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Star Rating:
I have completed half of the gym battles in Pokémon Sword, so I thought I’d write a review. Pokémon Sword is a lot like other Pokémon games. You catch Pokémon, battle other trainers, win gym badges, and go through a story. If you enjoy older Pokémon games, you will enjoy this one.
This game has some great additions. I have not played Let’s Go: Pikachu or Eevee, so I don’t know if these features were included in those games, but they are new to me as someone who last played Pokémon Sun. The wild area is one of the game’s best features. It’s an open world, so you can run around wherever you want and catch Pokémon. Some of the Pokémon can be seen, while others are hidden. You can even see the weather, which affects your battles. You can also battle dynamax Pokémon hidden in caves, allowing you to catch them. You’ll also get candies that will give your Pokémon experience points.
Another useful thing is that all your Pokémon in your party gain experience points, which means less grinding. After you fight a Pokémon, you’ll then be able to see which of your Pokémon’s attacks are effective or not against that Pokémon. Your attacks are also color-coded according to their type, and you can read more about them by pressing “move info.” These definitely make the game easier. Remember, kids play these games. But, honestly, even if you’ve been playing Pokémon your entire life, these are quite useful. Check out my Pokémon type match-up chart to see which types are effective or not against others.
There’s also a camping feature where you can pitch a tent, cook food, and play with your Pokémon. This will heal your Pokémon and give them experience points. It’s great for when you are traveling around the wild areas where there are no Pokémon centers. Another great feature is the ability to access your box at any time, other than during battles and gyms. This allows you to switch Pokémon from your party to your box and vice versa whenever you want.
However, Pokémon Sword feels shorter in duration than other Pokémon games I’ve played. The routes you take to get to different towns and cities feel shorter and more straight-forward than in previous games. You’ll have to return to the wild area frequently to level up your Pokémon because the routes aren’t long enough to raise your levels sufficiently before the next gym battle. There don’t seem to be as many trainers to fight along the routes, either.
The story doesn’t feel all that interactive either. Most of the time, it involves watching cut scenes, talking to characters, and answering simple multiple-choice questions in which any answer seems to work. I could be wrong, but I feel like older games made me an active part of the story by requiring me to venture into buildings and battle bad guys. Team Yell exists, but they are hardly like Team Rocket and other evil organizations. Team Yell just blocks your path on occasion. Your rival is also way too friendly towards you. Gary was a jerk, but at least he felt like a genuine rival. These new rivals in the last few games are your best friends.
Overall, I’ve been enjoying the game. I think it’s fun. I would recommend it to Pokémon fans. Pokémon Sword has some great new features, but I feel like I’m completing the game faster than I did the previous ones. I’d also like to do more with the story. Perhaps I’m just not quite there yet in the game. After all, I have a few more gym battles to fight, so there’s more of the story I haven’t seen yet. I can always update this review and let you know how I feel about it once I complete the main story and defeat the gym battles and champion.
Check out Pokémon Sword for yourself.
What do you think of Pokémon Sword? Let me know in the comments.