Five Scarlet and Violet features that opened up the Pokemon series

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the ninth generation on Nintendo Switch, pushes the series further than Pokemon Sword and Shield by taking cues from spin-off Pokemon Legends Arceus. The Paldea region is fully open-world rather than confined to wild zones. Some players bristle at that looseness, but for anyone who wants to be let off the leash to catch creatures, this entry caters to that desire.

The open-world approach looks set to continue after the spin-off followup, Pokemon Legends Z-A, which further evolves the formula. That scope makes ninth-generation play feel notably different from earlier entries. Without level scaling, you can wander into areas with wild Pokemon that are too strong or overlevel your squad and render Gym Leaders trivial.

Several new mechanics reshape exploration and combat. You can call your lead Pokemon to follow you with ZR and press R to have it pick up items and enter battles autonomously, with winners decided by type and level—a handy way to grind XP and materials.

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