I have a pretty straightforward relationship with Pokémon, generally speaking. Old games, good, new games, bad, so when i saw the trailer for Scarlet and Violet, i scoffed. I don't usually buy the new games. I borrowed Shield from the library and even that was too expensive in my book. What a waste of life, i thought. I'd rather play anything else.
Ultimately, i heard of the multiplayer function in Violet and since i found it relatively cheap online, i did end up giving it a go. And man, I'm glad i did. This game is so much fun!
It's very obvious that Gamefreak was "inspired" by Breath of the Wild and while you'd think that this concept would start getting old by now, it actually does wonders for the gameplay. The world feels so large and i just can't stop exploring. I love how you can hang out with your Pokémon at any time, i love to picknick with them, i love to take a spin on my mount and just see what's next. Which pokémon i can catch, what trainers i can fight or what shops i can go check out.
What's not so great are the performance issues and graphics. Nothing new for the series, i know, but annoying nonetheless. The game also doesn't feel very challenging. There are people who hate that, i personally think it's not that big of an issue, just don't expect a long and difficult experience.
All in all, it's decent. I almost feel like I'm playing pokémon ruby on my sky blue GBA, back when i was a little baby, not quite sure what to expect next in my grand adventure but eager to find out.