Review: Pokémon Sword & Shield
By Anna Allen
Observer Web Editor
On November 15, Nintendo released Pokémon Sword & Pokémon Shield. These side-by-side role playing games are the eighth generation of main title Pokémon games, and the first new generation published on the Nintendo Switch gaming system.
The basic gameplay of Pokémon has stayed the same since its first release: catch Pokémon (or “pocket monsters”) and battle them. Each generation of games, usually released in pairs, has added new Pokémon to the franchise. As of the seventh generation, Pokémon Sun & Moon, there were 807 Pokémon in total.
Sword & Shield take place in a new region of the Pokémon world, called the Galar region, which is based loosely on the United Kingdom. The new setting is charming, and players quickly feel welcomed into this adventure. From a gentle farmland to a university city to a mystical forest inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, each section is unique and dazzling in new-generation graphics.
While developer Game Freak didn’t include all previous Pokémon in Sword & Shield, quite a few new Pokémon appear. The three starters, who are usually a showcase for each new generation, were particularly lackluster this time around, but they were the exceptions. Other new Pokémon have imaginative, friendly personas. Some new designs include a sheep which rolls down the idyllic hills of the setting, a hangry electric type reminiscent of Pikachu (yes – “hangry” is the term the game uses), and a local variation of Rapidash that is a pink and purple unicorn.
The most creative new Pokémon of Sword & Shield could be Sinistea. Sinistea is a china teacup possessed by a ghost. But there are two forms of this Pokémon. Since Sinistea is designed as an antique, it has an “antique” form and a “phony” form. The two forms are identical except for a small, blue stamp of authenticity on the bottom of the cup.
The new Pokémon are not the only new additions to the game. Two important new features arrived in Sword & Shield: the Wild Area, and Dynamaxing.
The Wild Area is a feature that many fans have asked for. While exploring any Pokémon region, the player runs into random encounters with wild Pokémon which they can battle or catch. For the first time, that exploration happens in a huge, open area where the player can avoid or go after encounters, and some Pokémon wander around freely.
This is also the area where Dynamax raids occur. In these raids, players can battle in teams of four against supersized, superpowered Pokémon. At the end of the raid, each player has a chance to capture and use that Pokémon for their own team.
Dynamaxing also happens during gym challenges. As usual, there are eight gyms to beat in Sword & Shield. In this generation, in addition to the gym battles, each gym has an additional challenge and the ability to Dynamax Pokémon. All Pokémon are available to Dynamax, but some have special forms when they go supersized. For example, Garbador, the Trash Bag Pokémon, becomes an entire trash dump.
While Game Freak strayed from its formulaic game design for this generation, most of its changes were for the best. Instead of getting bogged down by their complicated game mechanics, Sword & Shield hold true to the heart of Pokémon. In what may be the best games in the franchise so far, Pokémon Sword & Shield continue to inspire a wholesome, childlike wonder for the Pokémon world.
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