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. Pi421337
    Dec 7, 2022
    0
    A shame. Purely and simply. Don't buy this game. Don't encourage mediocrity.
  2. TT_Hipster1941
    Dec 7, 2022
    2
    In all my 30+ years of playing and reviewing I ever saw such a disaster. Been playing Cyberpunk since day 1. Still playing No Man Sky doing expeditions with friends rn. Which proves it is possible to redeem yourself. Pokémon Violet got returned and reimburse by my local Videogame store to cite them : This is worst than Battlefront and No Man Sky, this is unacceptable.
  3. naclstacks
    Dec 7, 2022
    10
    It is so unfortunate people piled on negative reviews to this game before playing through it more. I agree the performance issues are unacceptable in today's gaming landscape, but if you are a fan of Pokemon GET THIS GAME. It is the most fun Pokemon game I have ever played. The beginning story setup does take about an 1/1.5 hrs to get through, but once you are free to roam the world it isIt is so unfortunate people piled on negative reviews to this game before playing through it more. I agree the performance issues are unacceptable in today's gaming landscape, but if you are a fan of Pokemon GET THIS GAME. It is the most fun Pokemon game I have ever played. The beginning story setup does take about an 1/1.5 hrs to get through, but once you are free to roam the world it is what I dreamed Pokemon could be when I was a kid playing it on Gameboy. Not to mention most people I have heard negatively review this game either just started playing or literally are going off of watching twitter videos that show the worst glitches. I am about 40 hrs in and haven't seen close to the amount of crazy glitches people are showing. Doesn't mean they aren't really happening to some people, but with over 10 million copies sold and everyone piling on it gives the perception of it being worse than what it truly is in my opinion. Also the co-op doesn't get any love and I think that is such an awesome thing they added.

    In short, if you enjoy Pokemon and can still have fun playing a game that doesn't visually run flawlessly then I think you'll find this game one of the best they have ever put out.    … Expand
  4. Aliengamer
    Dec 7, 2022
    1
    This game is by far the worst Pokémon game I have ever played. The lack of care that GameFreak has done to ensure a smooth game experience is astonishing. I want my money back as they showed a smooth experience and it is not but rather a PowerPoint presentation at times with so low fps. Ridiculous. Greedy. Disgusting to the fans.
  5. Marinne
    Dec 7, 2022
    8
    Olha, eu vou dar nota boa pra esse jogo por causa da diversão que ele me trouxe. O desempenho dele real ta bem ruim, o jogo crasha, funções q n funcionam, texturas bugadas e muito mais. Porém jogar online com meus amigos e rir disso tudo valeu a pena
  6. Crissaegrimm
    Dec 7, 2022
    4
    Bug, Glitch, Lag, , Crash and a lot off issues with this game. It's messed up! Only a parch can fix this game. The story it's ok, but it's NOT an open world, the graphic it's bad and the gameplay it's boring. Fix this.
  7. 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.
  8. miniwho
    Dec 7, 2022
    9
    Amazing game, amazing feel, awesome new Pokemon, compelling story lines, the only downside is really that it is too easy, should be a little harder.
  9. 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
  10. Pittasx
    Dec 7, 2022
    0
    Abandoning the precious and unique art style of Pokémon, in exchange for a large number of BUGs and errors, a large number of blacks, ugly cheap characters, and it is difficult to distinguish the gender of the characters, catering to the politically correct Pokémon world.
  11. Shazam08
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    Yeah the performance is pretty bad, but it's still the best game in the franchise by a long shot
  12. aoaked046
    Dec 6, 2022
    0
    Been playing this and everything is just sad. The textures, the world, the gameplay, the bugs, and the performance are all very bad. I don't think I will buy another pokemon game again at this rate.
  13. TwistedSailor
    Dec 6, 2022
    9
    Though the game was buggy at launch it functions well enough to enjoy a play through. The 3 storylines and open world is a welcome addition to the franchise. Something about seeing wild Pokémon roaming gives the world a “lived in” feel to it. I would highly recommend. One of my favorite installations to the Pokémon franchise in quite some time.
  14. GreyWizard
    Dec 6, 2022
    8
    Step in the right direction but still needs to be better to adjust to 2022 standards. Just hire more staff and give more time to cook next time.
  15. Katdogcat
    Dec 6, 2022
    9
    This game completely changes the way Pokemon has been played for the past coming years. This one and Scarlet introduce a full free-to-explore game with great story telling and fun world-building. Each character is developed well and the game play is engaging. The only problems I've had were dome visual glitches but it didn't change the gameplay one bit.
  16. ZulianPlay
    Dec 6, 2022
    1
    Pokemon é uma das minhas franquias favoritas.
    O game anterior, Legends Arceus, eu zerei com gosto, amei, o mundo aberto é incrivel...
    Já seu sucessor, tinha tudo para ser tão bom quanto ou melhor, afinal voltaria para a formula original, mas dessa vez com o mundo aberto incrível... e de fato ele é incrível, divertido e cheio de vida... Mas o que me faz dar uma nota tão baixa é a    Pokemon é uma das minhas franquias favoritas.
    O game anterior, Legends Arceus, eu zerei com gosto, amei, o mundo aberto é incrivel...

    Já seu sucessor, tinha tudo para ser tão bom quanto ou melhor, afinal voltaria para a formula original, mas dessa vez com o mundo aberto incrível... e de fato ele é incrível, divertido e cheio de vida...

    Mas o que me faz dar uma nota tão baixa é a quantidade abusiva de bugs, o jogo roda a 1 fps em algumas partes... mano, ele não é um porte, ele é feito para um único console, não tem justificativa para isso, ainda mais em um console que roda o zelda brath of the wild...    … Expand
  17. jakobmoore
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    Best Pokémon game the story, characters new Pokémon all great bit poor performance but really not that bad tbh mines fine and I’m loving this newest instalment in the Pokémon games
  18. jjboy1208
    Dec 6, 2022
    2
    This gen came out with innovative aspects and changes to try shaping Pokemon world another step closer to completion. However, everything seems to pause in the middle and not being finished up. (open world map lacking details & losing access to small buildings, different zone theme lacking details ... etc)
    FPS is the major issue as it critically strikes the gaming experience. When facing    This gen came out with innovative aspects and changes to try shaping Pokemon world another step closer to completion. However, everything seems to pause in the middle and not being finished up. (open world map lacking details & losing access to small buildings, different zone theme lacking details ... etc)
    FPS is the major issue as it critically strikes the gaming experience. When facing more objects in the screen, your character will experience lag or even being stuck easier.    … Expand
  19. 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
  20. F8gamblr
    Dec 6, 2022
    2
    For $60 dollars, this game is not worth it. It is not a great open world set up. Instead of populating the world adequately they have multiple shops that sell similar clothes or food in inconvenient locations instead of a single department store. The world feels open, but empty especially with characters that are seemingly missing frames in the background. All of these things ruin theFor $60 dollars, this game is not worth it. It is not a great open world set up. Instead of populating the world adequately they have multiple shops that sell similar clothes or food in inconvenient locations instead of a single department store. The world feels open, but empty especially with characters that are seemingly missing frames in the background. All of these things ruin the immersion. No outfits for your character (pants and shirts) took away from the the customizing aspect that many games have embraced. My starter was my best pokemon and designs for new pokemon were lackluster. They had "students" that were old people in game? A strange, lazy choice. Glitches galore removed you from game play. I have seen better and more complete indie games. The story was good though and earned it the two.… Expand
  21. Rufigame
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think that the Ost, the story, the characters and the mechanical of the game is amazing. That's a great game!… Expand
  22. SilkyRobos
    Dec 6, 2022
    9
    Alright, the game's a mess, let's be honest here. There's performance issues and many graphical bugs people have memed about. But if you can look past it, the game is superb, with a surprisingly mature storyline (especially the climax) and it feels like a step forward. I've not been able to set this game down since it came out, at the expense of my freelance work, even. The game's justAlright, the game's a mess, let's be honest here. There's performance issues and many graphical bugs people have memed about. But if you can look past it, the game is superb, with a surprisingly mature storyline (especially the climax) and it feels like a step forward. I've not been able to set this game down since it came out, at the expense of my freelance work, even. The game's just sublime with well-designed characters, a killer soundtrack, and a frankly ambitious level of worldbuilding (even if i'd have preferred it not being open world personally, or at least let it have level scaling)

