Video Game Blog 025: The Pokémon Binge Part 4: Scarlet

And we’re back for the final (?) installment of my Pokémon Binge series! The previous parts are here, here, and here. This one is a relatively spoiler-free review of Pokémon Scarlet, one of the two newest installments of the franchise! Now, keep in mind this won’t be a detailed review covering everything. As of the writing of this, the game just came out five days ago and so I haven’t gone all the way through it. I have logged 20 hours into it, though, so I can cover my preliminary feelings and thoughts.

Livin’ that picnic life. (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet came out in 2022 for the Nintendo Switch and is the first game in the ninth Generation. I chose the Scarlet version because with every installment I have chosen fire as my first starter. (I do later play through the other versions with the other starters, of course.) Plus, I liked the way the mascot Legendary on the cover looked. This game focuses on the Paldea region of the Pokémon world, which is loosely based off of Spain and Portugal in our world. There are, so far, 107 new Pokémon, which include new forms for previous Pokémon, and regional variants. I say so far, because I’m expecting there to be DLC like there was for the previous game. Also, there have only been two Legendary Pokémon announced for these games as of now, and that’s far less than any other Pokémon game in the past. We don’t have a hard-to-get Mythical Pokémon yet either, and every game has included at least one.

The road stretches before me. (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

There are, as usual with a new Pokémon game, many changes and new additions. The biggest among these is the format change. Most Pokémon games are incredibly linear, leading you along a set path and giving you a distinct order for gyms and team encounters. Pokémon Scarlet/Violet changes this up drastically, giving us an expansive open world to explore and three story paths to take on in any order we choose. Soon after starting the game you’re given three paths: Victory Road, which is the traditional journey to take down eight gyms and then the Elite Four. The Path of Legends, which sends you to seek out and defeat five Pokémon Titans in search of rare herbs. And Starfall Street, which tasks you with raiding the five bases of the notorious Team Star and defeating the boss of each base. These paths can be taken in any order and you can even choose the order you face the gyms for the first time ever. You can also mix and match between the paths, which feels to me the best way to do it, as you can level up in between tasks and it keeps changing up the gameplay. You can also choose to just roam around exploring and catching Pokémon. It’s a big region and there’s a lot to discover.

My Pikachu can fly! (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

As with the last few installments, a new battle mechanic is introduced called Terastallizing. Every Pokémon now has a Tera Type along with their normal type. This Tera type can be entirely different from their normal one. For instance my Pikachu that I received through Mystery Gift (a free promotion for buying before February of next year) has the usual type of Electric, but his Tera type is Flying and he came with the move Fly, which normally Pikachu cannot learn.

In battle you can use your Tera Orb to select one Pokémon to transform. Once they Terastallize, they gain a shiny crystalline appearance that includes a fancy hat and change into their Tera type. When they use a move that matches their Tera Type, it’s powered up. This lasts until the end of battle or until they faint, and then the Tera Orb needs to be recharged at a Poké Center. (Or by having a picnic and eating a sandwich.)

Haha, my Pokémon is a motorcycle. (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

More changes include Let’s Go Mode, which allows you to throw out your lead Pokémon to auto battle against wild Pokémon as you continue to explore. There is a food system where you gain temporary buffs by eating food, such as increased catching rate for certain Pokémon Types, increased egg discovery rates, and more. (Including increased Shiny encounter chance!) The day and night system has been overhauled. Rather than working in real time, a full day elapses in about a half an hour. (This resulted in many of my screenshots being taken at night, just because half the time it is night.) A nice change is the ability to relearn moves right from the menu. (In previous games you had to hunt down Heart Scales and trade them to a specific NPC to relearn previous moves.)

A huge revamp is the elimination of random encounters. This was a big surprise to me… ever since the first game Pokémon have hidden in the tall grass, and even in Sword and Shield where there were Pokémon showing on the overworld, there were still more that appeared in the tall grass. In this one, you can see all Pokémon and attempt to avoid encounters if you choose. (Which means no more Repels!) An incredibly nice side effect of this is the fact that Shiny Pokémon also show up on the overworld, making it potentially easier to encounter them without going through hundreds of random encounters. (It can make it hard to avoid Pokémon though, because sometimes they gather in a group and swarm you.) Battle no longer shifts to its own scene as it used to; now you enter battle right where you’re standing. Each area flows into the next seamlessly, even when you enter caves. The only time the scene changes is when you enter a building. Which isn’t often anymore… you’re no longer allowed to just randomly wander into stranger’s houses.

Going along with this change, Pokémon Trainers no longer lock eyes with you and launch into an unavoidable battle. In this region it’s polite to talk with someone before you battle them. This makes it easier to pick and choose who you fight and when. Poké Centers are no longer a building you have to walk into… now they’re outdoor kiosks that you can treat as drive throughs. (You don’t even have to get off your mount.) Also in this kiosk are the Pokémarts and a new vending machine to create your own TMs using materials you scavenge in the overworld and a new currency called League Points. (As such, TMs have been reverted back to being one use only after being multi-use in the last few games.) The map can be rotated, zoomed in and out, and you can set a destination flag to make it easier to keep track of where you’re going. Pokémon can appear on the map too, letting you know what you’ll find where and if there are any Outbreaks.

