Pokemon has needed to shake up its formula for years now. While I was a fan of Sword & Shield’s Wild Area – a clear test for a fully open-world RPG and not a bad stepping stone – the other routes were generic and the towns often one-dimensional. Legends: Arceus completely flipped the series on its head, ditching 90 percent of battles for a more fluid approach to catching Pokemon. Fans have been wondering whether Scarlet & Violet would continue to revolutionise in the manner of Legends: Arceus or take a step backwards to give us something more traditional.