    Taking a point off because yeah, the issues are egregious, if exaggerated, but aside from the performance problems the game's just plain damn fun with some incredibly unique designs that I quite like. It really feels like the company saw the backlash from Sword/Shield and BDSP and pivoted in a new direction where they try to take themselves more seriously and it shows, even if it's rough around the edges.

    Should TPCI have looked for a secondary development team to make the world run better on the limited hardware? Obviously. Should they maybe try to migrate away from such a cutthroat yearly release schedule? Absolutely. But what we have here is still a fantastic game at its core and the negative reviews are very clearly overblown and will balance out as more genuine fans have a chance to write reviews, and as promised updates help to stem the performance issues. The game has had a single post-release update and people are already condemning it as the worst entry in the franchise, and when people are saying that somehow BDSP are better games than this it becomes obvious most of the negative reviews aren't made in good faith.    … Expand
  23. NaturalBornChao
    Dec 6, 2022
    8
    I have played for 100+ hours and recently restarted from the beginning on a new profile.

    ~The Good: - The story and characters this time are exceptional, especially during the last segment of the game (the main reason why I am replaying the game). - New Pokemon designs are also nice, with some misses of course, as in every generation. - Shiny hunting is easier than ever on a mainline    I have played for 100+ hours and recently restarted from the beginning on a new profile.

    ~The Good:
    - The story and characters this time are exceptional, especially during the last segment of the game (the main reason why I am replaying the game).
    - New Pokemon designs are also nice, with some misses of course, as in every generation.
    - Shiny hunting is easier than ever on a mainline game.
    - Building competitive teams is also easier than ever imo due to easy access to mints and bottle caps.
    - Open world is nice and densely populated with a wide variety of Pokemon and items.
    - Solid gameplay loop as expected by Pokemon standards, with a few challenging fights along the way.

    ~The Bad:
    - Performance issues are hurting this game quite a bit. Frame drops in the overworld, a laggy box system, and online features that are somehow worse than last gen's Y-comm. Game is totally playable and I never had a crash, but it can be annoying.
    - Some QoL features appear to be missing compared to previous gens. You cannot enter box selection while holding Pokemon in the cursor for example. Some features from Legends: Arceus would also be a great fit for this game, but they are not included.
    - Endgame feels one dimensional, wish we had a Battle Tower of some sort to fill the gap.
    - Some shiny Pokemon colors are extremely similar to the originals. While this is not a new thing, I wish they would be more radical with shiny color changes.

    Overall, very enjoyable experience, would definitely recommend unless the performance issues are a big no for you. Hopefully, we will get a patch that addresses most if not all of these issues soon. The user score does not represent the game in it's entirety imo, as most low reviews seem to be extremely focused on the performance issues.    … Expand
  24. Coverttrickster
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    Trying to help counter the trolls. But regardless this game is very fun and it sucks a lot of my time since I can’t stop playing it. Legends was super fun and I really enjoyed the new mechanics that were incorporated. Because some of those were used in the new games it makes the gameplay that much better.
  25. Merro
    Dec 6, 2022
    0
    I don't belive this is the experience that a new generation deserves. I refund it after first 10 hours was unbearable even for my kids.
  26. Marco1522
    Dec 6, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game isn't an open world, you can truly go where you want only when you have battled dondozo and tatsugiri, but until then, you can't go where you want, you want to climb a random mountain? You can't, at the start of the game you don't have the upgraded mount and you need to beat the totem Pokémon to get it,
    The only thing you can do is following the patps until you complete that story, then the true open world starts, but the world it's empty, there aren't sub quest like in Pla and the only thing that you can do outside of the main story stuff is battling useless trainers in boring and slow battles, with orribile animations,after that there are the cities that basically doesn't exist because you can't explore anything there,the restaurants are the same,the shops doesn't have an interior and the doors are all locked. The only positive aspect of this game is the story, that is good written in 3/4 cases, but the rest of the game it's just a total mess    … Expand
  27. Gumibluky
    Dec 6, 2022
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A pesar del pésimo apartado técnico y los terribles gráficos este juego es de lo mejor que hay en la saga y de los más disfrutables y tiene la mejor historia que hay en esta franquicia.
    Sobre el diseño, los pokemons están basten balanceados, hay algunos excelentes, como kingambit o ceruledge, y otros que son vergonzosos, como flamigo, la evolución de dunsparce y el que es una pareja de ratones. El diseño de la región es muy bueno para ser el primer mundo abierto que hacen, pero podría mejorar, aunque a habido una bajada de calidad en cuanto a ciudades con respecto a la generación anterior, cosa que se ve por la poca importancia que tienen muchas de ellas y la falta de interiores, ni siquiera puedes entrar a ninguna casa y que las tiendas son un menú en donde seleccionar lo que vayas a comprar. El diseño de personajes es bueno y además Silvio se parece al Padre Pucci.
    El desarrollo de personajes es excelente, sobre todo en Damián, quien deja atrás el odio que tenía hacia miraidon, quien va recuperando la esperanza de que su padre sustituto (mabosstiff) se recupere conforme avanzamos en su historia y quien termina perdonando a su padre por estar ausente. También Clavel, al ver la historia de los alumnos que formaron el team star y darse cuenta de sus situaciones .
    En este juego la dificultad se basa en el orden en que hagas los distintos gimnasios, lideres y miembros del team star, ya que desde muy temprano en la partida dejan libre para hacer lo que quieras, esto, que a primera vista parece que es una mejora en la saga, es todo lo contrario, ya que sí no sigues un determinado orden la dificultad puede caer en picado, pudiendo enfrentarte a lideres de gimnasio con pokemons 30 niveles por debajo de los tuyos, lo que a mi parecer arruina la experiencia de juego. También influye este poder de elección sobre los interiores clónicos. Tomando a Mencía como ejemplo, hay escenas que tienen lugar dentro de los gimnasios, y al no saber en que gimnasio tendrá que decirte tal cosa por el hecho de poder elegir el orden de estos, incita a los desarrolladores a hacer los gimnasios exactamente iguales para ahorrarse animaciones en el que cambian los escenarios o parte de estos, esto también pasa con las cuevas de los dominantes, siempre la cueva con su mesa y banco de piedra y la especia en el mismo rincón de siempre. Siguiendo un determinado orden, la dificultad del juegos es mayor con respecto al estándar de la franquicia, incluso siendo difícil al final del juego si no vas preparado.
    La mecánica de esta generación es de las mejores, sobre todo si eres jugador del competitivo y creo que debería haberse introducido mucho antes. Y las teraincursiones aportan mucha variedad a la hora de crear un equipo.
    Por último la historia, el juego tiene 3 historias, la más floja es la de los gimnasios, tienes un rival que te retará conforme vayas consiguiendo medallas, te enfrentaras a la liga pokemon y posteriormente a tu rival. Luego está la del team star, que como historia está muy bien, ya que al ser un juego para niños, conciencia sobre el bulling escolar, que tristemente es cada vez más frecuente. A pesar de esto la mecánica de derrotar a los 30 pokemon en 10 min no aporta nada, y al ser 10 min no tienes ninguna presión ya que por lo normal en 2 min lo tienes hecho, 2 min de pulsar un botón biendo peligrar los fps en basaes clónicas por el tema de antes. La última historia es la de los dominantes , siendo la mejor de las tres y a la vez la más fácil de todas. Es la mejor por lo emotiva que es y el desarrollo de Damián.
    El final del juego no es solo el mejor final que hay en la saga principal de pokemon, sí no de lo mejor que a hecho esta saga de videojuegos desde que empezó . En este final los personajes de cada una de las historias se juntan a pesar de no llevarse especialmente bien para salvar Paldea y aúnan fuerzas para que puedas derrotar al "profesor" en un combate espectacular. Los personajes empatizan con Damián y acaban ayudándole a pasar por la muerte de su padre/madre. Bastante épico cuando a los días de morir el padre de Damián, Clavel le dice que va a repetir curso. El postgame si que es bastante pobre y los picnics son muy olvidables si no te centras en el shiny hunting. También podrían quitar el poder del amor.

