{"id":26167,"date":"2022-11-28T14:47:52","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T13:47:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1746821"},"modified":"2022-11-28T16:43:09","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T15:43:09","slug":"pokemon-scarlet-violet-review-the-franchise-lurches-forward","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/pokemon-scarlet-violet-review-the-franchise-lurches-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"Pok\u00e9mon Scarlet & Violet review: The franchise lurches forward"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Rob Leane\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 28 November 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n
<\/div> 3.0 out of 5 star rating<\/span> <\/span> <\/div> <\/div>

The arrival of a new Pok\u00e9mon game always causes a stir among fans, with happiness and excitement often blending with a healthy dose of scepticism. Publishers Nintendo and developers Game Freak always promise a lot, but sometimes the reality doesn\u2019t match up to the expectation.<\/p>\n

So, with all that in mind, how do Pok\u00e9mon Scarlet and Violet<\/a> fare? Are these latest instalments in the core RPG franchise worth playing? These are the questions we\u2019re planning to answer in this review.<\/p>\n

Having received a code for Pok\u00e9mon Scarlet on the day it came out, we were able to experience this new chapter in the massively popular franchise at the same time that the fans were jumping into it. And, as seems to be the case throughout the media and the fandom, we\u2019d say that our response is a pretty mixed one.<\/p>\n

On the positive side, Pok\u00e9mon Scarlet and Violet finally deliver on something that fans have been day-dreaming about for years. For the first time in the mainline franchise (with Pok\u00e9mon Legends Arceus<\/a> being billed as a prequel spin-off instead of a central entry), your character is able to freely explore a wide open-world region where Pok\u00e9mon are spawning in the wild right in front of you, and you can tackle the eight gym leaders in any order that you\u2019d like.<\/p>\n

On paper, this is exactly what fans have been asking for, so you\u2019ve got to salute Game Freak for making that happen. There is a thrill to seeing Pok\u00e9mon pop up all around you as you traverse through diverse environments, and there\u2019s something incredibly freeing about the overall experience.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Pok\u00e9mon Scarlet and Violet.<\/span><\/figcaption> Nintendo\/The Pok\u00e9mon Company<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Compared to Pok\u00e9mon Sword and Shield, where progressing through the story often made it feel like you were on rails down a pre-determined path, here it feels like you have actual agency. You can approach the game in any way you want, which is a massive leap forward \u2013 it makes the game feel like something special, the stuff that Pok\u00e9-fans\u2019 dreams have long been made of.<\/p>\n

But, and it\u2019s a big but, the game can\u2019t always live up to its lofty ambitions. It tries to do everything you want but somehow feels like less than the sum of its parts. Several elements begin to feel flawed\/annoying as you try to explore the Spain-inspired Paldea region where the game is set.<\/p>\n

For one thing, it feels like the game cannot load a particularly big segment of its large open map at once, meaning that people, landmarks and creatures are constantly popping up right in front of you (rather than just always being there<\/em>, which would make the game feel more real and free-flowing).<\/p>\n

The constant popping-in of these various elements does get frustrating at times. You might be aiming for a marker on your map, only to find after 10 minutes of exploration that there\u2019s an unassailable waterfall in your way. Or a blockade made by the baddies. Or a herd of angry Pok\u00e9mon that don\u2019t get the hint when you try to run away.<\/p>\n