Leaks are continuing to swirl around the future ofPokemon Scarlet and Violetas they always do, and with the Teal Mask and Indigo Disk DLCs just around the corner, some are theorizing that this next step in Generation 9 will factor into a much larger plan. Some fans have begun to theorize about the possibility of sequels toPokemon Scarlet and Violetsimilar to thePokemon Black 2 and White 2sequels in Generation 5. There are arguments for why this could be a good thing, or why it may be for the best if it never happens.
The first four generations ofPokemonmain series titles all fell into a very distinct pattern. The generation kicks off with the two contrasting versions,Pokemon Red and BlueorPokemon Diamond and Pearl, etc. This pattern usually included a “follow-up version” that typically added things like features, new content, and sometimes new Pokemon. Generation 5 changed all of this, first off by doing two follow-up versions instead of just one, and second by making them actual sequels with a completelynew story that continuesBlack and White, rather than just revamped versions of the original like in the past. This hasn’t happened since, but it may be happening withPokemon Scarlet and Violet.
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Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Could Use Sequels
Direct sequels toScarlet and Violetcould be a great way to expand upon a fascinating region with a somewhat lackluster gameplay as of right now. The original Paldea games had their moments, like the Arven and Mabostiff storyline that made just about everyone tear up a little, but overall they spent too much time focusing on things like the game’s arbitrary new villain team and not enough time focusing on the actually interesting stuff like the titularArea Zero for the DLCand the fact that there is an entire school the player is never really obligated to return to or explore after the introductory section.
LikeBlack 2 and White 2,Scarlet and Violetsequels could be a way for Game Freak to refine all of the elements that were put into one of its most experimental generations thus far. It would also be nice to see the number of available Pokemon pushed to a level that hasn’t been seen in recent years. With all of the DLCs,Pokemon Sword and Shieldhas more than 600 Pokemon, out of the almost 900 in existence at that time, available for players to catch.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetwill likely have a similar ratio once its DLCs are released, and the sequels could include all of those plus even more. At this point, many have lost hope that a main-seriesPokemongame will ever have a full National Dex again, but ifScarlet and Violetsequels could push into the 800-900 Pokemon range, it would come awfully close.
Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Sequels Could be Too Much For Game Freak
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetdidn’t release in a good statethat many players were satisfied with. The core gameplay is great, but the numerous bugs and technical issues rubbed many players the wrong way and left more questioning Game Freak’s current rapid development cycle relative to its small team, and the endgame mainly consists of Tera Raids.
If nothing changes about that development cycle, there’s no real reason to believe thatScarlet and Violetsequels would feel any less buggy than what came before. It would be great if new Generation 9 games came around that felt more polished and overall like the originally intended experience forScarlet and Violet, but if Game Freak tries to load too much more in there, it could wind up being as big of a mess as the first time around. Of course, that isn’t necessarily a box Game Freak is trying to break out of, considering the victoriouslyhigh sales forScarlet and Violetdespite the technical performance complaints.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetare available now for Nintendo Switch.
