Pokémon Scarlet and Violet open world explained

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is the first game to be open world. For many fans of the franchise, this might be a confusing concept, here is the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet open world explained.

An open world is defined as “a virtual world in which the player can approach objectives freely, as opposed to a world with more linear and structured gameplay.” Think of games like Grand Theft Auto, Elden Ring, or Minecraft. There is a story and an end goal but players can get to the end of the game however they prefer.

Previous Pokémon games had linear storylines with players starting in their hometowns and advancing through the region, defeating one Gym Leader at a time. In the middle, players faced familiar opponents, the villains in their area, and attempted to complete the Pokedex.

In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, players won’t have to follow a linear storyline. There is not set order for Gym Leaders or parts of the maps that are closed off. Every corner in the Paldea region is open to be explored by the player. In this game, players will have three possible storylines that they could follow. One involves Gyms and getting all the medals, the other involves discovering the region.

According to some early information, it takes 30 minutes to travel the entire region on foot. There are over 15 settlements and landmarks for players to visit, eight Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the Top Champion.

Is Pokémon Scarlet and Violet open world like Legends: Arceus?

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is not an actual open world game. In this game, players have set missions and the opportunity to explore their surroundings more freely than in previous games but it is not an open world.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet enters this category because players can freely roam the region without any kind of limitation.