Pokémon Sword

- Reviewed on Switch -

Pokémon Sword released on November 15th, 2019. 

I have been an "off and on" type of fan with Pokémon in my life. 

I will get a Pokémon game, get addicted for a while, then take long breaks from them and sometimes never return to them. 

Pokémon Sword is a great Pokémon installment in the series and although the post story content is limited for an offline, solo player like myself, the journey to being the champion is a lot of fun and very memorable... at times. 

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

The location for Pokémon Sword is called the Galar region, which upon research, is based on the United Kingdom. 

As usual, in Pokémon games, you get to choose one of three Pokémon.

In Pokémon Sword I was very pleased with the design and nature of the three choices.

The three choices are...

    - Grookey
    - Scorbunny
    - Sobble

What I wasn't pleased with was unfortunately the NPCs who were just obnoxious throughout the entire game, with exceptions of very few.

I get Pokémon is a very kid friendly game series, but the dialogue and moods (behavior and actions) of certain NPCs weren't realistic but I never expected that from Pokémon in general. 

The semi, open world aspect to Pokémon Sword is very enjoyable and I always found myself exploring every nook and cranny of each Route, Town, Cave, etc. To travel, you can either ride your bike, fly (fast travel), run, walk, etc.

I even circled back around to unreachable places beforehand, which is not very common of me to do in these types of games. 

The battling in Pokémon Sword is very unique and gives off the sense of big competition especially in the many gym battles you will eventually participate in. 

With gym battles cumulating in a very wide and open stadium setting, I always looked forward to earning each gym badge which also progresses the main story. 

Speaking of story, there is one big negative to the Pokémon Sword story (and game overall) and that's post-game content. 

I tend to be a single player (as of writing this blog post) with video games, not really diving into online gameplay, features, etc. and due to this, I can't access (don't choose to) online features of Pokémon Sword.

I appreciate the online features but honestly it feels like the story of Pokémon Sword kept my attention and once it concluded in a very fun / exciting way, my desire for continuing ended. 

There are approximately 400 Pokémon in Pokémon Sword and that's just unbelievable due to the endless possibilities. 

Filling the Pokédex is a very addicting gameplay mechanic (aspect) to the Pokémon Game Series and really a staple of the Pokémon Worlds. 

There are plenty of items to collect that are similar (if not exact) to previous Pokémon installments like TMs, Berries, Potions, Pokéballs, and much more!

All the gym leaders in Pokémon Sword & Shield are...

    - Milo
    - Nessa
    - Kabu
    - Bea
    - Allister
    - Opal
    - Gordie
    - Melony
    - Piers
    - Raihan

The exclusive leaders, Pokémon, items, and more for both versions of this game (Sword & Shield) are very subtle yet exciting to know. 

Pokémon isn't for everyone, and especially after playing Pokémon Sword all the way through, I have learned that without the story narrative, I wouldn't be spending my time with Pokémon. 

However, in the beginning of each game and throughout the plot, I will undoubtably sink hours into any Pokémon game and enjoy all the possibilities there are / to come!   

Pros: 

    - Great Graphics / Polish
    - Enormous Pokémon Roster
    - Exclusives to Each Game Version
    - Great Battling Atmosphere 

Cons:

    - Very Repetitive
    - Post Story Boredom
    - Bad NPCs

My Rating for Pokémon Sword (on Switch):

3 / 5


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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.



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