Right off the bat, you’re given a choice of which trainer you want for your avatar; I chose the male one, naming him “Scamander” in Sword and “Sam Wise” in Shield. You also are given a choice of which hair color, eye color and skin tone closest resembles yours. So, light peach skin, hazel eyes and black hair it is.
Rather than a Pokémon professor, your introduction to the games’ world is given by Chairman Rose; one of many times these titles silently say “and now for something completely different.” That will be one of many British references in this, since the games take place in the Galar region: a land heavily based on England and the surrounding areas. The gym leaders take the field like it’s the World Cup; and I really like how this game revamped the approach to gym battles. Treating the gym leaders and the Champion, Leon like real-life athletes and celebrities provides a nice contrast to the journey of you, the player.
It turns out that it was viewed on your mobile phone; which is described as “flash” by your best friend and first rival in this game, Hop! He’s basically going to be a sort of Galarian Hau in this game, and though I had never heard that term before playing this; I could tell from context it meant “cool.”
Anyway, after being wished well by your mother and his; you’re sent off to meet Professor Magnolia and her granddaughter, Sonia to get your starter from Leon. While there are many characters that caught the fans’ eye in these games; I’m just going to say that Sonia is among my favorites. Hop is also Leon’s little brother, and wants to be just like him! After you’re given the task, and your mobile is given the power of Rotom to make it the Rotom Phone (a neat successor to the Rotom Dex in Generation VII) and you are given your starters! I went with Scorbunny in Sword (named him Jazz), and Sobble in Shield (named him Mondo Gecko). Hop also has a Wooloo that he was given by his brother; who was seen ramming the gate earlier.
I must say that I really like his battle theme: several tracks of music were done by Toby Fox of “Undertale” fame, and I’ve let everything below the neck go moving to the beat.
Wooloo then breaks through the gate, prompting Hop and I to go after Wooloo in the Slumbering Weald. This leads to an encounter with the legendary beast tied to each version; and I really like how the fog impacts your UI’s sound and visuals as none of your attacks have any effect. Then, you wake up as the fog clears. Insert Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand reference here.
After a barbeque with our two families, we officially set off from our hometown of Postwick from the train station in Wedgehurst. Our journey has officially begun! Please bear in mind that as I’m mostly doing this from memory, some events may be described differently depending on your experiences. That said, I did enjoy my playthrough; so I will do my best to go through the main story in chronological order. Some events are unique to each version, but thankfully; the core gameplay is consistent between the two.
I will point out that I do like both Motostoke and Hammerlocke being used as hubs before you return to challenge their gyms. Sometimes, it’s the subtlest callbacks that are the most effective: not through existing monsters or their human partners; but through something as simple as the layout of the map. These cities also bookend the Wild Area; which I will address when I get to the gameplay later on.
Heading through the Galar Mines; we also see another rival in Bede! Contrasting the more laid-back Hop, he’s a much more cold and calculating individual. I think that’s actually a nice compromise to have both a friend with a mutual goal and a rival that is more condescending. Plus, he reminds me of Giorno, both in looks and personality. It’s the hair and outfit especially.
His theme music is also probably my favorite rival battle theme since Silver’s.
After going through the first section of the Galar Mines, the first gym is in Turffield; against its leader Milo! As a grass gym leader, I rather like the “gentle giant” gardener vibe he gives off; though his design kind of reminds me if Mohn was training with the Macho Brace. Before you face him, you have to wrangle some Wooloo! I rather like that the new gym challenges are combined with some of the puzzle-solving from the Island Trials in Generation VII. The first gym also is the formal introduction to the “Dynamax” and “Gigantimax” mechanics; which allow your monsters to assume giant sizes for three turns once each battle. Much like Mega Evolution and Z-Moves before it, they’re a nice way to shake up the gameplay conventions and add a new element to the core mechanics. There were lots of Godzilla and Power Rangers memes abound as well, though this time: I got more of a vibe of Marvel’s Giant Man.
