My Review of Pokémon Sword

[Chase]

Spoiler

I’m rolling with the spoiler lock because the holiday season is here and many people may play the game later.

 

For a game that was scrutinized heavily before release, I went into this game knowing I was going to have fun because I was personally in the right mood and mindset for a Pokémon journey. I do want to get that bias on the table. I also want to inform readers that I don’t have Nintendo Online yet and I have not experienced Shield in any capacity.

 

As it’s own game, Pokémon Sword isn’t going to be the best RPG out there, and the plot of the game takes zero risks and is barely recognizable. However, it is a MORE than acceptable entry into the Pokémon franchise, as everything that encapsulates the Pokémon experience is fresh, rewarding, and polished.

 

The game mechanic of note is Dynamaxing (a form of power boosting during any battle format that allows it) and Max Raid Battles (a raid system that involves powerful boss fights and relevant rewards that can be played solo or with friends/the rest of the world.)

 

Dynamaxing DOES have a satisfactory reason for existing in the world of Galar, and mechanically blends the limited opportunity of Z-moves with epic power increase in Mega Evolution (while even drawing cosmetic notes from the latter in Gigantamax cases), which, with my experience in the battle tower alone to posit, does a fair job at making a valid yet not too demanding competitive mechanic that should cause players to consider thier options. I was pleasantly impressed with it.

 

Raids, are the number one reason to buy the game from a multi-player perspective and even alone are a different twist to an otherwise stale experience that Pokémon has offered for over two decades. The rewards are there in Pokémon with Hidden Abilities (Max Raid Ditto may even be caught with Imposter, for example) as well as multiple perfect Individual Values (which again, for Max Raid Ditto, is valuable), experience candies, former Tutor-moves as breakable TMs, and candies that expedite your Pokemon’s growth as well as EV resetting Berries.

 

All of those rewards integrate Raid success into preparing for competitive battling more seamlessly, along with making breeding and traditional EV training more obsolete with things such as Nature Mints, Hyper Training less than perfect IVs, no limit on vitamin usage, and getting battle items at the Battle Tower. While the Tower isn’t a new concept, the ranking system and continuous rewards there introduce a similar metagame to some of the most popular formats again without much of a snag, making the experience valuable - if not unique to Gen 8.

 

The crown jewel of this generation is Galar’s “Wild Area”, about 1 and a half BotW regions-full of unadulterated Pokémon sandbox. You WILL spend most of the game here hunting for elusive Gigantamax forms, interacting with friends, shiny hunting, breeding, collecting and spending Watts, and marveling at what many people expected from a Pokémon game in 2019. So long as you can get past tree textures.

 

Graphical “concerns” aside, the worst aspect of Sword for me was it’s story. The board seems to try to fit to us as the protagonist, making the sports-themed world revolve around the successes we have in the Gym Challenge and Champion Cup as well as the experiences we have with fellow competitors, but there isn’t enough tie-in to how the Galar region depends on a certain legendary Pokémon for its energy supply or why it needs to be awakened during our quest to become Champion. This makes the true “villains” near nonfactors and leaves the narrative hollow. However, the history of the region itself is compelling and is SUPPOSED to be relevant as it shapes the present. A few cutscenes from the past or voice acting may change the story’s effectiveness. Alas, we got what felt like an afterthought.

 

Due to the license of the games developers to exclude many various Pokémon and moves from previous installments, it seemed a bit in vogue to dislike this game. Then you have to factor in buying a new console and the 20 dollar increase in price for the game alone from the 3DS era.

 

My verdict is this. If you already own a Switch and don’t expect a Pokémon game to be console-defining, you should buy this game or it’s counterpart. It’s not going to blow you away, but for the name on the tin, I’ve played less entertaining installments, and the things to do in the game really are worth experiencing.