New Pokémon video games are different than usual

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A few days ago they came out for Nintendo Switch Scarlet Pokemon And the Violet, the latest two titles in one of the world’s most iconic and popular video game franchises. These two games have been highly anticipated, both because they introduce a new generation of monsters and minifigures, and because they offer a gaming experience that hasn’t been fully offered in Pokémon video games to date.

carmine And the VioletActually, they are open world, or rather it takes place in a virtual world with which the player can freely interact, explore spaces and complete tasks in the order he prefers. However, many critics and gamers have confirmed that, from a graphical and technical point of view, carmine And the Violet They have major limitations, and they don’t keep up with other games open world Even much older.

Video games open world Not new for nearly twenty years: grand theft auto And the Doctrine killertwo of the most beloved titles in the genre, date back to the early 2000s and, in 2017, were produced by the same Nintendo to which the Pokémon brand belongs in part. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwhich revolutionized the genre. However, before carmine And the Violet All games set in the Pokémon universe – starting with the classics red And the Green color Game Boy, released in 1996 – largely followed the same gameplay style, with players following a predetermined path to obtaining creatures known as Pokémon and using them in combat against other trainers and gym leaders, in order for them to collect all the smaller monsters and become the most powerful trainer In the world.

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in carmine And the VioletHowever, there are three different missions, which can be done in the order you prefer, even simultaneously. The first, Victory Road, is the most similar to the classic game’s story: the challenge is to defeat eight Gym Leaders and reach the top of the Pokémon League. The second, Path of Legends, asks you to accompany a professor in search of Pokémon Titans, giant monsters that are enhanced by the powers of a rare herb. The third, Starfall Street, asks you to defeat Team Star, a gang of criminals who torment the inhabitants of Paldea Island.

Move to approach open world, in which he encounters various Pokémon of all sizes and levels while walking, also requires some adjustments in the way the player interacts with the creatures and humans he meets on his way. Rival trainers no longer stop you from fighting: now the player has to go and see if another character is interested in fighting and maybe even start a fight. It is also possible to send your Pokémon to independently explore the surrounding area and fight the wild creatures they encounter without requiring player intervention, whereas in previous titles it was necessary to personally manage all engagements.

These are not the only novelties: in carmine And the Violet It is possible, for the first time, to play with up to three of your friends at the same time in a more or less interactive way: we are far from a fully multiplayer game, but also from other Pokémon games, where it was possible to exchange Pokémon and things with friends.

“It is also one of the most difficult Pokémon games in recent years; The rules and gyms actually require some effort and effort to defeat, which is a nice change from recent titles that are too easy, like Sword and Shield.” wrote the critic Tom Regan on guardian. “But as soon as you set foot outside the house—the classic first step in all Pokémon adventures—everything falls apart. carmine And the Violet They are games with big dreams but they are defeated by the fact: I am not using exaggeration when I say that they are among the worst performing games I have ever played. Pokéballs get stuck in the rocks. Frame rate foropen world It’s wobbly. City buildings glisten as if they were badly photoshopped, and the ground regularly disappears under the feet of Pokémon as they fight. It is a tragedy because beneath the dismal surface carmine And the Violet It is the most addictive Pokemon game of the past decades.”

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Up until a certain point, the criticisms weren’t new: They had been since 2013, when video game manufacturer Game Freak released their first 3D Pokémon games, which fans complained about their technical limitations. But no other game in the series has received so much criticism for its glitches: all the reviews in recent days give you so much room, and some players have Also requested a refund to Nintendo, considering carmine And the Violet Not playable.

Examples abound. “There is a moment early on where you follow your opponent to the top of a beacon. Whether it was on purpose or not, it seems like it should be that moment in every match.” open world Where you can appreciate the vast expanse of the world in front of you. Unfortunately, what you see is very confusing: the city of Misagosa is just a bunch of white shapes in the distance and the trees look like green blobs.” says critic Jake Decker on me game website.

on me GamesRadarInstead, Joel Franey WritesSure, sometimes the flaws were funny: at one point a character’s eye snapped out and she spent half the conversation staring at me like Popeye, and Hoppip sank into the sidewalk like a Homer Simpson scene in the bushes. (…) It is not possible to explore a world with enthusiasm when everything seems so unattractive, Pokemon keep appearing out of nowhere under my feet and playing for a while causes an excruciating headache. »

We talk about it in our Crimson/Violet review (link linked below) but just for a visual show, that’s what people are talking about: graphical issues. The whole game is like that# Pokemon Scarlett Violet #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/4vtp9bacM4

– Alize Stanley (@pithyalyse) November 17, 2022