Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet: Here at Long Last, Now What?

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, two long-anticipated role-playing video games, came out on November 18. Dike-hard fans have been obsessing over this event for years. But have the games riding the waves of Pokémon nostalgia managed to live up to the hype? Will the Web3’s Pokémon-inspired game launch later this year turn out to be a more memorable event for gamers worldwide?

Nintendo released the highly anticipated Scarlet and Violet versions of the Pokémon game on November 18th. The role-playing video games are the first installments in the ninth generation of the beloved game series. These long-awaited games are set in an open world, similar to the previous games in the series, and feature the same lovable characters and familiar gameplay mechanics that fans have come to know and love, with some new interesting additions. 

Players will be able to explore the sprawling world, capture new Pokémon, and battle rivals in order to become the ultimate Pokémon Master. Despite the initial excitement over the games, a significant number of gamers weren’t very pleased with them and felt that their expectations weren’t met. They claim that both Scarlet and Violet are filled with glitches and performance issues, making it difficult to enjoy the gaming experience. 

Scarlet and Violet Pokémon’s Exciting Gameplay

Set in the new region of Paldea, the games feature an open-world environment with beautiful natural scenery. The player attends either Naranja Academy or Uva Academy, depending on which game they choose, and embark on one of three quest lines – Victory Road, Path of Legends, or Starfall Street. Each quest line has its own challenges and rewards. 

In Victory Road, the player travels between eight gyms in order to become the ultimate Pokémon training champion.

In Path of Legends, trainers explore Paldea in search of an ingredient called Herba Mystica with Arven, an upperclassman at the academy.

Starfall Street is a quest line where players will take on the game’s villains, Team Star. These villains are the bad kids at school who have caused trouble for other students and are pressuring other students to join their delinquent crew.

Gaming Community Feedback and Critical Reception

The release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet has been met with a mixed reaction from the gaming community. Not a rare occurrence when the hype is so high. And for all things Pokémon, there is just no alternative.

Because of that, many fans are forgiving and willing to overlook the shortcomings.

While the games have received a lot of positive reviews, there has also been a significant amount of backlash over performance issues and glitches. 

In response to the backlash, Nintendo has issued refunds to some players who have experienced these problems. Despite the rocky launch and technical issues, the games have been well-received by more dedicated fans of the series and have managed to recapture the sense of nostalgia that made the original games so popular.

Is It Really Time for a New Era in Gaming?

As we can see through Illuvium’s example, the world of gaming is undergoing a major transformation. In the past, most games were limited to fully-functioning ecosystems within their own closed platforms. 

However, with the advent of web 3.0 technology, games are now beginning to tap into the power of the decentralized internet. This shift is being driven by the rise of blockchain-based gaming platforms, which allow players to own their in-game assets and give them true ownership over their game data. 

NFTs are also playing a big role in this new era of gaming, as they provide a way to represent digital assets in a way that is secure, verifiable, and immutable. AAA games are also starting to experiment with this new model, with many big names like Ubisoft and EA already beginning to explore blockchain-based solutions. It’s clear that we are on the cusp of a new era of gaming, one that will be defined by decentralization, player empowerment, and true ownership.

Illuvium, a Pokémon-Inspired Web3 Game

Illuvium is a new Web3 game that draws inspiration from the Pokémon franchise. This upcoming open-world exploration is also the world’s first IBG (Interoperable Blockchain Game). The game’s release date has been pushed back further into 2022.

In the game, players will capture and train creatures known as Illuvials, which can then be used in battles against other players. The aim of the game is to become the Illuvium champion by defeating other challengers.

To do this, players will need to collect a wide variety of Illuvials, each with their own unique stats and abilities. The game is still in development, but it has already garnered a lot of interest from the Web3 community.

With its unique take on the Pokémon formula, Illuvium is shaping out to become one of the most exciting new games when it launches later this year. Its concept falls back on tradition and seemingly plays it safe, but that does not make the game, and its play-to-earn structure, sound any less promising.

Explore Illuvium’s Extraordinary World

The player begins the game by customizing their character and choosing a “Polymorphic Subordinate Drone” who will be their trusty sidekick. The sidekick’s role is to store items, assist the player in battle, and mine minerals that they will later forge into valuable items. When the player feels prepared, they’re free to go and explore Illuvium and hunt its magnificent creatures.

During an encounter with an Illuvial, the player needs to battle with the creature to put them under their control and use a Shard to capture them. There are various power levels of Shards, so more powerful Illuvials will require the player to use more powerful Shards. 

With various regions waiting to be explored and over 100 Illuvians to capture, the in-game experience may be very engaging for the player. Similarly to Pokémon, each of the Illuvian creatures will have special abilities and the possibility to combine their powers with those of other Illuvials. The goal is for players to experiment with different strategies and fusion combinations in order to improve their chances of winning. 

Could Play-to-Earn Gaming Be Here to Stay

NFTs have been gaining popularity in recent years as a way to digitize and trade ownership of assets. Now, a new type of NFT is emerging: play-to-earn NFTs, used in games like Illuvium. In contrast to traditional NFTs, which are typically traded on secondary markets, play-to-earn NFTs are earned by participating in games or other online activities. 

This allows players to directly monetize their time and effort, rather than relying on third-party platforms to facilitate trades. While play-to-earn NFTs are still in their early days, they have the potential to change the way we think about digital ownership and gaming. With no need for centralized platforms or intermediaries, play-to-earn NFTs could open up new opportunities for independent game developers and give players more control over their in-game earnings.