Pokémon Violet

- Reviewed on Switch -

Pokémon Violet released on November 18th, 2022. 

With yet another installment in the rich, and illustrious series that is Pokémon, Pokémon Violet takes the base Pokémon game we've all grown to love and amplified that initial experience with a whole lot of new features.

Now being in an open world, and giving players the freedom to take on gyms, missions, and legends in whatever order you may desire, it's safe to say, Pokémon Violet, despite its minor performance issues / glitches, is an amazing title to sink in many hours with.  

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

Pokémon Violet (and its other version, Pokémon Scarlet) takes place in the debuting, Paldea region. 

Full of many different landscapes, villages, cities, caves, and beaches, the Paldea region is (as of writing this blog post) one of the most diverse and pleasant regions to venture with your Pokémon in. 

Pokémon Violet also includes a day and night cycle which plays into the specific Pokémon that appear in various locations. 

The story of Pokémon Violet is very memorable due to how deep and detailed it becomes, compared to previous titles in the series. 

You start (SPOILER) as a new student in either Uva Academy (Pokémon Violet) or Naranja Academy (Pokémon Scarlet), where you will then partake in three different mass missions. 

These missions are essentially your guide to completing the main plot in Paldea. 

The three missions include Starfall Street, Path of Legends, and Victory Road. 

Path of Legends is what the name suggests. After you speak with Arven at whichever academy you're in (depending on your game), you and Arven will then meet (whenever you can / want to) to take on different Pokémon Titans. 

Upon defeating each titan, you will receive an upgrade for your box legend. Pokémon Violet's rideable companion (legendary) is Miraidon, and Pokémon Scarlet's companion (legendary) is Koraidon.

Every upgrade is travel based. For example, once you defeat a certain titan, you may receive an upgrade for your legend to drive faster. Or another example (upgrade) is for your legend to climb walls!

Another mission for you to strive to complete, is Victory Road. This is essentially your classic Pokémon trope, of going to each gym leader and defeating them to earn yourself a badge. After defeating them all, you will then challenge the Elite Four to hopefully become champion of the Paldea region. 

One difference about the gyms I found during my time with Pokémon Violet, is that there are now gym tests for you to complete before challenging the gym leaders. 

Before, you would have to fight various other trainers inside the gym, but this installment has you completing obstacle courses, races, scavenger hunts, etc. 

Finally, Starfall Street is about an antagonistic team called Team Star, who have set up bases around Paldea. 

Your task is to, of course, go inside each (and upon completing the minigame) camp and defeat their respective leader. 

Now, with these great stories must come great gameplay. 

Thankfully, Pokémon Violet (and Scarlet) have an amazing, fast-paced nature about them, especially when it comes to battling. 

Battling in Pokémon Violet now takes place wherever you encountered the Pokémon, it doesn't go into a preloaded zone anymore. 

After defeating (or catching) Pokémon(s), all members of your team get experience, which is my favorite part of the game as it progresses your ability to take on stronger Pokémon and finish the game in a more reasonable pace. This especially is good for new Pokémon players as well.

Your three starters for Pokémon Violet (and Scarlet) are...

    - Sprigatito

    - Fuecoco

    - Quaxly

The Pokémon centers are also still in the Pokémon universe; however, this title's centers are outdoor posts of some sort, that still serve the same purpose as usual. An addition to this though, is the ability to play online with others!

There are two different currencies in Pokémon Violet, this being the traditional Poke Dollars and LP (League Points).

Around nearly every Pokémon Center are also LP Representatives that reward you with special items for your Pokémon, if you battled the select number of trainers in that area.

The special battling feature of Pokémon Violet (and Scarlet) is known (in the Paldea region) as Terastallizing. This is when you can turn your current Pokémon into a crystal form, making select elemental attacks more effective. 

There are also side activities to do with your Pokémon, such as having a picnic. When you have picnics, you can make sandwiches to boost certain abilities and also play ball! This does have a purpose too, as it levels up your Pokémon's levels and friendship. 

Player customization isn't the best in Pokémon Violet compared to the previous games, due to a more abundance of food related shops throughout Paldea instead.

Exploration is a huge improvement compared to past games (in my opinion). Using your box legend to explore, fly, and climb around Paldea is nothing short of excitement / fun! However, there are a lot of graphical glitches in Pokémon Violet that harm its immersion. 

Whether this be the camera glitching into the floor or the frame rate dropping after entering mass areas of Pokémon, the negatives of this title unfortunately hinder it's near perfect gameplay / story. 

Pros: 

    - Outstanding Gameplay (Battling, Collecting, Controls, etc.)

    - Fun Music

    - Great Longevity

    - Memorable Story and Cast of Characters

    - Terastallizing

    - Day and Night Cycle

    - Beautiful and Vibrant Locations (Caves, Fields, Cities, Beaches, etc.)

Cons:

    - Graphical Glitches

    - Frame Rate Drops (Even in Docked Mode)

    - Less Customization Options (Clothes)

My Rating for Pokémon Violet (on Switch):

4 / 5

-----

Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.