Pokémon Scarlet (Pokémon Karmesin) Review: The Most Ambitious – And Messiest – Pokémon Game Yet
04.02.2026 - 20:08:45
You know that feeling when a game promises you a living, breathing world to explore – and then quietly shoves you down a corridor of scripted battles and invisible walls? For years, that’s been the quiet frustration simmering under the surface for longtime Pokémon fans. Big ideas, small maps. Huge potential, tight rails.
Pokémon Scarlet, known as Pokémon Karmesin in German-speaking regions, is Nintendo’s answer to that frustration – an open-world reimagining of the series on Nintendo Switch that finally lets you wander, get lost, and write your own story in the Paldea region.
It doesn’t get everything right. In fact, parts of it are downright messy. But if you’ve ever wished Pokémon would grow up just a little – without losing its heart – this might be the game you’ve been waiting for.
The Solution: Pokémon Scarlet (Pokémon Karmesin) on Nintendo Switch
Pokémon Scarlet (Pokémon Karmesin) is a mainline RPG for Nintendo Switch from Game Freak and Nintendo, taking the ninth generation of Pokémon into a vast, fully explorable open world. Instead of a linear gym gauntlet, you get three main story threads, a full academy setting, and the freedom to tackle challenges in almost any order.
You enroll at an academy in the Paldea region, team up with new friends, choose one of three starters – Sprigatito, Fuecoco, or Quaxly – and set out across a continent-sized map filled with wild Pokémon roaming freely. No loading into separate routes, no tall-grass roulette: everything you see is part of one continuous world.
Built exclusively for Switch, Scarlet leans into co-op, exploration, and new mechanics like Terastalization – a crystallization effect that can change a Pokémon’s type mid-battle. Whether you’re a returning fan from the Game Boy days or you’re jumping in fresh, Scarlet positions itself as both a nostalgia trip and a reboot of the formula.
Why this specific model?
With so many Pokémon entries on Switch – Sword/Shield, Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, Legends: Arceus, and now Scarlet/Violet – it’s fair to ask: why choose Pokémon Scarlet specifically?
First, Scarlet is one half of the Gen 9 pair (Scarlet/Violet). The core content is the same, but Scarlet has exclusive Pokémon, a different professor, and a distinct aesthetic flavor. Scarlet leans into a more ancient, past-focused vibe in its lore and certain late-game elements versus Violet’s futuristic twist. If you gravitate toward the warm, traditional, and slightly historical fantasy feel, Scarlet is the better thematic fit.
From a design perspective, Scarlet brings several big shifts that matter in real-world play:
- True open-world structure: You can wander to high-level areas early, hunt rare Pokémon, or beeline straight to gyms. It respects your curiosity more than any previous mainline title.
- Three intertwining story paths: Victory Road (gyms), Path of Legends (Titan Pokémon), and Starfall Street (Team Star bases) create a sense of variety. You’re not just repeating the same loop for 30 hours.
- Seamless exploration with ride Pokémon: Your ride partner (Koraidon in Scarlet) transforms into a mount that lets you run, swim, climb, and glide as you unlock abilities, making traversal feel organic and rewarding.
- Terastal phenomenon: Battles get a genuine tactical shakeup. Terastallizing a Pokémon to alter or supercharge its type can flip a fight, especially in competitive play.
- Up to 4-player online co-op: Instead of just trading and battling, you and friends can physically share the same Paldea map, exploring, picnicking, and raiding together.
In everyday terms, this means Scarlet is the first mainline Pokémon that truly lets you play your way. Want to chase story beats? Fine. Prefer to get lost catching shinies and climbing mountains you’re "not supposed" to reach yet? Also valid.
The flip side: performance. Across professional reviews and player discussions, the biggest knock against Scarlet isn’t content – it’s technical polish. Framerate drops, pop-in, and visual glitches are well documented, especially in busy areas. Patches have improved stability somewhat, but this is still not on par with the smoothness you might expect from some other big Switch titles.
