov 30, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm 30 years old and I played all the games in the franchise, and after being disappointed with Sword and Shield, I came with a lot of hype for this game.

    Yes, the performance of the game is terrible, the game is clearly not finished and gamefreak shouldn't have released this as a final product, the deadlines have clearly been cut so that it could be released this year, which I don't think was necessary as it had the remakes last year and Legend Of Arceus at the beginning of the year, you could have waited longer for these games to be released.

    As for the game itself, it's amazing. Open world exploration makes you lose hours walking around the map and forgetting to do the game's main quests, the variety and number of pokemons is also incredible and for the first time in the franchise, we had more serious stories with a heavier background and not just someone wanting to conquer the world. Team star's story is great and that of Arven and his father/mother and his dog brings tears to any pokemon fan. And the ending with Ed Sheeran's music hits the nail on the head.

    Finally, if you are going to analyze the game technically, it is a 7 because I can't ignore the low performance that gets in the way and irritates at times, but in terms of grandeur and history, this game, on a scale of 0 to 10, receives an 11. the best pokemon story and when you finish the story of area 0 after the league, it's a wonderful feeling that I've never felt in any pokemon game after all these years.    … Expand
  69. EngameX86
    Nov 30, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Technical issues aside ( which there are plenty) I've spent a good amount of time with this Game ( Violet and scarlet) and the issues go far deeper that just glitches here and there. to keep it simple.
    Design: the lack of customization options in this partially online game is not only far less then previous games but also bland and lifeless.
    The majority of the "new" Pokémon designs feels nothing more then lazy.
    The overall design of the gym leaders seam purposefully lackluster. this is in comparison to the Team Star crew that all sport a far more unique design.
    That final 4 battle was inexcusably bad following the most pointless and boring mandatory segment in Pokémon history the "final four exam".

    Between the technical issues, Lazy design, poor special additions and overall lackluster story.. I'm only left Disappointed.. This game feels like Gamefreaks put as little effort as possible...at a premium price.    … Expand
  70. MentosFreshner
    Nov 29, 2022
    7
    Would be an easy 8 for me if it ran a bit better, maybe a 9 if the world was a bit more realised and polished. Can’t say I’ve encountered any major glitches, mostly just slowdown/frame rate stuff. I honestly have been loving my experience but I do think Pokémon deserves more time and care. They have such an amazing history of groundbreaking games and this one just seems to be scraping byWould be an easy 8 for me if it ran a bit better, maybe a 9 if the world was a bit more realised and polished. Can’t say I’ve encountered any major glitches, mostly just slowdown/frame rate stuff. I honestly have been loving my experience but I do think Pokémon deserves more time and care. They have such an amazing history of groundbreaking games and this one just seems to be scraping by in some places. That being said, the characters, story, music and Pokémon are all sweet as, the open world is fun to traverse too!… Expand
  71. jonantlew
    Nov 29, 2022
    5
    It's fun to play but very buggy and crashes. I wish they'd have taken more time to really make an IMMERSIVE open world experience.
  72. ChainsawMcConel
    Nov 28, 2022
    6
    A Step in the right Direction! You have a Open World which feels quite good even tho it feels quite empty sometimes. The Pokemon variety is overall alright, especially at the begining. Trainer Battles are mostly very easy as usual but sometimes you can find harder ones, always a small highlight. The Battles against Main Characters are actually Difficult! Not the Gym Leader Battles butA Step in the right Direction! You have a Open World which feels quite good even tho it feels quite empty sometimes. The Pokemon variety is overall alright, especially at the begining. Trainer Battles are mostly very easy as usual but sometimes you can find harder ones, always a small highlight. The Battles against Main Characters are actually Difficult! Not the Gym Leader Battles but Battles against the The Team Star Leaders or like the Battle against the Academy Director. Some Trainer can One shot you with ease. The 3 Main Storys are a welcomed change, The Bullying-Topic in the Team Star Story had a good Message in it. The Character Designs, Dialogues and the new Team (Team Star) are way more "normal" so you wont have many Cringe-Situations at all and especially no annoying Characters like you had a Ton of in Sword/Shield. Like our Rival is not an annoying Kid, but a nice looking and kind Teenager Girl, also the Game isnt to Childish, by which i mean not too Colorful in a wrong way. When i think of Pokemon Sun/Moon & Pokemon Sword & Shield i have to say that Pokemon Violet Purple is a much better Game.… Expand
  73. gamerguy78
    Nov 28, 2022
    7
    I had a ton a fun with the game but it dosent take away from the issues. This optimization is horrible and the glitchs are bad. But with that being said it's still a ton of fun and what I wanted from a pokemon game and I think this game is overhated (Also how do I change my username on this site)
  74. BleedingJester
    Nov 27, 2022
    6
    The game isn't bad just really mediocre I didnt experience any game breaking bugs just a few graphical ones that didnt really matter

