Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s first DLC The Teal Masks has been launched welcoming gamers to go to a second area for the primary time in Pokemon historical past because the second era of Pokemon and their remakes.
The Teal Masks brings with it new Pokemon to catch, an entertaining story to take part in, and a handful of technical points.
It is a Complete New World We Dwell In
Loading up Pokemon Scarlet and Violet after downloading the DLC, you may instantly be referred to as to the Academy and knowledgeable you have been chosen to go on a really unique subject journey to the Kitakami Area.
Setting out instantly together with your professor and three generic college students (that by no means even get named), you end up on this new area. Earlier than The Teal Masks tries forcing you into the story, you are given the prospect to expertise the Pokemon newly out there within the area.
Spinarak, Poocheyena, Cutiefly, and extra Pokemon that have not beforehand been out there now encompass you. For somebody all the time striving in direction of finishing their Livingdex, seeing so many Pokemon with ‘???’ above their heads was the proper buy-in.
Ogerpon, The Teal Masks, And The Three Noble Pokemon
The story of The Teal Masks revolves across the joint subject journey between your model Academy and the Blueberry Academy, a location we already know we’ll be visiting in subsequent yr’s Indigo Disk DLC.
In Kitakami, you meet Carmine and Kieran, the brother-sister pair from the Blueberry Academy however natives to Kitakami. Over the course of this story, you may be taught the fable of the Ogre and the three Noble Pokemon, the way it pertains to Carmine and Kieran’s household, and the way actual occasions will be distorted by fable.
This story is light-hearted but in addition stuffed with sturdy character moments as you bond with the competent Carmine… and appear to repeatedly belittle her brother, albeit by chance, over the course of the story. I used to be initially apprehensive about abandoning established characters like Penny and Arvin however was instantly invested within the story that the siblings offered.
The story prompts a wholesome quantity of world exploration, guided storytelling, and cut up targets to make gamers all the time really feel answerable for this journey. The entire DLC would possibly solely take 5-6 hours to finish, however story-wise it is surprisingly compelling.
With out saying an excessive amount of, I will additionally add that the story and its ending has me very desirous about visiting Blueberry Academy subsequent yr in The Indigo Disk.
Environmental Storytelling In The Teal Masks
An attention-grabbing theme I noticed concerning the Pokemon I used to be seeing within the wild early on, that was frequently bolstered as I explored the Kitakami Area, was that quite a lot of the Pokemon that you simply encounter are both from Gen 1 or 2, or are associated to them. You may see Koffing and Pichu, but in addition Munchlax to fill out the households.
Earlier than you even get invested within the folklore of the land, an amusing Pokemon adaptation of Momotaro, the Pokemon you may see instantly make you perceive you are near the Kanto or Johto area.
In contrast to the DLC from Pokemon Sword and Defend that all the time felt samey, touring to Kitakami nails the sensation of being someplace fully new.
This storytelling continues as you encounter new types of Pokemon just like the Ursaluna Bloodmoon type that you simply’re launched to by an extended descendant of Adaman, chief of the Diamond Clan from Pokemon Legends Arceus.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Points Are In The Basis
The shortcomings gamers will expertise all through your complete Teal Masks DLC is identical problem that we remarked on throughout our unique overview of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: the sport is suffering from technical points.
Gamers making their method by way of the Kitakami area will seemingly discover themselves constantly suffering from framerate points, unusual lighting results, and awkward animations. Lovely panning photographs of the masks competition are arduous to get pleasure from when characters fanning themselves are shifting at 2 frames a second wanting extra like a metronome than a human.
I could not fairly inform if it was simply that I hadn’t performed Pokemon Scarlet and Violet shortly, however I felt that the efficiency points had been even worse on this DLC. Whereas the area itself is smaller, there may be undoubtedly an elevated presence of grass that appears to coincide with quite a lot of the body drops.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet – The Teal Masks Evaluate | Remaining Ideas
I had a blast in my adventures by way of the Kitakami area and I sit up for ending scripting this overview and diving proper again in to hunt for extra Pokemon I am lacking. This DLC is simply sufficient new, whereas simply sufficient acquainted, that it is simple to leap into even after not enjoying Scarlet or Violet for months.
Whereas I used to be a fan of the story and the relationships I made with Carmine and Kieran, I used to be much more impressed with the refined storytelling of the area. Followers of Pokemon are subtly launched to the place Kitakami would possibly lie within the grand world of Pokemon.
Probably the most irritating facet of The Teal Masks, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet as a complete, is the efficiency points. It is clear there’s not a single wrongdoer that may be pointed at; as a substitute, this problem is foundational. I can not wait to play The Indigo Disk in 2024, however on the similar time I am not wanting ahead to a different damaged expertise.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC The Teal Masks was bought by the reviewer for the aim of this overview and skilled over 7 hours. All footage had been taken throughout the course of this overview.
