After we initially reviewed Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, we went with a dual-pronged method. One individual reviewed Scarlet and gave it a 6/10. One other individual reviewed Violet and gave it…a 6/10. Do you sense a sample right here? They’d their finger on the heartbeat of a lot of the group.

As for me, I loved this newest ‘Mon technology somewhat extra than Eric and CJ, even when I used to be totally cognizant of the tough begin (and to be clear, continued existence). The Teal Masks doesn’t actually transfer the needle in any important approach. It’s extra Pokemon S&V, for higher and worse.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: The Teal Masks (Nintendo Swap)
Developer: Sport Freak
Writer: Nintendo
Launched: September 13, 2023
MSRP: $34.99 (Season Go with Teal Masks and Indigo Disk)

Let’s go over what you’re getting on this DLC, so you’ll be able to instantly dimension it up:

• A small handful of latest Pokemon to seize (Dipplin, Poltchageist, Sinistcha, Munkidori, Okidogi, Fezandipiti, and the “field Pokemon” Ogerpon)
• 102 returning Pokemon to catch
• A brand new smallish map/area referred to as Kitakami, which the complete DLC takes place in, and you’ll swap between it and Paldea at will
• A brief marketing campaign, some sidequests, outfits, and extras

For many Scarlet & Violet gamers, whether or not you ran for the hills and offered your copy already (or have been so engrossed that you just accomplished your Paldean ‘Dex), you’ll be able to scan this bulleted checklist and instantly inform if it’s price shelling out the roughly $17.50 USD it prices to leap again in.

Teal Masks is a bit unusual since you’re primarily shopping for a brand new sandbox to mess around in. The story is barely 4 or 5 hours tops (shorter in case you’re blazing by way of and have highly effective Pokemon), and it type of simply…ends with a tease for the following DLC. The marketing campaign will roughly adapt/scale to the variety of badges you’ve obtained, and I extremely suggest that you just enter the DLC earlier than you full the principle recreation.

The catch-22 of this late-to-market DLC is that a lot of the participant base that might be taken with it have already got a monster get together of degree 100 titans at their disposal; which can completely crush the 60-70-max degree vary of foes that Teal Masks affords. That’s not preferrred! There are a number of boss fights on this DLC the place you’ll be able to clearly see an meant curveball; however you’d have to herald weaker Pokemon on objective to really take pleasure in it. Stage-scaling is at all times a troublesome mechanic to design round, however Sport Freak has at all times struggled with it, Teal Masks included.

Lots of that story facilities round two teams: siblings named Carmine and Kieran, and the historical past of a Pokemon native to the Kitakami area named Ogrepon. Curiously, each of them intersect in a reasonably fascinating approach, and the micro-narrative involving Ogrepon was cute. Carmine and Kieran are going to be as polarizing as just about each aspect character not named Gary within the sequence, nonetheless, so there’s that. Hardcore followers are already ready to set their default expectations to “annoying,” however this brother and sister combo can grate, let me let you know.

The half that I actually loved was Kitakami itself. Very like the unique, I discovered myself roaming round in full 30-minute spurts and never even realizing it. I’d come throughout a Pokemon I vaguely thought I hadn’t captured earlier than continually, and/or attempt to trek to the very best mountaintop and dive into the deepest caves to seek out extra quarry. Efficiency points apart (that are nonetheless very a lot current), it’s a ton of enjoyable to simply let unfastened in a low-stakes world and discover. It’s at all times been one of many key elements that drew me to the sequence since I picked up my copy of Pokemon Crimson, and Sport Freak retains that streak going with Kitakami.

If something, I want there was extra to it. There are a number of story bits that go into the historic significance of the area, what units it other than say, Kanto, and it has some visible aptitude that appears extra spectacular than any single portion of Paldea, sans Mesagoza. But when nothing from Scarlet & Violet correct wowed you in any approach, I’d preserve your expectations in verify right here. There are a number of sidequests, which I gained’t spoil right here, which can be enjoyable to find and work by way of, too (in addition to a selfie stick that ought to have been patched into the principle recreation earlier to enhance the default photograph mode).

That’s just about all that Teal Masks has to supply. You’ll spend about 5 hours ending up the story, and 10-15 hours cleansing up every thing else, with a full Kitakami ‘Dex. I actually hope Indigo Disk brings it, as a result of at current, the present incarnation of the season go is hard to suggest.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}