    En términos generales es uno de los mejores juegos de pokemon que se han hecho. Si que es verdad que quedan por parchear bugs y demás fallos y que el apartado gráfico es de lo pero que puedes encontrar. Pero con el poco tiempo que han tenido para desarrollar el juego me parece admirable lo que han conseguido. Imaginad el juego que saldría si forman un equipo de unas 300 personas que se dedican exclusivamente a un juego de pokemon con 5 años de desarrollo y la posibilidad de retrasar el juego si fuese necesario.
    Por último querría agradecer a los desarrolladores por hacer lo que han hecho en el poco tiempo que tenían.:)    … Expand
  28. rekuhs
    Dec 6, 2022
    2
    As much as its changed, there's still more that's the same as its always been.
    It's still a game that has zero respect for your time, making you read the same action descriptions over and over again.
    Graphics and performance are well below expectations for a 2022 release for a property as huge as Pokemon.
  29. m2d2
    Dec 6, 2022
    0
    Terrible graphics, awful controls, not fun at all. A boring grind in an environment that's worse than FF10 was in 2001.
  30. Moxxoxo
    Dec 6, 2022
    9
    Some bugs, but not enough to affect gameplay. I love how much there is to explore and also how many tasks there are for the main storyline! I love the direction this game is taking towards an open world concept. I hope future games are continued in this style!
  31. SimplyDink
    Dec 6, 2022
    9
    Nobody is saying this game doesn't have some performance issues here and there, it needs some polish and bugfixing, but this is still one of the best Pokemon games i've played across the entire series.
  32. Wenke
    Dec 6, 2022
    2
    To be honest, knowing other people's opinions, I bought the game solely because it was inspired in my country. But I just can't play it while seeing the whole world acting randomly in a horrendously bad optimisation and graphics from the past. If the Nintendo Switch is able to make TLoZ: Breath of the Wild work without problems, why does the Pokémon world, which is way simpler in graphics,To be honest, knowing other people's opinions, I bought the game solely because it was inspired in my country. But I just can't play it while seeing the whole world acting randomly in a horrendously bad optimisation and graphics from the past. If the Nintendo Switch is able to make TLoZ: Breath of the Wild work without problems, why does the Pokémon world, which is way simpler in graphics, give us so many problems? The answer is simple: Nintendo wants Pokémon to make money even if the games they throw to us every year are not even optimised enough not to bug every single second.

    This game was honestly a deception and I hope the next Pokémon game doesn't come out until 2024 at least, because this one feels void, a relatively open world full of bugs and, of course, short, easy and simple. No effort, no love, a lot of visual glitches. I can't wait to buy TLoZ: Tears of the Kingdom, but I'm not going to pay 60€ for a game that isn't even finished. If the next game comes out in 2023 and seems a deception, I surely won't add it to my collection. Put effort in games or Pokémon's franchise will die sooner than later.    … Expand
  33. 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
  34. cattens
    Dec 6, 2022
    8
    While it doesn't excuse or make up for the various bugs, glitches, and performance issues, the actual gameplay and story are some of the best I've seen from a Pokémon game, definitely would wait for a patch if you are going to buy, but I had a very good time with this game.
  35. Espioo
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    The glitches aren't even that bad. The open world experience is incredible, and absolutely worth the little bit of ugliness.
  36. Knaxer
    Dec 6, 2022
    3
    So much potential wasted by a rushed launch, neglectful patches and poorly designed UI
  37. Cratthew
    Dec 6, 2022
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Scarlet and Violet mark an incredible step forward in the Pokémon franchise. In a series that’s been stale for years now, Scarlet and Violet finally changes the main Pokémon formula in a significant and meaningful way. A change for the better. The addition of a three storyline structure comes to mind as one of the more significant changes from past games in the franchise. Allowing the player’s attention to be split between conquering Titan Pokémon, taking down “Team Star”, and the traditional eight badge gym storyline, gets the player comfortable with the idea of exploration, even incentivizing it. And unlike past games in the series, there is so much reason to explore. Between finding a plethora of collectibles both new and old, battling trainers to unlock recipes for TMs and other handy items, unlocking new fast travel points, and just discovering the region for the sake of it, players will have no shortage of things to do throughout the game. All that, not even to mention catching new Pokémon. Everywhere you go in these games, there is something new to discover. The game world is littered with ruins, towns, watch towers, and shrines. These small environmental details do a lot to make the world feel lived in, and get the player interested in its inhabitants and history. But these locations do much more than just spark the player’s curiosity. Every single structure has something new to find housed in it. There are five(ish) main things to collect. Pokémon drops, TMs, “Ominous black stakes”, Gimmighoul coins (which are technically Pokémon drops, but I’ll elaborate on why they’re distinct), and, of course, the Pokemon themselves.

    TMs are found in set locations, and used to teach Pokémon new moves. However, TMs are single-use in this game, which is where Pokémon drops come in. Once a TM is discovered, more of that same TM can be crafted using a few specific Pokémon’s drops. “Ominous Black Stakes”, as they’re called in-game, unlock a sort of secret legendary Pokémon once you’ve collected all eight of a single color. Gimmighoul coins are a bit of an outlier. You can obtain them by either finding and battling Gimmighouls in their chest form, or interacting with them in their roaming form, which nets a smaller amount of coins. I mention these separately from the drops, only because the only way to evolve Gimmighoul is to level one up while in possession of 999 Gimmighoul coins.

