The first mainline games designed for a home console, Pokémon Sword and Shield had a lot to prove when they were released on 15 November 2019. They arrived after the “Dexit” controversy and had to show that Pokémon could move from handheld to television without losing its soul. The result is an endearing episode, generous with ideas but uneven, which its two expansions have clearly enriched.
Galar, a region full of character
Galar is one of the most successful regions in the series in terms of atmosphere. Inspired by the United Kingdom turned upside down, it lines up cities with strong personalities: Motostoke and its mechanical wheels, Turffield and its geoglyph, the port town of Hulbury, the spa town of Circhester, the punk town of Spikemuth and Wyndon, the Pokémon version of London. The art direction has fun with British references, from pubs to the hooligans embodied by Team Yell.
The Gym Challenge becomes a sporting spectacle: battles against Gym Leaders take place in huge stadiums, in front of packed stands, with Pokémon that grow until they tower over the seats thanks to Dynamax. It is the game’s central idea, and it works: these battles have a scale the series had never had before.
The Wild Area, a first step toward the open world
The big new feature lies between the cities. The Wild Area is a vast zone where the camera becomes free, where Pokémon roam in plain sight and where the weather changes every day, altering which species are present. You meet other connected players there, start four-player Dynamax raids and spend hours looking for the perfect Pokémon. Technically, the zone shows its limits: elements pop in late on screen and the scenery lacks detail. But the idea paved the way for the open world of Pokémon Legends: Arceus and then Scarlet and Violet.
An adventure that is too guided
Outside the Wild Area, the adventure is very linear. Routes are short, often mere corridors, and classic dungeons have almost disappeared: the Galar Mine and Glimwood Tangle are the exceptions. The Gym missions, from the Wooloo race to the audition, are varied but brief. The story itself, centred on Chairman Rose and the Darkest Day, stays in the background for a long time before picking up speed at the end. Hop, the kind-hearted rival, Bede, the arrogant rival, and Marnie, the rival backed by Team Yell, are endearing, but the plot lacks tension.
The difficulty is low: Exp. Share is always active and Pokémon level up quickly. A few Gym Leaders, Kabu above all, and the final match against Leon raise the bar.
Dynamax, a spectacular mechanic
Dynamax replaces the Mega Evolutions and Z-Moves of previous generations. Once per battle, in a stadium or a Den, a Pokémon grows for three turns: its HP increases sharply and its moves become Max Moves, which alter the weather, the terrain or stats. Some Pokémon can Gigantamax: they change appearance and gain an exclusive move, like Leon’s Charizard or the Toxtricity drawn on Turffield’s geoglyph.
The mechanic is spectacular and accessible, but it tends to make battles uniform: you save your Dynamax for the opponent’s last Pokémon, and the rest follows. In competitive play, on the other hand, it profoundly changed the way teams are built. Dynamax raids, in which four players face a giant Pokémon, are one of the game’s best ideas: easy to join, they give a real reason to play together.
Presentation and music
Visually, Sword and Shield take a clear leap forward from the 3DS games: the cities are colourful and detailed, the Pokémon expressive and the stadiums impressive. The soundtrack is one of the most memorable in the series, with Gym Leader battle themes that incorporate the crowd’s chants, and very distinctive city music. On the other hand, the Wild Area and some routes show poor textures and elements that pop in late on screen.
The “Dexit” and the Pokédex
For the first time, not all existing Pokémon are present: the Galar Pokédex holds 400 species at launch. The decision upset many players. It does have one advantage, though: every Pokémon that is present benefits from polished animations and models, and the Galar Pokédex is very varied, with successful new species like Corviknight, Lycanroc and the Galarian forms of Ponyta and Meowth. The expansions later raised the number of compatible Pokémon to 664.
The expansions change everything
The Expansion Pass is the best answer to the criticisms levelled at the base game. The Isle of Armor offers an open, dense island, an endearing dojo and the legendary Kubfu, which you evolve according to the path you choose. The Crown Tundra goes even further: an open region, expeditions that lead to many legendary Pokémon and above all Dynamax Adventures, a successful co-op mode that lets you catch most of the legendary Pokémon from previous generations. With these additions, Sword and Shield become a much more complete and lasting game.
Modern comforts
Sword and Shield simplify many things: no more HMs, forgotten moves relearned for free at Pokémon Centers, the Pokémon Box Link accessible from anywhere, Pokémon Camp for cooking curries and playing with your Pokémon, and Poké Jobs for sending Pokémon on missions. The post-game offers the Battle Tower, daily battles and tournaments. Online competition, through the Battle Stadium, made Sword and Shield the official championship game for several seasons.
Playing them today
Sword and Shield are available on Nintendo Switch and playable on Nintendo Switch 2. The Expansion Pass is still on sale on the Nintendo eShop. The games are compatible with Pokémon HOME, which lets you send your Pokémon on to more recent games. To discover Galar today, get the game with its Expansion Pass: it is the complete version of the experience.
Our verdict
A charming episode, ambitious in places, that modernises the series but lacks depth in its main adventure. With its Expansion Pass, it becomes a very good Pokémon game.
What we like
- Galar, a region with a strong character
- Gym battles in stadiums, with Dynamax
- The Wild Area and four-player raids
- Rich expansions, notably the Crown Tundra and Dynamax Adventures
What we like less
- A very linear adventure with few dungeons
- Low difficulty
- A limited Pokédex at launch (the "Dexit")
- A technically dated Wild Area
