Going into my hands-on time with Pokémon Scarlet, I used to be anticipating some adjustments primarily based on the ninth era’s embrace of open-world gameplay and a “do what you need while you need” mentality with its three main story paths. Pokémon has but to take the huge generational shift I’ve dreamed of for years and has as a substitute opted for half-steps with every new entry. Scarlet isn’t the transformation I hoped for, but it surely’s considerably greater than a easy half-step, representing arguably essentially the most appreciable shift in mainline Pokémon historical past.
I explored a small portion of the general Scarlet map for roughly an hour, although it appeared a lot bigger in-game. I noticed three goal markers throughout a valley and a desert space, every representing one of many three predominant story paths: the Victory Highway path, which is the usual eight-gym storyline seen all through the sequence, the Path of Legends, consisting of monitoring and battling Titan Pokémon, and Starfall Road, a singular tackle the Group Rocket-esque plotline present in each mainline entry. Decided to expertise slightly little bit of all three, I took off from the southern area of the map towards a Path of Legends marker, and I did so atop Koraidon, the legendary Pokémon adorning the Scarlet field.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus inspiration is clearest right here as a result of, like Arceus’varied useful Pokémon, Koraidon can glide via the air, swim via lakes and oceans, and climb up cliffs. Plus, you possibly can journey atop it wherever, making traversal throughout Paldea a lot sooner than on foot. I cherished with the ability to do that because it made the open world really feel seamless and sped up a method of gameplay that may, at instances, really feel gradual. I used to be much more stunned by how seamless the world truly is, driving Koraidon apart.
When roaming the world, I noticed totally different wild Pokémon throughout me. I noticed an aggressive Lechonk holding his floor, threatening a battle if I obtained nearer. I captured a particular Shinx that glistened from a distance, which signifies it has a uncommon Tera-type. I noticed a small horde of Shinx elsewhere and Magikarp swimming via the ocean whereas gliding throughout it. Taking inspiration from Arceus, Scarlet’s world feels alive thanks to those wild Pokémon.
I used to be stunned after I went to battle one, and as a substitute of seeing the everyday screen-break transition with a brand new bombastic battle theme music, the struggle merely began. There was no pause, no change in digital camera – nothing aside from the shift in music. It was essentially the most shocking facet of this complete preview. You possibly can transfer the digital camera freely whereas choosing strikes and watching the battle play out, which gave me a way of cinematic freedom I’ve by no means felt in Pokémon earlier than. And when the battle was over, I used to be proper again to driving atop Koraidon, once more with no display screen break or transition.
Furthering my sense of management and freedom over the seamless panorama was a mechanic surprisingly named “Let’s Go.” Right here, you press R to ship out the Pokémon organized first in your get together to retrieve an merchandise or battle a Pokémon. It’s fully autonomous. After urgent R towards a route, your Pokémon is shipped out and does its personal factor. You’ll want to concentrate to kind and ranges to make sure your Pokémon can defeat the one it’s attacking.
In case your Pokémon faints, it’s essential revive it with an merchandise or on the Pokémon Heart. Right here, it’s also possible to restore your Terastalize means, which one Pokémon can solely use in a single battle at a time. After utilizing it, you’ll want to revive it on the Pokémon Heart or by interacting with one of many varied Tera jewel formations unfold all through the open world. These are additionally house to the Tera Raids.
I did one with different gamers, and whereas it was enjoyable, it wasn’t all that totally different from raids seen in Pokémon Sword and Defend (though rather more visually spectacular). After finishing a raid, which homes a uncommon Tera-type Pokémon, you possibly can seize it. Throughout raids, you possibly can assault freely, in an virtually Energetic-Time Battle format just like the Ultimate Fantasy sequence. You may as well carry out callouts to talk with the staff, Cheer to lift the assault or protection of your allies, or heal their Pokémon up.
