There are a lot of things that need to be fixed inPokemon SwordandShieldfrom thelack of returning Pokemonto the lackluster endgame grind. While the games shattered sales records for the Nintendo Switch, longtime fans of the franchise played the games and were left wanting more, as with the revolutions made in theMarioandLegend of Zeldafranchises when transitioning to the Switch, manyPokemonfans had high hopes forPokemon’s first installment on Nintendo’s new hardware.
However, the game failed to live up to expectations for some, but Game Freak has a rare opportunity to be able to correct the mistakes made in the base games thanks to the introduction of the Expansion Pass, which has the potential to fix many of the problems fans had with the games.
RELATED:Everything You Need to Know about Pokemon Sword and Shield’s Expansion Pass
Inching Closer to a National Pokedex
It may seem like beating a dead horse sometimes, but long-timePokemonfans really care about having a National Pokedex. There’s always going to be a Pokemon fan out there who likes an off-the-wall Pokemon that is not included in the game, so fans would at least like the option to be able to transfer that Pokemon over viaPokemon Hometo use inPokemonSwordandPokemon Shield. There are 890 Pokemon in the National Dex now (with more being added in the Expansion Pass), so it’s understandable to make them all not catchable in one game.
However, for those fans who have dedicated much of their lives to the series, they should be allowed to move over Pokemon into the game regardless of whether or not it’s native to Galar. It also introduces a fascinating situation of introducing non-native Pokemon to the Pokemon ecosystem thanks to Wonder Trade and Link Trades.
TheSwordandShieldExpansion Pass isadding over 200 returning Pokemonto the game, meaning that there is going to be a larger selection of Pokemon to track down after both the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra launch. However, even with these 200+ Pokemon being added, there still leaves a good gap of Pokemon that will still be unobtainable or nontransferable inSwordandShield. Hopefully, Game Freak continues to add Pokemon so that players can really build unique and interesting teams for casual or competitive battling - because there are some really cool synergies with unavailable Pokemon and new Pokemon that fans are dying to try out.
Route Diversity and Wild Areas
One of the most notable changes inSwordandShieldcompared to previous generations is thenew Wild Area- a fresh take on what could potentially be a new route design philosophy at Game Freak. The Wild Area features tons of Pokemon roaming around, and the area is filled with Pokemon Dens for raid battling, other (simulated) trainers, and vendors. While the Wild Area could be better, it represents a potential for more interesting routes in the future Pokemon titles. Game Freak did note that it will be implementing different route designs in the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra that will be more reminiscent of the Wild Area, so perhaps the routes in aPokemongame will finally feel a bit more dynamic (even if it’s only as part of a DLC for now)
Obtaining Unobtainable Pokemon
TheCrown Tundra DLC is introducing a new co-op game modethat could be the perfect way for players to finally get unobtainable Pokemon - like previous Legendary Pokemon for example. Those working on thePokemon HomeNational Pokedex are quickly realized just how many Pokemon are impossible to obtain at the moment without busting out a 3DS and a myriad of otherPokemongames. However, Game Freak is introducing a great method for drip-feeding unobtainable Pokemon to the game without having to do Mystery Gift events. It seems that the new game mode will be some variety of raid battle against previous Legendary Pokemon and players will have the opportunity to catch them as well. While there is currently no word on if that will include Mythical (event-only) Pokemon, some players are hoping so since there are so many event-only Pokemon that are unobtainable now.
There are some worries about this new mode, however. Therecent Mewtwo Max Raidshighlighted a major problem for the raid system inSwordandShield. Mewtwo was incredibly powerful, knew more moves than a standard Pokemon, and had perfect IVs. This made it a near-impossible fight without the proper Pokemon and team coordination. If these powerful Pokemon are returning in The Crown Tundra, they are going to have to be scaled down a bit so the average player can matchmake into a raid without having to have perfect coordination between themselves and random players on the internet.
More Endgame Challenges
The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra are both seemingly set after the main game’s campaign concludes, though that is still in question. If it is set up as a post-game campaign, then the two new areas should be more challenging and have new rewards and opportunities for players to test their strength as the champion of the Galar region. This is the perfect opportunity for Game Freak to create some genuinely challenging content that tests the strength ofthe player’s perfect teamto force them to evaluate and adjust to make the game more interesting. While each DLC area has a specific theme, if these areas are big enough there is plenty of room for Game Freak to build great challenges that will make the endgame ofSwordandShieldthe best the series has ever seen.
Mystery and Exploration
A sense of mystery and discovery is something that was sadly missing for a large part ofPokemon SwordandShield. Whether it be from theleaked informationor just general handholding during the main campaign, players were handed essentially everything with little left to discover for themselves. The DLCs give Game Freak a chance to enrapture their fanbase again with new areas that feature plenty of secrets and mysteries to uncover. It seems like Game Freak is leaning into this idea as it stated in its January Direct that The Crown Tundra would be all about secrets and discovery. Hopefully this stays true and the DLCs and players will be invested in whatever secrets await them as it ventures out from the Galar region.
Moving from anew game installment to DLCis a brave new venture for Game Freak, and one that could work out in its favor - plus fans would rather not dish out another $60 for a revamped version of the same game. It could be the perfect opportunity to pull back in those fans who abandoned the series due to the number of issues it had with the latest installments. While there are obviously some that will never change their mind, if Game Freak plays its cards right and makes the right changes,Pokemon SwordandShieldcould start becoming the game fans wanted it to be from the beginning.
Pokemon Sword and Shieldare available now for Nintendo Switch.
MORE:The Fix For Pokemon Sword and Shield’s Raid Problem is Still A Ways Off
