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Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Teal Masks on Change
Earlier than moving into it, I wish to state upfront I didn’t go into the Teal Masks DLC with an open thoughts. I saved my expectations low, primarily due to how the primary DLC of the Pokemon Sword and Defend video games, The Isle of Armor, went down, which was a multitude. Whereas the Teal Masks was a enjoyable expertise for what it was, it definitely shouldn’t have taken practically a full 12 months after the sport’s launch for it to be launched.
The Teal Masks DLC Storyline [Spoiler Warning]
Let’s begin with the primary storyline for the DLC. You’re referred to as to Naranja Academy to satisfy with a brand new professor, Briar, who invitations you to Kitakami Island for a college journey alongside some college students from Blueberry Academy. Blueberry Academy is predicated within the Unova area, which strongly hints we may even see Pokemon Black & White remakes someday subsequent 12 months. Nonetheless, once more, I’ll maintain my expectations low primarily based on what occurred with “Sensible Diamond and Shining Pearl.”
Once you arrive on the Island, you meet with the 2 important characters of the DLC, the sibling duo of Carmine and Kieran. For what it’s price, they did a fairly good job with the dynamic between the 2, as I’ve a youthful brother myself. The principle gist of the story revolves across the legend of “The Loyal Three and The Ogre.” We have been taught that Ogre was the unhealthy man and the Loyal Three have been the great guys, however as a substitute, it was the exact opposite as we dove additional into the story. Making “The Ogre” into the lovely inexperienced masks Pokemon, Ogerpon, was positively the precise name to be able to win the participant’s coronary heart over.
Whereas deciphering the reality behind Ogerpon, we additionally begin to see the crack in Kieran’s psyche, who faucets into his anger a number of instances, to the purpose the place he nearly places on the Teal Masks, which was meant for Ogerpon. I positively loved seeing Kieran’s character progress all through the DLC. From a shy, scared little child to supposedly turning into a future antagonist by the top of the DLC, swearing vengeance towards us for taking Ogerpon from him. I’m very excited to see what occurs to him when he exhibits up once more, presumably within the subsequent DLC, The Indigo Disk.
The DLC wraps up with us befriending and catching Ogerpon, clearing its identify and now not hated by the townsfolk, and saying goodbye to the sibling duo till additional discover. General, the storyline was enjoyable, had an important premise, and had a extra significant impression than the Isle of Armor for certain. That stated, I do have some gripes.
For starters, for a DLC titled “The Hidden Treasure of Space Zero,” the DLC had just about nothing to do with it, solely mentioning it a couple of instances when Professor Briar was current, as she said she was concerned with discovering its secrets and techniques. In any other case, no new Paradox Pokemon have been launched, nor have been there any references to the occasions that befell throughout the base recreation.
The Teal Masks felt extra like a aspect story/what-if journey reasonably than a paid continuation of what occurred in Scarlet & Violet. The mascot of the DLC, Ogerpon, additionally had nothing to do with Space Zero, because it isn’t a Paradox Pokemon, although it was in a position to change Tera-typings, which was cool. It’s clear The Teal Masks was meant to be a setup for what may happen in The Indigo Disk, however even nonetheless, the truth that Space Zero had just about nothing to do with the DLC positively stung.
Overshadowed Gameplay
Shifting onto the gameplay, Scarlet & Violet have already handled their fair proportion of bashing for the poor graphics and technical points, however the Teal Masks didn’t enhance upon it. Kitakami Island could be very small, solely taking over possibly a nook portion of the Paldea area itself. Nonetheless, they do make up for it by including extra consideration to element in sure points of the Island reasonably than throwing a plain texture over it.
That is very true for probably the most significant slice of the Island, Oni Mountain. Oni Mountain redefines what a cavern-like house needs to be like, particularly in comparison with what we noticed within the Paldea area. Big rock constructions resembling tooth as in the event you have been in a jaw. Large waterfalls that lead out to some plains and extra. General, they did a stable job with Oni Mountain and Kitakami Island itself.
That stated, in the event you play the DLC after you beat the primary storyline of Scarlet & Violet, which the big majority of the participant base has at this level, then the enhancements made to the panorama are completely overshadowed by the flexibility to scale the mountain and fly in your respective Legendary to your subsequent vacation spot immediately. This leads me to the subsequent level, particularly, issue scaling.
As talked about earlier than, the big majority of gamers who hopped into the brand new DLC are those that have already overwhelmed the primary storyline of Scarlet & Violet. This implies all of their Pokemon are both within the 70’s or excessive 60’s once they beat the ultimate boss, AI Turo/Sada. Even in the event you had stopped enjoying proper then and there, your workforce would nonetheless be high-leveled and able to go.
At no level within the DLC did I really feel threatened by an opposing coach, as just about the entire fights have been with pre-evolved Pokemon within the 70’s, apart from the ultimate battles with Carmine and Kieran, who each have been comparatively simple to defeat. I’m not asking for a large bounce in energy just like the Volo battle in Legends: Arceus, however it will’ve been good to have a shock problem in some form or kind.
“New” Pokemon Added
Lastly, the Teal Masks launched a measly eight “new” Pokemon, with solely 4 of them being model new whereas the remaining are further regional variants of pre-existing Pokemon. It’s an improve from the Isle of Armor, which gave us one new regional variant and two “new” Pokemon, nevertheless it doesn’t change we needed to wait practically a 12 months for 4 “new” Pokemon.
In the meantime, the remaining 192 entries of the Kitakami Pokedex are Pokemon that have been already within the base recreation and a few returning ones from older video games. Whereas it was good to see some returning faces, it will’ve been higher to see some contemporary ones.
General, the Teal Masks DLC was exactly what I assumed it will find yourself being: a small replace that may take me a couple of hours at most to finish. Whereas the standard of life modifications are noticeable, it doesn’t make up for Scarlet & Violet’s pre-existing graphical points, and the shortage of recent Pokemon leaves a bitter style in my mouth. I’ve increased hopes for the subsequent DLC, the Indigo Disk, however it will’ve been good if the identical effort that’s going into the Indigo Disk was additionally put into the Teal Masks.
Execs
Robust story with stable potential for future updates.
Up to date fashions & animations look a lot cleaner.
Higher design to atmosphere/extra consideration to element.
Cons
Hardly any new Pokemon added.
Story had nothing to do with Space Zero.
No problem/improve in issue.
Not a lot to do in put up recreation.
Launch Date
September 13, 2023
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