Backlash over lazy Pokémon Scarlet and Violet animations gives Game Freak something to chew on

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are continuing their release around the world, with players in the U.S. still waiting for the official launch of the new games tonight. But the games are already out in many other places, leading to plenty of captured game footage spilling out online.

And while many players seem to be enjoying themselves, there are also plenty of complaints about the newest editions of Pokémon. Most of those complaints focus on the performance of SV and how the Switch doesn’t seem capable of running the new games very well in their current state, even with a day-one patch installed. But some have complaints about other aspects of the game, and some that even stretch through the last several generations.

The picnic mechanic and sandwich-making game is a slight variation on Sword and Shield’s camping and cooking mini-games. It will give your party small buffs and is a completely optional part of the game. Still, some players aren’t happy with a perceived lack of effort in animating one of the game’s most side activity of side activities.

The complaints about Pokémon’s animation aren’t really new, all told. The last generation of the games was also criticized for its animation and design in both environments and Pokémon battles. One of players’ favorite comparisons to make is putting animations from newer games next to ones from Pokémon Stadium.

Of course, Pokémon Stadium had only Pokémon battles and moves to animate, as opposed to an entire open world that the Switch already struggles to load. But in fairness to those with critiques of the new games, Pokémon is the biggest game series in the world. It stands to reason that the newer games should try to push boundaries a little bit forward in all aspects, and not just a few. As it stands, it feels like users are getting the worst of both worlds in terms of old or lazy animations as well as a game that doesn’t run well even with the simplistic animations and graphics.

As for the sandwich clip, it’s certainly a little bit bizarre and feels like it could have been styled in a way that wasn’t quite so memeable. On the other hand, it’s a tiny part of the game that players can completely skip over if they so choose. So, if no chewing animations are bothering you, we’d advise not doing any picnicking.

Scarlet and Violet will be available everywhere on Nov. 18.