Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s open-world region has been revealed in a new trailer.
Paldea will be the main setting of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, taking the creature-catching RPG series to a Spanish-inspired locale for the first time. Set to be a fully open-world region, it will span a range of biomes – from green meadows, to towering peaks, to mountain ranges – as well as several towns.
Expect to find farming villages alongside port towns, and bustling marketplaces on top. The largest city is called Mesagoza, which, according to a press release, is where the game’s two main pokémon training academies – Naranja and Uva – are located. Similar to Pokémon Sword and Shield, you’ll be able to access a map of the region using your character’s Rotom Phone.
Check out the new trailer below to get a feel for the world.
Terastallize to taste
As well as offering a new map and vaguely Iberian architecture to gawk at, Paldea also introduces a new pokémon form. Just as Pokémon Sun and Moon added regional pokémon, and Sword and Shield added the option to inflate your pocket monsters to supersize, Scarlet and Violet will let you “terastallize” any creatures you catch.
You can engage the transformation for any ‘mons in Paldea once per battle, enhancing their power and granting them a special ability. Their appearance will change, too, as they shimmer like a crystal and get some very stylish bling popped on their head. To terastallize a pokémon, you’ll need to use a rechargeable Tera Orb. They can be juiced up by finding special crystals throughout the environment or visiting a Pokémon Center.
Paldea is also special for being the first fully open-world region in a Pokémon game. While Pokémon Legends: Arceus introduced vast environments, they weren’t seamlessly connected, and had to be accessed discretely through a central hub. Scarlet and Violet will change that by blending towns and the wilderness without loading screens or barriers. That’s just one thing we thought it needed to learn from older Pokémon games.
