The highly anticipated Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s The Indigo Disk expansion has been showcased to various news outlets and content creators, who had the opportunity to play part of the game’s intro. The overall feedback has been positive, with many expressing their enjoyment of the game.
The Indigo Disk expansion, set to release on Dec. 14, takes place at the Blueberry Academy in Unova and focuses on battling. Compared to The Teal Mask’s emphasis on exploration, this expansion offers a more challenging experience. According to multiple previews, it is the toughest Pokémon game since post-game content, featuring intense Double Battles. Trainers in this expansion employ strategies commonly seen in competitive play, such as utilizing Toxic Orb to boost a Pokémon’s Attack or building teams around Trick Room.
During a battle against Amarys, one of the Elite Four members of Blueberry Academy, players noted her use of classic and brutal Double Battle strategies that countered even competitively viable level 88 Pokémon provided for the preview. This increased difficulty level is something long-time Pokémon fans, especially those interested in competitive play, have been requesting from Game Freak for years. It serves as an opportunity for casual players to explore online battles.
The Elite Four of the academy presents challenges similar to Gym Leaders in the base game of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. In the preview, players were seen flying on Miraidon/Koraidon through rings in one of the biomes, adding an extra layer of excitement to the battles.
The DLC introduces four unique locations, each featuring Pokémon that naturally inhabit those habitats. For example, the Savannah biome includes Pokémon like Blitzle and Girafarig. Additionally, the academy classes have been improved, requiring players to complete tasks to advance their lessons rather than simply clicking through text boxes and taking tests later.
While it was already known that all Starter Pokémon would be featured in The Indigo Disk’s Terrarium, finding them may prove to be a challenge initially. The new map allows players to view most of the biomes, and there are layers within each biome to explore. Returning Pokémon will be spread throughout the Terrarium, providing an exciting opportunity for players to encounter and collect them.
As expected, The Indigo Disk experiences similar performance issues as The Teal Mask did at launch. Previews noted occasional lag, visual glitches, and assets and Pokémon popping in and out. Despite these issues, the overall gameplay seemed satisfactory, although performance fixes were lacking.
The previews did not showcase any story content beyond the introduction to the biomes and a few characters. There were no hints regarding Terapagos or other Area Zero-related story elements, nor any clues about the Legendary Pokémon speculated to be influencing Kieran’s actions in The Teal Mask.
According to YouTuber PhillyBeatzU, Nintendo representatives at the preview event suggested that players would return to Paldea after completing the DLC for the grand finale, concluding the story of Area Zero.
With just a few weeks until its release, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s The Indigo Disk expansion promises to be the biggest and most challenging expansion in the main series. Despite the lack of performance improvements, players can look forward to an abundance of exciting content. The Indigo Disk is set to launch on Dec. 14.
Source: DOTESPORTS