    And lastly, the Pokémon themselves. All of these collectibles, while distinct, allow the player to obtain more Pokémon, or make the Pokémon you have stronger. This decision by Game Freak makes all collectibles this game has to offer feel worthwhile, as they all aid the player in their journey to complete the Paldean Pokédex.

    And on that topic, while completing the Pokédex tends to be closer to the core of Pokémon games, in Scarlet and Violet, completing the Pokédex takes somewhat of a backseat. The Pokédex is always there, and completing it even grants rewards, such as rare types of Pokeballs, TMs, or even raw experience in the form of candy. But the player is allowed to complete the Pokédex whenever they see fit, or not at all. And if the player decides they want to complete some of the Pokédex, they’ll still be rewarded.

    All of this is improved even more by the fact that the movement in these games is the best in the Pokémon franchise, hands down. The mascot legendaries act as the mounts of the game, and they handle better than any mounts previously have. Which is good, as the world is huge. But, while Scarlet and Violet breathe some much-needed new life into the series, they are far from flawless. There are numerous areas where the game’s performance suffers, especially areas with large amounts of water or grass. There are lighting errors constantly, Pokémon and people pop in and out of existence, and many animations run at a low frame rate until (and sometimes even after) the player gets close to the object. If not for these issues, the game would easily be a 10. But it’s impossible to go a whole playthrough without coming across one or more of these issues. While most of these issues could very well be fixed with patches, in its current state, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are an 8/10 for me. The game is phenomenal, but incredibly poorly optimized, which can at times ruin the experience.    … Expand
  38. Luz93
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    I haven't had as much fun with a game in many many years. Yes the technical flaws should be improved in the next game, but characters, story and open world are really well done!
  39. darthfaca
    Dec 6, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Horrible, aburrido, los gimnasios aburridos ... la liga pokemon un aburrimiento, tan solo 3 combates con 3 don nadie... 0 emoción... El legendario no es un legendario, sino q es un terminator q viene del futuro, si si es un pokemon que vino evolucionado del futuro... osea ... ¿por q lo llamamos legendario? Una estafa ambos juegos. Chau nunca más me roban.… Expand
  40. Traffo
    Dec 6, 2022
    1
    Terrible graphic with a lot of bugs. Ew... I enjoyed the story, but everything else is just not it
  41. LunarD3ATH
    Dec 6, 2022
    4
    There's no such thing as a "bad" Pokemon game, but this one still isn't great. While there are a lot of really cool improvements, none more so than the open-world gameplay expanded from PLA, this game, even after the recent patch, has HORRIBLE performance.

    The pop-in, the dropped framerate, the terrible slow loading of assets when switching camera perspectives (such as when throwing a    There's no such thing as a "bad" Pokemon game, but this one still isn't great. While there are a lot of really cool improvements, none more so than the open-world gameplay expanded from PLA, this game, even after the recent patch, has HORRIBLE performance.

    The pop-in, the dropped framerate, the terrible slow loading of assets when switching camera perspectives (such as when throwing a Poke Ball at a wild Pokemon in combat) are all jarringly bad and constant.

    I'm sure things will improve somewhat over time, as they at least want to iron out most of the performance issues, but even if they actually FOR ONCE fully fixed a Pokemon game to run well instead of just being good enough (PLA still crashes the game when shiny Giratina uses its signature move, btw; every single time), it is still UNACCEPTABLE for a game to be in this state at launch. There is no reason to have pushed this game out this soon in this state instead of just taking more time to develop it.

    Beyond the general incompetence Game Freak has shown over the years, this game release is just proof of their laziness.    … Expand
  42. Sorzus
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    This game is by far my favorite pokemon game of all time. It has an incredible narrative, fun gameplay, good looks and tons of features and mechanics that other pokemon games fall flat in. The ability to craft TMs, rename pokemon whenever, run from and re-enter battles, open world exploration, outbreaks, tera types, paradox pokemon and the picnic feature, raid dens and more have given meThis game is by far my favorite pokemon game of all time. It has an incredible narrative, fun gameplay, good looks and tons of features and mechanics that other pokemon games fall flat in. The ability to craft TMs, rename pokemon whenever, run from and re-enter battles, open world exploration, outbreaks, tera types, paradox pokemon and the picnic feature, raid dens and more have given me freedom to make my pokemon how I truly want them to be and endless things to do while I have fun doing so. The multiple storylines are fantastic and have made me care for the first time in a pokemon game about my character and those around me. Not to mention with how it approached the legendary cover pokemon, for the first time ever I have felt a bond with a legendary and it actually made sense why I had one in my possession. Other games failed to do that for me. While complaints about polishing are valid and there can always be improvements—I have not had performance issues at all with this running on a very old switch. The developers when making this game took the good elements from SW/SH amongst other games and have put them into a fantastic amalgamation that I hope they continue to replicate in future installments. I have recommended this game to all of my friends, and would to anyone. Fantastic game, cannot wait for more to come.… Expand
  43. 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
  44. caprisun_
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    This games story and pokemon are truly beautiful. I love the open world and how much freedom the game gives you.
  45. IceMage37
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    Best pokemon game since gen 5. If you’re letting small bugs get on the way of the amazing story then that’s on you, this game is amazing!
  46. LadyFate
    Dec 6, 2022
    8
    Having played every mainline Pokemon game since Emerald, this is my favorite by a wide margin. It has bugs and issues for sure, but none of them affect the gameplay. It's the most accessible game ever, the ability to explore the world freely is incredible, I love many of the new Pokemon, the new terastalize gimmick is fun, and I still feel there's a lot to explore. If the performanceHaving played every mainline Pokemon game since Emerald, this is my favorite by a wide margin. It has bugs and issues for sure, but none of them affect the gameplay. It's the most accessible game ever, the ability to explore the world freely is incredible, I love many of the new Pokemon, the new terastalize gimmick is fun, and I still feel there's a lot to explore. If the performance issues weren't here, I'd probably give it a 10… Expand
  47. Xaboss
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    WHAT A GAME! Pokemon violet gives the best pokemon adventure since Black2 and White2, with its unique issues being graphics, fps and (very funny) bugs.
    If you want some realism go touch some grass.
  48. DexExplosion
    Dec 6, 2022
    2
    Bad frame-rate. Misses button presses. Looks below average. Bland gym challenges. Good pokemon design. Missing features. Neat plot twist. Well below its potential.
  49. LordNotserp
    Dec 6, 2022
    9
    Pokémon Violet has some of the best written characters with the most compelling storylines the games have ever seen, and an open world so filled with items and Pokémon that it’s easy to lose several hours just exploring and seeing the limits of where you can go. The game does have flaws; it is poorly optimized and a bit buggy, there is a lack of options for clothing (though the characterPokémon Violet has some of the best written characters with the most compelling storylines the games have ever seen, and an open world so filled with items and Pokémon that it’s easy to lose several hours just exploring and seeing the limits of where you can go. The game does have flaws; it is poorly optimized and a bit buggy, there is a lack of options for clothing (though the character creation itself is probably the most robust in the series so far), and difficulty can weirdly jump around as many players do a bunch of exploring and leveling and then end up steamrolling the first few gyms. The amount of additional levels you can control with each gym badge acquired is also only 5, which leads to some annoyance in not being able to capture or control pokemon of higher levels you may be encountering. Though I am not against some means of preventing the player from grabbing a level 75 garchomp and steamrolling every gym with it, the way they go about it feels too ham-fisted and restrictive.

