Pokémon 'Violet' and 'Scarlet' Will Be The Best There Ever Was

The latest announcements about the upcoming Pokémon Violet and Pokémon Scarlet titles dropped some serious paradigm shifts into the series. The early game will offer way more choice than just which starter you pick. Quaxly? Sprigatito? Fuecoco? We’re so far past that. The game takes place in the Paldea region and is being touted as the series’ first truly open world RPG. 

There are two major changes that differentiate this game from previous Pokémon titles. You’ll be able to take on gym leaders in any order you choose, instead of having a set path guiding you through the game. This implies a scaled difficulty system which is great for folks who don’t want to spend tons of early game time worrying about typing and stats. The second big change is that you’ll get the legendary Pokémon featured on the cover right away. And that they’re a motorcycle. That can swim. And fly. Your legendary Pokémon will be your main mode of transportation as you traverse the map.

You’ll enroll as a student in an academy and be able to pursue three separate storylines throughout the game. The gym battles are a sure thing, but the other two storylines they left vague in this morning’s Pokémon Direct. Your studies take the form of an independent project, finding treasure and presumably collecting the region's Terastal Pokémon. Which are Pokémon that for some reason can turn into jewels with chandeliers on their heads. Neat!

There’s a slew of new Pokémon of course, like the chonky, squashy looking Fidough. And regional forms of classic Pokes from past games. You’ll be able to catch ‘em all with multiplayer co-op in the open world of the game. Another series change is co-op raid battles where you’ll take on stronger and rarer Pokémon with a group of buddies. This has been true for the past few games, but this time you’ll be able to use your Pokémon's attacks at will, simultaneously with your battle buds. Instead of taking slow turns, you can blast those rare Pokémon into oblivion as a fast and furious team. The game is slated to release November 18th, 2022. And we are revving our engines with excitement.