I end up winning, getting my first badge en route to the next gym. The next destination is in Hulbury; where the leader is the water-type specialist Nessa; a statuesque stunner of a gym leader who moonlights as a model. Before you face her, there’s also a puzzle to solve about raising and lowering the levels of water in the gym to reach her. I rather like it, and I have ever since I first saw it unveiled.
After I get the second badge, there’s another meeting with Chairman Rose, and his assistant Oleana at a local fish and chip shop. Even knowing what lies ahead, I really like Rose’s “casual” outfit as this stretch of gameplay closes while having lunch.
Heading back to Motostoke by way of Galar Mine #2, in addition to a second encounter with Bede (revealing that Rose had sponsored him for the gym challenge); there are some skirmishes with the villain faction of these games, Team Yell! On top of making light of groups in the fandom that shall not be mentioned here; they do fit the setting as a mix of punk rockers and sports hooligans, being self-proclaimed backers of the rival Marnie. I mean, a literal vocal minority of obnoxious loudmouths in facepaint, tooting horns; waving banners and not listening to what others say… make your own assumptions.
The Motostoke gym leader is the fire-type specialist Kabu; an elderly person who has a choice of challenge to reach him: earn points by catching monsters or fighting the other gym trainers. I chose the latter, since I was low on Poké Balls at the time in both versions. Beating him was a bit easier in Shield since I started with Sobble there. I raised it into Drizzile, though catching a Chewtle in Sword and raising it into a Drednaw was also pretty useful.
The next stop is in Stow-on-Side; whose gym leader is different depending on which version you play. In Shield, you face off against the Ghost-type specialist Allister; a young man who’s rarely seen without his mask. Despite being a child prodigy of sorts in battle, he’s very introverted in terms of personality. On the other side of the coin, in Sword, you battle the Fighting-type master Bea. While not as young as Allister, she’s implied to still be a student when not in battle; and both in looks and personality; she kind of reminds me of Makoto from Street Fighter III.
Before you fight them, you end up going through a giant pinball machine to reach them; fighting the other gym trainers while also guiding your avatar in what appears to be a takeoff of the teacup ride at Disneyland. (Side note: Once all this is over, I’d like to go back there: heard the new Star Wars attractions are really fun; and I’m even curious enough to try the green milk. Also looking forward to Super Nintendo World at Universal as well, hopefully this might lead to a new PokéPark as well.)
I also really like the design of Stow-on-Side as a town. I’ve always liked how the series has made its settings integral to the story (like any fiction I enjoy does), and/or makes them interesting to see the series explore. Case in point: outside the city, fossils are resurrected by the scientist Cara Liss, who fuses together parts to make hybrid creatures that I can’t help but love. Also, insert Shou Tucker and/or Ian Malcolm reference here; as many others have.
One key story event here is when exploring the ruins to find more information on Galar’s “Darkest Day,” is another confrontation with Bede! When he wrecks a mural that contains a scene of the Darkest Day, Rose is unfortunately forced to rescind his sponsorship for the Gym Challenge. I forgot to mention earlier: in this region, a sponsorship from someone else is vital to your Gym Challenge, and though Rose effectively adopted Bede in this manner (since not much is known about his real parents apart from being unable to raise him themselves); it’s clear that not only did Rose not want it to come to this; he has other plans in mind.
The next gym is through the forest known as “Glimwood Tangle,” revealed in the memetic 24-hour livestream this past October. I didn’t see all of it, as it was the same time I was going to see Joker; but I liked how relaxing the pass was, reminded me of something from Bob Ross. This leads to the town of Ballonlea; home of the Fairy-type master Opal! I really like her appearance and demeanor of an eccentric but wise old grandmother, as the gym is outright stated to have been in her family for centuries. Much like Blaine before her, the challenge also involves a bit of trivia in battle! I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for that kind of mentor archetype, and this character and series excels at that.
