Pokemon Scarlet and Violetare quite revolutionary games for the series, as they break the mold in many significant ways when it comes to gameplay features or even the franchise’s classic approach to world-building. There are ways in whichPokemon Scarlet and Violetactually take two steps back rather than one step forward, however, and they stick out like sore thumbs in games that are otherwise fantastic additions to the core series.Character customization is a pain point inPokemon Scarlet and Violet, for example, because even though it expands upon what previous titles established, it also limits players immensely with the uniforms and the usual gender choice.
Customization being limited to socks, shoes, glasses, hats, gloves, and backpacks is a big letdown compared to Gen 8’s vast selection of clothes, and the fact that Gen 9 games finally add the ability for players to fully customize their character’s face is overshadowed by other flaws. Chief among them is that, despitePokemon Scarlet and Violet’s approach to gender identitiesbeing better than past games, players are still relegated to choosing a masculine or feminine avatar as their base characters, which doesn’t help Gen 9’s case. Characters like Rika and Grusha immediately feel like they are some sort of representation tokens, and that doesn’t shake up the franchise’s long and complicated history with LGBTQIA+ themes.
RELATED:Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: How to Farm Apricorn Balls
Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Representation of Gender Identities is Disappointing
Pokemon’s history with gender identitiesbegan many years ago with the famous “Are you a boy or a girl?” question asked by Professor Elm inPokemon Crystal, which allowed players to choose between a male or female protagonist. This core binary view of gender never changed since, andPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s approach deprives those step forward of their value, further cementing the idea that things will take a long time to change, if at all.
Although it may not appear as such,Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s language is heavily gendered. This has to do with the masculine or feminine avatar that players are forced to choose when they boot the game for the first time, and the result is that the main character will be constantly addressed as Master or Miss throughout the entire game. As such, giving players the option to customize their character in a way that blurs the binary view of gender, with male characters wearing makeup and female characters being able to sport masculine hairstyles or clothes, feels painfully pointless.
There are many more gender identities than just male or female, andPokemongames denying players the ability to go through with that and play as non-binary characters or trans characters, for example, leaves a lot to be desired in terms of representation. That is not to say that the games cannot be enjoyable regardless of these aspects, but rather that their mixed inclusion doesn’t strike the right notes for anyone.Pokemon Scarlet and Violeteven removed skirts and dresses, which one might attribute to the introduction of school uniforms, but it also poses the question of why this needed to happen in the first game where character customization didn’t follow the same old binary view.
Overall, taken at face value, it feels like the addition of characters like Rika and Grusha is a good step in the right direction, but this effort remains devoid of meaning unless core mechanics change in the series. There was no need forPokemon Scarlet and Violetto force players to choose between a male or female trainer when the customization process is the same regardless, and it effectively reads as a way to also choose the character’s pronouns, unknowingly. Gen 9 does a lot of things right, but a positive representation of gender identities is not among them.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetare available now for Nintendo Switch.
MORE:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Feel Overwhelmed by Gimmicks
