Pokémon Character Customization in Scarlet/Violet

[-Apples-]

While everyone is having problems with the technical issues with the game, let’s go into one of the other big problems with the game, and it’s the lack of customization options.

What’s your overall opinion on this matter? Are you neutral to this, or is this a major issue?

 

[Croconaw]

It’s not a big deal. It has enough character customization for me. I just like the fact that I can give my character blue hair.

 

[Snek]

I hate the lack of customisation. I hate the uniforms. I dislike uniforms in general and this game magnifies my hatred of uniforms to the highest degree

 

[Halloqueen]

I find the character customization in terms of the face to be good, though it could do with more makeup options on the eyes. I find their hairstyle options to be a bit lacking and, like in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, am disappointed in the lack of longer hairstyles for the girls. There's only really one and if you don't like it then you're out of luck. I like the color variety for hair at least.

As it pertains to clothing, the inability to change out of the 4 uniform options and the exclusion of skirt options is a definite downgrade. I got used to it over time and begrudgingly accept it; I still wish we had more options like the previous games offer, but I've managed to make a few outfits that I am happy with. There arises a problem, for me, in that there are a bunch of color options for things like gloves, glasses, hats, socks, tights, etc. that don't go with anything. Like, why am I going to pick green or yellow for any of those things in either Scarlet or Violet? They don't go with the uniform colors very well. Some of the color options also obviously compliment one game more than the other, like the red and blue complimenting Scarlet because of Koraidon, and the purples and pinks complimenting Violet because of Miraidon. It seems like there was a lack of quality control and oversight when it came to making sure that things go together well, which is unsurprising considering the rushed, crunch development for these games.

I can appreciate the concept of the uniforms, I see what they were going for, but it's a bit restricting. I hope the next games are a return to form from the previous games.

 

[LoyalDragonfly]

I just intensely dislike the way that the player characters in Scarlet/Violet look like to begin with. The school uniform thing is a bit of a bummer, but even if I could wear the clothing I wanted, I would have a hard time putting up with the base look of my avatar to begin with. I liked the PC trainers in Sword and Shield more (I also liked the trainer card options in that game).

 

[daringred_]

oh, i hated the character customization. they added freckles, which was nice, but then literally took away the auburn/ginger hair from PLA. finally, i thought, i can look like myself! and then it's back to bad old fire engine red again :/ the hairstyles were okay but not my favorites from any recent games, especially as most of them couldn't even be worn with the (limited) hats from what i remember, which sucks since hats were really the only thing you could customize? i don't know how we went from the great outfits in sumo/usum (and the decent ones in swsh) to being stuck in a school uniform for all of scarvio. really let me down that we couldn't change much of anything about it or into, y'know, just any other clothes. i don't even think there was a skirt option? which, like, even that would've gone a long way for people who wanted to present a little more femininely.

i pray for a return to better customization with the next game. it's always one of my joys, unlocking and using new clothes, and it was a big miss with this game.

 

[-Apples-]

In my opinion, this would have to be Nintendo’s worst game-development decision of 2022. The two big problems are:

1. We are forced to stick to the four uniforms (eight if you have the expansion pass). We aren’t even given a chance to customize the main body after you beat the game.
2. There are no skirt options.

I’ve also read a rumor that Nintendo defended this decision for cultural reasons. I don’t know this is true, because Nintendo isn’t that ethnocentric if you consider other games.

About the skirt options, they removed the gender lock on clothing, making them accessible to both boys and girls. But if they’re going to do that, they should also consider skirt options for the male trainers instead of removing them all together (yes, I would have a male trainer in a skirt if they did this). My question is, why can’t the females have them, even if they consider it a female-exclusive? Sword and Shield wasn’t any better either, since they made the skirts too short with visible shorts underneath. The shortest I would tolerate is as long as their longer dress options in Sw/Sh.

 

[Yanrima~]

Let's be real, Gen 6 trainer customization is peak.

Although, I would like it if we get the best of the two customizations from gen 6 and 7 in which we get plenty of options and at the same time, have the option to remove the hat. Return the skirts and dresses options too.

My biggest gripe in all this is how character models in gen 9 sometimes look jarring, I never like the fact that some facial features just stick out too much. The official illustrations of the characters look better than the in-game models and that's saying something.

The lack of overall in-game art style is my second biggest gripe, the aesthetics of the game felt messy and all over the place in my opinion. Some of the areas looked too simplistic and generic design-wise. The game design overall felt like it doesn't have a direction to what it's trying to convey.

For one of the biggest grossing franchises, this isn't an excuse. The Pokemon Company should've allowed more breathing room for development instead of rushing the games yearly just to fill in the holiday season quota.

 

[S.J.]

I thought the hair and face customisation was mostly fine, but I really didn't like sticking to the four uniform options. The clothes customisation in Sw/Sh was really good, and I would have liked to see that carried through.

 

[Holla]

It hasn’t really bothered me much personally. Sure we could have had more clothing options but getting to chose a face and hair style right from the beginning was really nice.

 

[Iris_T]

I really wish there were more clothes, the hair and other character customization options are good enough but I miss having more to wear like on previous games.

 

[Flicky]

Character customization in this game is awful compared to previous installments. So many clothing shops with no real variety.

I get that they wanted to do the whole school thing, but after you've completed the game, there really isn't any reason to make characters keep their school uniforms on. Seeing Team Star's leaders getting to wear their own wild clothing is also kinda going against the idea that you 'have' to, since they were scolded once and still never bothered to change them anyway. I've also seen some people complain their character looks too feminine, some that it looks too masculine, or not enough of one or the other.

I just didn't bother changing my appearance much in the end, none of them looked appealing. My second account I went for a randomized appearance and I don't think I purchased anything from the shops at all there.

 

[Hatori]

I definitely wish there were more options for hair and clothing. The uniforms are... okay, but it would be nice to have other options available!