We had the opportunity to go to London to preview Pokémon Scarlet and Purple. For 1h30, we were able to discover the first areas of the Paldea region, do some fighting, capture new creatures and take advantage of the multiplayer features. After the many trailers we’ve seen since February, it was finally time to get our hands on this famous ninth generation and see what it’s really about. Unfortunately, the build we were able to test did not seem recent (most of the names were still in Japanese and the frame rate was rather catastrophic let’s face it). We will therefore not be strict with this in this preview and prefer to focus on the gameplay of the game since it is not a final version.
- Genre: Adventure RPG, open world
- Release date: November 18, 2022
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
- Developer: Game Freak
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Price: €59.99
An hour of unconvincing play…
A flashback ?
Pleasantly surprised by Pokémon Legends Arceus despite the unflattering trailers in 2021, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will not have succeeded in convincing us with its breath of fresh air or its original artistic direction. Take Sword and Shield, add an open world and some existing feature enhancements to it and… Voila. In any case, that’s what it seemed to us during the preview.
The main problem with EV is that it gives us the impression of a step back after the rather enjoyable gameplay of Arceus and that could be scary. Fear for the continuation of the license or in any case of the main series because the spin-offs have often been of quality (Let’s GO, New Snap on Switch for example).
The truth is that we could say that EV was the last chance to convince us that Pokémon can also reach the heights even with a console that has its own limits, but it will probably be necessary to wait for the 10th generationfor the 30th anniversary of the license, and a Nintendo machine finally able to support open worlds, to obtain THE revolutionary Pokémon game that fans have been waiting for since XY.
With regard to this “backtracking”, the feature Ahead is for example a less successful version of the one present in Arceus: the Pokémon can still fight and pick up objects on the fly but everything is less fluid. Remember that the two games were developed in the same period of time and that it is logical to find some similarities such as the materials to be picked up on the ground. But again, it seems that these objects, as numerous as they are, are only used to craft CTs and not useful items like Balls. What we miss the most is certainly the capture on the fly : it is again mandatory to enter into turn-based combat to hope to capture a Pokémon.
However, it is extremely difficult to judge the current state of the game with the build that we were able to test. It looked very old, with texts still in Japanese and models not showing up. It probably has a little “reassuring” side because it was not the final version, that’s for sure. Does that mean the game as a whole will be good? Impossible to say in just 1h30 of handling. Especially since the most interesting in Pokémon games has never been the graphics or the multiplayer mode but rather the story, the exploration, the collect new creatures and of course a rich end game.
It is therefore rather during the final test that we will be able to tell you whether or not Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are worth it. In the meantime, this preview only serves as first impressions, certainly mixed, but far from irreversible.
A less accomplished game?
Disappointment regarding the exploration of the big city of the area, the one where we find the famous huge cathedral. If there are a building or two you can break into to access unique rooms and NPCs to talk to, most shops and other restaurants (And there are many) only allow access to a purchase menu. The immersion is a bit broken and one could say that this is a lack of development time but it at least allows to go to the essentials when it comes to buying clothes, meals or even accessories to customize your picnic set.
… But good points nonetheless
Exploration of the open world in single player and multiplayer
If we have just highlighted major flaws in this first part, it is still important to talk about the positive points of these versions. The open world doesn’t seem huge (we were only able to explore the first area of the game) but big enough not to get bored and discover new locations and Pokémon around every corner. If you are afraid of the feeling of emptiness that the trailers let you perceive: don’t worry, just like in Arceus, Pokémon and objects actually only appear when you are within a few feet of them.
The exploration of this open world is also very pleasant when using the mount legendary Koraidon or Miraidon depending on the version. A few invisible walls can sometimes be annoying at city borders, but you’ll quickly use the teleport (flight) system no matter what.
Side multiplayer, we would obviously have liked the story to be done by 2 or 4 people, but in reality it’s more of an option to freely explore the open world and that’s not a bad thing. Solo, you therefore advance in the scenario and the completion of the arenas. In multiplayer, you can take part in online battles, make exchanges, travel Paldea on the back of Miraidon/Koraidon following you in single file or even share battles of wild Pokémon and Teracrystal Raids. Be careful though, other players suffer the same problem as Pokémon in the open world: the display distance is very short. Luckily, you can spot your friends on the mini map (a nice addition by the way).
Several cool options have been added to this multiplayer mode such as emotes for example, the possibility of taking group photos or having picnic sessions together.
Always a very successful atmosphere
Whether on Pokémon Legends Arceus or these new versions, we must admit that good graphics or not, the atmosphere of the games is always splendid in the license. We can blame a lack of finish on the textures and the frames per second, but as far as the music, the sound design and the overall atmosphere of the game are concerned, everything is perfectly successful.
The character customization has also been pushed to its climax even if it is a little innovative feature found in most recent games now. It is possible to do it at any time, except the hairstyle for which you have to go to a salon. You can even customize the shell of your MostimArt!
No, Mashyyn doesn’t have Paldea Magnemite in his hair! 9G’s new and unreleased Pokémon Scarlet Violet is something else entirely. Here is a new trailer which presents Ampibidou in detail.