“Yes, I’ll take 10 Revives, 5 Super Potions, and a team heal to go please.“ (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

As with the last few games there are no HMs. Early in the game you get your Legendary Pokémon (Koraidon in Scarlet and Miraidon in Violet) that serves as your mount. As part of the Path of Legends, you feed your mount sandwiches seasoned with special Herba Mystica, which grants them new powers such as the power to glide, dash, high jump, and swim.

The camping mechanic from Sword and Shield has become a picnic in this game, where you can play with your Pokémon, wash them, and even breed them. Yes, that’s another significant change. The Daycare Center, which has been present since Generation 2 is gone. Now to breed Pokémon you sit around in your picnic for awhile with two Pokémon from the same Egg Group (or a Ditto) and you mysteriously find eggs in your basket. You can also make sandwiches, which grants you benefits like the food you buy. You can learn new recipes as you go that grant you even more benefits. Picnic paraphernalia and ingredients can be bought in shops.

Raids make a return from Sword and Shield also, and just like in those games you can enter them with friends or NPCs. In these raids you battle Tera Pokémon and defeating them lets you catch them. Instead of the four knock-out limit to end the raid there is a time limit, with a time penalty for every knock out. I’ve only fought in one raid battle so far, and it was a one star which turned out to be super easy. You can also encounter Tera Pokémon on the overworld. There are events called Outbreaks that occur where herds of certain Pokémon appear.

My library is growing. (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

One change that I really appreciate is in the Pokédex. In these games it’s laid out not as a computer program or phone app, but as a library of books. A new book is added each time you encounter a Pokémon and it gets a special cover when you catch the Pokémon. You also get prizes for reaching certain numbers of Pokémon caught. More recent catches and encounters are shown in their own columns to make it easy to look in on new finds. I think this is a creative and satisfying revamp for the Pokédex system.

Ooooh, shiny. I’m’a eat it. (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

Even with all the changes and tweaks, the heart and soul of the game is still Pokémon through and through. The spirit of camaraderie, exploration, and discovery permeate the game. There are new evolutions, new mysteries, and new moves. As always there are differences between the Scarlet and Violet versions. I don’t know all these just yet, but I plan to discover them when I inevitably play Violet. I know that the school you go to is different and there is a different Pokémon Professor. And as always there are version exclusive Pokémon and Legendary. Time will tell if I can borrow my brother’s copy again or if I will just break down and buy it.

One item of note is that I have decided to complete the Pokédex in this game. (Paldean, not National.) I mentioned on my previous posts that I typically just catch the new Pokémon and forms, but I’m enjoying this one so much I’m going to go for it and just catch ‘em all. This will be the first game since Emerald that I have completed the Pokédex. Another fun fact: with these games, we’ve now reached over 1000 Pokémon! We’ve come a long way from the original 151 species.

Aw, my little buddy. (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

My team as it stands currently is above. (Except my Crocalor and Flittle have since evolved.) I didn’t expect to train a Pikachu in this, but the free Flying Tera Type Pikachu was too tempting. (Plus he was instrumental in taking down the second Gym and two Titans.) I have already swapped out a few of my earlier team members. (I miss my Fidough. He’s a doggy, but he’s also bread. I laughed so hard when I first saw him.) I was so excited to see a black Wooper that I caught one right away and he’s been on my team ever since. The regional variants give new life to old Pokémon. I really like the way the Tauros looks. Speaking of which, I encountered a rare Fire variant as I played… which I didn’t even know was a thing. There are even new versions of old Pokémon like Diglett and Tentacool. These games always have new things to discover and learn.

Back before I found my trusty pink hat. (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

I’m loving the branching paths and the three stories. The region is full of little nooks and crannies to explore. The freedom of choosing your path is very welcome. Although I was tempted to make a run at Team Star (fighting the villainous gangs in these games is always a good way to train up your team and earn money) I realized I didn’t have a Type advantage over any of the Bosses. So instead I started by making a bee-line for the Bug-Type gym, knowing my Fuecoco would dominate it. I took the time to see the sights and catch more Pokémon on my way. My plan for after the gym was to explore some more and maybe try one of the Bases. Instead I ended up doing the second gym, then taking out a Base, and then wandered off to do Titan quests.

He’s a big boy. (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

As I mentioned earlier, the Gyms can be taken in any order, but so far I’ve done them in recommended order. I may try a later one just to see if it’s more challenging, but we’ll see. Just as with the previous two installments, before you can face the Gym Leader you have to complete a challenge which is different for each Gym.

The Team Star challenges are interesting. Rather than fight a seemingly endless series of grunts, you release three Pokémon and let them auto battle waves of enemy Pokémon. If you defeat enough of them before time runs out or your team faints, the Boss will emerge and you can fight them in a more traditional Pokémon battle.

