by Marshall Harmon
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, released for the Nintendo Switch on November 18, 2022, had been a long-awaited game. Initially announced in February of that year, people were excited to see what the game was like. Yet, once everyone finally started playing, people were very vocal about their disappointment with the game. It was very unpolished, with many people posting clips of insane glitches they’ve run into during their gameplay. Compared to their previous releases, it felt unfinished in its more technical aspects. Many people were upset about it because Nintendo and Gamefreak are such big companies that something like having a game that isn’t ultra buggy should not be that hard.
Big companies releasing games that feel unfinished has been an ongoing trend recently, and the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet only fueled the fire. Yet, despite some of the complaints people have given about the game, I still enjoy it.
Don’t get me wrong, I think all the anger at Nintendo and Gamefreak for releasing the game when it’s still so buggy is very justified. Even two years after the initial release, it feels like all the glitches within the game were barely even looked at, let alone touched upon. Things like the entire picnic table disappearing and your sandwich falling into the earth when you try to make one, or being put through a wall because a wild Pokemon encounter just-so-happened to start up in an unfortunate spot. I also have an issue with the more aggressive Pokemon flocking to you when you’re in the middle of an encounter or your menu and immediately starting up another encounter once you’re done.
Outside of that, though, the gameplay has been fun for me! I love the story, and I like that they let you do things in the way you want to. There is a suggested order of doing things, of course, since you do need to level your Pokemon for everything, but there’s an overall sense of freedom through the open-world approach the game has taken. There’s also a ton of content within the game, which is good for someone like me. I love always having something I could be doing in a game, and I feel like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet did well on that front. It didn’t feel too overwhelming, and I was very excited to figure out what I wanted to do next when I finished something. I haven’t started doing the post-game content yet, but the fact that there even is any was a pleasant surprise for me. I had gotten the Indigo Mask DLC because I knew I’d tear through all the content in the game, but I guess I didn’t need to worry that much! Not only that, but they do a good job of motivating you to finish your Pokedex. I have never finished a Pokedex before, as I am the kind of player that catches the Pokemon they like or think look cool/cute. But, with all the rewards they give, alongside everything going on with Terrastylization and the sandwich-making mechanic, I finally want to finish my Pokedex, get my Shiny Charm, and do shiny hunting. I have never wanted to shiny hunt before, so I see that as a very huge win.
The story itself is very compelling, too. I nearly cried at the end of Arven’s quest line because it was just that heartwarming. His is definitely my favorite, with Penny’s quest line being in second place. Nemona’s quest line is only in last because I find her to be a bit pushy and I lost to her once because I still had on my Normal Gym team and wasn’t given time to switch back (which is crazy because I remember her running off because she needed to switch back to her usual team before we could fight again). I really like the professors’ stories, too! My favorite was Professor Hassel’s, mainly on account of him being a silly old man.
All in all, I love this game because it’s packed full of a lot of content to consume, which is something I personally need because of my play style. I love the mechanics of the game, they do a good job of incentivizing you to catch Pokémon, and there’s a lot of freedom to do what you when, when you want. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a game that will keep them obsessed with it for weeks on end.