    The game is really easy to the point that its a detriment to the game making it really boring to battle and grind The games story is predictable and feels unfocused and doesn't begin to get interesting until the final hour of the campaign This game    The game isn't bad just really mediocre I didnt experience any game breaking bugs just a few graphical ones that didnt really matter

    The game is really easy to the point that its a detriment to the game making it really boring to battle and grind

    The games story is predictable and feels unfocused and doesn't begin to get interesting until the final hour of the campaign

    This game has two major the first problem is that it took to much from Breath of the Wild you can do almost any of the games story (Gyms, Team Star, Titans) in any order which hurts the story and the second problem is with the switch itself the switch just isn't powerful enough to properly handle what game freak is trying to do with the games and there are other pokemon games on the console that prove the switch is partially at fault for the issues

    overall, the game isn't bad but it's not good either its just really mediocre    … Expand
  75. rightwrist
    Nov 27, 2022
    5
    The gameplay and story is not enough to save the absolutely horrid graphics and performance. The overworld does have it's moments of greatness, in particular the bamboo forest and Socarrat Trail, however the bad outweighs this. The zones are mostly bland and scarce of features, not helped by the graphics. This is doubly true for the cities, which almost always feel empty and tiny at theThe gameplay and story is not enough to save the absolutely horrid graphics and performance. The overworld does have it's moments of greatness, in particular the bamboo forest and Socarrat Trail, however the bad outweighs this. The zones are mostly bland and scarce of features, not helped by the graphics. This is doubly true for the cities, which almost always feel empty and tiny at the same time. Even if you wanted to enjoy the scenery of this game, it's still a task, due to the abominable performance issues. On a vanilla Nintendo Switch, this game lags constantly while out in the open world.
    Playing through the game was actually rather enjoyable. The variety of Pokemon you could see in the open world was unexpectedly vast, and made me feel like I had a lot of options for building my team. It also made me want to explore around in hopes of seeing something I really wanted to use. This exploration aspect was emphasized in a really great way through the riding Pokemon (either Miraidon or Koraidon respectively). You would unlock new travel features each time you defeated a Titan Pokemon, which sort of created a positive feedback loop. However, these riding Pokemon are ruined by bugs. I fell through the ground not once, but twice while riding Miraidon. There was also a lot of various "jank" I encountered. It's extremely disappointing that this game was sold in a state like this. On another note, this game is actually very different from it's predecessors in terms of how battles are handled. There are basically no compulsory trainer battles in the open world, which I think is fine, however I would've have minded if there was still LoS encounters. There are alternative ways of leveling up your Pokemon, (for me) primarily the Tera Raids. Each time you defeat a Tera Raid, you get a sizeable loot drop, which contains Exp. Candies. This makes it to where you can use Tera Raids as a primary means to level up your Pokemon, which I really liked.
