Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are being review bombed by disgruntled Pokemon fans who are unhappy about the state of the games. In the months leading up their release, it was safe to say that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet were two of the most-hyped games of the year, with many fans excited to explore the Paldea region. Unfortunately, the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet launch has not lived up to expectations, with many fans unimpressed with the games.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have the worst professional review scores out of any new main series Pokemon release, though they are still at a 76 overall rating according to review aggregate site Metacritic. Many of the professional reviews criticize Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's technical problems, but acknowledge that there are many other things about the games that are commendable. However, the games' user scores tell a different story.
While the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet professional review average is 76, the overall user score ratings are 2.8 for Pokemon Scarlet and 3.3 for Pokemon Violet. Angry Pokemon fans have flooded the user score pages for the games with 0/10 scores, with the vast majority seemingly unhappy about the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet performance problems.
Some fans are so unhappy with the games that they have attempted to get refunds for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Judging by some of the user reviews on Metacritic, it seems some Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players have had some success in that regard, successfully refunding their purchase after citing the games' lackluster performance. But while it's clear as day that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are having frame rate issues and other technical problems, many would likely agree that 0/10 scores are a little dramatic.
Despite failing to live up to expectations from a technical standpoint, there are those who have been enjoying Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's open world and playing in co-op with their friends. Others still have had a fun time discovering all the new Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, even if they have had to deal with glitches and visual oddities along the way.
Regardless, it's clear that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have struck a nerve with the Pokemon community, and it will be interesting to see what the response to this backlash will be. It's possible that Game Freak will produce a new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet update that improves the games' performance, but it's also possible that the games will be stuck in this state indefinitely. Fans will just have to wait to see what happens.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
Source: Metacritic (2)