This time, I’m going to be covering a Pokémon series game that got a lot of backlash at release, Pokémon Sword. I’ll be honest, I initially did not like this game that much. The gameplay was decent, but the plot was easily foreseeable and things seemed far too easy. The wild area, a huge natural area full of pokémon, trees, and raid dens, seemed too barren and uninteresting. But the DLC breathed new life into the game and, as I have been playing it more often due to the Pokémon club I’m in on campus, I’ve found myself liking it a lot more.
FUN RATING: 3/5. Originally this would have been a 2, but I have discovered the joys of hanging out at other people’s campsites. While I enjoy running around and battling things as much as the next person, I’ve really been enjoying making curry with other people and playing with their pokémon. While you can’t speak to other people directly, it’s a fun experience to have with other people and, when done well (people don’t leave directly after cooking, people actually cook with you, etc), it’s really enjoyable. I was on a quest to finish my curry dex (a collection of every type of curry you can make in the game’s camp “minigame” area) and have finally finished it! It took a couple of weeks, though. Doing max raids with other people online is also fun, and has resulted in a couple of random shinies. That said, without Nintendo Online, this game becomes a little limited in terms of features- you want to be able to connect with other people to fully enjoy this game.
EASE RATING: 5/5. This game is super easy. That’s one of the complaints that a lot of people have, and they’d be fair to make that assessment. In this game, you get experience crystals from beating max raid dens (you go to the rocks and the glowing pillar of light, you jump in with a couple of other people to beat a strong pokémon, and then you get rewards). These crystals are incredibly easy to access, making it easy to level up your pokémon if you so desire. This is the first game I’ve gotten my pokémon to level 100 before the Elite 4 (in this case, the gym leader tournament). The battles also aren’t that difficult. This really hammers home that either pokémon was tougher in the older generations (some of it definitely was, if anyone remembers the Cynthia battle in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum), or it’s really getting into the “marketing for kids” easiness. While Pokémon is a kids’ franchise mostly, it’s also something with a wide fanbase of adults who think that things are becoming too easy. I did not encounter any walls or problems progressing in this game, and beat everything on the first try, which was a little disappointing. I would have preferred more of a challenge.
REPLAYABILITY RATING: 3/5. There’s some side quests in the postgame after you complete the main storyline, as well as a slightly more fleshed out main postgame, but mostly you can just keep doing whatever you were doing before you beat the game- catching pokémon. You can run around doing raids, trading with other people, making curry, you can even go through the gym tournament again- it’s pretty endless. However, there is definitely a degree of burnout to this game, and I personally had to put it down for a few months to do other things before picking it back up again towards the start of the school year with club activities.
OVERALL: This game definitely is a little rocky in terms of performance. However, it still has some aspects that are charming, notably the camping options. In the DLC, they also made it so that your pokémon can follow you around (but I wish they didn’t have to do this through Kubfu. I’m really hesitating on finishing the Isle of Armor storyline, simply because I’d have to train the thing up, and I think it’s really ugly. Oof), and it’s better put together than the wild area is. Dynamax raid adventures are also a thing you can do with other people to possibly catch legendaries (with an increased shiny chance!), but I haven’t done enough of that to offer a concrete opinion on it. The battles are pretty average, although the inclusion of Dynamaxing (make your pokémon big and strong for four turns) is decently interesting- however, I think that they are leaving that in this series installment exclusively. The gym challenge aspect was new and interesting, and in my opinion is better than what they tried in Generation 7 with the island challenges (thank god, we have gyms back). I wish that they had done more with the plot than Evil Corporation Man Is Evil, too. There’s definitely a lot that this game can improve upon, but the DLC is like a breath of fresh air. I’d recommend it if you’re planning on getting the DLC and have Nintendo Online, but only as a decent game for your money’s worth. It’s not spectacular, but it is fun enough.
As someone who never really played Pokemon growing up as I was unfortunately DS-less throughout my childhood, your review was understandable and concise to an outsider perspective, which I truly appreciate.
It’s interesting that this game was made to be as easy as it is, especially considering how many Pokemon fans today are adults– I do wonder if they were trying to market to a younger audience, or if the ease of the game was just an oversight. Good review, and I’m glad the game wasn’t too terrible!
“Far too easy” is a problem that’s been with the series since Gen 6. It’s true that Pokemon is disproportionately marketed towards children, but it’s ridiculous to say that children can’t handle even the slightest amount of difficulty. My first Pokemon game was Pokemon Ruby on the GBA, and I made it through the Gen 3 difficulty curve just fine.
ruby gang represent! yeah like please god give me cynthia champion battle difficulty again i beg of you