This is a hard game for me to review. I like the earlier generations more, but I did enjoy Sword and Shield. Violet and Scarlet try a few things that don’t work for me.
There are some technical issues with the game. Most of them being textures glitching out. There are also some odd things in the game that I’m not sure about. I could simply be looking too closely at some things.
From a gameplay standpoint, I like it. You’re still doing everything you would expect from a Pokemon game. It is an enjoyable formula, and I like playing it.
TLDR: Pokemon Violet is a fun game that tries a few new things that I wouldn’t say I like all that much.
Gameplay
If you have played any mainline Pokemon games, you will know what to do here. For the most part. What Scarlet and Violet bring to the table is that they’re open-world games. This impacts the overall narrative as well.
The usual evil Team group is split off into a part of the narrative instead of being interwoven with the gym quest. I wouldn’t say that I like this change all that much. You also have the Titans that you can go and find for a separate storyline.
This creates some things you can do in the game, but I wouldn’t say I like it that much. Also, I wouldn’t say I like open-world games all that much, either.
The gameplay is good! You go around collecting little monsters and training them in your quest to become the champion of this region. You also have some classes that you can take. This is a fun part of the game and fits with the theme of you being part of a school.
I didn’t take advantage of this as much as I could. Many of the people that you meet through the game are associated with the school in some way.
Like the other games, you can arrange your team however you want. The gym leaders, titans, and Team Star leaders have themes that you can exploit to their teams. It makes the game a little more fun and makes you think a bit.
Instead of the Max evolutions you saw in Sword and Shield; you have terastallize. This isn’t a change that I like all that much. I can’t explain why I don’t like it, but I think it doesn’t look nice.
Visuals
I like the overall look of the game. It is similar to how Sword and Shield looked; however, there are some issues that I couldn’t overlook.
NPCs and wild pokemon seem to phase in and out of the game. It reminds me of how the NES had flickering sprites back in the day. The NPCs also move awkwardly or appear to be moving awkwardly when they are farther away.
There have also been some instances of textures disappearing. I’m not sure what is going on, to be honest. This often happens when switching to a battle screen or transitioning to cutscenes. I haven’t experienced it in any other spot.
I’ve also noticed that some art looks rough around the edges. It seems like the shading is weird, or something else is happening.
These are the strange visuals that I’ve noticed. There could be more out there that I haven’t seen yet. Maybe on repeated playthroughs, I’ll see more.
Replayability
The Pokemon games have a ton of replayability to them. This is no different. You can try the other starters and build different teams, or you can try to challenge yourself by adding self-imposed limitations.
While I can’t see myself playing this game over and over like the earlier games, I can see why people might want to. I might try the other starters at some point, or I might give the game another look once DLC comes out.
8/10. It is a fun installment in the Pokemon franchise. Once the bugs are worked out, it will be a better game.
Pros
- It keeps the core Pokemon gameplay
- You get fast transport right away
- Open-world is a good idea for a Pokemon game
Cons
- The storyline is fragmented
- No quest for the vehicle
- At this time, it has many bugs
Conclusion
This is a good game that I have enjoyed so far. I’ve been taking my time with it, and I think it is a solid entry in the series despite its faults.
There were a few changes that I wouldn’t say I liked. I’m not into the open-world style of Pokemon, even if I think it was a good idea to try. Also, I wouldn’t say I like the terastallize for some reason that I can’t really e
It is still a Pokemon game, and I enjoy the idea of the game. I like playing RPGs like this. It isn’t the best in the series, everyone has their favorite, but it is still a solid entry.