Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Practical: Monster Catching Remix

During the first eight generations of Pokémon, the number of monsters caught approached 1000. And yet, during that same time, the basic gameplay formula of the series has largely remained the same (except for some small changes or branches such as Legends: Arceus). But after getting a preview Pokemon Scarlet ahead of its official release in November, GameFreak seems to have remixed many long-standing tropes in a way that brings a new spark to its next release.

Starting with the Paldea region (which draws inspiration from the real world of the Iberian Peninsula), Pokemon Scarlet and Violet expands on previous games (mostly Legends Arceus and the Wild Area in Sword and Shield), offering a fully open-world design. This means there is no set path when it comes to taking gyms, giving you much more freedom to choose where you want to go and in what order. On top of that, to help you get around the world, you get access to the game’s Legendary Pokémon (either Koraidon or Miraidon, depending on which version of the game you choose) very early on, rather than having to wait until the end of the game to to catch them as in previous titles.

Even the gyms themselves got an update with the trials you have to go through to fight Brassius (the Artazon gym leader) that takes place around the city instead of in one room or building. The impact of this is that the world of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet you just feel more vibrant and alive, which adds a new dimension to how you experience the game.

Of course, there’s a lot more to Pokémon than just gym battles, as riding your Legendary Pokémon lets you literally run, jump, and fly across the landscape. As you explore Paldea, you’ll encounter wild monsters roaming the region that you can choose to fight or avoid as you see fit, although you’ll also encounter some random battles. There are even rare Titan Pokemon that you have to battle multiple times to get the best score as you try to complete your Path of Legends, which is a separate story branch from your gym battles and Team Star encounters. And while you’re out exploring the world, if you don’t want to lead the battle yourself, you can bring out your lead Pokemon to find items or auto-battle other nearby monsters (with the battle taking place off-screen).

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Scarlet and Violet the open-world design also means there are more places to run into Team Star (this generation’s equivalent of Team Rocket). During one event, I had to fight my way through a barricaded compound while using the new auto-battle system to take down 30 different monsters before my team ran out of HP. I then got to fight one of Team Star’s leaders while she was riding a huge vehicle that had a massive health bar. Standard combat, meanwhile, still consists of turn-based battles, with each monster having access to four different moves. And when it comes to catching wild Pokémon, your best bet is still to whittle down their health with attacks and status ailments before throwing the Pokéball at them. No need to aim your throw like inside Legends: Arceus.

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But for Scarlett and Violet Gamefreak added a new twist called Terastallizing, which allows a Pokémon to change its normal type to its hidden Tera type. Take Tyranitar for example, which is usually a rock/dark type, but changes to a ghost type when Terastallized. This unlocks new ways to punish your enemy’s weaknesses while giving you access to the new Tera Blast TM so you can take full advantage of your Pokémon’s more powerful altered state.

Alternatively, for people who enjoy more cooperative battles, there are four-player Tera raid battles that allow you to team up with friends to catch Pokémon with rare Tera types. And unlike traditional battles, there’s no order to follow. You can spam moves to your heart’s content, and if you get knocked out, you can cheer on your fellow trainers while you wait to be auto-revived. As someone who has long felt that Pokémon’s core battle system needed an update, the raid battles are a lot of fun as a break from the main story, even if they feel a bit clunky.

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And these are just some of the bigger changes. Gamefreak has changed many other mechanics in a way that makes the entire franchise feel fresh again. So, let me list a bunch of quick-fire styles here. Instead of the standard eight gym badges to collect, there are now 18. Character customization is much more in-depth and can be changed at any time from the standard menu screen. Also, other trainers won’t start a fight right away like they did in the past, you actually have to get close and engage them on purpose. There’s even a new auto-heal feature that uses potions from your inventory to restore HP after a battle, saving you time going through menus over and over again. And what could have the biggest impact on Pokemon battles in Scarlett and Violet is that you can now create your own TMs.

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So while I only had a little over an hour to play Pokemon Scarlet during my preview, I’m really glad to see Gamefreak mess with its traditional format. The world is big and beautiful, there are now three main storylines that you can complete however you choose, and there are plenty of other remixes and quality-of-life changes that make the series feel like it’s been given a reno and a fresh coat of paint. And we haven’t even talked about all the new Pokemon yet.

I usually always use a plant-based starter, but this time I already know I’m choosing Fuecoco. There’s something about his goofy toothy grin that I just can’t ignore. Then there is Lechonkwhich is a masterful play on words, and one of your opponent’s main Pokemon Pavni is so cute and cuddly that I almost can’t handle it.

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Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I was this excited for a new core Pokémon game. My only slight concern is that I noticed a bit of frame rate stuttering in some areas, which could mean that Scarlett and to Violet the new open-world design really pushes the Switch’s horsepower. However, since my time with the game was in a development build built for this preview rather than a full retail release, it’s hard to say whether we should expect similar performance at launch. Regardless, I can’t wait to play more when Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will officially go on sale for Nintendo Switch on November 18th.