Pokémon Sword is as Fun as the Last 7 Pokémon Games, And That's Just Okay

Pokémon Sword is fun for the usual reasons Pokémon games a fun: catching lil monsters, forcing ‘em to fight, and just plain enjoying how neat they look. That along is enough for this to sell a bazillion copies. In fact, those three pillars have supported the mainline Pokémon games since the beginning and, by extension, the highest grossing franchise of all time. Beyond that, the formula is fun as heck and it holds true with Pokémon Sword and Shield (abbreviated as SwSh).

Let's take a nice, long look at the new mons. Here's a whole list of all the new generation 8 Pokémon with pictures. 

Some new twists to the formula include the dumbly named Dynamax where Pokémon swell in size, increasing their hit points and changing their moves to more powerful versions. There’s also Gigantamax, which is the same thing but the Pokémon’s look also changes

It’s an okay mechanic in that it mixes things up a bit, but because it only works during raids and gym battles, its fun-factor is limited. Also, I can’t help but feel this is yet another gameplay mechanic that'll be retired once the next game comes out. At least the Gigantamax designs are super cool. 

Those raids, BTW, are a welcome addition to Pokémon. You can do 'em with NPCs or online and though they're not as satisfying as taking down beasties in Monster Hunter. No, you’re not partying up in the overworld with other players, tracking the Pokémon through crazy landscapes, tunnels, and rivers to outwit huge Pokémon for loot and a chance to catch it. 

You just sort of... raise from a kneeling position and start the battle? I think that's a fair way to describe the whole thing,  which brings me to my next point... 

Everything Else Feels Outdated

The series hasn't seen any major revamp in a long time and Pokémon Sword is further evidence of that. It was 6 years ago when Pokémon X &Y, the first 3D mainline RPG game in the series, came out on the Nintendo 3DS. That game had its own trouble because a lot of the charm from the 2D games was lost in the transition into 3D. The mons looked desaturated and lacking in detail, and when you expected the towns to be bigger because they're in 3D, they felt empty, small, and cramp. 

But hey, XY added the new type of Fairy, the amazing Global Trade System, and new typing combinations like the Steel-Ghost type Honedge and Poison-Dragon type Dragalge. Even the story took a turn from the brain-dead nonsense we were used to towards a darker tone, making the world feel more alive. 

Besides, nobody really cared XY had compromises because it was a fun, cheap mobile game. Pokémon Sword, however, shares the same, exact compromises but now it's $60 on a home console. Add in $40 for so-so DLC to add 2 smaller wild areas with more dumb story and you're looking at $100. 

Notice the beautiful rolling hills, grasslands, and far-away dwellings in the clip above. Why can't we visit those places? As they are, they serve to only tease what a better designed adventure game would allow you to experience.

Even the largest city, Wyndon, looks HUGE but its limited to a couple of, you guessed it, hallways. On either side of 'em, there's maybe a Pokémon Center, a gym, and inconsequential NPCs that do nothing to build the in-game world. Not all NPCs should have value, but I feel they're underutilized in an adventure game where world-building, atmosphere, should be key.

The next clip is from a glowing town made up of a round-a-bout and that's it. It's so pretty yet so, sooo disappointing.

I don't wanna hear the nonsense defense that because the Switch is "awkshually" a mobile console, that its okay for that this game is half-baked. That excuse especially doesn't fly when your neighbors on the Switch include Breath of the Wild, Skyrim, and The Witcher 3.

There's an adventure field called the Wild Area where Pokémon spawn via old-timey 'pop-up, waddling around like toddlers only to magically shrink into the ground after a few seconds. 

The Wild Area would've been awesome on the 3DS, but on the Switch it feels downright archaic. It's "big" in that no previous Pokémon game had anything like it, but it's small when compared to any modern adventure game. That's a shame because Pokémon lore suggests something more than the hallway simulator that makes up the bulk of this game. Yeah, that's right, the Wild Area is another boring hallway but just super wide this time. Boooo, hallways.

Remember Okami? That's another great way to design a "wild area".

Okay, so is Pokémon Sword worth it?

Yes, But No

Catching Pokémon, training 'em, and battling maintains its charm. The new raid mechanic is fun, even if timed events are used to reward certain pocket monsters. Hooray for timed rewards. 

But on the other hand, Pokémon Sword and Shield don't exist in a void, yet it clings to an outdated style of adventuring that would be at home alongside Sonic Adventure on the Sega Dreamcast.

Let's talk about Pokémon Sword and Shield's console neighbors some more for a second. Skyrim released 9 years ago and set a new standard by including a ginormous adventure field where everything happened. You chose where to go and you chose how to progress the story and side missions. GTA 5, GTA 4, and Red Dead Redemption further pushed boundaries by eliminating loading screens during gameplay. 

Then, there's no ignoring the litany of Far Cry and Assassin's Creed games that taught us content per square unit of the in-game map mattered more than just having a big o' field to play in. 

These advances made those games some of the greatest of all time by critics and fans alike, but for some reason, Game Freak is okay serving us low res textures, old fashioned animations, zero voice acting, a story with no real stakes written by and for 7-year-old children, and a restrictive, static world. To their credit, we are eating what they're serving us...

But ya'll, I'm done with it. I bought the game new so I guess I'm not yet done with it, but no longer will I stay silent! …until after I buy the DLC and review that too. Gotta catch 'em all.

But after that, watch out Game Freak, I’m putting you on notice. No more mediocre games, please. You can offer experiences similar to those excellent games without losing Pokémon's identity, I promise.  

Real talk: if you're thinking of dipping into Pokémon mainline RPG games for the first time or after a long hiatus, and you have a 3DS lying around, pick up Pokémon Omega Ruby, Y, or Ultra Moon. I can't tell you if Pokémon Sword and Shield are worth it for your monies because I'm not you and I don't know your life. But I can tell you you'll probably get much more bang for your buck with those other Pokémon games I've listed.