Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review round-up: What is the Metacritic score?

If you’re looking to know what the critical consensus is for the new Game Freak RPG, we’ve got all the details you need to know. Read on to find a Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review round-up for details on what reviewers have been saying about the game followed by its Metacritic score.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review round-up

The critical response to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet has been positive, but mixed. Heading into the game, Nintendo and Game Freak have been promising online co-op multiplayer, seamless open world exploration, and more. It’s an ambitious game that needs to get the balance of new and old just right to win everyone over.

The shift to an open world is a major talking point in reviews for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Could Game Freak pull the ambitious move off? Does the online co-op work? How does it perform? These are the questions, and more, that reviewers have been tackling when discussing the game.

Screen Rant has provided one of the most positive takes on the game. In its 4.5/5 star review, they claim that it is “the best iteration of the franchise and one of its most technically uneven entries”. The writer points out that, while the highs are “undoubtedly compelling and noteworthy… the lows - especially performance ones - feel like they shouldn’t be present in a AAA release".

Performance issues are a major cause for concern in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. In its 7/10 review, Nintendo Life explains that the game “can look and feel rough when you’re exploring the open world” – issues that will “become a serious detriment over time”. Nintendo Life enjoyed the open world of the game and noted that it “should be here to stay".

GamesRadar+ tackled one of the game’s biggest selling points in its 3/5 review, that you can take on Gym Leaders in whichever order you like. The review explains that “there’s no reward for doing them out of order… so taking out the powerhouse bosses first only resulted in a disappointing de-escalation as I then wiped the floor with the lesser leaders I’d skipped past”. The review also claims that the open world suffers from “aimlessness and notable lack of stakes".

From the sounds of it, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is an ambitious game that doesn’t always hit its mark and one that definitely could do with more polish in its visuals and performance. When it hits, though, it hits.

What is the Metacritic score for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?

The Metacritic score for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is 78 based on 36 reviews. This is a surprisingly low score considering the popularity of the long-running series. It’s actually the lowest-scoring mainline Pokémon game on Switch after Pokémon Sword and Shield (80) and Pokémon Legends: Arceus (83).

It has been reviewed better than the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remake on Switch (73) and is performing similarly to Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee (80). Only Pokémon Emerald has reviewed worse than Scarlet and Violet as far as new mainline Pokémon games go, with its Metacritic score of 76.

Perhaps the quick turnaround between games is hurting Game Freak with performance issues seeming to be the real kicker when it comes to its latest game.

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