    I really liked the story and characters. Your rival, Nemona, is not a new trainer like you are, and is instead a champion-ranked trainer. She is somebody that is obsessed with battling, and wants to have you get strong enough to challenge her at her full strength. In order to do this, she raises a new team of Pokemon to challenge you as you go along your journey. Overall, her character was surprisingly enjoyable, considering how unenjoyable the rivals have been in previous games. Arven, another character, was also likeable. Throughout the story, you assist him in defeating Titan Pokemon and getting the Herba Mystica they keep guard of in their dens. Arven's motivation for getting these herbs is that his Pokemon, Mabosstiff, is ill, and he had exhausted all other options for curing him. I really liked this storyline in particular. The last aspect of the story is Team Star. It's hard to go into information about this one without spoiling information that is slowly fed to you, but I liked the leaders of Team Star. Overall, the story and characters were a huge step from the previous couple generations.
    The game after beating the story is scarce. You basically just rematch all the gym leaders and take part in a school tournament. Many players were disappointed in the lack of a Battle Tower, and I agree with them. It seems incomplete, however I expect them to >sell< DLC to actually finish the content, which I am really not happy about.
    This game is good, however it's an ugly, buggy mess, and not in a way that they'll actually get around to fixing. I enjoyed it, but I cannot reasonably give it anything higher than a 5/10.    … Expand
  76. Fr3_z
    Nov 27, 2022
    6
    I found the game really very nice, despite being affected by bugs and frame rates that are difficult to overlook, it is not an unplayable title. An exploration certainly among the best in the series, with an excellent level design, the problem with the exploration was the excessive leveling of the creatures, which end up making the progress in the story slightly easier. The real strongI found the game really very nice, despite being affected by bugs and frame rates that are difficult to overlook, it is not an unplayable title. An exploration certainly among the best in the series, with an excellent level design, the problem with the exploration was the excessive leveling of the creatures, which end up making the progress in the story slightly easier. The real strong point of the title is undoubtedly the plot that deals with very interesting themes, even if only at the end and at the beginning of the game, when the 3 main stories are interesting, one of them ends up being quite repetitive after 3/ 4 times you do the same thing in an embarrassing way of fighting. In summary: the game manages to be very enjoyable despite the flood of flaws that afflict it, despite its pre-alpha technical nature the game world is very fun to explore.… Expand
  77. Edymarv
    Nov 27, 2022
    5
    Schöne open World aber zu viele technische Fehler. So hätte das Spiel nicht veröffentlicht werden dürfen.
  78. aizee121591
    Nov 27, 2022
    6
    Though enjoyable the game suffers from alot of glitches and frame drops. Its a shame because this could have been the pokemon game everyone hoped for.
  79. blackbird0628
    Nov 27, 2022
    5
    I mean no cap, the story itself was crazy as ever. The plot and the way the game naturally makes the player fall into each character were amazing. I kinda feel like Gamefreak finally understood that their main customers are definitely older than in the past. So 10 points on the game itself.

    However, the graphics optimization was hard to see with my eyes open. Frame drops were occurring    I mean no cap, the story itself was crazy as ever. The plot and the way the game naturally makes the player fall into each character were amazing. I kinda feel like Gamefreak finally understood that their main customers are definitely older than in the past. So 10 points on the game itself.

    However, the graphics optimization was hard to see with my eyes open. Frame drops were occurring almost every moment, and screen stuttering, lagging, and immersion greatly disrupted my gameplay. It was unpleasantly severe, especially in rainy or polygonal sea fields. It felt like I was playing an online game with a very bad internet connection. They shouldn't have released the game like this.