    Overall the game is fantastic with some mostly minor drawbacks that will hopefully be worked on in updates and/or future games, and either way in my experience it has been well worth the price for the amount of time and fun I have gotten out of the game.    … Expand
  50. brady19k
    Dec 6, 2022
    8
    Probably one of the best new Pokémon games to come out in the last 10 years. Incredibly fun and although the graphics aren’t the best, everybody knows you don’t buy Pokémon for the graphics. You buy it for the gameplay.
  51. 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
  52. grimreapersims
    Dec 6, 2022
    7
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  53. Helifano
    Dec 6, 2022
    0
    The direction for the series overall is good but I regret spending money on such an unfinished product.
  54. danny8hart
    Dec 6, 2022
    0
    Unplayable for me. The extremely low and stuttering frame rate gives me nausea. DF review sums up the poor graphics and feeling of emptiness in the game.
  55. JeremyvT98
    Dec 6, 2022
    1
    Utterly dissapointed. Lack of post main story content. I'm not buying any future pokemon games again if no consistent changes happen.
  56. Rikari
    Dec 6, 2022
    8
    The game is great. It's the technical issues that's doing it in. They've already patched a few of the issues, though thus shouldn't be a thing anyway.

    Outside of that, it's a fantastic game with great mons and good story progression, mainly because you get to choose your path.
  57. Daitya
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    This game make me feel like a kid again. The new pokedex, open world, gym leaders, Team Star, music... The best pokemon game in years.
  58. AccmAmac
    Dec 6, 2022
    9
    Despite the frame rate issues the game is fine. I personally have not ran into any of these glitches that some complain about. It is the best story in the franchise and a lot of fun.
  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. Lussuria
    Dec 6, 2022
    9
    Had some bugs but easily the best story to appear in a pokemon game to date.
    Thoroughly enjoyed the game.
  61. ACGWander
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    The game is fun. Much better than gens 5 to 8. Stop crying about performance.
  62. SrVictini
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    I have nothing to complain about this game. It's an amazing open world that lets you go wherever you want whenever you want, with no restrictions at all. And let's not talk about the story... It's probably the best story ever
  63. Bro91
    Dec 6, 2022
    2
    Gioco a questi giochi sin dagli albori e non mi sarei mai aspettato che si cadesse così in basso, la parte tecnica è un 1 anche peggio di spada e scudo la storia è molto carina ma bloccata da momenti ripetuti costantemente dando al giocatore noia in tutti e 3 i sentieri, l'unico che si salva veramente è "la polvere di stelle".
    Il finale è molto bello ma anche lui sporcato da problemi    Gioco a questi giochi sin dagli albori e non mi sarei mai aspettato che si cadesse così in basso, la parte tecnica è un 1 anche peggio di spada e scudo la storia è molto carina ma bloccata da momenti ripetuti costantemente dando al giocatore noia in tutti e 3 i sentieri, l'unico che si salva veramente è "la polvere di stelle".
    Il finale è molto bello ma anche lui sporcato da problemi tecnici e scelte di gameplay surreali, c'è una scena che avviene prima dello scontro finale e da me non è stata riprodotta... Voto più che meritato, di certo non preordinerò più entrambe le versioni....    … Expand
  64. Ryoura
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    Incredibly fun and a huge leap from the previous game, I can see myself playing for weeks and months more and am excited to see where the series goes from here!
  65. Sasir
    Dec 5, 2022
    10
    Technical level aside, perfect story and almost perfect gameplay, with fun ambiance and good designs and music
  66. minimite
    Dec 5, 2022
    2
    Great open world, too bad it looks like a game from 2005. Something casual fans won't realize is how horrible the balancing is. Some Pokemon are useless. Some are so OP that it completely ruined Competitive. Not to mention the automatic XP share, removal of Set Mode, and that every trainer is easier than ever.

    If you're a gamer, be prepared to be disappointed. Again. If you only play    Great open world, too bad it looks like a game from 2005. Something casual fans won't realize is how horrible the balancing is. Some Pokemon are useless. Some are so OP that it completely ruined Competitive. Not to mention the automatic XP share, removal of Set Mode, and that every trainer is easier than ever.

    If you're a gamer, be prepared to be disappointed. Again.
    If you only play Switch games, I'm sure you'll love it.    … Expand
  67. 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
  68. Massmada265
    Dec 5, 2022
    10
    I was very hesitant to buy and play because the last 2 gens were not to my liking, but after playing Arceus and loving the open world, I decided to give it a try. Its an amazing game with a solid core and expanded storyline, with lots of collectibles and mini quests around the open world. Some of the environments can be repetitive with endless plains, mountains, oceans, etc. The pokemonI was very hesitant to buy and play because the last 2 gens were not to my liking, but after playing Arceus and loving the open world, I decided to give it a try. Its an amazing game with a solid core and expanded storyline, with lots of collectibles and mini quests around the open world. Some of the environments can be repetitive with endless plains, mountains, oceans, etc. The pokemon act as the detail as they horde up with different species abound. Overall it feels like the exploration of BOTW mashed with a pokemon game, which is what I loved. Completing the pokedex is even made easier as evolved forms of pokemon are readily available so you don't have to spend time grinding for evolutions through level up and can just catch them. The new pokemon are varied and have some unique feature that makes fighting with or against them memorable, and the dense pokedex makes sure there are few "filler" pokemon. As much as I would love to have all pokemon, its literally too much for a base game option-wise and I do enjoy the previous gen pokemon getting new forms or variants to make them fresh without recycling. The storyline actually has some interesting moments and some real tragic emotions, although it is tame compared to other games to make a better experience for younger players. The worst part of the game is universally the performance issues and bugs, which range from jittery pokemon, to game crashes (auto save feature is a lifesaver), and even skipping cutscenes. On my playthrough they were reigned in and really didn't impact me at all as lag, objects loading slow and jittery pokemon were barely noticeable as it was fixed within a few seconds. With how infrequent it occurred for me and how little I actually cared about losing a few seconds occasionally, it wasn't that bad. Overall a great game with lots to do and see, and is a must pick for Pokemon fans that loved BOTW. Beware performance issues and watch for patches, but if you're on the fence I recommend just doing it and giving it a try for a few hours, as it can likely be resold for a small loss if you dislike it, but it may also open the door to hours of fun with pokemon.… Expand
  69. M1CH431
    Dec 5, 2022
    8
    Pokemon SV is fun. I'm sorry, I know there are performance issues. I know the devs were pushed to an impossible date and were forced to release the game in an unfinished state. I realize these things and I know they made the experience bad for a lot of people, but Pokemon SV is filled with so many good ideas and makes for a very fun and refreshing Pokemon journey. Many have listed itsPokemon SV is fun. I'm sorry, I know there are performance issues. I know the devs were pushed to an impossible date and were forced to release the game in an unfinished state. I realize these things and I know they made the experience bad for a lot of people, but Pokemon SV is filled with so many good ideas and makes for a very fun and refreshing Pokemon journey. Many have listed its issues so I'm not going to bother retyping them here, we've all seen them; I never had any gamebreaking issues, but its not an acceptable state for a huge game like this to be released in.

