Pokemon has been moving away from the traditional “third game” format for quite some time now. Let me explain: In the past, Pokemon used to release two versions of a game and then, later on, a third version would come out that combined elements from the previous two games along with some improvements. For example, Red/Blue (Red/Green in Japan) was followed by Yellow. This pattern continued until Black/White, which introduced direct sequels instead. After that, the pattern changed again with X/Y, which didn’t have an updated re-release. Sun/Moon attempted a double re-release, but now Sword/Shield’s DLC approach seems to be the new direction, as seen with Scarlet/Violet following suit.
Personally, I really enjoyed the DLC for Pokemon Shield, especially the Isle of Armor, and I hope that a similar overhaul will come for Pokemon Scarlet because it needs it more than Shield did. It’s interesting how some people on Twitter like to label anyone who says something positive about Pokemon as “Gamefreak Apologists.” It’s quite an attention-grabbing term. However, many of those who have been called that term are not actually as dedicated as I am. That is, until Scarlet came along. I must admit, I did not have a good experience with that game.
I’m willing to acknowledge that I had a great time playing Let’s Go Pikachu and even Pokemon Quest. However, for today, I’ll focus on why I preferred Pokemon Shield over Scarlet. I believe there were certain aspects of Shield that Scarlet failed to deliver on, and with the upcoming DLC for Scarlet, it’s important to address these concerns and express my hopes for what the DLC can improve.
I won’t delve into the debate about graphics in Scarlet since we already have an article discussing how poorly it runs on the Switch. Instead, let’s focus on praising Shield. One thing that I appreciated about Pokemon Shield was the slightly larger world map, which allowed for a bit more freedom. However, the availability of Pokemon you could catch still depended on your badges. Additionally, Shield had a lighter focus on story compared to Sun/Moon, aside from the climax. Personally, I was satisfied with these aspects of the game, although I found the twist villain to be quite lacking compared to those in Sun/Moon.
Every Pokemon game follows a similar structure, but each one attempts to create its own unique experience. Shield, in particular, felt like a fun adventure above everything else. Some players may have missed a more substantial story, but as someone who enjoyed Black and Moon, I don’t necessarily need that in every Pokemon game. One element that I truly enjoyed in Sword was how Leon silently handled the impending world-ending chaos in the background. I wish the game had maintained that approach until the end, with Leon simply informing us of his actions instead of us having to save the world again.
However, it seems that players often feel that previous games had better storytelling, and the DLCs for Shield proved that Gamefreak took note of this criticism. The Isle of Armor introduced a superbly written rival with a surprisingly effective story arc. I found myself more attached to Urshifu than to my entire original team. As for the Crown Tundra DLC, even though I was fatigued by the numerous legendaries from previous games, the DLC managed to streamline the process while still maintaining diverse challenges. Additionally, the characters Peony and Peonia were absolutely adorable and provided a glimpse into the backstory of the twist villain for those who delved deeper.
While I enjoyed Pokemon Shield as a game, the DLC elevated it to a level of love. This means that the next DLC for Scarlet needs to be even more transformative. My main issue with Scarlet is how Gamefreak tried to address concerns about lacking innovation in their games. As someone who has defended Gamefreak in the past, I was perfectly content with Pokemon sticking to its tried-and-true formula. Other monster-taming games just don’t have that unique something that Pokemon possesses. So, seeing Pokemon abandon its distinctiveness and become a basic open-world game was not the change I desired.
Scarlet has three compelling main stories: Nemona’s encouraging yet bloodthirsty quest for gym badges, Arven’s emotionally powerful hunt for the Titans, and the leaders of Team Star, who provide a refreshing take on the absence of real villains in recent Pokemon games. Unfortunately, as an open-world game, these stories became disjointed due to the need to drop one strand and move on to another, resulting in an uneven use of level capping. The game also lacks clear direction, leaving players to rely on descriptions from the map, which could have been better refined. While I appreciated the opportunity to attend classes and bond with teachers, some classes felt like mere checkmarks on a to-do list. And don’t even get me started on Professor Saguaro and the underwhelming Picnic Cup!
Fortunately, the DLC has the potential to address these issues. A shorter, more contained story would reduce the disjointed nature of the game. The first DLC already promises the ability to change out of the mandatory school outfit, a change that was much-needed and reflects the developers’ responsiveness to criticism. Framerate issues could be mitigated by placing the new areas in a different map zone, which is necessary given the persisting framerate problems. Additionally, the Indigo Disk hints at a new academy, suggesting the possibility of more engaging classes. Sign me up for that!
While I can’t say that I’m particularly excited for the DLC, as I tend to only care about it when I like the base game, I will be playing the Scarlet versions of the DLC as a Gamefreak apologist and a writer of guides. I do hope that the quality of the DLC matches the transformative nature of the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra. There are reasons to be optimistic about Pokemon’s efforts to stay fresh, and one misstep won’t completely diminish my interest in the future. I am hopeful for a return to form, so I remain cautiously optimistic.
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Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
