During the latest Pokémon Presents broadcast, it was reiterated that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet would be fully open world; a first for the mainline series after the franchise dipped its toes in the water with Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
To hit this home, it was confirmed that players will be tasked with challenging eight gym leaders, much like previous games. What’s different this time, however, is you’re completely free to choose which gym you want to tackle first, opening up a world of possibilities for players to weave their own story within the region of Paldea. One Gym Leader has already been confirmed, too: Grusha, the leader of Glaseado Gym, an ice-type specialist.
Not only that, but the traditional gym challenge is confirmed to be just one of three main stories featured in the games. What the other two consist of has not yet been confirmed and it’s likely we’ll be finding out for ourselves when the games launch on November 18th.
To assist with navigating the land and locating the Pokémon Gyms, you’ll be able to utilise the Legendary Pokémon (Koraidon and Miraidon) in unique ways, including riding around atop them in a kind of “bike” form, scaling up mountains with ease, and even gliding around with total freedom.
What do you make of the open-world nature of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