    To sum up, out of all the Pokémon games they've ever made, it was so fun and interesting that no doubt, I would call it a "masterpiece" in terms of story, game ability, and convenience. That's why I was even more angry and sad that the other parts were ****    … Expand
  80. Sahassawat
    Nov 26, 2022
    7
    rpg style game, open world, no​ turn break
    Please​ graphics issus​
    Let Pokemon fight by himself.
    No​ trainer​
  81. Fer010
    Nov 25, 2022
    6
    Since their debut in 1996, finally, Pokemon has been shown to be capable of delivering a story with more layers around the characters and the world of the game. Besides providing new mechanics, and a new wonderful way to play Pokemon that was just tasted with the Pokemon Legend: Arceus, sadly this wonderful franchise has shown to be in the wrong hands. The game is shown to be in worstSince their debut in 1996, finally, Pokemon has been shown to be capable of delivering a story with more layers around the characters and the world of the game. Besides providing new mechanics, and a new wonderful way to play Pokemon that was just tasted with the Pokemon Legend: Arceus, sadly this wonderful franchise has shown to be in the wrong hands. The game is shown to be in worst technical condition than its predecessor, full of bugs, glitches and game-breaking mechanics (like the pokemon cloning). It seems that the game needed more time to correct all these errors (like usual from Game Freak) this game for me is able to reach a 6 only for the features and not for quality, the game shows mechanically, shows, to be below average besides the name and the legacy that continues to have.… Expand
  82. Mene0
    Nov 25, 2022
    5
    Pokemon Violet(and Scarlet) is a clearly unfinished product. There is a very fun game beneath all the catastrophic performance issues, ugly graphics and animations and terrible design decisions, but these are very hard to overlook. If this wasn't a pokemon game it would have been bashed to hell and back by everyone, but apparently it's just "taking steps in the right direction" despitePokemon Violet(and Scarlet) is a clearly unfinished product. There is a very fun game beneath all the catastrophic performance issues, ugly graphics and animations and terrible design decisions, but these are very hard to overlook. If this wasn't a pokemon game it would have been bashed to hell and back by everyone, but apparently it's just "taking steps in the right direction" despite being a 30+ years old franchise that makes billions of dollars. The worst part is that this will never change, given the game's absolute sales success. Gamefreak will keep pumping out terrible products and holding a series dear to many hostage to terrible development. The amateurish is display here is staggering, and it saddens me to see a good game squashed by terrible decisions.… Expand
  83. kringle
    Nov 24, 2022
    5
    The game is fun, but with all of it's performance issues and glitches, it's barely passable. The best aspect of this game is the mixture of free open world exploration with the classic Pokemon formula, but even that isn't perfect. Gym battles strongly encourage the player to challenge the gym in a set order, and the three stories consist of battling, battling, and battling, with very fewThe game is fun, but with all of it's performance issues and glitches, it's barely passable. The best aspect of this game is the mixture of free open world exploration with the classic Pokemon formula, but even that isn't perfect. Gym battles strongly encourage the player to challenge the gym in a set order, and the three stories consist of battling, battling, and battling, with very few changes to make each story stand on its own, making the choice to focus on certain paths less engaging. Like most Pokemon games, this one introduces new features, but also lacks ones that made older titles appealing. Most new Pokemon are cool, the soundtrack is catchy, and QOL upgrades enhance the open world exploration, but for all good features, there's several aspects of the game that make it hard to enjoy these. The game looks more or less better than the previous title, Pokemon Legends Arceus, but at the cost of the framerate costantly chugging and Pokemon constantly popping up frustratingly clise to the player. Another downgrade from Pokemon Legends is the lack of any ability to catch Pokemon without battling. One would think Legends style catching would be a priority to make the open world experience more convinient, but the feature is unfortunately absent. As of writing this post, I have around 50 hours clicked into the game, with the three stories close to completion, but I don't find myself playing the game as much since the cons of the game are starting to wear me down. If Pokemon Scarlet and Violet get performance patches that fix various issues in a reasonable amount of time, I would love to return to review this game with a more positive outlook, but if these issues remain unaddressed, I can't see myself return to this game, or even the series if The Pokemon Company sweeps these issues under the rug and start development on another rushed game. I'm sorry if my writing style came across as sloppy, I haven't written any long posts in a while.… Expand
  84. Smoogey
    Nov 24, 2022
    7
    pretty good game but the issues with it are undeniable. there is no way the game is a 3.5 user score, but its not perfect. the gameplay loop is enjoyable and i always found myself super happy and exited to get back on but there are a whole lot of laggy and performance based issues and i know they will most likely be patched but come on you cant just release a game like that today. this ispretty good game but the issues with it are undeniable. there is no way the game is a 3.5 user score, but its not perfect. the gameplay loop is enjoyable and i always found myself super happy and exited to get back on but there are a whole lot of laggy and performance based issues and i know they will most likely be patched but come on you cant just release a game like that today. this is the highest grossing media franchise and it needs to be treated better.… Expand
  85. CloudXz
    Nov 24, 2022
    5
    I really liked the open World and the Story was pretty good for a Pokémon Game. But the Graphics and Bugs are absolut awful. I would give it a 8/10 but it is not possible to ignore the Problems. A great Game that get overshadowed from to much Problems. What is pretty sad because it was fun.
  86. tom_mio
    Nov 24, 2022
    5
    I want to rate this game a 9 or a 10, becase from how fun and ambitious it is, it would deserve it.

