It’s been nearly a year since I first reviewed Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and my conflicted feelings about these games still remain. While the open world design was a dream come true for many fans, the performance and aesthetic issues that came with it made it a tough tradeoff. With the release of the first DLC, The Teal Mask, I had hoped that Game Freak would address these problems and deliver a more fulfilling experience. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Performance Issues

The Teal Mask somehow runs even worse than the base game of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Despite my initial complaints about poor performance, it seems that Game Freak hasn’t made any significant improvements in terms of framerate, pop-in, lighting issues, and model clipping. The game is still playable, but the constant visual distractions like Pokemon clipping through the ground, NPCs disappearing, and lag made it difficult to fully enjoy the game. These issues were a constant reminder of the game’s unfinished state.

The Future of Pokemon

If Game Freak continues to worsen performance with each new game, the future of the Pokemon series might be in jeopardy. While I don’t expect high-fidelity graphics, the sheer number of issues in The Teal Mask was a major detriment to my overall experience. I hope that the next DLC, The Indigo Disk, will address these problems and improve the game.

Initial Review of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

My initial review of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet was filled with conflicting emotions. The game introduced exciting new ideas, like the open world and a compelling story, but these concepts were overshadowed by unfinished visuals, technical issues, and lack of customization. Despite enjoying the game, I couldn’t ignore its performance issues, which greatly impacted my overall satisfaction. The online co-op play, which had great potential, only made these problems worse. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fell short of the standards I expected.

Endgame Raid Battles

Even after a year, the endgame raid battles still have major problems. Queuing into online raids is inconsistent, and completing high-level raids can be challenging due to lag and a flawed timer system. These issues greatly affected the gameplay and made it frustrating to engage in the primary endgame content. Kitakami, the new island region, was a disappointment in terms of aesthetics and lacked the attention to detail seen in previous Japanese-inspired regions.

Positive Aspects

Despite the shortcomings of The Teal Mask, there were some positive aspects. The battling and competitive aspects remained enjoyable, and exploring the island to catch Pokemon was still a fun experience. Kitakami had various biomes to explore and hidden areas like the mountain with crystalline pools and caves. However, the overall ugliness of the world and performance issues detracted from its potential beauty as depicted in concept art. The plot of The Teal Mask was predictable and lacked the excitement of the main game’s ending.

Conclusion

The Teal Mask DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet had its fair share of issues, particularly with performance and aesthetics. While there were still enjoyable elements like battling and exploring for Pokemon, the overall experience was marred by technical problems and a predictable plot. It is my hope that the next DLC, The Indigo Disk, will address these issues and deliver a more polished and satisfying gameplay experience.