Published: Published Date – 12:45 AM, Mon – 21 November 22
In docked mode, the game has surprisingly better resolution and more colorful surroundings
by Aditya Deshbandhu
November is a great month for new games, and as the dust of Ragnarok starts to lift, I wanted to quickly draw your attention to the latest games in the iconic franchise, Pokémon Violet and Scarlet.
The games are the successors to 2019’s Sword and Shield, following open-world experiment Arceus Legends, and are expected to usher in an open-world experience reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda’s Breath of the Wild. So, for this ambitious project, I tempered my expectations, as the game is still playable on the Switch and its aging Tegra X1 processor.
This review was written after spending a lot of time with Scarlet and Violet on the Classic Switch in early 2019. I played the game in both docked and non-docked states, as I spent most of last Friday night on a four and a half hour train ride. Within the confines of my living room and my railroad seat The ability to play games seamlessly with nearly the same quality has always struck me.
In docked mode, the game’s resolution is predictably better, and the surroundings are richer and more lush. On the smaller screen, the game is lower resolution, but the visuals are just as spectacular. For example, “Terastilizing” is a very eye-catching experience in both modes, and despite the aging hardware, there’s a lot to like about the developer’s new game in terms of visual fidelity.
As far as the game interface goes, it’s a redesigned modern experience with a greater focus on exploration, and there’s a lot of cool new implementation here. Things like menus, combat mechanics, and health bars have been visually overhauled to make gameplay smoother, and now you don’t have to click as many buttons or shuffle as many menus as you used to. Even saving games is much easier now, just two quick clicks away.
The gameplay has also changed quite a bit, as elements like stealth and exploration are now actively incorporated. The overall experience makes more sense, and even something as simple as choosing your starting Pokémon becomes more emotional this time around. I find more souls and attachments in the classic Pokémon formula with scarlet and violet, which is a delightful twist on elemental type duels.
These aren’t perfect games, though the mission structure at opening is still very similar to the old game. It’s a little disappointing that you’re still doing the same journeys at the gym, or beating up roguelike rocket wannabes, or hunting for legendary Pokémon.
Not as good as they could have been, but we’re used to their lofty standards by now. Highly recommended.
