Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Features

It’s too early for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Giovanni Colantonio
By

A new Pokémon game announcement is supposed to be a joyous occasion. I still remember waking up early one morning in the early 2010s to see the first trailer for Pokémon X and Y, which felt like a radical shift for the franchise at the time. I always look forward to those exciting few minutes that give me my first glance at a new adventure that will get my friends and me talking.

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet | Announcement Trailer

I didn’t quite have that same reaction when I saw the news about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. When I turned on February’s digital Pokémon showcase, I was mostly excited to hear about new DLC for Pokémon Legends: Arceus. I got that news, but then the unexpected generation nine announcement quickly overshadowed it. Instead of eliciting a squeal of joy, it left me feeling a little disappointed.

Recommended Videos

That’s not because I don’t think it looks fun. On the contrary, I’m eager to explore the game’s Spain-inspired open-world alongside my new duck friend. It’s just that it feels like it’s releasing far too soon, giving developer Game Freak no time to take feedback from Arceus and use it to evolve the series.

Keep waiting

When I played Pokémon Legends: Arceus, I routinely said “I can’t wait to see this feature in the next mainline Pokémon game.” From freeform catching to initiative-based combat, every little tweak felt like it was auditioning for the next big RPG. At the time, my assumption was that Arceus would allow Game Freak to put some space between Pokémon generations and test out some new mechanics in a lower-stakes game. I figured we’d see a proper sequel to Sword and Shield in late 2023 at the earliest, but with a lot of quality of life changes in tow.

That isn’t going to be the case. It’s now clear that Game Freak’s time was split over the past few years as it worked on Arceus in tandem with Scarlet/Violet. The latter will launch this year, with development likely nearing its final stages already.

Pokemon Violet and Scarlet's open world under a blue sky.

That naturally means that Game Freak didn’t build the game around Arceus feedback (it only launched one month ago, so that would be a superhuman feat). The positive buzz around that game’s quality of life changes didn’t guide development, so there’s little reason to believe the new games will feel much different from Sword and Shield. Any significant tweaks won’t come until generation 10 lands in 2025.

I can’t help but feel like it’s a missed opportunity in the making. After playing Arceus, I’m not sure I can easily go back to some of the standard RPGs’ more aged mechanics. I loved that catching was as simple as throwing a ball without initiating a random battle. I was thrilled when I realized I could readjust a monster’s moves at any time without going through hoops to relearn deleted attacks. I’ve seen a vision of a modern Pokémon game and it’s bizarre to think that I could be going backward soon.

Pikachu battles in Pokemon Violet and Scarlet.

There is a chance that some of Arceus’ best features could still be present in Scarlet/Violet. Considering both games were in development at the same time, Game Freak may have built the game around some unifying changes. Even if that’s the case, there’s no guarantee that the features players actually liked in Arceus will be the ones present here. It would be a development shot in the dark, rather than a decision based on what worked and what didn’t for players.

Breaking the cycle

Pokémon isn’t exactly an annualized series like Madden, but it functions like one. With how routinely Game Freak churns out games (it currently operates on a somewhat strict three-year cycle), there’s no time to learn and change. By the time players have played through a game and formulated a list of grievances, it’s already too late. The developer is already on to the next project.

I was hoping that would change. When Game Freak outsourced development on Shining Pearl and Brilliant Diamond out to ICLA, it felt like a move towards sustainability. Game Freak could take more time to refine its games, while another studio kept the money-making churn going. That was wishful thinking. Instead, Game Freak was simply off making two giant games at the same time. The problem still persists and may even be worse now.

Swablu sit on a banner in Pokemon Violet and Scarlet.

