Pokémon: A franchise review from a newer player part 2 A focus on Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet DLC’s.

By Aaron James Stead 10/07/2025

As one of the most iconic and enduring franchises in gaming history, Pokémon has captivated audiences for nearly three decades with its charming creatures, turn-based battles, and ever-expanding world. For long-time fans, the series is a nostalgic cornerstone of their childhoods—but what does it offer to someone experiencing it for the first time in a modern context? As a newer player stepping into the Pokémon universe, I found myself both enchanted and occasionally puzzled by the series’ unique blend of tradition and innovation. This review explores how the franchise holds up today, through the eyes of someone just beginning their journey as a Pokémon Trainer but this time it is going to be mostly based on the DLC’s

One of the strongest aspects of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC is its introduction of two entirely new regions: Kitakami (The Teal Mask) and Blueberry Academy (The Indigo Disk). These fresh environments give players a welcome break from the familiar landscapes of Paldea, offering unique aesthetics and region-specific Pokémon to catch. Kitakami draws heavily from traditional Japanese folklore, featuring a rural, mountainous setting that contrasts nicely with the more modern and sci-fi themes of Blueberry Academy. The diversity in tone and environment helps deepen the worldbuilding, making the Pokémon universe feel larger and more connected than ever before.

Here are the 2 new area map

The DLC also shines when it comes to storytelling and character development. Both parts of the expansion introduce new characters like Carmine, Kieran, and Briar, each of whom brings emotional weight and growth to the narrative. The story of Kieran in particular—spanning both parts—delves into themes of envy, identity, and personal transformation, which isn’t commonly explored in mainline Pokémon games. The DLC also expands on the lore behind Area Zero and introduces new legendary Pokémon that tie into the overarching mystery, giving players more context and intrigue to explore.

While the DLCs do provide more to do—such as new quests, battle facilities, and returning Pokémon—some fans found the level of challenge underwhelming, especially in The Teal Mask. Many players breezed through the content without needing to significantly adjust their teams, leading to criticism that the expansion was too easy for seasoned trainers. The Indigo Disk attempts to address this by introducing the Blueberry League, which offers more competitive battles, but even then, some felt the experience lacked difficulty scaling or strategic complexity. For players hoping for an endgame challenge similar to the Battle Frontier or older post-game areas, the DLC fell short of those expectations.

Perhaps the most consistent criticism of the DLCs is that they did not significantly improve the technical performance of the base games. Visual glitches, frame rate drops, and pop-in issues still persist, especially in open areas or when rendering multiple Pokémon at once. Many fans were disappointed that the DLC didn’t come with performance patches or optimization improvements, which might have helped restore goodwill after the rocky launch of Scarlet & Violet. Additionally, while the narrative and design elements were praised, some felt the DLC didn’t fully capitalize on the potential of Area Zero itself, offering only a limited expansion of that intriguing zone rather than fully exploring its mysteries.

Now looking back at the DLC’s for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet it was definite improvement over the original product especially in the extra activities that you could partake in and the new characters to bond over and I personally hope the next generation can improve upon what GameFreak learned from this experience.