Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will feature three unique campaigns, new legendaries, and more

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet will feature three unique campaign modes and rideable legendaries. Developer Game Freak confirmed during a Pokémon Presents broadcast on Wednesday that the standard gym-centric story mode can be tackled in any order. Players have no linear path in terms of gym battles and can challenge anyone among the 8 new leaders present in the game. The other two campaign modes are kept under wraps for now. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch on November 18.

Set in the beautiful open-world plains of Paldea, players will enroll their characters in a school, participate in a scavenger hunt, explore the abundant nature, and interact with countless characters. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, just like their predecessors, follow the general standard of monster hunting, with the exception of the story mode, which is split into three parts, allowing plenty of freedom to explore.

As revealed in the trailer, the latest entry features two new legendary monsters: Koraidon and Miraidon. Both Pokémon are transformed into mounts – or rather, living bicycles – allowing for rapid traversal through the new region of Paldea. Plus, they can transform into a motorboat to cruise across the ocean or spread their wings as they take flight. The terrain shouldn’t be a problem either, as both monsters seem adept at scaling cliffs, saving time when exploring.

Unlike others in the series, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet might be the first entry to grant Legendaries early access, which is something to look forward to. This is in addition to the new starter Pokémon: Sprigatito – the grass cat, Quaxly – the water duckling and Fuecoco – the fire fang, which honestly looks like a reskin of Totodile.

Game Freak also revealed Grusha, the gym manager in Glaseado who specializes in ice-type Pokemon. The official blurb reveals that he is a cool-tempered ex-professional snowboarder who warms up in times of battle. Ice-type trainers have been reserved for the later stages of most iterations, but this time players looking for a challenge might approach it early in the game.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet also bring an all-new co-op mode. Using the Nintendo Switch’s local wireless system, players can connect with friends or random players online to participate in Tera Raid and 1v1 battles. Additionally, with the new Union Circle feature, players can team up with 3 other players to adventure together in the same world.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is set to release for Nintendo Switch on November 18.

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