Pokemon Scarlet & Violet fans divided over “empty open world” argument
The Pokemon CompanyGame Freak has released three trailers for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, and fans are divided with some players feeling that the game is another “empty open world.”
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are the first true open-world titles in the monster-collecting franchise. Players can go wherever they want and battle gyms in any order they choose, making this entry one of the most unique Pokemon games to date.
With a massive map and sprawling landscapes, players are expecting the world to be full of Pocket Monsters to discover and collect. But after the first few trailers, fans seem a little disappointed with the variety and density of Pokemon in Scarlet & Violet.
However, there are those who believe the amount of Pokemon shown is acceptable. These opposing viewpoints have created a divide among players with both sides being very vocal about their early opinions of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.
Scarlet & Violet open-world divides players
Being Pokemon’s first ever open-world game, players expected to see Pokemon falling over each other tucked into every corner of the landscape as they’ve seen in the anime and New Pokemon Snap. Yet, the shots of wild Pokemon Game Freak have shown have been tame in comparison.
This has led to some harsh criticism from players who expected more from wild spawns. But a fan by the name of _Boodstain_ on Reddit clapped back at these critics saying: “I see so many people complaining the same thing on how it looks “empty”. Like have you ever been outside? It’s not exactly filled to the brim with anything more than trees, bushes, and trees.”
A number of users agreed, stating that the players complaining were coming from the glimpse of in-game footage they’ve seen and that it’s too early to judge the game’s density. Others stated they didn’t see any issue with the spawns and thought fans were making up reasons to complain.
Meanwhile, plenty of critics were in the comments defending their opinions. One stated: “I mean, to be fair, it would be a pretty big problem if the world was empty. Having an empty and/or boring open world is one of the biggest flaws an open world game can have.”
Another comment explained why some players – including themselves – would be concerned. They wrote: “I guess some people who felt the fields are kinda empty in SW/SH and Arceus worry again. – Including me. – Everything will be cleared when the real game gets released.”
Players did have a similar concern when seeing the trailers for Pokemon Legends Arceus. However, the game’s spawns ended up being much better than what was shown, although some fans still weren’t pleased.