During its latest Pokemon Presents, The Pokemon Company dropped lots of new information on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The new titles are out later this year for Nintendo Switch and offer a new adventure across the Paldea region. It starts with players enrolling at an academy as students.
They’ll meet various new characters – like Nemona, Arven and Penny – while partaking in a Treasure Hunt that spans Paldea. Three stories unfold throughout the game with the first concerning the Gym Battles of old. Defeat eight Gym Leaders (with complete freedom in who you face next) and venture to Victory Road to become Champion. The two other stories offer many “discoveries and surprises,” and it’s up to the player to decide which they start.
As players explore, they’ll have Koraidon and Miraidon as their partners. The Legendary Pokemon serve as mounts, changing forms depending on the terrain. This allows for climbing, gliding, swimming and zipping across the terrain. In addition to new Pokemon like Fidough and Cetitan, players will also discover Paldean variants for Pokemon like Wooper (which covers its body with poison film).
A new mechanic is the Terastral phenomenon, which makes Pokemon shine like gems. This provides a boost to a Pokemon’s type and makes their moves stronger. Some even change types depending on their Tera type. For instance, Eevee would usually remain a Normal type when Terastralized but some could become Grass or Water type.
Rare Tera types also exist with some available in raid battles. Using the Union Circle, one can team with up to three players. One change to raid battles is that players can take turns without waiting for their allies. Of course, if you just want to explore the world with friends in co-op, that’s also possible.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18th for Nintendo Switch. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.