Quoted By:
>Pokemon Sword and Shield redefine the boundaries of what makes a Pokemon game what it is, in exciting, game-changing ways. The story had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, but thankfully younger players and busy adults can turn off movies in the menu screen. Never before has so much been streamlined in a Pokemon game, from the EXP Share (finally) being mandatory, to the PC Box being nearly always accessible. On top of these truly welcome changes, Raid Battles allow for players to fight giant Pokemon with their friends, bringing the cutting edge of mobile to the games. In these mechanics, Game Freak has hit a literal home run.
>In another feature that was long-awaited, upwards of 400 Pokemon were not imported into Sword and Shield. Frankly, I don't understand the fuss about the, derogatorily named, "culling", since balance and hard work on new animations and models should always come first. Yes, you can't use some Pokemon to battle online after you beat the game, but this sort of restricted gameplay allows for all sorts of great, refreshing new game styles to take hold. I frequently used my new favorite Mons, like Flapple, far more often than I ever used a Mon from Gen 3 or 4, for example. For this reason alone, Sword and Shield should be championed as a radically reshaped Pokemon experience, which is for the better and unexpected. Viva the "Culling"!
>Gamefreak's story decisions are top-notch, as always. I won't spoil any of it here, but the twists and turns reminded me of The Last Jedi, in a good way.
>All things considered, Nintendo and Gamefreak have hit it out of the park again in their first Pokemon outing for console. The stunning graphical quality, best Pokemon designs in years, removal of unwanted old gamestyles (Megas, over powered Mons, EXP Share turn-off), astounding new possibilities in Dyna and Gigantamax, and the usual Gamefreak charm, elevate SwoShi to a new playing field.
>9.3/10. For IGN, I'm Shaunessy.
