As the technologies behind creating new consoles and video games evolve, with ever-improving graphics and in-game features, Pokemon releases are caught in a weird place because of how limiting it can feel to customize one's character. Character customization has not always been something that Pokemon games do. While it's great to see how far the series has come with titles like Gen 8's Pokemon Sword and Shield, as well as Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet too should improve on what their predecessors have built. Character customization in Gen 8 and Pokemon Legends: Arceus was good, but at times it suffered from either too few options or more of the same.
This could be improved upon in Gen 9 if the player characters were more fleshed out than just avatars with changeable eye color, hair color, hairstyle, or parts of their outfits. These features are great to see, and they were even refreshing at some point, but as the series progresses, more options should be implemented. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are seemingly revolutionizing the way their universe can be explored through a fully open-world approach to Pokemon, but taking the customization game to the next level could be equally amazing.
Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Need More Customization Options
While the franchise offers customization for some good, basic character components, there are many more parts of a player character that Pokemon games could make customizable, such as faces, body types, height, weight, and more. It's important to give players more elements to customize their character in this day and age than just a couple of cosmetic changes when something more substantial would go a long way, especially when it comes to making the experience as immersive as possible.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet could be the first Pokemon game where the character customization process when starting a new adventure goes beyond simply picking a pre-made avatar picture. This choice can still be partly changed in games like Pokemon Sword and Shield or Pokemon Legends: Arceus, but it does feel like the characters players control have less flair than they would if they were created from scratch.
More clothing options would also be nice to have, maybe straying from the usual combinations of hoodie and T-shirt plus skirt or pants, which feel like staples in the current Pokemon wardrobe. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet could break away from this pattern by allowing players to create their own in-game clothes, be it when starting a new save or further down the line. Players could select a given logo or image from the games' files, put it on whatever piece of clothing they want, and maybe even resize it or reshape it. Game Freak could take notes from Nintendo's Animal Crossing franchise when designing new clothing mechanics like this.
Considering the emphasis that Gen 8 and Pokemon Legends: Arceus have been putting on Trainer Cards, changes like these would not only make all the characters feel fresh and unique, but follow Pokemon's current trend of self-expression. Pokemon games have always been about living one's story in a strange world inhabited by wondrous creatures, and having a better character customization process would make everyone's experience more intimate. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will presumably be the main competitive hub of the franchise for a few years, too, and going into Pokemon battles with fully customized avatars could mean a lot to many fans. Hopefully Game Freak makes customization a priority in the next generation.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release in late 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