    The open world works perfectly and encourages exploration. The newly added pokemons feel unique and better designed than the past few generations. The 3 stories are very different to what we usually get from a pokemon game and the characters feel human and are way more likeable than the    I want to rate this game a 9 or a 10, becase from how fun and ambitious it is, it would deserve it.

    The open world works perfectly and encourages exploration. The newly added pokemons feel unique and better designed than the past few generations. The 3 stories are very different to what we usually get from a pokemon game and the characters feel human and are way more likeable than the usually very annoying characters we get. This is in lot of way the pokemon game I always hoped for.

    But the technical issues are present and really aren't excusable. The games desperatly needs more polish and I hope a patch comes out as soon as possible. If these issues are fixed and the game gets expanded on though good DLC content it might redeem itself.

    With this game and the recent Legends Arceus GameFreak / TPC have proven they can make ambitious titles and that gives me hope for future games. But they absolutely need to give more time to developers or hire more to be able to deliver a finished product.    … Expand
  87. Firem23
    Nov 24, 2022
    5
    The game itself has really fun gameplay. I'm genuinely enjoying the actual style of it and I want more pokemon games to use this gameplay style. The pokemon being their correct sizes and the freedom to explore the world are nice. Unfortunately, the game is held back by the well known performance issues. It has crashed on me multiple times for seemingly no reason. The frame rate is droppingThe game itself has really fun gameplay. I'm genuinely enjoying the actual style of it and I want more pokemon games to use this gameplay style. The pokemon being their correct sizes and the freedom to explore the world are nice. Unfortunately, the game is held back by the well known performance issues. It has crashed on me multiple times for seemingly no reason. The frame rate is dropping constantly. The people move in choppy and stuttery movements even if you are directly in front of them. You can phase through your pokemon when you are walking with them. I know the developers did what they could in the extremely limited time that Gamefreak and the Pokemon Company gave them to get this game done, but in the end it feels like a it's an indie game in early access and not a AAA first party fully finished game.… Expand
  88. eye-zitt
    Nov 23, 2022
    6
    10/10 gameplay, 0/10 technical capability. Averages out to a mediocre experience overall.

