We may have just had Pokémon Legends: Arceus, but Game Freak is already hurtling full steam ahead towards the next pair of mainline titles in its beloved catch-’em-up series.
Recently revealed as Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, the next generation of Pokémon will take us to an all-new region that seems to be based on Spain and Portugal. While things look pretty good so far — there appears to be a marked improvement in visual fidelity from Legends, even with placeholder footage that’s likely representative of an older build — there will also inevitably be a lot of changes fans are hoping for. In this scenario, “fans” refers to us.
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Despite being delighted with the vast majority of Pokémon Legends: Arceus — and seemingly enjoying Sword & Shield a lot more than lots of other people — we’re more than capable of critiquing this series. Sure, Pokémon may account for some of our favorite games of all time, but that just gives us all the more reason to point out its various pitfalls. We do it so that these games might improve in future, not because we’re a bunch of sad sacks who like yelling at clouds.
With all of that being said, here are all of the things we want to see changed in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, from how battles work to the way Pokémon themselves are integrated into the world.
Also: no more Runerigus-esque gimmicks. We’re begging you.