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0 Developed by Game Freak for the Nintendo Switch, we bring you the latest instalment in the Pokemon Series. Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet were released towards the end of last year and we have seen nothing but mixed reviews. So we thought it was about time we checked it out for ourselves.
Let’s Go On An Adventure In Paldea!
To this day I still haven’t played a Pokemon title that beats the original for the Gameboy Color. Pokemon Blue was the first title I picked up and I spent a lifetime on it. Despite completing my Pokedex and the game I played this title to death. I soon checked out Red and Yellow but obviously, they were pretty much the same title. I don’t think comparing Scarlet and Violet against Blue would be fair, but I am looking forward to getting stuck in.
Gameplay
Jumping into the game, the first thing you do is create your character. This doesn’t affect anything other than the visuals of your creation on screen. You start off in your home town excited about your first day at the local Academy. The director of the Academy AKA Director Clavell wastes no time and comes to visit you at home. With plenty of dialogue to be had Clavell is there to bring you your first Pokemon, the classic start to most Pokemon titles release. He leaves you with three pokeballs, each with a different Pokemon type inside. You have the choice between Quaxly (Water Type), Fuecoco (Fire Type) and Sprigatito (Grass Type). Each one feels like a solid starter, and as per the other titles each of these starter Pokemon also have a second and third evolution.
For anyone who is new to the open-world Pokemon titles, there is a tutorial that takes you through the beginning of the game. This helps you understand mechanics and gameplay. Your first battle is with Nemona, this is your battle tutorial. It is pretty much as expected with no twists in the mechanics.
As you are exploring there are Pokemon everywhere to catch or battle. I personally took a little bit longer getting to objectives due to this and tried to level up my Pokemon team a bit. There are items scattered around the map for you to collect. Thankfully these are highlighted exceptionally well. From here you get to meet your legendary Pokemon and where the real story begins. Don’t worry no story spoilers here.
Graphics & Audio
When it came to graphics I never had any of the game-breaking glitches that have been reported. However, I understand that some gamers are not seeing these issues. I did see some frame rate drops throughout playing, however, these were infrequent. Having said that they were still slightly annoying.
The audio within the game isn’t anything groundbreaking. It is what you would expect. In some ways this is great, but in some respect I was also hoping for something new and exciting.
Longevity
There is an abundance of things to see and do in Caldea, however, the time sink here will be for the completionists. Obviously, there are many battles to have, both inside and outside gyms. However, catching them all and completing your Pokedex on your Rotom phone will be the real adventure.
Sometimes open-world titles can get quite lonely, however, within Pokemon Violet, you do have the choice to play with others. via local or online play you can team up with up to three friends and have your own adventure together. This can add more playability and longevity to titles such as Pokemon Violet. Or, if like me you have a Pokemon-obsessed son then you can have your own little adventure at home. This honestly makes it a little bit more special.
Final Thoughts
Before picking up Pokemon Violet, I had heard a lot of negative comments and the bad press seemed to be piling up. I don’t think this is the best Pokemon title I have played, however, it still offers that Pokemon experience that we all know and love. On the other hand, it is my son’s first Pokemon title and he loved what it had to offer. We are both still getting to grips with the sheer number of Pokemon these days and some of them look pretty ridiculous if I am honest. With a couple of bugs and gameplay you expect, it doesn’t feel like this instalment is pushing any boundaries. Having said that, at the same time I am not sure what the next step would be. Although I would love a remaster of Pokemon Blue. I, therefore, award Pokemon Violet a Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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