After getting her badge, the next gym is in Circhester; which is another one that varies depending on which version you play. I got the twin pack (the first time I’ve done this), so in Sword, you fight the rock-type leader Gordie; and in Shield, you fight his mother Melony, an ice-type leader. You only get one, fellas: I do like the body positivity, especially as someone who’s been able to measure their body type over the last decade in Shatners (back to my ideal Star Trek I-II Shatner, worst case of “Freshman 37” was at Star Trek V-VI levels. Heck, if I shaved more often, I could even pass for Chris Pine type now, but I’m getting ahead of myself.).
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| "I need an adult?" "I am an adult." |
So, Opal is able to become Bede’s new sponsor; selecting him to be her eventual successor as Gym Leader and effectively her adoptive grandson. This game is rated E, folks: get your mind out of the gutter!
I end up winning my sixth badge in Circhester, and now the game is really showing its true potential: while I liked the Let’s Go games for how they reimagined Yellow; these are truly worthy of being the first games in the series developed entirely with the Switch in mind. I especially like how they worked the world into the story, and the weather patterns aren’t just fantasy: weather in the UK is often like that. Sun, rain, snow, and fog are all common; and I really like how there are certain monsters that can only be caught under specific conditions.
Now, to address the Cufant in the room: Team Yell. Though this may seem like a swipe at surface level at some of the more hostile detractors of the games, the next destination is proof there’s more to them than that: Spikemuth! For the record, I only skimmed the now-infamous “Affleck leak,” and though I’m still verifying the information myself as I am wont to do; it did reveal some details before they were officially confirmed. That said, I still tend to take most leaks with a grain of salt: a whole side of it is bad for your blood pressure. I still remember the “Grinch leak” for Smash Bros. Ultimate, after all. Spikemuth is the location of your seventh badge, and this time; the challenge is what I like to call “the gauntlet:” you end up fighting waves of Team Yell grunts to get to the gym leader. Though some criticized this for resembling an arcade brawler,
I am once again going against the tide and praising it for the same reason.
Now, our opponent for the seventh badge is Pierce! On top of being the older brother for Marnie, he’s the only gym leader in the game not to use the Dynamax special moves. He was even offered the chance to gain access to this ability, but he refused. He prefers his battles as a dark-type specialist the old-fashioned way: face-to-face, eye-to-eye. His sister Marnie is also being prepped to take over the gym one day, and she holds no such qualms about the Dynamax.
Now, after that, it’s back to Hammerlocke for the eighth and final badge against the dragon master Raihan! On top of the weather effects being favored by him, his ace is Duraludon in its Gigantimax, or “G-Max” form for short. The base monster is essentially Mechagodzilla, and its special form is kind of like Fortress Maximus or Metroplex from Transformers; and that won’t be the only time I bring that up. For now, so to speak: “Duraludon heeds the call of the last badge.”
All eight badges have been won, so now it’s time to go to the Pokémon League in Wyndon! The city is basically their version of London, with areas specifically modeled after key landmarks such as Picadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square. Rather than the Elite Four, this time; you get to the Champion by fighting opponents in a new setting called the Champion Cup! I especially like this changeup from past games, and I will get into this more when I get to the gameplay section.
It’s here where two big character traits are retconned as darker after being played as humorous through out much of the game: Hop, the energetic rival and your best friend acts the way he does because he feels like he’s always in your shadow, and his brother’s. Much like Hau before him, he acts the way he does to display the inner confidence he wants to have like his brother Leon. On that note, Leon’s lack of direction is a minor running gag in the game; until this last stretch reveals that Chairman Rose is deliberately misleading him so as not to interfere with his real plan.
The final stretch of the main story is a big one, and I really like how that it makes the player not only another side of Hop’s coin; but of Leon’s as well. Also, before I really get going; I actually don’t mind Leon’s outfit the way others do: it actually makes a lot of sense to me for his outfit to be a sports version of a royal noble. The high tops, the cape covered in product placements (kind of like a stock car racer or Captain Amazing from “Mystery Men”), his hat being trimmed like a crown: it makes perfect sense for his character. I don’t even mind the hat trick he does when you win (before anyone asks: I liked that and Terry’s win animation in Smash Bros. Ultimate for different reasons; and it’s been a mainstay of him ever since I first played the Orochi Saga in arcades. Do not cite the deep magic to me witch: I was there when it was written.).
