The newest entry in the Pokemon series is on its way. A year after its official announcement, Pokemon fans finally got to see some brand-new gameplay of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the latest entry in the venerable franchise. Returning players to the world of Kalos for the first time since 2013’s Pokemon X and Y, this sequel to Pokemon Legends: Arceus looks to build on that game’s unique changes to the Pokemon formula for another exciting adventure through Lumiose City.
While the recent Pokemon Presents showcase brought fans a taste of this new game, The Pokemon Company stopped short of alluding to anything involving the next generation of Pokemon titles. As it’s been almost three years since Pokemon Scarlet and Violet – and given that the Nintendo Switch 2 is quickly approaching – anticipation is mounting for Pokemon’s proper tenth-generation game. Developer Game Freak is also in a great position with this new title, as it will not have to change things up too much to make the tenth generation of Pokemon a hit.
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Pokemon’s Next Game Won’t Have To Reinvent The Wheel
Pokemon Scarlet And Violet Already Offered Sweeping Changes
Part of the reason the next generation of Pokemon will not need a massive overhaul is that the last two games, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, already significantly changed the series’ formula. These titles were the first mainline entries in the series to be open-world, offering players a greater sense of freedom than before. They also provided three unique stories that players could complete in any order they chose, each with their own unique gameplay style and goals.
Already, this was a massive change of pace from what Pokemon offered in previous games, as it gave players the freedom to complete the game in whichever order they desired. The open-world design and branching storylines laid a fantastic groundwork for the rest of the series to follow, which is an exciting prospect for future games. With this in mind, Pokemon’s Generation 10 entry will not have to radically switch up what this game did, but rather just refine its ideas and concepts for a much smoother experience.
Pokemon’s Next Game Could Improve By Adding Level Scaling
One thing the Gen 10 Pokemon game can do to improve on Scarlet and Violet is to offer some form of level scaling in completing missions. While players can technically complete each story in any order they want, as the game has no set mission order, each mission is set at a specific level. Therefore, there’s still some level of restriction to the game, as it’s possible for gamers to reach certain missions far earlier than the game expects them to.
Game Freak could address one of Scarlet and Violet’s biggest issues with the next mainline title by adding level scaling to each mission. This will allow players to truly explore the game in any order they choose, giving the game an even greater sense of freedom than Scarlet and Violet offered. Plus, if the new game retains the multiple storylines concept, level scaling would give players the chance to focus on one individual story at a time, instead of having to jump between the three stories depending on how strong their team of Pokemon is.
Part of the reason the next generation of Pokemon will not need a massive overhaul is that the last two games, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, already significantly changed the series’ formula.
Generation 10 Of Pokemon Will Need To Be More Polished
Perhaps the biggest thing that Pokemon’s Gen 10 title will need to fix from Scarlet and Violet is the overall level of polish. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s technical issues at launch were well-documented, and the conversation surrounding them vastly overshadowed the unique changes made to the overall gameplay. If Game Freak really wants to make the next-generation title a slam dunk, they will need to treat the franchise with a greater level of care and respect and ensure that this title’s visual design and gameplay performance are up to par.
With the next-generation Nintendo Switch 2 nearing its long-awaited release, the next generation of Pokemon may not be far behind it. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet laid a strong enough groundwork that Game Freak will not have to overhaul the next game too heavily, but it’ll certainly need to fix some of the game’s glaring issues. Here’s hoping that the studio can deliver on Scarlet and Violet’s promise with the next big Pokemon title on the Switch 2.
- Released
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November 18, 2022
- ESRB
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E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence