5 reasons to be excited for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will release in exactly 15 days on November 18, 2022. The upcoming Nintendo Switch titles promise a host of new features and a unique region to explore, full of surprises and intriguing Pocket Monsters.

The community has been excited about the upcoming titles ever since their announcement, and there are many reasons why this is the case. From gameplay to story, adventures in the Paldea region promise to be engaging and fun. There may be challenges along the way, but there's no doubt that trainers around the world are willing to take them on.

With just a few weeks left until Scarlet and Violet's release, it may be a good idea to take a look at some of the most anticipated aspects of the two games.

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What are trainers looking forward to in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

1) The open world Paldea region

Paldea promises to be an exciting open world experience (Image via Game Freak)

Game Freak and The Pokemon Company have stated that Scarlet and Violet's Paldea region will be the first open world region in the franchise. Although trainers have certainly had some freedom of movement in previous games, older Pokemon titles require players to progress through different towns and regions as they defeat gym leaders in a certain sequence.

Conversely, Paldea has promised to allow players the freedom to travel and explore. They can head just about anywhere from the very beginning, and the massive region has a lot to offer if trainers are willing to spend time exploring the area.

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2) Three different story paths

Trainers can progress through the game's story in three unique ways (Image via Game Freak)

Nearly every Pokemon title previously released has had a fairly linear story. Players are required to catch Pokemon, participate in battles, take on a few Legendaries, and defeat the villains of the region. Along the way, they will have to defeat gym leaders and advance to the Elite Four, eventually becoming the League Champion.

There are variations to the formula depending on the title in question, but this is the blueprint that the franchise has followed for decades. Scarlet and Violet will mix things up and allow trainers to experience the game's story through one of three distinct paths: Victory Road, Starfall Street, and the Path of Legends.

Victory Road is the conventional progression, tasking players with defeating gym leaders to become League Champion. Starfall Street will see trainers battling against the antagonistic Team Star en route to defeating their boss. Meanwhile, the Path of Legends sees players in a research role, hunting for herbs protected by mighty Titan Pokemon.

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3) Four player multiplayer

Dive into your friends' worlds and work with them (Image via Game Freak)

In most of the franchise's games, trainers are stuck with a solo experience, only engaging in multiplayer gameplay for trading or battling opponents. Scarlet and Violet will flip the script, allowing trainers to join each other's worlds for the first time.

It's currently unclear whether this multiplayer will be facilitated online or only locally between devices, but it's still something to be excited for. Training, catching, and battling Pokemon is better with a few friends involved, and it looks like Scarlet and Violet are set to make this multiplayer mode a reality. Players will be able to team up and explore Paldea with up to three fellow trainers.

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4) Let's Go! auto-battling

Training is made easier thanks to the new auto-battle function (Image via Game Freak)

One of the more tedious aspects of training in the Pokemon series is having to grind through wild encounters to level up your team. While it can be fun and rewarding for some, there's no doubt that some trainers would prefer to finish the fights quickly and go about their business. Game Freak appears to have listened to the community and has introduced the "Let's Go!" command.

By utilizing this command, trainers can automatically send their monsters into battle. The battle will end after a few animations, and trainers will receive all of the usual experience and EV gains. The Let's Go! command should prove to be incredibly popular with trainers who are in a hurry or just tired of repeated wild encounters.

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5) Terastal Pokemon and Raids

Tera Slowking and Dragonite face off (Image via Game Freak)

Similar to the Galar region, a strange energy appears to be changing the Pokemon of the Paldea region. This has resulted in Terastallized creatures that grow in size and take on a crystalline appearance. To combat this new transformation, trainers can participate in Tera Raids, which are somewhat similar to raids seen in Pokemon GO or the Sword & Shield titles.

In Tera Raids, trainers will band together to defeat a supercharged Tera Raid Boss. Unlike the Galar region games, players won't have to wait for each participating combatant to attack before making their move. These raids are more freeform, and trainers can attack at will.

Once a Terastallized Pokemon has been defeated, players will gain the chance to catch it. Even better, through the use of Tera Orbs, they can Terastallize their own species and use them in battle. This should prove to be incredibly helpful in tough-to-beat battles where you need just a little extra firepower.