Yes, I’m excited about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but I’m much more interested in what’s coming after it. Generation 10 is likely going to bring the game pair I was hoping to see after playing Arceus. I’ll patiently wait for that day, but I can’t help but think that we could get one excellent Pokémon game if Game Freak wasn’t pumping out several good ones.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is set to launch in late 2022 for Nintendo Switch.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Giovanni Colantonio
Giovanni Colantonio
Section Editor, Gaming
Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…
After 25 seasons, Ash Ketchum is retiring from Pokémon
Ash holds a Pokeball while a lot of iconic Pokemon stand behind him.

The Pokémon Company confirmed that Ash Ketchum will no longer be the main protagonist of the series' anime starting in 2023.
Ever since Pokémon! I Choose You! first aired in Japan on April 1, 1997, the Pokémon anime has followed the exploits of 10-year-old Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum on his quest to become Pokémon Master. After trying and failing many times across 25 seasons, Ash finally managed to become the world's greatest Pokémon trainer in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series after winning the Pokémon World Coronation Series.
The Pokémon Company is deciding to leave Ash's journey on a high note and will retire his character as the protagonist of the Pokémon anime after the current season. Thankfully, he is getting a proper send-off across the final 11 episodes of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, with classic anime characters like Misty and Brock returning to help tell "the final chapter in Ash and Pikachu's story." These final 11 episodes will start airing in Japan on January 13, 2023.
This won't be the end of Pokémon anime adaptions, though; The Pokémon Company will start a new series later next year, following two new characters named Liko and Roy. Details on this new series are still scarce, but we know it will also feature Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly, and a Shiny Rayquaza in significant roles. We're likely to see them venture through Paldea, the region Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are set in.
While the announcement that Ash Ketchum will no longer be the protagonist of the Pokémon series is bittersweet for those of us who grew up with the Pokémon anime, we can hope that the series will give him a beautiful farewell, and that Liko and Roy's series can successfully capture the hearts of a whole new generation of Pokémon fans. 

Read more
We need to talk about Pokémon Violet and Scarlet’s funniest evolution
Pokemon trainer and team in Scarlet and Violet.

Like each mainline game in the series, Pokémon Violet and Scarlet introduce a whole batch of new monsters for trainers to catch. Those include fresh faces like Pawmot and Bombirdier, as well as new Paldean variants of classics like Wooper and Tauros. They even add some new evolutions for old monsters like Primeape and Bisharp.

There are plenty of excellent designs to highlight, but we need to talk about its absolute goofiest one: Dudunsparce.

Read more
The best video games of November 2022: God of War Ragnarok, Pentiment, and more
Kratos sternly looks at Atreus in God of War: Ragnarok.

November 2022 was filled to the brim with some of the year’s biggest releases, which is typical of this time of year. Although not all of them lived up to expectations, others like God of War Ragnarok garnered critical acclaim and are must-plays for anyone gaming in 2022. Still, there are plenty of other games that released in November 2022 that also deserve admiration.
December 2022 will be packed with exciting games too, so you’ll want to check out these six titles before that rush begins. From well-known games like God of War Ragnarok to smaller indies like A Little to the Left, these are the November 2022 video game releases that you shouldn’t miss.
God of War Ragnarok

Sony Santa Monica followed up 2018’s critically acclaimed God of War with a sequel that is bigger in almost every way. While that doesn’t always work out perfectly for God of War Ragnarok, it’s still a massive and emotionally touching action game. It features many great accessibility options for players that need those too.
“God of War Ragnarok is much bigger than its predecessor, though not inherently better,” Gaming Editor Giovanni Colantonio wrote in his four-star review of the game. “It’s more reminiscent of the jump between the original God of War in 2005 and God of War 2, offering a largely similar experience down to its plot beats. That larger scope makes for a messier story that loses some of the previous game’s intimacy, but the trade-off is even sharper combat that further establishes the franchise as the God of action games.”
As God of War Ragnarok had the bestselling launch of any first-party PlayStation game ever, there's a good chance you're already playing it. If you haven’t checked it out, though, this sequel is a must for PlayStation owners. God of War Ragnarok is available now exclusively for PS4 and PS5.
Pentiment

Read more