An Old Friend Back Again: A Review of ‘Pokémon Sword’ and ‘Pokémon Shield’
The Pokemon series is a juggernaut that, after seven generations, holds about as much history within it as it does have unique Pokemon (about 890 with Sword and Shield). With that history comes an almost suffocating aggregate of expectations, resulting in the spectacle that came along with this eight generation, Pokemon Sword and Shield. However, despite being met with constant negative speculations before gameplay was even released, Pokemon Sword and Shield perseveres and delivers a wonderful new region, lovable Pokemon, and content that never ceases to entertain.
Teatime in the Galar Region
Like most new additions to the main titles in the Pokemon series, Pokemon Sword and Shield is set in a brand new island called the Galar region, based off of the United Kingdom. I’m not sure how far the inspirations go when Sword and Shield used the United Kingdom as their skeleton for Galar’s setting, but the game does wear an aura of regality and an agreement with nature. I found some small little details that help sell the British setting, like my character calling his mother “Mum” or characters using the phrase “pants” when referring to something that was bad. These are only a few of the many regional details Pokemon Sword and Shield infused into multiple aspects of the game, ranging from the architecture and landscape to the designs of the Pokemon themselves. The design of Sinistea and Polteageist – a haunted teacup and teapot, respectively – is a nod to the United Kingdom being one of the biggest consumers and producers of tea.
A Mixed Bag of Visual Fidelity
One of the biggest questions going into Sword and Shield was whether or not the game could take the next step forward in visual fidelity. The answer is a mixed bag. Watching the intro cutscene with Chairman Rose introducing the Galar region, calling attention to the exhibition match between the current Pokemon Champion Leon, and Raihan, the eighth gym leader, all looked great. Maybe I was a little starstruck because this was the first time I could play a Pokemon game on my TV with a controller (instead of having to find some sort of agreement between being comfortable and holding a 3DS), but I was definitely impressed. Traveling the island of Galar was, at most times, a lovely experience. After meeting with Hop, the game’s rival who is the Champion Leon’s younger brother, we ran through route one to Wedgehurst. There, I met the Pokemon Professor of Galar Professor Magnolia and her assistant Sonia, who is also her granddaughter. The trek was rudimentary for Pokemon and the architecture definitely felt befitting to a United Kingdom setting, but it was time to run to the town of Motostoke.
Before being able to enter Motostoke, Pokemon Sword and Shield introduces a new type of area to the game that transcends the idea of a route: Wild Areas. Wild Areas are huge acres of land that almost look like reservations for Pokemon, but you’re also free to try to capture them. Like Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, Pokemon will be shown in the overworld walking around in both the grass and in the main trails. But in Pokemon Sword and Shield, the Pokemon also hide in the grass like the original game. The usual patches of Pokemon I was used to seeing in routes are multiplied in Wild Areas in ways the make it nearly overwhelming. At any point in a Wild Area, I could be met with numbers that range from five to fifteen different Pokemon of varying species, which impressed me and helped drive the fact that this was a new generation of Pokemon. However, there was another aspect of Wild Areas that wasn’t so impressive.
Typical Nintendo Online
Pokemon Sword and Shield can be played either offline, like a traditional Pokemon experience, or it can be played completely online. When the game is online, other players that are also in the Wild Area appear in addition to the Pokemon, and it truly tests the structural integrity of both the Nintendo Switch and Pokemon Sword and Shield. This problem with online functionality has gotten better since launch, but when I first stepped into the Wild Area, I was met with a sudden drop in frame rate and occasional stutters. I’m not used to my game’s ability to function being directly influenced by the inclusion of the internet, bringing other trainers into my field of vision. Of course the frame drops and stutters weren’t always apparent, but when it did happen it was more than noticeable and hurt my ability to enjoy exploring the Wild Area.
The biggest critique about Pokemon Sword and Shield has been targeted at the Pokedex and the fact that it only includes 400 of the now 890 Pokemon within it. Personally, I didn’t care about what Pokemon did and didn’t make the list because I knew that both Gengar and Growlithe were in the game. So I was happy.
My Favorite New Pokémon
Instead of yelling at what isn’t in the game, I’d rather point out some pretty incredible designs that Pokemon Sword and Shield brought to the game. It’d be a crime not to mention the starters, Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble. My favorite of which is Grookey, who I believe has the best design among the three after it evolves into Rillaboom. I’m sure a lot of us expected Grookey to end at some sort of form resembling a gorilla, but we got something much more. A giant gorilla that carries around a tree stump that functions as a field drum that also rocks out with a grass mane that looks eerily similar to Son Goku’s Super Saiyan 3 form from Dragonball Z. In short, it’s sick.
Another one of my favorite designs to come from Pokemon Sword and Shield is Flapple, who looks exactly the same way it sounds: a dragon with the body and wings of a hollowed out apple. It’s not cool, it’s not intimidating, and it makes zero sense, but it looks stupid and hilarious and I love it. It even has this attack called Grav Apple and it’s animation is an ode to the moment Isaac Newton discovered gravity.
