Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC alludes to practical photography feature

With the first part of the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC (The Teal Mask) now set to release in September, new information provided by the Pokemon company has alluded to an exciting new feature and mission for players to experience. The trailers and information released indicate that there may be a practical photography feature on the way.

As players explore the contents of The Teal Mask portion of the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC, they will come across a character named Perrin, a photographer who is visiting Kitakami to take photos of a certain, so far unnamed Pokemon. According to the information provided so far, the player will journey into the Timeless Woods with Perrin in search of said Pokemon, while also taking snapshots of the other inhabitants of the forest. The location itself has a certain mystique surrounding it, as the story indicates it is a place rarely visited by the locals themselves.

In addition to this new mission, the Teal Mask portion of the DLC will also add a roto-stick as an obtainable item, which expands upon the base Scarlet and Violet camera feature already available for use. This will allow the player to take more creative photos with their Pokemon partners. Pokemon can also be told to stand still when following their trainer, which will offer the opportunity for photos to be taken from many different angles. These photos can also be shared during Union Circle sessions.

This of course isn’t be Pokemon’s first brush with photography as an in-game concept. For many who grew up with the series, Pokemon Snap was a game that, while missing the usual adventure aspect of main line Pokemon games, was a very relaxing escape that allowed players to take photos of their favorite Pokemon and complete tasks based on said photo requirements.

Blending main-line games and the photography feature is something that should breed excitement, as the possibilities for such an addition are quite expansive. While a complete blend between Pokemon Snap and the main-line Pokemon games is unlikely, taking certain elements could open the possibility for another system through which the player’s can receive rewards.

A collection-based quest line similar to the Hyrule Compendium in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for example would be an interesting feature for Game Freak to add. Taking photos of Pokemon in certain environments, doing certain poses, or even photographing their shiny variant for special rewards could open up an entire new aspect to the game that we’ve yet to see in a main-line title. It could add hours of gameplay and encourage the player to re-explore old zones, and possibly lead to more discoveries should Game Freak wish to expand on the concept.

Many previous Pokemon games have had an “outbreak” function for non-native species to appear in any given region, so adding a more complete photography feature could see the player go to zones across the map to try and capture images of said Pokemon, which could then be added to the Pokédex; a feature that would rectify the fact that quite a few Pokemon, despite transferrable from home, do not have an entry in the Pokédex at this time.

Returning to the concept presented by Game Freak through Perrin and her storyline, it seems as if her story arc will predominantly focus on the ideas we’ve already mentioned; it will be a vehicle through which the player will be able to meet new and special Pokemon that we have yet encounter. Luckily for us, with the new features Game Freak is adding via the DLC, we’ll likely be able to retain more than just a mental snapshot of our play-throughs as we explore the new, unraveling stories the Teal Mask has to offer.