Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's The Indigo Disk review: A mixed bag of great content and poor performance

The Indigo Disk is Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s second major DLC drop, and it’s really hard to say how things are going in it. On one hand, I appreciate the major, important character development. That’s not something we see in Pokemon games often, and it should be applauded. However, there are some decisions that, frankly, baffle me. Whether it’s how Terapagos was handled or the overwhelmingly grindy gameplay feel, this DLC is a bit of a mixed bag.

I appreciate how Game Freak is trying new, interesting things with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and The Indigo Disk isn’t all bad. I do feel like perhaps they tried something too ambitious for the Switch hardware, and that has resulted in poor performance the whole time. There are certainly plenty of positives, though.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s The Indigo Disk brings unheard-of character development

Kieran finally gets some decent character development (Image via Game Freak)

It’s unclear how much time passed between Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s first DLC and The Indigo Disk. It was enough to really see some growth and change, however. While Carmine is just as awkward and fussy as ever, Kieran, the sad, mopy “rival” character from The Teal Mask, has really changed!

Kieran is on his Vegeta story arc, as we saw in Dragon Ball Z. He was likely the best trainer in his village. But then we show up, beat him repeatedly, steal the legendary he dreamed of, beat him again, and then show up at his school to defeat him one more time.

Our rival in The Indigo Disk is now mean, callous, and focused on nothing but getting stronger. He’s the Champion at his school, and after defeating the Elite Four, you can take on your friend. This sort of change was welcome, and it made sense on a variety of levels. In addition to storyline improvements, the trainers of this DLC are much more skilled.

The Indigo Disk offers greater challenges and Double Battles

I appreciate that the DLC is doing a lot of different things. The focus is on Double Battles, for example. These require greater strategy and synergy, and I felt the Elite Four, at the very least, had more challenge and difficulty than any encounters in the base game. It might be that I simply don't do Double Battles enough, and I can accept that.

But it felt like the teams that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet opponents had made more sense. This was a welcome improvement, considering how much focus the DLC put on combat in the first place. I liked the variety of the Elite Trials, too, which includes making Super-Spicy sandwiches, flying, and answering trivia, but I think Drayton’s Elite Trial was the most interesting.

Instead of letting you steamroll with your regular team, he wants you to build a team of only Pokemon you’ve caught in the Terariam - where this DLC takes place. So there are lots of positives and lots to love about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk. I feel like it’s a step in the right direction, for the most part. There are issues, though.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s The Indigo Disk is incredibly grindy

The main gameplay loop is focused on doing daily quests (Image via Game Freak)

The addition of BBQs (Blueberry Quests) is a neat idea. You get rewarded for playing the game and performing certain actions, like catching Pokemon, traveling around, making TMs, etc. These provide you with Blueberry Points, which can be used in a wide variety of ways.

You need these points to donate to other clubs on campus, and it will also be how you unlock the ability to farm Starters from previous generations. The main issue I have with BBQs and Blueberry Points is that it feels very much like an MMO. In particular, an MMO that hasn’t learned that slow, small rewards aren’t fun.

I don’t hate this, as a long-time MMO player, but I get burned out on just completing quests pretty quickly in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The post-game BBQs are better, thankfully.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s The Indigo Disk has all the same issues as the main game

It's unfortunate that performance problems persist (Image via Game Freak)

I feel bad harping about performance issues in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk. There was a great deal of hope on my end that some of this would get fixed, or at least, would occur less. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The slowdown and glitchy visuals keep occurring in pretty large amounts.

I spent most of my time playing in Handheld mode since I was busily reviewing a new pair of Joycons for my Nintendo Switch. While the game didn’t crash, the slowdowns and FPS drops ran rampant in handheld. It wasn’t quite as bad docked, but the problems have not gone away.

In conclusion

I enjoyed The Indigo Disk, but there were some pretty glaring issues (Image via Game Freak)

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk is a real step in the right direction when it comes to content for this game. It was fun, and I definitely enjoyed it more than The Teal Mask. Perhaps that’s due to this DLC being more combat-oriented. I was expecting a huge reveal at the end, and when I didn’t get that, I found myself greatly disappointed. I won’t spoil it too much, but Terapagos’ reveal wasn’t exactly what I was hoping it would be.

I’m not the only one, either. There’s plenty to love about The Indigo Disk, though. Lots of amazing Pokemon are back, and some great Paradox Legendaries, too. I think it was a fun, challenging experience. Even with the disappointing performance and the final letdown, I had a great time exploring Blueberry Academy, and I think fans of the franchise will, too.