The highly-anticipated release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet was met with praise for its new features and ingenuity of multiplayer gameplay with friends online, but the game doesn't come without its low points. One of the major detriments to the franchise's latest generation is the lack of graphical capabilities and severe frame rate issues, not to mention Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are plagued with glitches and bugs that will need extra attention in future patches.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's release comes five years after the console's debut on the market, following in the footsteps of Pokemon Sword and Shield, Pokemon Legends Arceus, and the fourth-generation remakes of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. In that time, the outpouring of criticism is shared among some of the biggest Pokemon fans and content creators for their inability to re-capture the graphical magic of Pokemon Legends Arceus.
The main concern for the most-recent edition of the Pokemon franchise stems from the fact that the Nintendo Switch's capabilities for graphics, textures, and models have proven to be far more advanced than what developer Game Freak has offered. As user halycon8 shares in a recent post on Reddit's r/PokemonScarletViolet, the visual display when comparing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet to Zelda: Breath of the Wild demonstrates two drastically different results. While the former shows inconsistencies with layers and textures, specifically in the background of the over world, Zelda: Breath of the Wild presents a detailed a visually-enticing result that was evident since the game's launch. The latter was released back in 2017, but its popularity has remained consistent, leading to Zelda: Breath of the Wild's sales spiking in 2022, five years after its release.
How does a 5 year old launch title look and run better than a new major release from the world's biggest franchise from PokemonScarletViolet
Game Freak and Nintendo have often been scrutinized for the disconnect between the property and the player base, often ignoring glaring issues with each game's release, specifically with frame rate issues, land textures, and glitches. As Reddit user cakebomb321 points out, developers are often on strict deadlines to pump out the newest volume of Pokemon adventures, and the loyal player base is willing to spend their money on each installment, despite its problems. One dedicated player is voiced their concern with one of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's most frustrating flaws, which happens to be constant lag and interruption when performing basic tasks, like opening the game's menu.
It's well known among console users that the Switch is by far the least powerful current-generation console among the big three, but players are unwilling to forgive Game Freak's latest efforts. While Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is still widely appreciated for the enjoyable gameplay experience, new features, and drastic change to how players approach each gym leader, the visual components are no longer being excused or swept under the rug. Whether it's time for developers to start taking the finer details more seriously, or Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is proof that a Switch 2 is necessary, the outcry for change and more attention to graphics continues to echo across all social media platforms.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is available now on Nintendo Switch.