Pokémon Presents confirms major changes for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

The Pokémon Company has revealed more details surrounding Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on Nintendo Switch, including a major change for the story and legendary Pokémon.

As confirmed in a Pokémon Presents live stream, players will begin their adventure in the Paldea region, a land of vast open spaces dotted with lakes, towering peaks, wastelands, and mountain ranges. Players will then enrol at either the Narnaja Academy (Scarlet) or Uva Academy (Violet) before setting out on an independent project – known as the Treasure Hunt. 

Three grand stories will make up the main narrative, one of which will be the familiar Pokémon Gym battles that have been a staple of the series since it launched in 1996. The other two are unclear at this time, however, all of them can be attempted in any order with all eight Pokémon Gym battles requiring no set path for completion either. This is a huge shakeup, something I'm very excited about. 

Similar to Pokémon Legends: Arceus earlier this year, it seems as if these new titles are taking inspiration from Breath of the Wild, with its non-linear path highly applauded by the gaming community. 

Check out the full Pokémon Presents presentation below: 

The three starting Pokémon were previously confirmed as the grass type, Sprigatito, fire type, Fuecoco, and the water type, Quaxly. While this is pretty standard, players will be able to travel by legendary Pokémon Koraidon (Scarlet) and Miraidon (Violet) across land, sea and air with the creatures for the first time, after one of them becomes your partner early on. 

A host of new Pokémon were revealed too, including the adorable dog-like Fidough, the tough-bodied Cetitan and a Paldean Wooper, which is basically a brown alternative that has a  poisonous film. Furthermore, Terastal Phenomenon will allow a Pokémon to Terastallizes to gain extra power and shine like a gem. With co-operative multiplayer play, up to three friends can race across the map or discover new Pokémon and compete in Tera Raids.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are set to launch across Nintendo Switch on November 18th, 2022. Looking for something to play in the meantime? Check out the top Nintendo Switch Games of 2022 so far – including a new Kirby experience.

Additionally, make sure to read up on T3's Live A Live review to see if the new JRPG is worth getting.