I wasn't sold on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet until I saw its wild picnic parties

In all honesty, I wasn't entirely sold on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet until the latest trailer revealed picnics. Sure, I'm excited about the prospect of the very first open-world entries in the series, but nothing beats the idea of spending some quality time with my Pokemon in the expansive setting – and a picnic seems like the perfect way to do just that. After all, one of the great joys of Pokemon is the chance to set off on an adventure with a team of delightful critters that I've formed an attachment to. I've grown up playing the series, and the Pokemon have always felt closer to friends than video game characters.

In recent iterations, we've steadily started to see the introduction of features that let us hang out with our Pokemon outside of battles too, and I'm so happy to see this trend continue in the upcoming installments.

Quality time

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Pokedex: All the Pokemon confirmed so far

As the new trailer showed, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will allow us to settle down anywhere in the Paldea region's wilderness for a picnic. The outdoor respite presents some delightful features that let you interact with your Pokemon. As well as being able to talk to your little buddies and use toys to play with them, you can also give them a wash to clean off dirt and grim they've picked up on their travels. It's quite reminiscent of camping in Pokemon Sword and Shield, which was one of my favorite pastimes in the Galar region. Between my escapades in the wild areas, there was nothing quite like settling in for the night with my critter pals. Seeing them playfully interact with each other was very endearing, but it also created the feeling that all of my Pokemon were a real team who bonded during our little pit stops.

In a similar sense, it's also why I valued the option to let my team out of their Pokeballs in Pokemon Legends Arceus. While it wasn't quite as interactive, seeing my critter buddies out in the wild alongside me allowed me to take a breather in their company – even if we weren't doing anything particularly interesting. The stresses of everyday life often don't give us a chance to simply be, whether it's tasks that need doing, worries we might have, or problems that we need solved, unwinding after a long day can be quite difficult. Personally, it's why I've always relished the chance to slow down in virtual worlds like Animal Crossing: New Horizons or Alba: A Wildlife adventure – places that I can escape to, where I can just enjoy being in the moment. I can already imagine myself spending a lot of time with my Pokemon friends during my picnic sessions to take a break both in-game and out.

Tasty treats

Of course, no picnic would be complete without a good al fresco meal. Excitingly, cooking is making a return, but instead of whipping together a curry like you could in Sword and Shield, Scarlet and Violet introduces some good old fashioned sandwich assembling. With the chance to change up the designs of the tablecloth, cups, water bottles, and more to make your picnic set suit you, you can make all kinds of sandwiches with a host of fillings and condiments. With the picnics acting a bit like a makeshift Pokecenter in the wild, they also have a real practical use since the sandwiches heal your Pokemon, and even sometimes impart some useful buffs and effects.

Outside of bonding with your Pokemon pals, picnics are also sure to be a charming little way of spending time with your real-life friends in-game, too. Thanks to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's multiplayer co-op support, you'll be able to settle in for a luncheon outdoors with fellow trainers in the Paldea region. You'll even be able to capture your picnic escapades with your Pokemon or pals with a group photo feature, which is a welcome addition I can't wait to play around with.

It's so great to see the Pokemon series embrace and continue to introduce features that let us take a breather and spend more time with our critters between battling trainers and progressing through the campaign. While Pokemon Scarlet and Violet looks set to be a big step forward for the series as an open-world experience, nothing makes me want to tuck into the adventure quite as much as the opportunity to go picnicking with my Pokemon.

Keep track of more exciting releases on the horizon with our roundup of upcoming Switch games.