Is Pokemon Scarlet and Violet going to be open-world?

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will change how fans of the franchise approach the game in some pretty major ways. One thing fans have been asking about is if it’s really going to be an open-world game. The short answer is “Yes!” Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is going to be a huge, open-world experience, where fans can explore the new region in ways they never could before.

The game builds on what Pokemon Legends: Arceus created, and has enhanced the overall experience. Even better, Pokemon fans can play together like never before, and there’s a real possibility that this will change how the franchise works for years to come.

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Game Freak confirmed that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will be an open-world experience

Pokemon Legends: Arceus created a space where fans of the series could explore the world in a vast, open experience. While it had its pros and cons, it was something new for the Pocket Monsters franchise.

In a way, it could be seen as the beta test for what Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will ultimately become. Game Freak confirmed that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is going to be an open-world experience, but what does that mean?

Pokemon fans will be given unprecedented access to the Paldea region. It’s more than the game simply being an open world, where they can travel anywhere they want. You will receive access to your legendary at the very beginning of the game, and it will allow you to fly, swim, climb, or ride anywhere in Paldea.

While technically, previous Pokemon games were open-world experiences, they gated progress behind players' badges. Individuals had to reach certain points in the game in order to fly, surf, use waterfalls, and similar HM abilities.

This was changed in the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes. Individuals can use their Poketch to use HM abilities without linking them to their Pokemon. Scarlet and Violet take it to the next level by giving players a legendary to travel on.

Now, they can suddenly travel anywhere, and do anything at their leisure. What about gyms, though? Normally, they are done in a very specific order. However, that’s not the case in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

One of the best things is that fans can travel in the Paldea region and go wherever they want. They can also tackle gyms in whatever order they see fit.

This game will also have three full story lines to complete, and they can tackle them in any order they wish. That makes this the most complete open-world experience in the franchise’s history. Combining that with the full, 4-person online co-op, makes this the ultimate Pocket Monster experience.

Not only can individuals travel the world any way they want, but they can also do it with a group of friends. Unlike previous entries, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans won’t have to just battle and trade with each other. They can all hop on their legendary motorcycles and cruise in Paldea.

Game Freak built upon the previous entries, took their elements, and put them together. If this is successful, it could be the framework for the series in the future. While earlier generations of games were fun, being locked down on portable consoles made it harder to do advanced things like making true, open-world games.

Now that the series is on the Nintendo Switch, the sky is the limit. If successful, there’s an actual chance that future adventures will also be open-world adventures, where players can immerse themselves in the story. Being able to boot up Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and do anything you want is such an exciting prospect. The future is bright for Game Freak’s prized franchise.