Pokemon Scarlet & Violet have now been released and have been met with mixed reviews from Pokemon fans. Praised for their story and graphics, the games have received criticism, mostly directed toward the bugs.
Despite this, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet have performed well in sales and the games do have some great elements within. Its predecessor, Pokemon Legends: Arceus was well received among the community, but there are a few things that Scarlet & Violet do better which improve on some of the features.
10 Streamlined Ride Pokemon
Legends: Arceus brought fans some interesting ride Pokemon mechanics, and Scarlet & Violet improved on this with the introduction of Koraidon and Miraidon. The Hisuii-based games had a different Pokemon for each of the different ride mechanics: surfing, gliding, digging, etc.
In Scarlet & Violet, the ride Pokemon do them all, unlocking each skill after the defeat of a titan Pokemon, meaning gamers can straight away unlock all of the powers and ride freely throughout Paldea before even defeating a single gym.
9 Raids
Introduced in PokemonSword & Shield, raids were a great way to get XP and catch some Pokemon that were harder to find. In Sword & Shield's case, fans could encounter a Pokemon that could Gigantamax. In Scarlet & Violet, this was replaced with terrestrial Pokemon in Generation 9.
Raid just wasn't a thing in Legends: Arceus. The closest thing fans got is the space-time distortions. These aren't quite the same, however, they serve the same purpose of catching rarer Pokemon, without the idea of a big battle to do so. This gives Scarlet & Violet the edge.
8 Multiplayer
One of Scarlet & Violet's big features in the games is the massive improvement in multiplayer. For the first time in a Pokemon game, the player can directly play with others within the main section of the game and not just in a separate room like in games prior.​​​​​​​
In the Hisuii-based games, there was no such multiplayer like this. It is completely new for generation 9, so it is a massive plus for Scarlet & Violet. Gamers will want to get involved with the multiplayer to trade and battle others and to evolve the much-requested dolphin Pokemon Finizen.
7 Graphics
The graphics in Scarlet & Violet still need some work, but they are an improvement on Legends: Arceus with improved textures and animations. The terrestrial Pokemon animation deserves much credit here, with a bright and colorful transformation that is stunning when viewed on the Nintendo Switch.
Using Magnemite as an example, the muted tone in the previous game is replaced with a shiny metal-like texture in Paldea and it better reflects how the electric Pokemon would look in real life. The improved textures definitely add to the immersion of the game.
6 Customization
Legends: Arceus did offer some customization. Gamers could customize the player from the start to how they want their player to look and then customize the outfit within the game.
This returns in Scarlet & Violet with more options. Players can now choose their phone case, and bag and even customize their picnic set. In Paldea, gamers can now completely have the game the way they want. This matches the RPG style of the game, allowing it to be played exactly how their heart desires. However, there is still room for development and some fans feel these games have missed the mark.
5 Storyline
The storyline is a massive improvement over Legends: Arceus, chief among them are the gyms. Gamers can once again battle through the gyms and take on the elite four to be the champion and a Pokemon master.
Not just that, the actual story is an improvement with the lore of paradox Pokemon and the Great Crater of Paldea being great additions to the franchise. There is a lot to do in Paldea, more so than in Legends: Arceus, which has one storyline and side quests. Gamers can work to complete the Pokedex, but this is also there in Scarlet & Violet.​​​​​​​
4 Three Main Quests
In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet there is much more to do, the three main quests are set to keep players of the game busy for a while. These activities include completing the gyms, taking down the evil team, and battling the titan Pokemon.
Operation Starfall offers a completely new style of Pokemon, raiding the bases utilizing the auto-battle feature is a fresh new addition and helps to add variety to the game. Legends: Arceus, of course, did not have this feature with anything close to it. Hopefully, this is a feature of Pokemon games for many years to come.​​​​​​​
3 More Pokemon
Four hundred Pokemon roam the lands of Paldea, with 107 new ones to collect. Some old favorites return to Generation 9 with new moves to use in battle. This is just less than double the amount found in Legends: Arceus, which has 242 in the Pokedex.
The sheer number of those famous creatures is enough to keep gamers more than occupied in the quest to complete the Pokedex. If Scarlet & Violet follow the Pokemon Sword & Shield trend, more will be available in upcoming DLCs, so get those Ultra Balls at the ready!​​​​​​​
2 Map
In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet the map is massive, with several areas to explore of all different terrains, the player can seamlessly navigate from one part of the map to the other. In Legends: Arceus that is not achievable. Each area is its section and gamers must go back to Jubilife Village to go to each different location on the map.​​​​​​​
This is where the new game improves on its predecessor. The map itself on the Rotom phone is also much better and easier to navigate when it comes to selecting where to go and what to do in the game's menu.
1 Fast Travel
Fast travel has a massive improvement in Scarlet & Violet. Players can instantly teleport to an area they have been to before, all across the map of Paldea. Searching for Pokemon and locations has never been easier.
Like older generations with the fly HM, the fast travel is not reserved for just Pokecenters, the player can go to pretty much every location in the game, including the lighthouses at every compass point in Paldea. This is an improvement on the tedious fast travel in Legends: Arceus, which involved the player having to go to several locations and not having everything on one map.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is available now on Nintendo Switch.