As the new champion, your first challenge comes from none other than Chairman Rose: his plan was to use the Dynamax Energy and the Wishing Stars to bring about “the Darkest Day,” out of a perceived energy crisis despite the reserves. Worse still, he’s not even trying to hide behind a facade of being well-intentioned like previous villains have been; openly admitting his plans on the stadium’s televisions! Ladies and gentlemen, I do believe he’s crossed the
moral event horizon.
On top of Oleana also being in play, it turns out that his employees are also part of a second villain faction known as Macro Cosmos; and as they go, I honestly think this was handled much better than it was with Team Flare; and they’re like the Galarian Aether Foundation. There was no chance of them beating Team Plasma in my book; but I still liked fighting them regardless.
Everyone must now band together to prevent the Darkest Day, and I really liked how the lore was worked into the story. With the help of the gym leaders and Hop, everyone; having learned the sickening truth, decides to confront Rose. The penultimate fight with Oleana, which was also my first major encounter with Gigantimax Garbodor; was a good challenge, and the monster’s new form looks more like Hedorah the Smog Monster than ever.
I also really like the music when battling with her, it’s honestly joined the list of my favorite admin battle themes.
The final battle is not only against Rose, but it sees you capturing Eternatus as well! This is only one of a few times in the entire history of the series to date where the events play out in this manner and are required to do so; and I actually like this approach of getting the third monster before you get the legendary beast of each version. Even when the render stays constant ingame despite the Dex entry listing its size at 65’7” standard/20m metric; again, as a Transformers fan, it’s no weirder than the scale in that franchise. Whether it’s the original show from the ‘80s or even the recent “Bumblebee,” still astonished how that big alien robot can fit in a Volkswagen.
Rose, realizing there’s no going back from what he’s done; agrees to turn himself in; and the endgame sees many significant developments: Sonia is promoted to a full-on Pokémon professor as her grandmother’s eventual successor. The legend of Galar has come true, with Hop and the player being recognized as heroes; and the game is bookended by being able to battle and catch the legendary beast that corresponds to the version of the game you play.
The postgame quest sees Swordward and Shielbert, two individuals who claim to have ties to Galar’s royal bloodline trying to take the title and the legendary beasts from you. Though only mildly condescending compared to rivals like Silver (who, were it not for Pokémon Masters softening him in a recent event; could have been just steps away from becoming the Joker), once you best them; they do thankfully soften. I do rather like the spat they get into with Piers over whose hairstyle is more absurd.
Now that I’ve run through my experiences in the story, let’s talk the other factors. I know I mentioned the sound in terms of music; but it’s other little touches that I like in the audio too. Though some bemoaned there wasn’t any voice acting, I personally will go against that tide (as I have done in other aspects more openly) and state that I don’t think it’s necessary. For every game that is able to successfully implement it, there are countless others that have me laughing at best and scrambling for the mute button at worst. While spinoffs like Detective Pikachu have done fine with it, I don’t think I want any just yet. Besides, if I had to; I would probably approach it similarly to Mario Odyssey or Breath of the Wild: the side characters can speak, but keep the protagonist mostly silent. Makes it easier for me to mold the character into a personality I would want. I also like the little touches that help the setting stand out: cars drive on the left side of the road; running shoes in shops are called “trainers,” Hop calls you “mate” as his friend; and one of the police officers you battle is named (who else?) Bobby. Even the Corviknight taxi and its cabbie seem modeled after actual British cabbies.
