Operation Backlog Completion 2025
Aug 012022
 

A Pokémon Presents has been announced for this Wednesday, August 3, at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET.

It will feature “updates on Pokémon apps and video games,” with Scarlet and Violet mentioned specifically.

I’m not enthusiastic about Pokémon Scarlet/Violet because of its open world structure, so I’ll mainly be interested in what other games they might announce.

Last August, they covered Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, Legends: Arceus, and a couple mobile games.

I’d be interested in seeing DLC for Legends, but with Scarlet/Violet not far off, they might not want to distract from them.

When it comes to spin-offs, however, I’m still interested in finally learning about the Detective Pikachu sequel, especially now that I’ve played the original.

But you know what? I’ll toss another hope out there. I want them to announce a remaster or remake of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. People praise that game so much, but it’s nearly impossible to find a copy these days. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX was well-received, so let’s see the sequel given similar attention.

(If an Explorers remake is announced, I promise to play Rescue Team DX ahead of its launch.)

What are you hoping to see from Wednesday’s Pokémon Presents?

Mar 142022
 

There’s one more big announcement from the end of February that we should discuss, and that’s the reveal of the next Pokémon generation, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Scarlet and Violet were announced at the end of the Pokémon Day live stream, which otherwise didn’t show too much of note.

The announcement trailer started out with a live action scene that made me think it might be the Detective Pikachu sequel. However, even though that was recently confirmed to still be in development, the stream came and went without a trace of Detective Pikachu.

No, it shifted into the reveal of Pokémon Gen 9, with gameplay environments, the player characters, and the starters being revealed.

My first takeaway from this trailer was that it looks beautiful. I might be in the minority there, but the trailer left me excited to see this new Pokémon world.

However, my excitement did diminish upon learning that it’s an open world game.

There’s no room for doubt this time; the Pokémon Scarlet/Violet website clearly describes it as “a richly expressed open world” where “various towns blend seamlessly into the wilderness with no borders.”

Some players have dismissively said the same claim was made about Pokémon Legends: Arceus, but Legends was never officially described as open world. People looked at the trailer and started describing it that way themselves.

(Speaking of which, I’ve been playing Legends: Arceus and enjoying it!)

Open world doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker for me. I’ve been enjoying my time with Elden Ring so far, and you know I never miss a chance to praise Xenoblade Chronicles X. However, it does have to be pretty compelling to convince me. Since I skipped Pokémon Sword/Shield and BDSP, Scarlet and Violet will need to look fantastic to get me to go for an open world Pokémon game.

What are your thoughts on Pokémon Scarlet/Violet? Are you excited for open world Pokémon and Gen 9, or do you have doubts?