Although Game Freak introduced the massive open region of Paldea with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, one player has discovered a problem with the games' dialogue decisions that make the experience feel limited. Previous titles in the Pokemon franchise have offered players the freedom of choice on some occasions, like the notorious starter Pokemon selection, but a Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fan has found an issue with Gen 9's decisions.
Reddit user Nicebrah recently shared a meme image at Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's expense that suggested the dialogue options are always yes in one way or another. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet aren't the first games that players have found issues with dialogue in as Fallout 4, Genshin Impact, and Monster Hunter titles were criticized in the past for the limited options that fans have to change the narrative. Going above the dialogue choices that could be made in the aforementioned games, titles like The Walking Dead, Detroit: Become Human, and The Quarry have added proper consequences for chosen paths, something that some Pokemon fans may be hoping for in the future.
According to Nicebrah's Reddit post, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet dialogue options are either yes or "yes, but in yellow," effectively reflected by a blue and yellow pie chart that's mostly represented by blue. The meme has garnered over 3,000 likes from players that largely agree that the in-game ramifications of one choice or another are extremely limited beyond selecting a starter Pokemon which is in almost every installment. Though some Pokemon fans like Nicebrah are taking issues with the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet dialogue, speedrunners may find optimal choices based on how much text is used to reflect a character's response.
Even though Nicebrah's meme mocks the slight differences between the dialogue selections in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, a response will still vary depending on which one a player goes with. Open-world games like Skyrim, The Witcher 3, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild offer side paths that players can take upon speaking with an NPC, but Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's story is linear despite offering more exploration than previous generations. Like with older Pokemon titles, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans can progress through Victory Road, or choose between Path of Legends and Starfall Street to more drastically alter their gameplay than through dialogue.
As some Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players expressed their agreement with Nicebrah's image, others suggested that future games use dialogue mini-games like The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, or preset words to pick between like previous generations of Pokemon. While some Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players criticized the JRPG genre as a whole for missing the point with chatting options, one stated that they couldn't refuse an invitation from Pokemon trainer Nemona to become rivals, another illusion of choice.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.
