Highlights
- Pokemon Scarlet and Violet initially faced mixed reception due to performance issues and limited exploration mechanics, but Gen 9 games were praised for their open world.
- The lack of proper flying in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet hindered exploration and quest completion, making it difficult for players to unlock certain features and progress in the game.
- The upcoming Indigo Disk DLC will introduce an improved flight mechanic, allowing players to fly upward and control their critter's flight, addressing a key issue in the game, but it might be too late for some players.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's reception at launch was mixed due to the many performance issues and visual glitches that could plague players' first foray into the region of Paldea, but Gen 9 ended up being praised for its open world and exploration mechanics. Players get to ride Koraidon or Miraidon across the region, unlocking new power-ups whenever they defeat Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Titans, and the overall experience is mostly good - often drawing inspiration from Pokemon Legends: Arceus' own traversal mechanics. However, Gen 9 games should have learned one key lesson from Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and it seems The Indigo Disk DLC is fixing this - but it could be too little, too late.
Pokemon Sword and Shield were the first games in the series to spawn DLCs rather than a third game or sequel, and although the base game was not received well, the expansions did fix its reputation for the most part. This is because both expansions ended up making amends for the issues players lamented in the base game, such as the limited amount of critters available or the lack of a proper endgame. In Pokemon Legends: Arceus, players could fly over the region on Braviary's back, but they were not happy with flying being more akin to gliding, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet repeated the same mistake at launch.
Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Needed Proper Flying on Launch
Pokemon games have historically featured the Fly HM to let players fast-travel to specific locations, but this started to become an increasingly more difficult challenge to approach as the series moved to 3D models and worlds. Pokemon Legends: Arceus featured several critters that could help players explore its semi-open world in different ways, and Braviary was the Pokemon dedicated to flying. This mechanic could feel exceptional at first due to the freedom of movement, but more than controlled flying where players can go up in the sky whenever they please, it felt more like gliding.
The lack of upward movement unfortunately translated into the way Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Koraidon and Miraidon fly, with the whole thing being once again just downward floating. The problem with this iteration of flying in the games is that it detracts from the supposed focus on exploration, as players are not at liberty to travel around the world and discover all of its secrets. In some cases, this can also be an issue when it comes to specific quests and treasure hunts, which Paldea is full of.
For example, unlocking all of the stakes in Paldea to finally encounter the Legendary quartet of Ruin in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet can take quite some time, and the fact that players don't have access to full-on flying doesn't help. Today's Pokemon Presents changes that, however, as The Indigo Disk DLC will allow players to temporarily unlock a new power-up that allows their Koraidon or Miraidon to fly upward and control the critter's flight. Even though this is something that the game should have had from the get-go, it will be a hard lesson for Gen 10 titles.
As for The Indigo Disk's implementation of the improved flight mechanic, it seems to be tied to a story-related trial in the Blueberry Academy, and both the official website and the trailer shared during the Pokemon Presents showcase seem to confirm it will be a permanent unlock at some point. It's unclear how this will work, but it only makes sense to have the power-up be permanent, although it could drastically change the experience in Paldea if players can use it outside of the Blueberry Academy. The silver lining is that this could help new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players explore the region once the DLC drops, and it could be a good test ahead of Gen 10 games.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for the Nintendo Switch.
