Highlights

  • Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's DLC, The Indigo Disk, lacks a defining element of previous Gen 8 DLCs, specifically Crown Tundra.
  • Many long-time fans are returning to Pokemon Sword and Shield now that Gen 9 is seemingly done, due to the lack of compelling content in Scarlet and Violet.
  • Dynamax Adventures in Gen 8 remain Pokemon's best activity, offering a unique and rewarding experience that surpasses what Scarlet and Violet have to offer, especially with shiny Legendaries available.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet recently wrapped its content with the release of The Indigo Disk DLC and then the Mochi Mayhem epilogue, which put a nice bow on the stories told in Paldea, Kitakami, and the Blueberry Academy by having the main cast meet under strange circumstances. While The Indigo Disk's returning starters and Legendaries do provide players with an interesting grind in the endgame, especially with first-partner Pokemon being available as shinies, the expansion does still lack a defining element of what Gen 8's DLCs offered. This is particularly true when comparing The Indigo Disk with Crown Tundra, which is why many long-time fans are flocking to Pokemon Sword and Shield now that Gen 9 is seemingly done.

Pokemon fans drew several comparisons between The Teal Mask and Isle of Armor when the former came out, as they were both the first DLC chapter of their respective generations, and the general consensus was that The Teal Mask had more to offer as well as a better story. Still, the true experience that players were waiting for was the final DLC for Gen 9, particularly so after the many rumors about what it would offer. Lacking a 0 IV feature leaked before launch, The Indigo Disk came with cut content and shiny-locked Legendary Pokemon, which is why Crown Tundra's Dynamax Adventures remains the best activity in the series.

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Why Pokemon Sword and Shield's Dynamax Adventures Best Gen 9's Endgame

Dynamax Adventures Are a Unique and Rewarding Pokemon Experience

The reason Dynamax Adventures are Pokemon's best activity is that each run is not only fun at its core, but it's endlessly repeatable. What is at times considered Pokemon's first delve into roguelike territory, Dynamax Adventures can award players with incredible treasures as much as one can walk away empty-handed. The reason is that runs can fail, and even if they succeed, one might want to keep playing and not claim the Legendary Pokemon at the end so that it can be found as shiny later on, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet don't have something on the same level.

Shiny Legendary Pokemon remain one of the most sought-after rarities the series has to offer because they're rare and simultaneously some of the most powerful critters out there. In a sense, they're the ultimate frontier of shiny hunting alongside Mythical Pokemon, but not all of these exclusive creatures have been made available in their shiny forms just yet, which makes the fact that all returning Legendaries in Gen 9 are shiny-locked all the more stingy. As such, Legendaries in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet can be appealing to collectors who don't have them, but that is their main draw.

Shiny-Locked Legendaries in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Make Dynamax Adventures Alluring

On the other hand, Dynamax Adventures offer a unique Pokemon experience that has never been made available before or after Gen 8, and that's thanks to the game mode's high replay value as well as how player choices matter both in terms of gameplay and rewards. One can walk out with any Pokemon caught during Pokemon Sword and Shield's Dynamax Adventures, be it a regular critter or a Legendary, and how deep one is willing to go into "rerolling" a given Legendary until it appears as shiny is a big decision to make.

For these reasons, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's endgame is looking a bit shallow at the moment, and for those who still want to play a Pokemon game where their time is aptly rewarded, Gen 8's Dynamax Adventures are fans' best bet. Unless Gen 9 gets some meaningful content drops in the form of interesting Tera Raids, players who have gotten all the critters they care about and all the materials they need, might just want to flock back to Gen 8 - and that is exactly what many are doing, including content creators who are not playing the newly released Palworld.