Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Should Move Towards The Metroidvania Model

gamerant.com:

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have shed some more light on what players can expect with their latest trailer. Fans gained insight into a few of the games' new details, including gameplay mechanics, characters, and even a sneak peek of a regional variant of Wooper. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet appear set to break with many traditions that have been built up over eight generations of Pokemon games, chief among which was the confirmation that, for the first time ever, the games will be non-linear and open world, and that the mascot legendaries will be provided to the players very early on.

However, amidst speculation that level-scaling won't be implemented into the game, three storylines to follow, and a ridable Pokemon giving the player the ability to freely roam, an open world with no suggested direction could be detrimental for some. Players, particularly those new to the game, could easily find themselves in an area they aren't prepared for, under-leveled and ill-equipped, and ultimately discouraged from playing any further. This is where Pokemon, including Pokemon Scarlet and Violet needs to embrace the Metroidvania model of game design if its new open world is to succeed.

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: 10 Things We Learned From The Third Trailer

While Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are taking a stride forward into open-world game design, it hasn't come without Game Freak first making some tentative steps. Its initial efforts began to Pokemon Sword and Shield and were later refined with its DLC, taking the ideas it started with its «Wild Area» and transforming them into larger open areas. In the base game, though, this open-world design was limited, as routes, towns, and cities were still separated, and the game still progressed