Upon reaching the Titan questline marker, I encountered a large Klawf. Nintendo informed me that these Titan encounters comprise three steps: observe down and chase after them after they run, battling in opposition to them, and a 3rd step I couldn’t pursue primarily based on preview parameters. This was enjoyable, however I may see Titan battles rising stale after a while, particularly if every encounter consists of the identical three steps. Nintendo gave previewers overpowered groups, too, so I don’t have a grasp on Scarlet’s problem, sadly.
From right here, I visited one of many many Group Star bases to check out the Starfall Road path. I attempted flying in from above, however the sport informed me I wanted to enter from the entrance gate. Upon reaching right here, Nintendo informed me to place the three Pokémon I needed to struggle with on the high of my get together. As soon as inside, a timer appeared, and I had 10 minutes to defeat 30 Group Star Pokémon. I didn’t do that by finishing commonplace Pokémon battles, although. I completed this problem utilizing the Let’s Go mechanic I discussed earlier, as instructed. It was fairly simple – once more, I had an overpowered staff – and I accomplished it in only a minute or two.
Nintendo tells me that is how these bases are defeated and I used to be disenchanted to listen to that as a result of this wasn’t notably enjoyable. Nonetheless, I believe that with a much less highly effective, extra level-appropriate staff, there’s and distinctive problem available. On the finish, I battled the bottom’s chief, Mela, who you might need seen in a trailer or two.
She stood atop a big and colourful truck-like automobile referred to as the Starmobile, and her Pokémon battled from there, too. After defeating her get together, I needed to assault the Starmobile and beat it.
To spherical out my time with the single-player portion of the preview, I tried to finish a health club for the Victory Highway path. I took on Brassius, a grass-type chief, in one among Paldea’s varied cities. Earlier than I may struggle him, although, I needed to full his health club’s problem: discovering 10 Sunflora scattered across the city. It was fast and straightforward, however charming. I hope different challenges will probably be extra of an precise problem – Nintendo tells me some will characteristic battles, so maybe I’ll get my repair there. I couldn’t full my battle with Brassius as a consequence of time, however after finishing the Sunflora problem, I may go proper to combating him somewhat than progressing via a health club crammed with trainers.
The final piece of my hands-on time I wish to contact on is picnics. Like Sword and Defend’s tenting, you possibly can arrange a picnic to work together along with your get together, play ball with them, clear them off with a bathe, and construct and eat sandwiches collectively.
Sandwich-making looks as if it’s a massive a part of this era. The cities I visited had a number of outlets promoting components or pre-made meals. Making a sandwich entails choosing your components and dragging them from their plate to the precise sandwich. You’ll have to stack components correctly and select ones that mesh properly to make a scrumptious sandwich, and the animation that performs after finishing one lets you know the way you probably did. It’s cute, and the perks of consuming a sandwich along with your get together appear nice, although I can’t particularly point out what these perks are.
I left my Pokémon Scarlet preview feeling extra excited a couple of new Pokémon than I had in a very long time. Sword and Defend left me wanting much more, particularly as the primary massive mainline entry on Change. Scarlet and Violet aren’t flipping the method on its head, however there are sufficient adjustments that I’d name this the largest generational transformation in years, maybe in sequence historical past.
The open-world facets of those video games are refreshing, including extra character and seamlessness to the sequence than ever earlier than. The power to extra freely have interaction with the three main story paths appears enjoyable, too, however I wasn’t capable of check out its limits. Can I genuinely deal with these how I need, or will built-in stage gates basically push me into doing this or that at particular moments within the sport? That was a query I couldn’t discover a solution to on this preview, however I’m hoping the previous is true come November. I additionally hope I’m examined extra within the closing sport as a result of I felt little pushback from Scarlet throughout this preview.
Nonetheless, the design of Scarlet’s open world, its improved visuals, and the way properly its particular person items appear to move collectively have me excited to expertise this Paldean journey, even when I’m left wanting extra in different facets of Pokémon’s new era.