    However I think SV shows promise of what Pokemon is now and where it is going. There's a lot of creativity and enjoyment in these games, and I know I'll personally look back on them very fondly. I wouldn't recommend them to a non-Pokemon fan in the state they were in at release, but they're filled with awesome character arcs, great story, cool new Pokemon, and fun mechanics. I find myself excited for new mainline Pokemon when I was really dreading new installments after SWSH. This new direction is something I'm very excited for and can't wait to see more of, I just hope we don't slide back into BDSP-type games. Even beyond just pointing a new direction for the games, SV are genuinely fun to play in a "I can't put this down" way that I havent gotten for a while, save the first few days after came out. For me, this is the most important thing. I genuinely enjoyed these games, I genuinely want to return to them, and I genuinely fell in love with another Pokemon region. The games are... definitely not in their ideal form and there's no getting around that, but I also love what we were given. I only wish corporate deadlines would allow art to flourish instead of releasing it in an unfinished state.    … Expand
  70. sendout
    Dec 5, 2022
    8
    As a product this is a bad title, Game Freak should have postponed its delivery until the graphical problems were more refined.

    As a Pokemon game the BEST ever. Great soundtrack (only disappointing on the victory route). Great pokedex. WONDERFUL story, emotional and risky as it has never done before. An open world full of: gyms, raids, legendary relics, team star, titans, temporary    As a product this is a bad title, Game Freak should have postponed its delivery until the graphical problems were more refined.

    As a Pokemon game the BEST ever. Great soundtrack (only disappointing on the victory route). Great pokedex. WONDERFUL story, emotional and risky as it has never done before. An open world full of: gyms, raids, legendary relics, team star, titans, temporary invasions, apart from a large number of pokeopn that interact with the world.    … Expand
  71. 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
  72. TwilightGamer
    Dec 5, 2022
    10
    Definitely one of the best Pokemon games ever made. I played for 2 weeks and came across minor framerate issues and 2 random crashes but other than that it was amazing.
  73. Cloudstrife1313
    Dec 5, 2022
    9
    Pokemon violet is a great upgrade to the pokemon formula. Open world with lots to do. Events to catch pokemon not in the game. Fun story with side quests and lots to explore. Great traversal with pokemon. Pokemon this gen are great especially ones like ceruledge. Now for some negatives.
    -Honestly the battling and catching pokemon would have been the best its been in a pokemon game......if    Pokemon violet is a great upgrade to the pokemon formula. Open world with lots to do. Events to catch pokemon not in the game. Fun story with side quests and lots to explore. Great traversal with pokemon. Pokemon this gen are great especially ones like ceruledge. Now for some negatives.
    -Honestly the battling and catching pokemon would have been the best its been in a pokemon game......if it wasn't for pokemon legends arceus. Pokemon arceus let's you move around during the fight, catch pokemon on the run, and aim pokeballs. It felt so refreshing in such a great way that it feels a disappointment to go to the slow back and forth. -No spoilers, but a character who is running this group of delinquents is a boring reveal and also a super unlikable and annoying character. I think they tried to make the likable but they are just annoying.
    -the graphics are awful. Its time for gamefreak to try a little. They updated the gameplay in a great way but wow this game looks like a xbox360 or ps3 game. Its hard for you to say its because the switch is so underpowered when xenoblade chronicles 3 exists. It looks incredibly old.

    Even with these problems, the game has so many positives that make it so fun. -The story isn't as great as arceus but its still great. -The traversal is fun and the events that happen in game are interesting. -The catching gameplay for pokemon is challenging and rewarding. -The tera raids add a way to catch powerful and interesting variations of pokemon. -There are a couple of unique biomes that make it feel like you aren't in one area. -The battling is fun even though its not as good as arceus. -the new pokemon have a lot of interesting combos in regards to types.
    -The designs look great.
    -Your "rival" is a great character that i honestly wish she had her own show.
    -The gym leaders are interesting and unique.
    -there are so many hours of gameplay in this game.
    -Coop is so much fun in the game and you aren't stuck on the exact same screen and area when you join or have someone join your game.

    I get why this is rated low by people at the moment because of some glitches and the graphics. Graphics need to be updated badly. I didn't experience any glitches though. And I thoroughly enjoyed the game and it got all my friends to play it and text back and forth with it. I think this is a good base if they add the gameplay elements that they introduced in this game and just add the combat movement of your player and the catching while aiming and throwing from arceus. Also I loved the setting of arceus so it would be great to see different time periods like that. This game was easily a 9/10 and would be a 10/10 but I think arceus was technically a bit better gameplay wise. But arceus really needed pokemon badges so had no badges so it felt like something was missing so its also a 9/10. But I think in the future please keep making games like this and arceus but just update the graphics please. It really looks worse than a phone game its really insane how low graphics some things are.    … Expand
  74. Bsims93
    Dec 5, 2022
    10
    It a really amazing game I like all the new changes. All the quality to life changes are amazing.
  75. CorKilla
    Dec 5, 2022
    8
    Easily the best modern pokemon game. I experiences none of the problems that everyone reportedly had. Characters and story are captivating and definitely better than sworld/shield.
  76. zachper
    Dec 5, 2022
    9
    This is easily a top 3 Pokémon game of all time. Yes, there are performance issues, but if you play it in handheld mode you can hardly notice them. It does get pretty bad in docked mode, but the most recent patch is starting to fix these issues. I’m sure with the coming patches it’ll get fixed even more. The game itself is TERRIFIC though. A great, giant open world that’s fun to exploreThis is easily a top 3 Pokémon game of all time. Yes, there are performance issues, but if you play it in handheld mode you can hardly notice them. It does get pretty bad in docked mode, but the most recent patch is starting to fix these issues. I’m sure with the coming patches it’ll get fixed even more. The game itself is TERRIFIC though. A great, giant open world that’s fun to explore with secrets around every corner.… Expand
  77. HibDjib
    Dec 5, 2022
    8
    Genuinely crackheaded that there are this many negative reviews, even taking into consideration the very worst of the performance issues and graphics. The strengths of this game ridiculously outweigh its weaknesses.

    //// + Narratively, all previous mainline games don't even come close. Though they suffer from some repetition, likely because of the open world format, the three    Genuinely crackheaded that there are this many negative reviews, even taking into consideration the very worst of the performance issues and graphics. The strengths of this game ridiculously outweigh its weaknesses.

    ////

    + Narratively, all previous mainline games don't even come close. Though they suffer from some repetition, likely because of the open world format, the three storylines are solid, intriguing and surprisingly emotional, and they converge into a beautiful, intense finale. Few people seem to talk about it but the inclusion of Pokemon as proper *characters* adds a lot as well, and is honestly long overdue.

    + Same can be said about the soundtrack; East Province, battle against Arven, battle against "Turo/Sada", are all easily some of the best and most memorable works in the entire series. Clear motifs throughout assist the narrative well. Adaptive music is always welcome.

    + The Pokemon designs and concepts are mostly strong. Regional forms and evolutions return and are all pretty much solid. Some new designs stand out as wasted potential (Baxcalibur) or somewhat out of place in execution.

    + The Tera system is one of the better "gimmicks" and adds neat complexity to battles.

    + Larry.

    ////

    - Everything about the graphics and performance has already been said, and they're pretty inexcusable given the success of this franchise. Personally, I definitely had problems-- none of them were game-breaking, but some took away immersion.

    - The open world works, but is kind of dull. Some areas could be condensed.