    I personally had a lot of fun playing through all of the stories of Pokemon Violet, but I want my score to reflect that this game squandered its potential due to all of the bugs and glitches I’ve experienced and have seen other experience while playing. Truly sad to see.
  89. Pixelman030
    Nov 23, 2022
    6
    It's alright in my opinion, but it's definitely not at the quality of the older gamesm
  90. DolphinReviews
    Nov 23, 2022
    5
    There is a good game here, but Pokémon Scarlet and Violet make it actively difficult to enjoy it with the abysmal performance. The actual world is a blast to explore, or would be if I wasn't able to see through the ground and hit more than 15 frames per second. There are a good amount great new Pokémon designs this generation, but there are quite a lot of bad ones as well. If you're goingThere is a good game here, but Pokémon Scarlet and Violet make it actively difficult to enjoy it with the abysmal performance. The actual world is a blast to explore, or would be if I wasn't able to see through the ground and hit more than 15 frames per second. There are a good amount great new Pokémon designs this generation, but there are quite a lot of bad ones as well. If you're going in completely blind to the game I can easily see you being disappointed in your starter Pokémon's final evolution. The character animations of the humans are awful, lifeless husks being puppeteered with view frames. The actual Pokémon's attack animations are somewhat improved. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet should have been delayed an extra year in order to fix the performance issues and the character animations. I can't recommend Scarlet and Violent until there is improvement to the performance so it becomes at least playable.… Expand
  91. ChefoMaestro
    Nov 23, 2022
    6
    A fun story, great new Pokémon, cool new features, and good characters. The main problem is that the optimization is absurdly bad. I think it's definitely a step back from Arceus. Another point against is that the cities feel a bit empty.
    If you are a fan of the saga, you are going to enjoy it a lot, but even the biggest fan notices the game's technical deficiencies
  92. i_mush
    Nov 23, 2022
    6
    I'm giving 6 instead of 5 just to offset some excessive criticism, although it is impossible to be kind towards this release.
    The game is fun and the open world aspect of esploration and progression is really interesting, giving the player the freedom to explore allowed me to find myself just a little underleveled for the next challenge, giving me the necessity to actually train my mons    I'm giving 6 instead of 5 just to offset some excessive criticism, although it is impossible to be kind towards this release.
    The game is fun and the open world aspect of esploration and progression is really interesting, giving the player the freedom to explore allowed me to find myself just a little underleveled for the next challenge, giving me the necessity to actually train my mons before bringing it on, this was a great feeling.
    Also, new pokemon models are great, you can actually see more details like furs and scales, and overally the design of new mons is great and not awkward as in the previous releases.

    The bad thing of this game is is that you're constantly reminded that it has been rushed just to meet xmas sales. Textures look ugly, the framerate is low, animations are poor and there are bugs every now and then, and this is a big setback that ruins what should have been an otherwise great adventure.    … Expand
  93. Joogz
    Nov 23, 2022
    5
    I am disgusted as a life long Pokemon fan. How is this game the same $60 dollars that say BoTW is or Cyberpunk 2077? I feel cheated. This should be a $20 game. I am not sure that the devs even care or are trying. I think the Pokemon franchise is just a cash cow at this point that fans will mindlessly purchase. This will be the last time I preorder a Pokemon game.

    The Good: - New    I am disgusted as a life long Pokemon fan. How is this game the same $60 dollars that say BoTW is or Cyberpunk 2077? I feel cheated. This should be a $20 game. I am not sure that the devs even care or are trying. I think the Pokemon franchise is just a cash cow at this point that fans will mindlessly purchase. This will be the last time I preorder a Pokemon game.

    The Good:
    - New Pokemon Designs
    - The attempt at shaking up the formula.
    - The gimmick. A nice compromise between Z-moves and Dynamax.

    The Bad:
    - Graphics and performance. The game looks and runs worse than games on the switch that came out 5 years ago.
    - The game has significantly less trainers than prior Pokemon games and the great majority of them only have one Pokemon to battle you with, which you almost always out level by 20 levels or so.
    - No level scaling, which means even though its open world, there is little variation you can take from the planned route, and the fact that you are gate kept by the HM Pokemon that you ride on.
    - I didn't think it would be possible to make a Pokemon game even easier than the Let's Go games or Sword and Shield, but here we are. This is by far the easiest Pokemon game due to lack of level scaling minimal trainers, and very simplistic and easy trainers. For the Team challenges you have 10 minutes, which would be easy even for one who had significant intellectual disabilities, and provides zero challenge or reward to the vast majority of the population including children. The gym battles are the easiest in the franchise. I wish they had some respect for their audience and at least made it as difficult as Black and White or Sun and Moon. Considering adults make up the great majority of the video game player base.
    - Androgynous character models. They made it so that all characters have the body of a boy. They got rid the ability to change your clothes. There is no skirt or feminine clothes for the character model. They went full woke gender neutral, which was a huge disappointment for most of the population.
    - The "three stories" that were so heavily marketed are a variation of the same three stories (Pokemon gyms, team whatever, and legendary Pokemon) all Pokemon games have, except they are now told in a jarring and asynchronous manner that doesn't do the lackluster story any favors.
    - No voice acting in a $60 dollar game. Seriously, still?
    - Lack of endgame content. Most boring endgame of any Pokemon game.    … Expand
  94. lizardpants
    Nov 23, 2022
    5
    I'll start by saying this isn't a "bad" game but man it's got some issues.

