Pokémon Scarlet and Violet should use Legend: Arceus' best mechanic

The open-world gameplay of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet left one of Pokémon Legends: Arceus capturing Pokémon's best features.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet represent a notable leap forward for the mainline series of Pokémon games, placing the franchise in a true open world. Moving forward from the Wild Areas introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield, Scarlet and Violet took a logical step forward from the Gen 8 follow-up Legend: Arceus, dividing the Monster Hunter-style world into separate regions. However, despite the improvements, Scarlet and Violet also left behind some of the aspects that make the world of Legends: Arceus so unique.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus brings the first open-world looks to the Pokémon series, allowing trainers to interact with the world around them in a way that was previously limited to Sword and Shield's wild areas. Its release allowed some of its best mechanics to be used and improved upon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, however, an important part of the game's capture mechanics was left out of the Gen 9 games.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Lack The Open-World Capturing of Legends: Arceus

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet brings a feature that enables players to throw their Pokémon out to travel with them and automatically battle wild Pokémon in the open world. However, it dropped a feature in Legends: Arceus where players could It's also possible to throw a Poké Ball directly at a wild Pokémon, skipping the battle that weakens it before it's fully captured, and jumping right into the capture phase of the encounter.

Why Pokémon Legends: Arceus Remains Unique For Its Open-World Capturing Mechanics

The catch mechanic was restored in Pokémon Crimson and Violet, forcing players to fight each other's Pokémon before catching them. Combining new advancements in open world, game design and the world itself makes another Pokémon Legend: Arceus a desirable prospect. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet emphasized the traditional gameplay of the Pokémon series, but it's clear that Legends: Arceus is more focused on the franchise's original concept, with the catchphrase "Gotta Catch 'Em All" arguably the main goal than ever before.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, while both part of the mainline series of the Pokémon series, offer trainers different playstyles and different options and abilities to make the most of their adventures. Elements from the 9th Generation duo would be fitting for another saga-style Crimson and Violet prequel, perhaps giving players the chance to visit the Paldea region at a different time in its storied history. Still, there's been less emphasis on Pokémon capture, and an updated Focusing on traditional gameplay meant Pokémon Scarlet and Violet missed out on one of the best new features introduced in the series, only to see it return in the series' future or past.

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