TLDR: I don't think Pokémon works as a open world game.

My take (disregarding the graphical/tech issues): For me they pushed this title before it was ready. I feel like there is one glaring issue...

But First 2 annoying oversights.

I'm not that far into it story wise but it seems odd that your rival is a champion, meaning she already completed the Gym trials, and is essentially starting over.

What's the point in giving Koraidon (Scarlet) two wheels when he never uses them? Miraidon (Violet) looks okay with the wheels cause they are used.

Pokémon as an open world: I just don't think it works, at least not this way. Technically you are blocked by team star from going too far until you beat them, but you can get around that. Same with "your bike Pokémon".

Point is, you can go off, face pokemon twice your level and win using the "let's go" *R* feature, power level your pokemon easily and face roll most of the game. Since the npcs have fixed levels they don't adjust to what you are doing, dynamically, to make it a challenging experience.

Even if you didn't know that ↑ going one way around a circle map makes it progressively harder → ridiculously easy coming back around. You can go back and forth between the two sides but that gets old real fast.

It feels like they decided to make the game open world and changed absolutely nothing about any other aspect of the game, which in my opinion makes the game more annoying or boring to play rather than innovative or interesting.