Summary
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s reception at launch was mixed due to the many performance issues and visual glitches that could plague players' first foray into the region of Paldea, but Gen 9 ended up being praised for its open world and exploration mechanics. Players get to ride Koraidon or Miraidon across the region, unlocking new power-ups whenever they defeatPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Titans, and the overall experience is mostly good - often drawing inspiration fromPokemon Legends: Arceus' own traversal mechanics. However, Gen 9 games should have learned one key lesson fromPokemon Legends: Arceus, and it seems The Indigo Disk DLC is fixing this - but it could be too little, too late.
Pokemon Sword and Shieldwere the first games in the series to spawn DLCs rather than a third game or sequel, and although the base game was not received well, the expansions did fix its reputation for the most part. This is because both expansions ended up making amends for the issues players lamented in the base game, such as the limited amount of critters available or the lack of a proper endgame. InPokemon Legends: Arceus, players could fly over the region on Braviary’s back, but they were not happy with flying being more akin to gliding, andPokemon Scarlet and Violetrepeated the same mistake at launch.
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Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Needed Proper Flying on Launch
Pokemongames have historically featured the Fly HMto let players fast-travel to specific locations, but this started to become an increasingly more difficult challenge to approach as the series moved to 3D models and worlds.Pokemon Legends: Arceusfeatured several critters that could help players explore its semi-open world in different ways, and Braviary was the Pokemon dedicated to flying. This mechanic could feel exceptional at first due to the freedom of movement, but more than controlled flying where players can go up in the sky whenever they please, it felt more like gliding.
The lack of upward movement unfortunately translated into the wayPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Koraidon and Miraidonfly, with the whole thing being once again just downward floating. The problem with this iteration of flying in the games is that it detracts from the supposed focus on exploration, as players are not at liberty to travel around the world and discover all of its secrets. In some cases, this can also be an issue when it comes to specific quests and treasure hunts, which Paldea is full of.
For example, unlocking all of the stakes in Paldea to finally encounter the Legendary quartet of Ruin inPokemon Scarlet and Violetcan take quite some time, and the fact that players don’t have access to full-on flying doesn’t help. Today’s Pokemon Presents changes that, however, asThe Indigo Disk DLCwill allow players to temporarily unlock a new power-up that allows their Koraidon or Miraidon to fly upward and control the critter’s flight. Even though this is something that the game should have had from the get-go, it will be a hard lesson for Gen 10 titles.
As for The Indigo Disk’s implementation of the improved flight mechanic, it seems to be tied to a story-related trial in the Blueberry Academy, and both the official website and the trailer shared during the Pokemon Presents showcase seem to confirm it will be a permanent unlock at some point. It’s unclear how this will work, but it only makes sense to have the power-up be permanent, although it could drastically change the experience in Paldea if players can use it outside of theBlueberry Academy. The silver lining is that this could help newPokemon Scarlet and Violetplayers explore the region once the DLC drops, and it could be a good test ahead of Gen 10 games.
Pokemon ScarletandVioletare available now for the Nintendo Switch.
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