Although the more classic Pokemon games offered nothing in the way of character customization, with the full selection of the Pokemon series’ protagonists having their own unalterable appearances up until Pokemon X and Y, this hasn’t been the case with recent games. It was the Generation 6 games that introduced the option for Trainers to purchase and wear different clothes of their choosing, while also adding in the ability for players to choose their player character’s skin tone and even try different hairstyles. Character customization has remained a staple part of most of the core-series games since, and although this mechanic was expanded on even further in Pokemon Sword and Shield, players of the latest Generation 9 titles have been disappointed that clothing options have been far more limited in the most recent games.
RELATED: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Fans Sad About One Way the New Games Break Tradition
A fan of the Pokemon series under the username shellybaby22 voices their opinion in a post on Reddit, complaining that many of the available cosmetics look ridiculous when matched with the default uniform that players are forced to wear during their trip around the Paldea region. A screenshot attached to the post makes this clear, showing off their player character wearing some multicolored leggings which almost look like a texture glitch when worn with the typical school attire. While the game does offer some apparel shops which allow players to decorate their trainers with certain accessories, they don’t allow fans to change out of their uniform and lack the functional depth seen in other recent Pokemon games such as Sword and Shield or Legends: Arceus.
Although the choice of skin tone at the start of the game remains present and Trainers can still try a range of different hairstyles, the fixed school uniform is seen by many Pokemon fans as a step backward. In terms of narrative, Trainers in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are required to wear this outfit due to them being enrolled in the academy, though many players argue that they should have the option to drop the school uniform after completing the game.
With glitches, performance issues, and graphical disappointments, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have had more than a few problems which have plagued them since release. But with the potential of DLC in the near future, there’s hope that proper customization might yet be added to the games.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available on Nintendo Switch.
MORE: How Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Clodsire Stacks Up Against Quagsire