The Titan quests are where I’ve been dedicating the most time, mostly so I can power up my Koraidon. I have taken out three of the Titans and I definitely did them out of order. The first one I faced was a gigantic Donphan called Giant Tusk. He was sweeping my team until my Tera Clodsire managed to get him with Poison Point. Then it was just a matter of whittling him down and surviving until the poison made him faint. The other two I’ve faced were much, much easier, so I clearly wandered into a Titan I wasn’t ready for. With some luck and strategy I managed it though, which shows you can truly do things out of order.

Aside from these three paths there’s lots more to do. There’s the usual trainer battles, sandwich making, hunting Pokémon for your Pokédex, the raids and Tera encounters, and general exploration of a huge region. There is also a side quest where you pull mysterious black stakes out of the ground. I’m not sure what this is doing yet, but it seems really ominous.

I swear every Pokémon game is shinier than the last. (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

The main downside, and it’s one everyone has been pointing out, are the graphical and technical glitches and crashing. (I have not had the game crash even once, but I know it’s been a problem for others.) The game was clearly rushed to release before it was ready, it shows in the many glaring problems. The framerate drops and the game lags when there are too many people on the screen. (Especially in towns.) Characters and Pokémon glitch and disappear, there’s a lot of clipping and some distortion of models. I’ve seen a lot of examples of this online, but I haven’t experienced much of it myself.

So far in my own gameplay experience there’s just been a lot of framerate slowdown and some glitchiness in the graphics. For me it’s not enough to take away from the experience, and I know there’ll likely be a patch soon. (I just hope they don’t wait for the DLC to patch it… I guarantee even the most dedicated fans will riot if Game Freak pulls that crap.) Although I’m still enjoying the game, it is sad to see it released into the world and the hands of excited fans without the extra work and polish it needed to become an even better game. While I can forgive the problems, I can see how it would be disappointing and turn some fans away. You would think such a big company would treat their fans and their flagship title with more respect.

GASP. TREASURE! (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

Once you get past the graphical and technical problems, this is still a great game. The music, the designs, the mechanics… they all raise it above previous installments. The Pokémon are more detailed and textured to look like they have fur or skin. The wild Pokémon wander around socializing with each other, napping, eating berries… some chase you and others run away depending on the species. The fluid movement from exploration to battle keeps the immersion going.

The ability to choose a non-linear path, and so many chances to get distracted and strategize give this game more dimensions and depth than any other Pokémon game I’ve played. (Note that I haven’t played Pokémon Legends: Arceus yet. I know that one was somewhat open world also.)

He likes his sammiches. (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

I’m really having a lot of fun with this game. The difficulty level is a bit higher than previous games. I’ve actually lost a few battles, which is rare for me in a Pokémon game. One time I underestimated a wild Girafarig that I was attempting to catch, which is a funny way to lose an entire party. Another loss was my first attempt at the Water Gym… I was not ready at all, and this was before I got my Pikachu. I was counting on a low level Tadbulb to carry me and that was a grave miscalculation. I went off and trained up my Pikachu and Smolov and after a few hours I was able to rematch the Gym Leader and take him down. The difficulty is especially seen as you wander around the region… the levels of the Pokémon do not scale with your team’s levels or your progress in the game… some areas have easy low-level Pokémon and some have insanely high level. It’s a good idea to pack some Pokédolls and prepare to run if you get in over your head.

The amount of things to do and discover keeps me coming back to this game whenever I have some time to invest in it. Since it’s the newest game in the series and I’m mostly caught up (I still need to play Legends and Shining Pearl) I’m in no hurry to get through it, so I’m taking my time with Scarlet. I’m looking forward to playing Violet and seeing what the eventual DLC brings to the game, but for right now I’m just enjoying the experience.

Elements from previous games in the series have been combined, tweaked, eliminated, and refined to make this a whole new experience that still feels distinctly familiar and fun. This is the next evolution of Pokémon, and while it does have its problems, I feel there is enough there to elevate it above its predecessors. It can only get better from here and I’m excited to see what the next evolution will be.

Is me! (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)

As I said, I’m only 20 hours into the game right now, so I have a long ways to go. So far I have beaten two Gyms, raided one Team Star Base, and beaten three Titans. I have caught 116 Pokémon so far out of a total of 400. I have yet to encounter any Shinies, but I’ve had my eyes open. It’s been quite the adventure already, and I’m just getting started.

(Edit: A couple of hours after posting this I was wandering the fields of Paldea and found a Shiny Mareep, his pink wool standing out among his white wooled pack. I ran right for him and now he’s replaced Tadbulb in my party!)

Thank you for reading the fourth installment of my Pokémon Binge series! I appreciate you all for indulging me as I gushed about Pokémon. If there’s enough interest, I may extend this series next year and include installments for Violet and whatever DLC we get. Let me know in the comments or on social if you’d like to see more posts like these. Until next time, keep exploring and making new friends!

Strike a heroic pose! (Credit: Game Freak, Nintendo)