    tl;dr version PROS: Exploration, Good Sense of Progression, Music, Gameplay CONS: Poor QA & Performance, Uninspired World, Questionable Game Design in some spots Review: Relatively standard faire for pokemon, you collect the badges, stop the "evil" team and fill the pokedex but thanks to the open world    I'll start by saying this isn't a "bad" game but man it's got some issues.

    tl;dr version
    PROS: Exploration, Good Sense of Progression, Music, Gameplay
    CONS: Poor QA & Performance, Uninspired World, Questionable Game Design in some spots

    Review:
    Relatively standard faire for pokemon, you collect the badges, stop the "evil" team and fill the pokedex but thanks to the open world nature of the game it's a little more conducive to the the longevity of the experience; the main storyline(s) had me clock in at around 50% longer than my average playtime for a pokemon game. Using your legendary gradually to traverse and explore more of the map feels satisfying as you unlock more of its abilities over the course of the game. The pokemon designs themselves are hit or miss, even moreso than last gen. I find it a bit funny that the gen that gave me my new favorite starter also gave me Shutterstock Flamingo Clipart #4337

    While the game itself is pretty expansive, the environments themselves are actually relatively bland for a pokemon game; a lot of expanse but a whoooole lot of empty. It's lacking those cool landmarks you got in previous gens like the Abandoned Ship, Dragonspiral Tower and the Whirl islands to name a few. There is one area (hint hint) that stands head and shoulders above any other locations in this game and I'm sure you'll recognize it when you reach it and it only highlights that much more how uninspired the rest of Paldea feels by comparison. I just find it somewhat of a shame the world can't seem to match the whimsicality of the pokemon themselves.

    The quality control on this game pretty much gamefreak saying "Well, at least they can make it through the game without it catching on fire. Probably." Worst performance of any pokemon game, bar none. It can be smooth in a few areas but the majority of the time you're gonna be dropping frames pretty hard. The switch itself isn't the paragon of gaming performance but a lot of games on the switch fit the same criteria of SV while looking and running better. On occasion you'll be encountering various visual glitches that find their way in your adventure. A lot of people are willing to laugh them off but they can be pretty immersion killing.

    An extra year in the oven and this game probably could've been a 7 or an 8, but for whatever reason the devs and their overseers refuse to re-evaluate their production pipeline for these games. These games make billions but it would be nice if they could take a little more pride in their work instead of just rushing the games out of max profits.    … Expand
  95. twinmannequin
    Nov 22, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ahh, Pokémon Violet. Where to even begin...

    I feel like there are two sides of this game to discuss: the actual game, and the performance.

    So, first off, for those of you who are of the opinion that the majority of the reviews being negative is indicative of some trolling or review-bombing, that isn't what this is about. At least for me personally, the only reason I would be so passionately frustrated by this game in the first place would be because I love this series. Pokémon is a staple of my childhood, and like a parent, I've been waiting for the day my child would finally mature and become the beautiful person I knew they could. That has... sort of happened here.

    If you're like me, then this is the first game in the mainline series you've played since X and Y, though you've watched the series through a window for the past decade, wondering when it would change. If we ignore all the technical stuff (which we definitely will come to), then this really is the best Pokémon game I've ever played.