At a Glance: The Facts
| Feature | User Benefit |
|---|---|
| Open-world Paldea region | Explore freely without strict route progression; discover Pokémon, towns, and secrets at your own pace. |
| Three main story paths (Gyms, Titans, Team Star) | Variety in objectives keeps the experience from feeling repetitive and lets you focus on what you enjoy most. |
| Exclusive version content (Pokémon, professor, late-game elements) | Gives Scarlet its own identity and encourages trading or co-op with Violet players. |
| Terastalization battle mechanic | Adds a fresh strategic layer, letting you surprise opponents and optimize your favorite team. |
| Local & online multiplayer (up to 4 players in one world) | Turn Paldea into a shared adventure with friends, from raids to casual exploration. |
| Nintendo Switch exclusive | Play in handheld mode, tabletop, or docked on TV; perfect for on-the-go or couch sessions. |
| Part of Generation 9 Pokémon series | Access to new Pokémon, moves, and mechanics that define the current competitive and casual meta. |
What Users Are Saying
Across Reddit threads, forums, and user reviews, the sentiment around Pokémon Scarlet (Pokémon Karmesin) is surprisingly consistent: players love the ideas and the emotional beats, but are frustrated by the execution.
The praise:
- Best stories in years: Many players highlight the three-path structure and especially the late-game narrative as some of the most heartfelt moments in the franchise.
- Exploration feels addictive: Constantly spotting new Pokémon in the overworld and stumbling into unexpected encounters keeps people playing "just 10 more minutes" for hours.
- Team-building is more fun: With so many creatures visible in the wild and new forms to chase, creating a personal dream team is more engaging than in older titles.
- Co-op memories: Groups of friends roaming Paldea together and tackling Tera Raid Battles report it as one of the most fun social Pokémon experiences yet.
The criticism:
- Performance and bugs: Players frequently mention framerate dips, object pop-in, odd animations, and occasional minor glitches. For most, it’s annoying but not game-breaking; for some, it’s immersion-ruining.
- Visual fidelity: Compared to other major Switch titles, textures and environmental detail can feel dated or bland, especially when docked on a large TV.
- Uneven difficulty curve: Because you can tackle objectives in almost any order, enemy levels don’t always scale in an intuitive way, leading to both underwhelming and unexpectedly tough fights.
Put simply: if you value ambition, storytelling, and exploration over spotless performance, you’re probably going to have a great time. If technical polish is a deal-breaker for you, Scarlet might test your patience.
It’s worth noting that Nintendo Co. Ltd., the publisher behind Pokémon Scarlet, trades under ISIN: JP3756600007 – a reminder that this is a flagship franchise for a major global company, even if this entry sometimes feels more indie-spirited than corporate-pristine.
Alternatives vs. Pokémon Scarlet (Pokémon Karmesin)
If you’re on the fence, here’s how Scarlet stacks up against its closest competitors:
- Pokémon Violet: Mechanically almost identical, but with different version-exclusive Pokémon, a different professor, and a more futuristic aesthetic. If you prefer sci-fi vibes over past-inspired themes, Violet may be the better fit – otherwise, choose based on which exclusives you like more.
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus: Also leans into open areas and free-roaming catching, but is structured as discrete zones rather than a contiguous world. It feels more experimental and focused on catching and research than story variety. Performance is generally smoother, but it lacks Scarlet’s co-op and modern competitive foundation.
- Pokémon Sword/Shield: More traditional, with a linear route-based structure and Wild Area as a semi-open compromise. These are safer technically and still fun, but feel less adventurous after Scarlet’s full open world.
- Other Switch RPGs (e.g., Xenoblade Chronicles or Monster Hunter Rise): If what you really want is a vast world with strong performance and deep combat, those may satisfy you more mechanically – but you obviously lose the Pokémon universe and collecting hook.
In short: choose Pokémon Scarlet if you prioritize freedom, emotional storytelling, and co-op in the Pokémon universe, and are willing to live with performance compromises. Choose older or alternative titles if you’d rather have a technically polished, more traditional experience.
Final Verdict
Pokémon Scarlet (Pokémon Karmesin) is the game where the series finally takes a deep breath and steps into the open. It’s messy, yes. The framerate stutters, the visuals wobble, and you’ll probably run into at least one glitch that makes you sigh and laugh at the same time.
But under that rough exterior is a beating heart: a world that wants you to explore it, stories that want you to care, and a cast of Pokémon that feel more alive because they’re actually there, roaming the same fields and cliffs you are.
If you’ve been waiting for Pokémon to feel big again – not just in marketing, but in actual play – Scarlet delivers. It will not satisfy players who demand technical perfection, but for everyone else, it’s an adventure worth taking, preferably with a few friends along for the ride.
Is it the definitive Pokémon experience? Not yet. But it might be the blueprint for what Pokémon can be in the future – and that alone makes Pokémon Scarlet one of the most important entries in the series’ long history.
