Introduction
Basic information
Developer Name: Game Freak
Full Name: Pokémon Violet (with The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC)
Release Date: November 18, 2022
Released on: Nintendo Switch
Cross Play: No
Initial thoughts
We were already deeply invested in the Pokémon series, and going into Violet with the goal of completing absolutely everything, especially with the DLC included, it created an immediate sense of excitement. The moment we stepped into Paldea, the scale and freedom felt refreshing. But what surprised us most was how insane the trading requirements became. To genuinely complete the game, including version exclusives and DLC additions, we had to reach across multiple games, coordinate trades, locate rare spawns, and rely heavily on the community. Rather than being frustrating like in Shining Pearl, it strangely made the experience feel larger and more interconnected. Catching, evolving, and perfecting that final list turned into a project of its own, and finishing it was enormously satisfying.
Story and setting
Plot overview
Pokémon narratives have always leaned toward a wonky, simplified structure, and Violet follows the same tradition. Yet, beneath the familiar formula lies a surprisingly thoughtful story arc involving Area Zero, the Academy, and the mysterious future Pokémon. The DLC extends this, adding threads that tie the world together through new mysteries, new environments, and new character motivations. It still carries some Pokémon-style awkwardness, but the emotional intention behind the plot is stronger than usual.
World building and immersion
Paldea is bright, open, and easy to lose yourself in. Despite some technical shortcomings, the regions have personality, the Academy structure enhances immersion, and the DLC areas deepen the feeling of a living Pokémon world.
Character development
Despite the series traditionally keeping character arcs simple, Violet takes a noticeable step forward. Your classmates grow in believable ways as you progress, with each of them displaying changing motivations, personal struggles, and visible emotional evolution. Arven’s arc in particular stands out as one of the strongest in modern Pokémon history, shifting from comic relief to heartfelt depth as his story unfolds. The DLC continues this trend, introducing new characters who bring fresh perspectives to Paldea and enrich the world’s emotional texture. While development is still lighter than story-heavy RPGs, for Pokémon standards it is genuinely impressive.
Emotional impact
The story had more warmth than expected, especially toward the later chapters. Character connections feel genuine, and the Area Zero segments create a sense of curiosity and melancholy rarely found in the series.
Rating for story and setting
I have visited multiple aspects of the story, and after some thought and objective thinking, I rated the story and setting with an 8.5
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
Pokémon Violet’s foundation is comfortably familiar, but the Terastalization system adds a strong strategic twist. Changing a Pokémon’s type at the perfect moment creates tension and dynamism, making even standard battles feel fresh.
Difficulty and balance
The raids provide challenge, but the difficulty comes with a catch: to beat the high-level Tera Raids within the strict time limit, you must breed optimized Pokémon, train perfect stats, and build highly specialized sets. The NPC partners in raids… well, they truly are terrible, often dragging down the timer with hilariously weak decisions.
Pacing of the game
The pacing across the main story, side paths, and DLC content remains consistently engaging. The freedom to choose any path in any order keeps the adventure personalized.
Innovation and uniqueness
The open-world structure combined with Terastalizing feels like a modern reinvention of the series, giving Violet a unique identity within the franchise.
Controls and user interface
While generally functional, the interface can feel slightly stiff at times. Still, it’s easy to navigate and never gets in the way of planning, training, or exploring.
Microtransactions
None. A refreshing rarity in modern gaming. (However, you might need games like Pokémon Pearl and Pokémon Arceus and pay microtransactions in Pokémon Go to get all Pokémon.)
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing, and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with an 8.7.
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
The art direction is charming, colorful, and expressive, capturing a warmth that defines the Pokémon brand. Designs for new creatures, NPCs, and environments bring the world to life in a vibrant way.
Technical performances
The technical side is undeniably rough. Frame drops, pop-ins, odd physics, and rendering issues appear regularly. Yet, despite these flaws, the underlying experience remains enjoyable due to strong gameplay and charm.
Environment and design uniqueness
Every region of Paldea has its own personality, from desert stretches to lush forests. The DLC environments expand this with memorable locations that feel distinct.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with a 7.5.
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
The soundtrack is energetic and fitting, especially during battles and major encounters. Area Zero themes, in particular, carry an emotional resonance.
Sound effects quality
Attacks and world sounds remain crisp and iconic, delivering the familiar Pokémon punch.
Voice Acting
As usual for the series, voice acting is absent, though the expressive animations and text-based delivery do enough to carry the tone.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with an 8.
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
There is a massive amount of content, from the core story routes to the Pokédex, the DLC adventures, Tera Raids, breeding, training, and online competitions.
Extra Content
The amount of extra content in Pokémon Violet, especially when combined with the DLC, is genuinely impressive. Beyond the main story routes, Area Zero mysteries, and the Academy-focused narrative, the game expands into layers of activities that stretch far beyond simple completion. The DLC adds entire new biomes, new legendaries, new questlines, and side stories that enrich Paldea rather than feeling like mere add-ons. Tera Raids alone create an additional loop of strategy, training, and experimentation that can easily occupy dozens of hours as you hunt for rare forms, powerful raid targets, or event-exclusive Pokémon.
Replay value
The pursuit of perfect Pokémon, shiny hunting, seasonal raids, and competitive teams grants Violet almost endless replayability. The DLC only increases that loop with new activities and creatures.
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability and game length of Pokémon Violet with a 9.
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
Improved performance should be a priority for future entries. Expanding the AI for raid partners, adding proper voice acting, and enhancing environmental detail would elevate the experience further.
Comparisons
Compared to past Pokémon games, Violet stands out as one of the most innovative entries since X/Y. The open-world freedom outshines Sword/Shield’s structure, and the DLC adds more meaningful content than previous expansions. It may stumble technically, but its gameplay depth surpasses much of the modern catalog.
Personal experiences and anecdotes
Completing the entire Pokédex, base game and DLC, was a major project but also one of the most enjoyable challenges in a Pokémon game. The constant trading, the excitement of receiving version exclusives from others, and the satisfaction of watching the Pokédex slowly fill made the journey feel collaborative and rewarding. Even the annoying raids felt thrilling once our carefully bred and trained Pokémon finally succeeded. There’s something special about tackling a raid boss with limited time and emerging victorious because your strategy finally clicked.
Rating
Taking in all the personal experiences with Pokémon Violet, I give it a personal rating of 8.8.
Last words
Pros
- Huge open-world full of personality
- Terastalization adds deep strategy
- Massive amount of content with DLC
- Excellent replayability
- Engaging Area Zero storyline
- Strong soundtrack with emotional pieces
- Fun and addictive raid mechanics
- Vibrant creature designs
- Trading and community involvement add excitement
- Flexible pacing allows personalized play
Cons
- Technical performance issues
- Raid NPCs are consistently awful
- Visual inconsistencies across environments
Pokémon Violet, enhanced by its DLC, stands as one of the most ambitious and enjoyable entries in the franchise. While it struggles under technical limitations, its rich gameplay systems, vast world, emotional surprises, and enormous content volume create an adventure that stays compelling from start to finish. Whether you’re collecting, battling, exploring, or trading your way toward completion, the game offers a journey full of energy, creativity, and charm.
FINAL RATING
8.5
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