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Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: The Indigo Disk is the second set of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC, continuing the story of Teal Mask and bringing trainers back to Unova (kind of). While the latest update includes new Pokémon and an expanded Pokédex, it also features dozens of Legendaries and the possibility of catching starters from previous generations. The Indigo Disk walks the delicate balance of appealing to those who love to do battle and those who enjoy a solid Pokémon collect-a-thon, but it’s still bogged down by the same issues the base games and the Teal Mask DLC had.
For those who’ve already beaten the main story of Scarlet and Violet and completed the Teal Mask, starting The Indigo Disk will be immediate. After an opening sequence that may involve flying back to Uva Academy depending on where trainers are, players will meet a pack of new characters (alongside some familiar faces) at Blueberry Academy. The majority of the DLC plays out inside the Terarium, an underwater and high-tech place to explore that contains four biomes and lots of new Pokémon to catch. The formula is familiar by now, but it’s still an enjoyable trip.
The Indigo Disk’s New Features Shine
The Indigo Disk introduces several new features into Gen 9. The most exciting might just be the Synchro Machine, which lets trainers become their Pokémon of choice and actually get to play as that Pokémon. As with any new gimmick, the shine wears off after a bit, but it’s still a nice addition that stands out. Another new mechanic – actually getting to fly – makes exploration quite a bit easier as well.
The majority of the game’s new content revolves around Blueberry Quests (called BBQs) and collecting Blueberry Points (BP). Most of the BBQs are about as deep as dailies in MMOs (as in, not very deep at all) and that’s disappointing. Because so much of the new DLC revolves around farming BP, it can make The Indigo Disk feel weirdly grindy at times. However, this keeps content after the credits going – and I actually preferred BBQs a lot more in postgame.
Pokémon Indigo Disk DLC Full Pokédex: Every Pokémon Number & Type
Over 200 Pokémon compose the Blueberry Pokédex in the Indigo Disk DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Here are all of them, listed in order.
There’s also a new Elite Four at Blueberry Academy, offering some of the toughest fights seen in Pokémon games to date. The fights still aren’t challenging compared to those found in many contemporary RPGs, but by the series’ standards, they definitely feel harder. Battles are really a focus of the new DLC, and the fights that take place throughout the story are mostly enjoyable and engaging. It just sometimes feels a bit disconnected from catching wild Pokémon in the Terarium or farming BP.
Indigo Disk’s Story Is Fine But A Bit Disappointing
The new story is fine, but it’s not nearly as good as it should’ve been. There was so much build up to Area Zero (it’s all right there in the title) but this actually makes up an incredibly small portion of The Indigo Disk – and even smaller when taken into account with the first part of the DLC, The Teal Mask. While The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero doesn’t feel like false advertising, it at least feels like it was setting expectations too high. Area Zero feels like an afterthought here.
It’s not all bad, though. The set-up in Teal Mask, particularly with Kieran, plays out in a fairly expected but still satisfying way. The new and returning characters are interesting enough, but they can’t save the story from basically petering out toward the end. It’s not terrible, but as an overall conclusion to Scarlet and Violet, it’s a letdown.
Performance Problems Still Persist In The Indigo Disk
Sadly, the performance issues found in Scarlet and Violet are still around in their Indigo Disk DLC. It’s not all that shocking, but it’s still a bummer. That means stuttering, strange glitches, lag, and random fps drops (especially in handheld mode). Flying is a nice addition, but it only adds to the time it can take for nearby Pokémon and trainers to load in once the trainer gets settled. Several cutscenes this time around also had stuttering. And although there was never a hard crash during my playthrough, these problems definitely detracted from my overall experience and felt way more prevalent than they should’ve been.
Final Thoughts & Review Score
Like The Teal Mask and the base games before it, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk is a fine experience that just feels like it needed more time to cook. The new features and additions make it an enjoyable DLC, but the performance problems occur frequently and are often distracting. The newest battles add a bit more challenge to Gen 9, and roaming around the Terarium to catch the latest Pokémon is still the biggest draw. Overall, the good outweighs the bad. There’s no denying how fun it all is.
A code for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC was provided to Screen Rant for the purpose of this review.
Pokemon Scarlet
A super exciting game with open world game layout, exciting new features, above-average graphics, and support for multiplayer mode. The gameplay may feel clunky during raids, and certain areas may be a letdown, but the overall experience makes it a great game for casual Pokémon fans and newcomers.
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Genre
- Fantasy Adventure
- Mode
- RPG
- Platform
- Nintendo Switch
- Rating
- E
