Game Review: Pokemon Sword/Shield

You can read my previous Pokemon Reviews below:
Sun/Moon
X/Y
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There were multiple points where I started crying happy tears cause of the sheer excitement and joy I was having playing this game. Pokemon Sword/Shield is the newest entry in the decade long world phenomenon and marked the real jump into home consoles. We had already gotten a brief taste in the previous Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee games last year, but as far as "mainline" entries, this was the real deal. If you've played any Pokemon game in your lifetime, you can expect the general story to hit the tried and true beats. You're about to start your Pokemon journey and head off to compete in what's known as the Gym Challenge. Along with you, is your long time friend/neighbor Hop who partakes in the exact same quest in the hopes of beating his older brother who sits as the Galar region's Champion. Simple enough right? I can't stress though the amount of changes Game Freak made for this new generation.

Once you select your starter (Sobble Squad all the way baby!), you're free to go on a somewhat linear path to clear the Gyms and earn your right to partake in the major tournament at the very end. Many quality of life changes made the game so much more enjoyable for me. You have a permanent EXP Share so everyone gains level ups even if they're not in the fight. For the first time because of this change, I LOVED grinding cause everyone got up to speed super quick. The Galar region is loosely based around the UK and some of the towns were just a joy to walk through. There's also distinct differences in the climate and even the caves had awesome looks to them. As a Graphic Designer, I really loved the UI's look both in battle and the main menu with all your selections. Most of the towns are full blown cities, with cafes to do battles in, and oh man was I a sucker for the boutique and outfit shopping!

Aside from the main game elements, several new additions were added that honestly feel like Breath of the Wild had some influence on the developers. Segmenting out the areas in Galar is this huge expanse known as the Wild Area. You're given the chance to freely roam around different parts which can drastically have a change in climate and thus a change in what can be caught. There's also the slight chance early on where you can run into a Pokemon that's twice your current level!

At any location you can set up Camp and play/interact with your current lineup of Pokemon. From playing fetch to chatting with them, it's a much faster method in increasing friendship levels. You can also cook a variety of dishes using Berries you find in addition to specialty ingredients. These restore HP and give your team experience which can absolutely help in progression. I mentioned at the start that I would just become overjoyed and most of it came from seeing the new Pokemon evolve into ones I didn't spoil myself on. The art team really nailed the looks of these Pokemon. Some fan-favorites like Ponyta and Farfetch'd got new versions specific to the Galar region and they're an absolute riot.

Pokemon can mostly be seen in the wild, so no more Random Encounters

One thing I had read on Kotaku was describing how you're treated throughout the Gym Challenge. In comparison to both past entries and even sports games like Madden and MLB The Show, you're treated like a rock star as you continue to clear gyms and climb up to the top. Townsfolk will state your name and how they're rooting for you in gym battles. You're actually having an impact in the entire region, aside from having been endorsed by the Champion himself! Speaking of which, the gyms take a page out of Sun/Moon's book with having little missions before the badge fight. These were super cute and much more tolerable than the Island Challenges in the previous generation. The resulting Gym Battle is a huge spectacle taken place in a giant arena. Fully crowded seats that chant and cheer throughout the fight. The immense stadium size serves another purpose to what's known as Dynamaxing. Every Gym has one Pokemon on their team which they then Dynamax to transform into a GIANT version. Basically it becomes a kaiju fight with your moves being replaced by the Dynamax equivalent and varying in power.

Dynamax Pokemon can also be found in the Wild Area in what's known as Dens. These then turn into Max Raid battles where you and 3 other trainers (Online or in-game) try to fight down the giant beast. At the end, you have the opportunity to catch the Pokemon and add it to your collection. There's also a wealth of treasures earned, most of which can be used to give even more experience to your Pokemon. The music in Sword and Shield really kicks it up a notch (Marnie's theme is the GOAT, don't @ me) and I got hyped as all hell during the Gym matches.

For all the controversy this game received leading up to release (Dexit, re-using old models), I honestly didn't let any of it deter from the enjoyment I had playing Sword/Shield. The post game story leading to each version's Legendary was enjoyable, as were seeing each of your Rivals come to their own throughout playing. You can easily clear the main story in 20-30 hours worth of game time but it's all about filling the Pokedex and leveling up your favorites honestly. I never was big into completing the Pokedex and will probably not bring the ones eligible over from Sun/Moon into this gen.

Should you Play this Game? Yes! Pokemon Sword/Shield are a fantastic new addition to Pokemon's ever growing slate of games. Personally for me, all the changes, designs and music really have this become one of my all time favorite generations. I'm of the age where I grew up playing since Blue so call me somewhat biased if you want but THIS is a wonderful jumping on point for newcomers of the series. It's also one of the Switch's best titles out there!
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