{"id":441947,"date":"2023-12-19T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-19T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/?post_type=eg_reviews&p=441947"},"modified":"2023-12-19T14:48:09","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T20:48:09","slug":"review-pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-the-indigo-disk","status":"publish","type":"eg_reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/reviews\/review-pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-the-indigo-disk\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Pok\u00e9mon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Let\u2019s get the obvious talking point out of the way: Pok\u00e9mon Scarlet & Violet<\/em> are divisive games. Generation IX has caught a lot of heat for its glitches and lack of polish, but despite that, I personally have still had fun with these games. So someone like me should love The Indigo Disk<\/em>, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me explain: here at Destructoid, we\u2019ve played hot potato with Pok\u00e9mon <\/em>review duties. CJ Andriessen and Eric Van Allen reviewed Pok\u00e9mon Violet<\/a><\/em> and Scarlet<\/a><\/em> respectively, each arriving at the same \u201c6\/10\u201d score. And later, the impeccable Chris Carter took the reins on the first DLC pack, The Teal Mask<\/a><\/em>, who concluded that it wasn\u2019t as good as The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds <\/em>and also gave a 6\/10. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re not necessarily bound to each other\u2019s scores as an outlet, but sometimes things just line up that way. And for that reason, I really wanted to throw my own take in on Generation IX before we move on to whatever GameFreak has lined up next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With The Indigo Disk<\/em>, I expected to give these Pok\u00e9mon <\/em>games a day in the sun and maybe even give a slightly<\/em> more generous score. After all, this second DLC clearly offers more<\/a> than The Teal Mask<\/em> did. There\u2019s no way that The Indigo Disk<\/em> could be worse than The Teal Mask<\/em>, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, the good news is that, yes, The Indigo Disk<\/em> absolutely is the superior DLC pack compared to The Teal Mask<\/em>. It also fumbles in ways that wound up making me feel the most frustrated I\u2019ve ever been with the Pok\u00e9mon <\/em>franchise to date. It turns out even I have my limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Screenshot by Destructoid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Pok\u00e9mon Scarlet & Violet: The Indigo Disk <\/em>(Nintendo Switch<\/a>)<\/strong>
Developer: Game Freak<\/strong>
Publisher: Nintendo<\/strong>
Released: December 14, 2023<\/strong>
MSRP: $34.99 (Season Pass with Teal Mask and Indigo Disk)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blue are the people here<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As you might expect, The Indigo Disk<\/em> continues the story threads introduced in The Teal Mask<\/em>. As part of your dealings with the Blueberry Academy, you receive an invite to hang out at the school and do fun battle things since, you know, Pok\u00e9mon<\/em>. But there\u2019s one small problem: Carmine and Kieran have returned, and the latter still feels super upset about that time he realized you\u2019re<\/em> the protagonist in a Pok\u00e9mon<\/em> game. And thus begins your quest to battle some new trainers, figure out how to help Kieran deal with his teen angst, and even dip back into Area Zero to uncover a hidden treasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s right, remember how this DLC bundle is called The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero<\/em>? The Indigo Disk<\/em> is where we finally get some follow through on what that means. If you\u2019re worried that I\u2019ll get upset about how Area Zero was handled later in this review, you should be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, the story is honestly just window dressing for The Blueberry Academy itself. It turns out this school is on an island that has an underwater terrarium filled with volcanoes and it’s beautiful<\/a>. Sorry, Terarium<\/em>, because, you know, Terastallization. And this, really, is the star of the show. The Terarium is a new open world with distinct biomes, and this is where you\u2019ll see most of what The Indigo Disk<\/em> offers. Because not only does it contain a plethora of new Pok\u00e9mon to catch, but some harder trainer battles as well.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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