The Pokémon Company just announced the Generation IX games, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. A teaser trailer included a glimpse into the new and still-unnamed region, seemingly based on the Iberian Peninsula, along with the three Starters, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly.
Fans expressed both excitement and puzzlement at the announcement. Indeed, while it's always great to have a new Legends: Arceus craze. However, with the franchise's popularity at an all-time high, it might be the perfect time to open this new chapter of Pokémon history.
Perfect Timing!
Game Freak Is On A Streak
Hardly anyone can deny that Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a massive success. Even the game's detractors consider it a step in the right direction for the venerable franchise. Sure, it has several flaws, but nothing that can't be fixed; furthermore, the game is proof that Game Freak is listening to the fans.
The trailer for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet revealed that some of the best qualities that make Legends: Arceus the best Pokémon game would carry on to Gen IX. The textures on the Pokémon look rich and detailed, the region seems vast and inviting, and the graphics look far better than ever before. Game Freak seems to be applying every lesson they learned with previous entries, improving with each new game.
The Region Opens Exciting Possibilities
Based on the brief glimpses the trailer provides, the new Pokémon region seems based on the Iberian coast. Previous regions drew inspiration from Japan, the USA, , and England, so fans expected a new European city to be the focus for generation IX's location.
However, the new region will likely pull focus from the Iberian Peninsula. Spain and Portugal seem like the prevalent inspirations for the Gen IX design, but it could also draw from other potential real-life locations, so it will be very interesting to see how Game Freak creates this new locale.
Legends: Arceus Marked A New Beginning For Pokémon
Because of the many changes it introduces to the franchise, it could be easy to see Legends: Arceus as a fresh start for Pokémon. There's a prevalent theory among fans and Pokétubers that the original Sinnoh games, Diamond & Pearl, were meant to be an ending of sorts to the franchise. After all, they introduced some of the Legendary Pokémon with the best lore, including the god of all Pokémon himself, Arceus.
It makes sense that the Gen IV remakes and their open-world sibling would also act as a soft reboot for the franchise. Could generation IX mark a new chapter for Pokémon, much like Black & White was? The idea is intriguing, making Scarlet & Violet all the more relevant.
Pokémon Has Never Been More Relevant
The release of successful spin-offs like New Pokémon Snap and Pokémon Unite, followed by the one-two punch of BDSP and Legends: Arceus, means that the Pokémon franchise is at the peak of its influence. Its popularity is at an all-time high, with both veteran players and new fans enjoying the content and actively asking for more.
Now it's the perfect time to capitalize on the success, and what better way to do it than by introducing a new generation? For the first time in a surprisingly long time, nearly every fan of Pokémon is excited at what's coming, with many believing it might be the best entry to date. Will Game Freak deliver on this promise?
Too Soon...
Game Freak Is Still On Thin Ice
Pokémon fans know that one win does not a champion make. Yes, Legends: Arceus was a bonafide hit, but the series' previous entries remain divisive. Fans have had problems with the franchise going as far back as generation VI when the games began simplifying things. Indeed, people thought the Let's Go games were too childish, Sword & Shield were incomplete, and BDSP were uninspired.
introduced several improvements to the franchise that have fans hopeful for the future. Still, with Gen IV going back to the usual formula, can these changes remain relevant and useful? Can fans trust Game Freak to replicate the success they had with Legends, or will returning to the classic Pokémon journey make the company fall back on its usual ways?
Pokémon Overload
In less than two years, the Pokémon Company will have released five main-series games, not to mention spin-off titles like New Pokémon Snap. The franchise is twenty-six years into its existence, and it might be a good time to ask, when it is enough?
After being highly anticipated for more than a decade, the Sinnoh remakes came and went without much fanfare. True, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl were controversial from the get-go, which might explain their short-lived relevance. However, the point remains that there's simply too much Pokémon content for fans to truly appreciate each entry. Should the franchise continue in this path, it'll come to the point where fans will start seeing each entry as a stepping stone for what comes next instead of a worthy game capable of standing on its own.
Back To The Formula?
One of the reasons fans liked Legends: Arceus so much was its distinctively different approach to Pokémon. Gone were the gyms and the Pokémon League, supplanted by Noble Pokémon and Wardens. It was a refreshing take on the franchise that put the focus back on the Pokémon instead of the Trainer. The game's open-world was also an instant hook, as it provided freedom from the constraints of a typical Trainer's journey.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet seem to be back to the classic formula, an odd choice considering the overwhelmingly positive reception to Legends. The trailer does mention an open world, but how free can the playthrough be when there's a clear path of Gyms to follow? Fans will, of course, welcome a new region and the Gyms that come along with it, but it might've been nice to spend more time experimenting before going back to the familiar.
Legends: Arceus Still Has A Lot To Offer
In the eyes of many, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the best game in the franchise. It effectively re-launched the series, opening it up to new and exciting possibilities while building upon the previously established lore. The game redefined what fans could expect from Pokémon and revived the interest in the franchise's bread and butter, the catching of the titular pocket monsters.
Fans expected more content to come for Legends: Arceus, in the form of DLCs, new requests, and updates. Indeed, many thought 2022 might be the year of Arceus and a great time to be a Pokémon fan. Yet, by introducing a new generation, Game Freak is making its best-reviewed game in years seem obsolete. Legends: Arceus has gone from a milestone in Pokémon to a placeholder until the new generation arrives. Game Freak isn't allowing its games enough room to breathe and develop, making them seem almost disposable.
