Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Release with complaints of bugs and glitches

Image source, Game Freak / Nintendo

The new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet game has released with reports of issues and complaints it isn't playing properly on the Nintendo Switch.

Several reviewers of the game from magazines and websites have played Scarlet and Violet early and reported problems and now gamers are too.

Some say that the game, which includes a big open-world to explore, is struggling on the hand-held console and is bugging-out or crashing.

Image source, Pokemon/nintendo

Image caption, The open-world of Paldea is inspired by real-life countries like Italy and Spain in the Mediterranean.

Similar to previous Pokémon games, in the game you are able to play as a Pokémon trainer, adventuring across the region of Paldea.

But it's the ability to travel across the in-game world and the game's sheer size that seems to be causing issues.

Some of those who have played the game already describe issues such as crashes, bugs, glitches, poor rendering - meaning the graphics take ages to load and slow frame-rate meaning the screen judders as you try and move your character.

It also appears that the issues are not unique to one game and not the other, as both Scarlet and Violet games have the same story with only small differences in gameplay.

Image source, Cherrim / Twitter

Image caption, Videos posted on social media show the game glitching

Videos posted online by gamers who have already bought Scarlet or Violet show it stuttering through in-game animations.

One shows a trainer throwing a Pokéball to catch a Pokémon, while the game slows down and graphic bugs can be seen such as objects flickering in and out of walls or floors at odd angles.

Those on social media have complained that the Switch, which is five years old, is too old and not powerful enough to play the game, while others blamed the lack of development time in making the game itself.

New Pokémon games are generally made and released every three years, but Scarlet and Violet comes less than a year after Game Freak, the Japanese video game developer that makes the Pokémon games, released another huge Pokémon game, Arceus.

Image source, Game Freak / Nintendo

Game Freak has already launched a patch for Scarlet and Violet to fix some of the problems, noting that: "varied bug fixes and changes have been made to make your gameplay expertise extra fulfilling".

Newsround has contacted Nintendo to ask if there are other improvements planned, and is waiting for a response.

Have you played Scarlet and Violet? What did you think of it? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments.