When Pokemon Scarlet and Violet first launched in 2022, the games were dogged by technical performance issues. From low framerates to muddy textures, the Paldea region was written off by many players. However, a new Switch 2 upgrade completely overhauls the Gen 9 RPGs and fixes their biggest flaws. Here is why you should now play Scarlet and Violet, as they are some of the best Pokemon games in years.
‘Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’ Switch 2 Upgrades
The Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Switch 2 upgrade launches on June 5 and adds HDR and 60 FPS to the games. More importantly, it fixes the games’ performance issues across the board. For example, you will now see 30 or more Pokemon roaming the overworld as opposed to 10. The Gen 9 titles are basically the games they should have been at launch.
However, if you are still wondering whether it’s worth jumping into Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in 2025, let me try to convince you. I’m going to go over all the reasons why Paldea is one of the best Pokemon regions to release in years.
Great Characters and an Emotional Story
One of the biggest complaints Pokemon fans have had about modern games in the series is the low-stakes storytelling. Now, I’m not going to say Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has a world-ending plot like Diamond and Pearl. But what it does have is emotional stakes with a cast of characters that you actually care about. One of the biggest improvements Game Freak made with Gen 9 is crafting side characters that you really get invested in.
Whether it’s Penny, Arven, or Nemona, you will genuinely feel things for this cast. In particular, the game has an emotional final act that has some of The Pokemon Company’s best storytelling in years. Without getting into spoilers, the Gen 9 RPGs have a cinematic finale campaign section that really improves on how the franchise handles a region’s narrative. By the time the game’s credits roll, it truly feels like you just went on a satisfying journey.
In fact, I actually got quite emotional after finishing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet for the first time. And no, it’s not because of Ed Sheeran’s “Celestial” song that was strangely in the game. I guess the British singer is now canon in Poké-lore? Scarlet and Violet also has dedicated story campaigns for each character as well, so you will get to spend time with them as you battle your way to becoming the Paldea champion.
It Has Three Story Campaigns That Shake Up the Formula
Speaking of story campaigns, did you know Pokemon Scarlet and Violet actually has three? Victory Road has you facing off against gym leaders, while Starfall Street has you taking down the region’s antagonists, Team Star. And finally, you have Path of Legends, which entails you uncovering the mystery of Titan Pokemon. One of my favorite things about the Gen 9 RPGs is that the game just drops you off into the open world of Paldea and lets you decide which campaign you want to tackle first.
You can focus completely on the game’s gym challenge plotline or bounce around between the other two campaigns whenever you want. The reason this works so well is it really shakes up the game’s typical formula of going from gym to gym just to reach the Elite Four. It also encourages you to explore the various biomes of Paldea, as certain story campaigns will require specific Pokemon if you want an advantage in combat.
And finally, the three campaigns allow you to spend one-on-one time with the game’s main cast of characters. So when you reach the end of the game, your journey will be intertwined with their arcs. Again, I won’t argue that this is the best technical story to be told in a Pokemon game. But it’s definitely the one that made me care about it the most. And a big reason for that is the three branching story campaigns.
A Great Battle Gimmick
As a lifelong Pokemon fan, I already know most of you will say that the last good battle gimmick was Mega Evolutions from 2013’s Pokemon X and Y. I get it. And yes, another major complaint from the Pokemon community is recent games having flashy gimmicks with little substance. But Scarlet and Violet actually has one of the best battle gimmicks in many generations. It finally adds a layer of depth and strategy to combat that has been sorely missing from the franchise.
In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the battle gimmick is called the Terastal phenomenon, and it actually allows you to switch your Pokemon’s element type. If you have a matching element, your attacks also gets boosted for massive damage. But imagine this: you go to a gym that is weak to Flying-type attacks, so you build your entire team around that element. However, the Gym Leader takes you by surprise by terastallizing their Pokemon to Electric-type. Suddenly, your team can get wiped out in a few turns.
Incredibly, this actually happens at several points throughout the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet campaign. The gimmick forces you to think on your toes and to be prepared for the unexpected. Now, obviously, if you over-grind your Pokemon, Gen 9 will still be relatively a breeze to get through. But Tera Pokemon actually add strategy back to battles and is a blast when mixing and matching elements.
The Paldea Pokedex Has Amazing Pokemon Designs
What is perhaps the most important feature of any Pokemon game is its regional Pokedex. Unfortunately, not every generation has had great Pokemon designs. But thankfully that is not the case with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The Paldea Pokedex is filled to the brim with some of Game Freak’s best Pokemon designs since Pokemon Black and White.
Whether it’s the bouncy electric frog Bellibolt, or the adorable sushi-themed Tatsugiri – Scarlet and Violet gives you a wide variety of unique designs. I mean the game literally has a two-headed Chill pepper Pokemon named Scovillain. It’s awesome. The Pokemon Company also gets really weird this gen with the new Paradox Pokemon. The gimmick sees classic monsters remixed in Ancient and Future forms.
And finally, the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Starters are also great. Seriously, imagine having to decide between Sprigatito, Fuecoco, or Quaxly. They are equally adorable, and have cool evolutions. When you also factor in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC, I actually think Gen 9 might have some of my favorite Pokemon designs the franchise has ever had.
Most Ambitious ‘Pokemon’ Game in Years
For all the problems Scarlet and Violet had, ambition was never one of them. In fact, I want to wrap this piece up by saying that the Gen 9 RPGs were always gems underneath all the grime and dirt piled on them. The biggest issues with the games were always the technical performance issues—which were so bad, Nintendo had to actually come out and apologize to fans.
However, the Switch 2 upgrade for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fixes all of these issues and allows players to experience how great the Paldea region actually is. And the best part? The upgrade is actually free! So if you already own the Gen 9 titles but have been putting off playing them, now is the time to jump back in. And if you are a new player, I can’t recommend the games enough. Plus its the perfect game to play while we wait for the release of Pokemon Legends Z-A on October 16, 2025.
The post Switch 2 Fixes ‘Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’ — It’s Time to Give the Best ‘Pokemon’ Game in Years a Second Chance appeared first on VICE.