    - A lack of customization options for clothing is super disappointing. SwSh is a weaker game but its level of customization was ideal.

    - Scaling difficulty should be an option in the future, especially for an open world game executed like this.

    ////

    This game is absolutely the right direction for the series and Gamefreak should continue to expand and improve upon what makes this game work.    … Expand
  78. qualquerum
    Dec 5, 2022
    2
    Certainly the biggest downgrade in pokémon history. It's unacceptable for GameFreak to release a limited game like this after Legends: Arceus. Basically they removed all the cool content that Arceus had and went back to the same generic old stuff. Not to mention the game is insanely slow, I feel like going to sleep every time I enter a battle. In short, GameFreak should be ashamed forCertainly the biggest downgrade in pokémon history. It's unacceptable for GameFreak to release a limited game like this after Legends: Arceus. Basically they removed all the cool content that Arceus had and went back to the same generic old stuff. Not to mention the game is insanely slow, I feel like going to sleep every time I enter a battle. In short, GameFreak should be ashamed for releasing a game like this after Arceus… Expand
  79. Pizzaheadnascar
    Dec 5, 2022
    10
    This game has horrible performance. BUT MY GOD DOES THE ACTUAL GAME MAKE UP FOR IT. This is literally the best game that I've ever played, even better than Breath of the Wild in my opinion. The story is incredible, just wait until the end. And the music is top notch. PLAY THIS GAME
  80. Melter_Nost
    Dec 5, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Violetto mi ha tenuto incollato allo schermo per più di 50 ore senza staccarmi, con tanto interesse e solo un po' di noia qua e là.
    Bellissimo come sempre scoprire i nuovi pokemon e le nuove evoluzioni. La trama ti spinge a capire cosa ci sia dietro questa fantomatica voragine al centro della mappa e ricatturare vecchi pokemon a cui eri affezionato con nuovi modelli 3D non ha prezzo. Belli i modelli dei pokemon e anche dei vari personaggi.
    Bello il sistema di raccolta strumenti in giro per la mappa siccome, fino a metà gioco, comprarli è davvero troppo costoso. Davvero carine le palestre con le sfide che variano un po' dal passato (sono però anche molto brevi e facilissime) e molto carina la musica di battaglia contro i capipaletra che si modifica mentre continui la lotta, top.
    Carina l'idea di fare una scuola dove impari, con tanto di esami alla fine dove devi ricordare le cose. Ancora di più mi ha sorpreso la verifica iniziale della lega, prima di accedervi, dove devi ricordare alcune cose sui capipaletra che hai affrontato. Ti stimola ricordare le cose è bella meccanica ma rimasta purtroppo molto superficiale.
    È più facile trovare gli shiny e io senza impegnarmi ne ho trovati due, ottimo.
    Bello girare in groppa a miraidon e davvero bello il suo design, a me piace. Ma c'è una cosa che mi ha stupito più di tutte, e vale solo per noi italiani. La prima superquattro è una donna e parla dialetto romano molto stretto. Appena ho visto i dialoghi sono rimasto shockato, una cosa molto cringe, però l'ho apprezza mi ha fatto morire dalle risate e ha dato valore a una cosa che qui da noi non viene quasi mai riportata in un videogioco ovvero i vari dialetti delle nostre regioni.

    Ora le cose negative...
    La grafica, è già stato detto mille volte, è terribile, tipo un gioco della playstation 2. Ma ancora peggio è la poca distanza di rendering che porta alla sfocatura dei modelli, cosa che invece non deve succedere in un mondo dove devi guardare pokemon che molto spesso sono piccolissimi...
    Oltre a quello i modelli distanti, pokemon o persone, cadono di framerate e si muovono a scatti manco fosse un gioco degli anni 90.

    La mappa è.... Vuota. Letteralmente vuota. Riempita di pokemon che si ripetono e oggetti messi casualmente, basta, niente d'altro troverai andando in giro.
    Le città sono carine ma mancano di profondità e dettagli. Alcune città sono praticamente vuote senza niente. Le palestre sono solo una stanzetta con reception e i negozi per le città si ripetono all'unico fine dei picnic e del grinding, tranne quelli per vestire il personaggio dove ho trovato una buona varietà di vestiti e accessori. Carina la macchina per le MT ma non ne senti mai il bisogno di usarla, servirà solo per il competitivo online. I personaggi mancano di profondità nella loro trama ed è tutto piatto e spento, oltre a essere anche molto infantile come pokemon ci ha sempre abituati, ma qui ha raggiunto un livello limite dove è davvero troppo infantile ed estremamente guidato con la manina. La facilità con cui diventi overlivellato è imbarazzante, è stato tutto facilissimo tranne verso la fine dove finalmente si è bilanciato. Le vicende con i pokemon dominanti si ripetono uguali identiche e sono anche facilissimi da battere. La trama con Pepe è davvero imbarazzante e stupida...
    Il team star è anch'esso imbarazzante. La meccanica della sfida nelle loro basi è orribile, lanciare i pokemon e fanno tutto loro, è facilissimo. Mentre invece i capi sono equilibrati e più difficili da battere. Ma il loro pokemon finale è sempre lo stesso con colori e tipi diversi e lasciatemelo dire revavroom è orribile.
    Il modo in cui si trovano i quattro leggendari non ha nè profondità e nè patos, sono messi li in un buco che apri togliendo dei paletti random per la mappa...
    Tanti, ma tanti tanti bug e glich ovunque ti possono capitare mentre giochi e alcuni anche molto fastidiosi.
    I raid teracristal sono inutili se non a specifici fini per le competizioni online. IA nelle lotte molto scadente, non tengono conte delle mosse del giocatore e non curano i propri pokemon con pozioni. Non puoi andare sott'acqua.
    E infine la trama generale. Prevedibile, superficiale e stupida. Una volta finita senti che non ti ha dato nulla se non una grande delusione. Aaah... I robot....