Visually, the game is gorgeous. The “upscaling” argument made no sense to me when the Switch doesn’t even have the same internal components as the consoles it succeeded. Despite what others claim, the same design is not equal to the same model. One rotation from Zamazenta has nothing on wrestlers zipping around the ring in WWE2K20. Besides, as someone who still plays and enjoys lots of games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, I can assure you that the arguments some people were making weren’t going to work on me. It’s inherently clear that we’ve come a long way graphically since the original entries on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, and I do like how some of the Gigantimax forms pay homage to the original sprites. Those are one of my favorite kind of Easter eggs: right up there with the 2D sequences in Mario Odyssey, the entire open-world concept of Breath of the Wild homaging the original Zelda. You really think someone who loved seeing the classic stages return in Smash Bros. Ultimate would be intimidated by petty “N64 trees” insults? Seeing as how Ocarina of Time is my favorite game ever, that was only the second worst attempt to scare me using trees. The first was The Happening:
either way, it didn’t scare me so much as make me want to listen to Rush.
Now comes the part that’s always the most important in any game to me, including these ones: the gameplay. As someone who always viewed completing my Pokédex as a secondary quest ever since I was younger, this ballyhoo was never going to be something I bought into. I’m not sure how things will go in the near future; but I can still point to plenty of counterexamples in and out of the franchise that prove that having access to every monster isn’t necessary to have a good gameplay experience. “Pokémon Snap” is a title I revere for its photography aspects, even though only 63 of the original monsters are available. The two “Pokémon Stadium” games were the first taste of competitive play that’s still active today. Both “Colosseum” and “Gale of Darkness” put the series in a setting that wouldn’t be out of place in the “Mad Max” films. The “Mystery Dungeon” series proved that you don’t have to play as every monster to get a good gameplay experience. “Pokémon Conquest” was a fantastic strategy title and crossover with Nobunaga’s Ambition (even being called as such in its native Japan). The “Pokkén Tournament” series focused on a great variety of monsters in the series to make a fantastic fighting game on the platform for Namco Bandai’s own “Tekken” series. Heck, even before I preordered the twin pack; I specifically factored in the replay value of other titles I picked up to keep busy. Zelda, Splatoon 2, Super Mario Maker 2, other RPGs such as the Final Fantasy series and Bastion; even titles I bought on a whim like Doom 64 and Katamari Damacy Reroll. The one constant between them all is this: if I had to choose between more content right away and better gameplay to start, I would choose the gameplay every time. As such, I’ve logged over 200 hours combined into these titles; and even if there wasn’t a pandemic going on, I’d be willing to play them both for hundreds more. The control is spot-on (intermittent Joycon drift aside), and the UI and core gameplay are among the best in the series. The Wild Area is honestly one of the most fun places to explore in the entire series; and I’d love to see it expanded on in the future. I really love the Pokémon Camp and curry cooking. It’s the latest way of making monsters cuter; even when they’re otherwise terrifying. Eternatus: “I SHALL BRING ABOUT THE DARKEST DAY!” Also Eternatus: “Ooh, is that sweet curry?” It’s not the number of monsters that make a game for me: it’s how I play it. I can easily see myself continuing to defend my title for ages to come.
I admit that I don’t know for sure how the series first-ever expansion will work, but given how Nintendo has typically done these more sparingly than other companies; I try to be the voice of optimism when I can. That being the case, I honestly think it shouldn’t be too different than the Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighter Pass or Splatoon 2 Octo Expansion: in terms of cost and content included, it’s fulfilling the same role a sequel, third version or “Ultra” version would. I’ve already opted in, and I am eager to see how it turns out. If all else fails, I can’t imagine it going over worse than Fallout 76, or WWE2K20; or Anthem. All things considered, despite the detractors claims otherwise; no series gets the biggest ever if absolutely no one still likes it. One of my associates believed something had given way,
but if the latest financial report is any indication; the opposite has happened. As of March 2020, Pokémon Sword and Shield have sold over 17 million copies worldwide across all versions; being among the top five bestselling games on the Switch and the top four in the entire franchise, about 30% of the 55 million units the Switch has sold to date. Six months later, they’e a hit no matter how I look at it: a proverbial “blue ocean.”
I’ll see you all next month when the Isle of Armor goes live, and again later this year when the Crown Tundra goes live.
Later.
