Highlights

  • Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's sandwich-making mechanic ties into gameplay mechanics like finding specific Pokemon and increasing rewards.
  • Arven's character arc elevates the sandwich gimmick through his dedication to cooking and his Pokemon, making the mechanic emotionally meaningful.
  • The multiplayer aspect of sandwich-making in Paldea and its presence around the region cements the mechanic as part of Paldea's culture.

Bearing influence from Spain's bocadillos, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Paldea is abundant with fresh ingredients for sandwich-making, tying cleverly into its picnic mechanic. Shops throughout the region boast condiments and toppings from savory to sweet, giving players the opportunity to learn new recipes and try interesting combinations of their own. Between the range of ingredients available and the opportunity to customize picnic accessories like sandwich picks and tablecloths, the gimmick ties into both customization and gameplay; certain recipes can afford the player higher chances of finding certain Pokemon, while others can increase EXP gain, provide more Tera Raid rewards, and more.

On top of the benefits that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's sandwiches can offer, the gimmick is elevated through its consideration in the games' plot. Arven, as one of Scarlet and Violet's most loved supporting characters, is the catalyst for this, as his talents at cooking and desire to heal his Mabosstiff result in him enlisting the player to search for the mysterious Herba Mystica. This requires facing off against Titan Pokemon, reaping the rewards of the Herba Mystica to both Mabosstiff and the legendary Miraidon/Koraidon's benefit, restoring the latter's traversal powers and subsequently opening up new areas of the region to explore.

pokemon-scarlet-violet-most-popular-character
Related
Poll Reveals Most Popular Character in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

A Japanese gaming magazine holds a popularity poll for the characters in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and the results are a little surprising.

How Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Sandwich Gimmick is Given Story Consideration

How Arven's Character Arc Elevates the Sandwich Gimmick

As Arven creates new sandwiches with the Herba Mystica, his resolve to cure Mabosstiff grows, showing his dedication to his Pokemon and his inclination towards cooking as a means of healing. The same goes for his love for the outdoors and picnics in general, which he can touch upon in Scarlet and Violet's Indigo Disk DLC with characters like Crispin in the League Room. There's dialogue between him and Saguaro where Arven talks about the idea of food being better when cooking with others, which hits all the harder after learning of his difficult family life. What could have been just a throwaway gimmick is given more weight as a result, as the picnic and sandwich-making mechanics are provided more meaning through his character.

Of course, the gameplay aspects of sandwich-making have their own benefits as well, tying well into the exploration of Scarlet and Violet. The Home Ec classes at the Academy give better context to the "meal powers" that can be afforded from recipes, which can be helpful throughout the players' travels, notably, for shiny-hunting. Once players reach Scarlet and Violet's postgame and are able to use Herba Mystica for sandwich recipes, searching for specific types of Pokemon becomes far easier. Crafting sandwiches with Sparkling Power increases the likelihood of shinies appearing, for example, while Raid Power and Item Drop Power can be used to reap additional rewards to repeat the process.

Sandwich Shops in Paldea

The sheer number of ingredients and recipes for sandwich-making in Paldea shows that the gimmick wasn't considered an afterthought in Scarlet and Violet's open world, as it feels like a substantial part of the region for player and NPC alike. The fact that sandwich-making can be done with friends online, too, shows that the gimmick was given multiplayer consideration, mirroring Arven's sentiments about cooking being better with others. Gen 10 will almost certainly include its own cooking gimmick to follow suit in Galar's curries and Paldea's sandwiches, though where it lands is ultimately up to what real-world area its region takes inspiration from.

Just as Scarlet and Violet's Arven was given praise for his plot role and character development in Gen 9, Gen 10's cooking feature should elevate its respective cast. Because sharing a meal with friends and loved ones is a universal experience, cooking mechanics can utilize that strength while showing off the uniqueness of a region's dishes. Having Gen 10's NPCs play a part in cooking, whether they have a conversation with the player over food or help prepare dishes themselves, would allow the next mainline titles to build from what Paldea gets right, cementing that the gimmick can be a crucial part of the world, and not a throwaway feature.