Following the very successful 8th generation game, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have a very high bar to hurdle. With their release just around the corner, set for November 18, 2022, fans have received lots of information and sneak peeks of the games. The many new features are unlike anything seen in previous Pokemon games, which explains the hype around the releases. So here is everything we know about Scarlet and Violet so far.
New Type of Adventure in Scarlet and Violet
Unlike every previous game, the player does not have to embark on the usual journey. We have more choices- more specifically, there are three different story roads that we can take. One of them is the one everyone is familiar with; beating the gyms and taking down an evil organization. However, we now get to choose which order we tackle the gyms. This is a confusing detail as it means that the usual gym power scaling cannot work since players can choose to battle the same gyms at different parts of the game.
Although we are unaware of the other two-story paths, we know that we can jump between them as we wish. Clearly, Game Freak is trying to introduce a more open-world adventure to Pokemon. If executed well, there is no reason for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet not to be massive hits.
The Paldea Region
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet both take place in the Paldea Region. Inspired by Spain’s architecture and landscape, it will be one of the most diverse Pokemon regions ever. The main city of Paldea is Mesagoza, which is home to the school of the story. The player will either be a part of Naranja Academy or Uva Academy- depending on which game they play.
The Terastalize Mechanic
Wild Pokemon found in the Paldea region have a chance to be terastalized. Players can easily identify them by the glowing Terra stone above their head that changes depending on which type of Terastalization the Pokemon uses. This mechanic grants the Pokemon special combat abilities that are impossible for non-Paldea native Pokemon.
Players can also take on powerful wild Terastalized pokemon with other players. This is a Tera Raid Battle where a team of up to 4 can take on wild Pokemon. There is a time limit for each battle, forcing players to be coordinated together to minimize the time taken to defeat the wild pokemon.
Closing thoughts
Scarlet and Violets’ game features differ drastically from the previous games. This can either make or break the games. If done right, they can be rated as two of the greatest Pokemon games. Many fans are very excited about the new storyline style where we have more freedom in our Pokemon adventures. However, changing the story structure would mean that the gameplay will be very unique to previous games. Whether that is good or bad, we will have to wait and see.
