As much as it can often be fun to criticizePokémon Scarlet and Violet- after all, their rocky launch makes them an easy target - the foundations they lay for the Gen 10 games, coupled with what they did get right, do make them somewhat compelling, if a tad flawed. They’re a good way of not only understanding what made previousPokémongames so great, but also what future entries need, specifically the upcoming yet still unnanounced Gen 10 entries which will, presumably, be released on the Nintendo Switch 2.
There are a lot ofbadScarlet and Violetfeaturesthat the Gen 10 games must abandon in order to be a far better and more entertaining experience, but there are some ideas that, while they didn’t quite work, could end up becoming rather interesting. Case in point,Scarlet and Violet’sopen world offered a new and fresh take on the game’s tried-and-tested exploration formula, but was largely undevelopedand felt half-baked. The Gen 10Pokémongames can fix that by addressingScarlet and Violet’sworld’s weakest element.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’s World Feels Boring
It Isn’t Diverse Enough
Scarlet and Violet’sworst featureis undoubtedly their world. It isn’t the low framerate, lifeless towns, or generally awful visuals, although they all coalesce to be nearly equally frustrating to its worst aspect. Rather,it is how boring it is to both look at and explore that renders it a largely useless feature. That isn’t to say thatPokémon Scarlet and Violet’sopen world isn’t without merit. It, after all, set the groundwork for futurePokémongames to innovate upon, and offered a flawed, yet nevertheless fascinating insight into the direction of the franchise.
However, while it has its merits,Scarlet and Violet’sworld failson a fundamental level because it has little to offer the player. From vast empty fields to brown desert dunes and barren frozen wastes, there’s certainly variety, but not of any import.Pokémon Scarlet and Violetmay change their color palette per area or switch up the seasonal theme, butrarely does it offer anything beyond the expected. Hills, trees, and the occasional tower may decorate the landscape, but they don’t do much in the way of meaningfully altering it.
Of course, there are instances ofPokémon Scarlet and Violetdoing something slightly unique with their world, such as a bamboo forest or the colorful trees of Tagtree Thicket. However, these are few and far between, scattered among the disappointingly bland areas that make up Paldea. It is a shame, too, asPokémonhas long since set a precedent for unique areas throughout each region, but the recent Switch entries, includingSword and Shield, rarely do anything unique. Even the upcomingLegends Z-Alooks guiltyof this with its copy-and-paste city design.
Pokémon Gen 10 Games Need More Diverse Areas
They Could Include Volcanoes, Hot Springs, Entire Cities, And More
As aforementioned, many ofthevery bestPokémongameshave long since featured diverse and interesting locations in the same way that the recentBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomgames have on the Nintendo Switch.Pokémon Ruby and Sapphireare flush with unique areas to explore, from the hot springs of Lavaridge Town to the tropical Route 119;Diamond and Pearlhave the Safari Zone and Floaroma Meadow;Pokémon Gold and Silverfeature the iconic Bell and Burned Tower. The list, frankly, goes on and on.
Of course, the listed games and many others within the franchise benefit from the more linear route-focused design thatScarlet and Violetdon’t have. The open-world design is fundamentally at odds with the original style ofPokémon, even despite the interconnected nature of previous generations. However, that isn’t really an excuse forScarlet and Violetto be as visually uninspired as they are, especially whenother Nintendo first-party open-world games likeBreath of the WildandXenoblade Chroniclesfeature far more diversity.
Whatever the nextPokémongame’s region may be, it needs to circumvent the issues ofScarlet and Violetby introducing a more varied and diverse world, one populated with unique and interesting locations that are actually worth exploring.
Whatever thenextPokémongame’s regionmay be, it needs to circumvent the issues ofScarlet and Violetby introducing a more varied and diverse world, one populated with unique and interesting locations that are actually worth exploring. Naturally, these areas need to be awash with novel gameplay features or collectibles, somethingScarlet and Violetare also missing. However,visual variety goes a long way in even masking missing features like those, and is far more important, at least in my opinion, in creating a believable and dynamic experience.
Pokémon Gen 10 Games Would Benefit From Dynamic Weather
It Would Make Exploration More Exciting
The Gen 10Pokémongames would also benefit from their areas feeling more alive thanScarlet and Violet’sunfortunately lifeless zones. Simply littering every area with an abundance of wild Pokémon isn’t enough to make one believe in your world, especially when their only purpose is to fight you or flee.The Gen 10Pokémongames need more happening in their region than previous entries have been able to do, and that’s largely possible thanks to theSwitch 2’s increased power.
One way of making a world feel more alive is to introduce dynamic weather. ThePokémongames have had some form of weather effects for quite a while, but these have always felt superfluous, often only adding a minor effect to battles and rarely transforming the world in a meaningful way.The Gen 10Pokémongames could utilize dynamic weather in unique ways, much like howBreath of the Wildmade rain affect Link’s ability to scale cliffs, or lightning damage him if he was carrying metal weapons or wearing metal armor.
If it were to snow heavily, perhaps certain areas would become blocked off - not unlike how the tides inXenoblade Chronicles 2lock off areas until they subside - or storms could make wild Pokémon scatter to nearby caves, forcing players to venture in to find them and perhaps be faced with hidden challenging foes.Sandstorms could shut down shops in towns, thunder and lightning could scare Pokémon and make them attack the player as they’re exploring, like inLegends Arceus, and rain could just make NPC trainers run home, their bags or coats dragged over their heads.
There is a world of possibility when it comes to how dynamic weather can affect the Gen 10Pokémongames' world, just like how a greater variety in environmental design would also help make exploration a substantially more interesting experience. I sincerely hope that Game Freak put more effort into making the region of the next mainlinePokémonentry more exciting, otherwise, I fear they risk repeatingPokémon Scarlet and Violet’smistakes once again.