I lastly want to mention that, much like how Pokemon Sun and Moon had Alolan forms, Pokemon Sword and Shield has Galarian forms and a lot of them are pretty great. Weezing got a Galarian form that gives the different heads tall top hats and beards made of the smog they emit. Another notable Galarian form is found in the Ponyta line, ditching the fire mane for a fairy-esque bubblegum green and pink fluff as well as black unicorn horns with pink stripes. And then there’s the Copperjah in the room, the Meowth Galarian line. Sometimes the Pokemon designers spend just a little too much time on Tik Tok and give us the horror that is Galarian Meowth. Any and all mass the original Meowth used to have is now inflated and covered in a mess of grey tuft. To top it all off, Meowth wears this pained grin as if it were wishing for some sort of sweet release. Even though Pokemon Sword and Shield doesn’t have all of the Pokemon in existence, there is a lot of new to explore in the Pokedex and it’s all worth the hunt to capture.
Trainers and Gym Leaders
Another set of designs that Pokemon always excel at are the named trainers throughout Pokemon Sword and Shield. The gym leaders make their appearance in a spectacle that also introduces the Gym Challenge as an event that celebrates Pokemon battles as a sort of sanctioned sport that gets all forms of coverage. And at the forefront of the Gym Challenge are the ten gym leaders, four of which are game exclusives.
One leader that I quickly came to love was Piers, who specializes in dark type Pokemon. His design mimics the Galarian Zigzagoon, which are striped in zagged black and white much like how the group KISS wears their makeup. He’s also the only gym that can’t Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokemon, a feature I’ll get into later. Another personal favorite is Raihan, who was introduced in the exhibition match against Leon. He’s the final gym leader in the Galar League and specializes in Dragon types. Raihan is the kind of annoying and smug narcissist that I love, constantly taking selfies of himself during battles and shrugging off losses with the wind. He’s a great example of Pokemon being able to express personality with no voice acting, just animations and text boxes. Then, of course, there’s the undefeated Galar Champion himself, Leon. His design is outlandish, as he wears thigh high shorts over leggings, a huge royal red cape that he probably stole from M. Bison’s wardrobe, and a cap that I wasn’t even sure was a cap until the final battle with Leon. These are just a few examples of how Pokemon’s sense of style makes up for its lack of new-age graphics.
Battling, for the most part, hasn’t changed very much. Each Pokemon still can only hold four different moves, as well as one special ability. Damage is still influenced by the attacking and defending pokemons’ types and each Pokemon can still carry an item to help the battle teeter in their favor. There are some changes however, and they manifest themselves in big ways.
Dynamax and Gigantamax
The Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing feature of the game serve as a replacement for mega evolutions from Pokemon X, Y, and Z moves from Pokemon Sun and Moon. Dynamaxing is basically inflating a Pokemon into a literal giant form of themselves, leading to some kaiju level Pokemon battles that are a lot of fun. On top of giving the Pokemon a beefy set of health, it also changes the moves of a Pokemon into a set super attack that is influenced by the move’s type. For example, if your Pokemon had a grass-type move it would then become Max Overgrowth, and if a move was a normal type it would become Max Strike.
The real fun comes with Gigantamax, which is the level above Dynamax. Gigantamaxing Pokemon not only makes them huge, but changes their form altogether, making for some fantastic new takes on older designs. Gigantamax Pokemon also gain a new move exclusive to the Pokemon’s Gigantamax form called G-Max. One example is Alcremie’s G-Max Finale attack that deals both fairy damage and heals the user’s Pokemon. Gigantamax is a really cool feature and my only gripe with it is that only a few number of Pokemon have Gigantamax forms. It’s a small complaint and honestly the only one I have in regard to these new forms.
Now how does someone catch Pokemon that can Gigantamax? Like I said before the Wild Areas are huge inclusions to Pokemon Sword and Shield. Inside Wild Areas are these pink stone structures in the ground or just above water that sometimes create a pillar of light. These pillars are where Raid Battles can be found and where a lot of my post-game time has been sunk into. Raid Battles are encounters with Pokemon that are always in a Dynamax or Gigantamax form and must be completely defeated before they can be captured. The best part about them are that they have online functionality allowing friends or just any three other random players to join in on the Raid Battle to help fight the Pokemon. Each Raid Battle varies in difficulty, and the higher the difficulty the juicier the rewards. Occasionally, the Pokemon featured in the Raid Battle will be in a Gigantamax form and upon capture will become a great asset to the team. The experience is still very fun and easy to boot up, especially on the go.
Pokemon Sword and Shield gave me an experience that I needed from a brand new Pokemon game. I got a new adventure with wonderfully designed new Pokemon and fantastic rivals to both battle against and watch in awe, wondering how in the world they put all those clothes on. Discovering the new Pokemon is always a blast and this time around I got to make some of my favorite Pokemon outrageously huge thanks to Dynamaxing. I almost wish I could share the smile wore after I Dynamaxed a Wailord for the first time. Hop has become my favorite rival in Pokemon, and Gigantamax Snorlax joined the ranks of Growlithe and Gengar as one of my favorite Pokemon of all time. One of the biggest joys that comes from Pokemon is being able to discuss and battle my friends when a new region makes its appearance. Pokemon Sword and Shield has brought some of my favorite interactions with these friends thanks to the inclusion of Raid Battles and online functionality. It’s been a long time since I dove this deep into a Pokemon game and don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.
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