    The combat is actually difficult now, where a super-effective move doesn't just one-shot your opponent, there are many new moves that incentivize more strategic plays that aren't just about doing the most damage as soon as possible. The story is actually enjoyable??? The narratives in these games have always just been "I love Pokémon so much :))", "I want to steal Pokémon >:)))", "Nooo!! Stop right there Mr. Mean, Pokémon are our friends", and while it's still no Breaking Bad, I have actually found myself smiling and laughing at the dialogue and being genuinely intrigued by some of the concepts. The first Team Star boss battle where I get to the final opponent and realise it's the CAR ITSELF, really did make my jaw drop - I never thought a Pokémon game would be capable of giving me those sorts of memorable and unique moments.

    The designs of this generation are honestly some of my favourite ever, especially since you see them naturally walking around in herds in their natural habitats - it's really immersive and helps ground this series in a way it's been begging for for years now.

    But, but, but, but, but, BUT. MY. GOD. The performance of this game is just awful. It's PLAYABLE. But that is literally the lowest possible bar for any game to pass let alone POKÉMON, the largest entertainment franchise in the entire world, and it frustrates me to see the fans who are willing to defend this at any cost. I'M A FAN! We're all in the same boat here! I agree that this is a fantastic game! But dude could you imagine what a memorable masterpiece it would be if it looked beautiful too? Imagine if all the NPCs further than 5 feet from you moved at more than 2 frames per second, what if the city off in the distance didn't look like a school science fair model of itself made out of cardboard and paper mâché, what if the lighting from the Terra crystals didn't make the ground become pixelated like TV static? And this isn't me saying I need this game to have more conventionally "good" graphics, which nowadays basically means "realistic", I'm just saying that so many games of this caliber have pulled off this simple, cartoonish, but vibrant and engaging style in a way that looks amazing on this same hardware: BotW, Xenoblade 3, Dragon Quest 11, Animal Crossing, Splatoon, Mario Odyssey, MH Rise, etc. etc. etc. I'm not sure what exactly lead to the game releasing in this state, but I really don't believe it was due to a lack of passion on the part of the developers, because this game shines in that regard in every other aspect: the music, world design, Pokémon design, characters, activities, narrative, the UI - specifically the PokéDex which is just super neat and fun this time around - the picknicking with your team, the slapping music, the interesting new gyms, the Titan encounters.

    I absolutely adore this game, it really is amazing, but it's just such a terrible shame that I'm essentially ignoring how bad it looks and feels in order to enjoy it fully.    … Expand
  96. Dillium
    Nov 22, 2022
    5
    The game is fun but the sheer number of glitches and graphical errors are impossible to ignore.
  97. SkittlesHD
    Nov 22, 2022
    5
    The Variety of new and Powerful pokemon is great. The story was perfect all around 10/10 all pokemon fans need to give this game a chance.
  98. IlPodd
    Nov 22, 2022
    6
    This game could be SOOO MUCH MORE.
    Despite serious graphical issues and a clearly rushed test phase (which probably has been skipped...) the game its self is enjoyable and can provide good entertainment. Some in-game areas are clearly intended to provide some features that have not been implemented due a rushed release. This game is a what-could-have-been went bad.
  99. Arcanjojr
    Nov 21, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Se tivesse nas mãos da netmarble sairia um jogo 10/10, estou jogando o Violet e dou 7/10 e me divertindo pelo vasto mundo aberto para exploração e sair um pouco dos pokémons tradicionais e ir para o mundo mais tecnológico✌… Expand
  100. BloodMutt
    Nov 21, 2022
    7
    There's bound to be bugs and glitches in a new open world game and there are. But otherwise it's a decent game if a little lacking story-wise with a big but mostly empty world. The "bad guys" get weirder and less menacing with each installment, their motivation is also getting downright silly. I'm hoping for updates that'll fix most of my complaints.
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 118 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 118
  2. Mixed: 61 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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