Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s The Teal Mask DLC has small-town charm

Kitakami is located at the foot of the mountain range. Rice paddies, fruit orchards and a small village surround the area. The mountains are dotted with rivers that run well beyond the village boundaries, creating an idyllic world. Pokémon ScarletThe following are some examples of how to get started: Pokémon Violet’s new Teal Mask DLC. It’s an altogether brief adventure, The following are some examples of how to get started: it doesn’t reach the heights of the one I undertook when Scarlet and Violet were released last year — but it’s brimming with charm and character nonetheless.

Start now Teal Mask, which is the first part of the games’ Area Zero’s Hidden TreasureDLC whenever you like, no matter your progress. ScarletThe following are some examples of how to get started: Violet. The DLC’s difficulty will scale to your experience level, but based on my playthrough, the highest it’ll go is roughly to Lv. 75 — so if you’ve spent a lot of time in Scarlet The following are some examples of how to get started: Violet and have maxed out several powerful Pokémon, you probably won’t find much of a challenge here. Still, the storytelling is excellent, and there are new Pokémon — three that may have killed a man — and plenty of returning stalwarts from older generations.

Image: Game Freak/The Pokémon Company, Nintendo via Polygon

Here’s the plot setup: The people of Kitakami revere three Pokémon they’ve dubbed the Loyal Three. Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti are said to have protected the village from an evil ogre Pokémon that attacked the village generations ago; the town even honors the trio with a festival of masks. You arrive in town on a school trip — basically a cultural exchange program where you learn about Kitakami and its traditions — despite the townspeople not being ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Smitten by tourists

Quickly, you learn that things aren’t entirely as they seem. Specifically, Kitakami’s culture may be based entirely around a lie. Partnered up with Kieran, a kid from the town, and Carmine, his protective older sister, you head out into the world and dig deeper into Kitakami’s apocryphal legends. Comparatively, ScarletThe following are some examples of how to get started: Violet’s world-bending story, Teal Mask’s local drama is refreshing. The quieter style of telling allows the story to shine.

Kieran and Carmine are both outstanding, as is their grandpa who makes masks. While you’re uncovering the secrets of Kitakami, you’re also observing this family’s dynamic between a shy, eager brother and a pushy yet protective sister. At one point, Teal Mask, Kieran overhears jarring information about the ogre from the legend — aka the Pokémon Ogerpon — which he’s always loved. Grandpa and Carmine, assuming the kid is too sensitive to hear the truth of the legend, have maintained the lie for as long as they can; when Kieran finds out about their misdirection, he’s gutted, and it drives a wedge into the family. It’s a mess of misunderstandings, and you’re along for the ride. The story of the Loyal Three is not without this powerful undercurrent.

Image: Game Freak/The Pokémon Company, Nintendo via Polygon

The Loyal Three are essential for the story about distrust, misinformation, The following are some examples of how to get started: the fallibility of belief — but none of the new Pokémon feel groundbreaking. For Pokémon fans that have exhausted Scarlet The following are some examples of how to get started: Violet’s Paldea roster, though, Kitakami’s additions are a nostalgia trip. It’s been a real delight to stumble on some of my favorite older creatures, like Vulpix and Poliwag. The new evolutions and reworks add a bit of spin to existing Pokémon, like Dipplin, the candy-coated evolution of Applin. None of the new Pokémon have been compelling enough to switch up my superpowered roster, but I have kicked out one Pokémon for my new Vulpix.

Scarlet and Violet brought Pokémon into a new era with their open world. The scope of these games made everything feel big — as if things might never be the same afterward. But Teal Mask’s appeal is in its slice-of-life intimacy and its small-town charm. It’s not groundbreaking, but it is vibrant nonetheless.

First part Pokémon Scarlet The following are some examples of how to get started: Violet’sArea Zero’s Hidden Treasure DLC,Teal Mask The game was released by Nintendo Switch on September 13th. Nintendo supplied a download key for this game. Vox Media maintains affiliate relationships. Vox Media can earn affiliate commissions, but this does not affect editorial content. This is where you can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.