    Concludendo Pokemon Violetto è letteralemente un gioco in pre-alpha, un gioco che è stato rilasciato non completo, con tanti problemi e una superficialità generale nella storia e nei personaggi con palesi riempimenti atti a nascondere tale evidenza. 60€ sono un enorme furto.
    Qui si è raggiunto proprio il fondo della bruttezza e della piattezza nei giochi pokemon.
    Io spero soltanto che la Nintendo si riprenda e non faccia più 3 giochi l'anno ma dia il tempo, anche due o tre anni, di fare un Pokemon completo, profondo e fatto bene.
    Ps. Mi manca la qualità delle musiche che c'era nei giochi precedenti...    … Expand
  81. 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
  82. LoeVae
    Dec 5, 2022
    10
    Most fun i had in years with a Pokemon title, regardless of bugs. None are gamebreaking
  83. Zenha
    Dec 5, 2022
    9
    This game has been one of the best Pokemon mainline games I've played since ORAS, definitely there were some performance issues, but nothing that actually affected my experience.
    The story is interesting, the characters are charming an (besides Penny) Not annoying, I really enjoyed it and I feel like I will still have a lot of fun while trying to fill the dex, shiny hunt, and participate    This game has been one of the best Pokemon mainline games I've played since ORAS, definitely there were some performance issues, but nothing that actually affected my experience.
    The story is interesting, the characters are charming an (besides Penny) Not annoying, I really enjoyed it and I feel like I will still have a lot of fun while trying to fill the dex, shiny hunt, and participate in raids.
    Therefore, even tho I understand that people are unhappy with some lag, bugs and that sort of issues, in MY case, it ran pretty well! Hopefully people who are hating on it, will give it a second chance and understand how fun this game can be!    … Expand
  84. Erik_Witdth
    Dec 5, 2022
    10
    The Game was really great, after what I heard I hesitated to buy the Game, but decided to do so.
    The Framerate issues and Bugs that I heard so much of, either didn't Happen or did not Interrupt my playthrough, the Story was Great and I had lots of Fun playing the Game.
  85. emransr
    Dec 5, 2022
    8
    Very great game, this is what most fans wanted over the years a open world turn based rpg pokemon game. I get that the graphics are underwhelming but aside that it has a phenomenal 3 side story line leading to the climax of area zero. I just hope that there is voice acting in the next game to make the game somewhat impactful and add much more stuff like level scaling to make the game moreVery great game, this is what most fans wanted over the years a open world turn based rpg pokemon game. I get that the graphics are underwhelming but aside that it has a phenomenal 3 side story line leading to the climax of area zero. I just hope that there is voice acting in the next game to make the game somewhat impactful and add much more stuff like level scaling to make the game more challenging since the company doesn't support nuzlockes playthroughs. Other then that this game was really enjoyable to me and that's about it for my review… Expand
  86. TheLinkgirl
    Dec 5, 2022
    4
    Within the space of creature catching games, Pokémon is obviously top dog. With an extensive history spanning over 9 generations, and now over a thousand critters to choose from, it simply has an inherent advantage no other game has due to its history. That being said, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are not good games.

    Now, I'm sure most everyone is expecting me to bash the game for being a    Within the space of creature catching games, Pokémon is obviously top dog. With an extensive history spanning over 9 generations, and now over a thousand critters to choose from, it simply has an inherent advantage no other game has due to its history. That being said, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are not good games.

    Now, I'm sure most everyone is expecting me to bash the game for being a buggy, unfinished train wreck. No. I honestly don't care about that, and I'm someone who likes buggy games. My issue with Scarlet and Violet is that I simply don't find them that fun. The world feels barren, devoid of life, like it was just auto-generated and key towns were placed wherever. There never feels like there's a lot to do even though you have so many objectives. The only challenging part of the game for me was when I decided to intentionally take on a gym way above my level. Other than that, every single challenge was easy. The creature designs feel like they've also taken a hit for me, and I barely managed to scrape together a full team for this game. There might be something interesting in Pokémon SV, but I couldn't find it. What a disappointment.    … Expand
  87. oortcloud15
    Dec 5, 2022
    1
    the performance is so bad that any other factors cannot outweigh this. unreal that a game is released in 2022 by one of the largest developers in the world and this is the result
  88. UCHIHA_JACK
    Dec 5, 2022
    1
    Si salva (forse) solo il finale della storia di Pepe e del Team Star, il resto è uno schifo su tutti i piani: tecnico, scrittura e difficoltà.
  89. 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.
  90. Madbert
    Dec 5, 2022
    9
    Es el mejor Pokemon hasta la fecha sin lugar a dudas, un avance grande para la saga. Por supuesto tiene margen de mejora, pero solo juzgo este tíitulo con los anteriores y es el mejor. El hate de Pokemon es aburrido ya, para mi no cuenta.
  91. rirotto
    Dec 5, 2022
    4
    I finished playing violet just yesterday, 8 monthes of hype and all i got is 15 medium fps and a criminal group formed by bullied people, im a huge fan of pokemon but this is just ridicolous. I enjoyed this game pretty much cause of my passion for this but if we want to be objective this is pure **** Nothing else to say. Paradox past pokemon the only thing i aprreciated
  92. Ikesmash
    Dec 4, 2022
    10
    Yes, the game is buggy and does not preform as well as other games, but the internet has made that the main focus of this game. I hardly noticed these issues as I played, and just enjoyed the feeling that a brand new Pokemon game brings. With the most lovable characters I have seen in the series, and many heartwarming moments, it is easily my favorite game in the franchise. I am sure theYes, the game is buggy and does not preform as well as other games, but the internet has made that the main focus of this game. I hardly noticed these issues as I played, and just enjoyed the feeling that a brand new Pokemon game brings. With the most lovable characters I have seen in the series, and many heartwarming moments, it is easily my favorite game in the franchise. I am sure the technical issues will be fixed of course, don't let that get in the way of an absolutely fantastic game.… Expand
  93. Johnnyw121
    Dec 4, 2022
    8
    The best Pokémon game except for the performance that will hopefully be fixed in the games lifespan.
  94. AmazingBanana
    Dec 4, 2022
    9
    Yes the game has graphical issues and bugs, but damn its a good game otherwise, its fun, the new pokemon are cool, the open world aspect is awesome, the amount to do is great. Its a must play.
  95. moonblastx
    Dec 4, 2022
    9
    Despite releasing with bugs and poor performance, it somehow managed to be by far and away the best Pokemon title to date with an interesting and unobtrusive story, well written characters and a huge open world to explore, with ton of different things to do.
  96. Multality
    Dec 4, 2022
    1
    Pessimia otimizacao do jogo, quedas de FPS, pokemons sumindo, Bugs para todo os lados, crash de jogo. E tudo isso custando 300 Reais. O pokemon Arceus e muito melhor que isso. Gamefreak nao sabe fazer jogos em mundo aberto.
  97. Ahlu
    Dec 4, 2022
    10
    Ja der Zustand des Spiels ist absolut unschön. Aber für mich war es problemlos Spielbar und ich hatte super viel Spaß aufs Neue alte und neue Pokémon zu sammeln! Mehr möchte ich von einem Pokémon Spiel nicht :)
  98. zyferkazumi
    Dec 4, 2022
    0
    this game made me stop buying pokemon games jsut cuz its pokemon, i would rather play an actuall good pokemon game like mystery dungeon sky or legends arceus.
  99. Nerppy
    Dec 4, 2022
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A **** game.

    Honestly the only thing carrying this game is the fact that it’s open world and 3D. Everything else is **** The plot is basically written by your average 12 year old who uses wattpad, literally just a bunch of kids who got bullied but the school is different and changed so its up to you to beat their ass to come back. Like wtf? Who the **** approved that **** Way too much dialogue for characters who keep repeating the same **** “I got bullied and decided to come to Team star     … Expand
  100. Burno
    Dec 4, 2022
    0
    This is a shameless piece of software that should've required more time to come out. More than a message to Game Freak, this is for The Pokémon Company.
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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.
    Read full review
  3. Het Nieuwsblad
    Jul 31, 2023
    20
    A square wheel spins more smoothly and fluidly than this game. If three Pokémon or characters come into view at once, the whole game creaks and falters. Edge-off unplayable. And that's a shame. Because the addition of an open world is "on paper" a puffy idea to refresh the franchise. No more linear walking that takes you past gyms and ever stronger and different Pokémon, gotta catch 'em all. You can go wherever you want. With some tactics, you can take on some very tough challenges with Pokémon that aren't nearly strong enough. Fun! Except this game just wasn't ready. It's shameless that Nintendo and Game Freak are still throwing it on the market. Nevertheless: 10 million games sold in just three days.
    Read full review
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