Looking back on how many of us have played Pokemon in the past decade and a half or so is a lot like rinsing a shampoo bottle in the shower before using it: we do it, but we aren’t entirely sure why.
Of course, we “know” why we do it, we all enjoy or enjoyed Pokemon at some point in our life. The legendary jRPG with training wheels is so prolific in our cultural psyche that even people who haven’t played video games will readily admit they at least played Pokemon. A lot of people grew up with Pokemon, witnessing its evolutions and earned their badges alongside anime, film, and video games. The ability to research, catch, and battle the “mysterious” (seriously, after what, nine full-time professors committing their lives to studying these creatures we still are told they are mysterious?) creatures known as Pokemon is something we have always thought has changed in a multitude of ways, and only die-hard fans are able to keep up. Pokemon Sword and Shield gently yet firmly remind us this is not the case. We can still do so with simply a new paint job.
The new Pokemon adventures hardly tough the sacred formula that hooked a generation’s attention way back in 1997, they have simply added more and more shiny accessories. If anything, as a casual gamer, it is remarkable to see what Pokemon doesn’t change rather than what it does. Hell, even while set in its pseudo-Great Britain setting, it opts out of any reference to Brexit or other contemporary British developments. This maintains the “purity” of Pokemon’s escapism, a genre that is being left behind as immature and advancing towards an era of social commentary being folded within our Build Worlds.
Now a quick caveat here regarding the latest Pokemon experience. A lot of hype was built upon the fact that Sword and Shield provided the first opportunity to enjoy a flagship Pokemon title as a console experience versus a handheld one as all previous titles have been in the past. I, personally, have a Switch Lite, making all my Switch experiences portable ones. Therefore, my Pokemon experience remains where I always hope for it to be: portable and handheld. I still cherish the moments on my morning commute, the down time on the train, or even running over to a friend’s house to catch some Pokemon and explore the ideological utopia that is the Galar Region. It is under this caveat that I will provide my go-to TL;DR for the new Pokemon titles: the best handheld Pokemon game on the market at a console game price.
To comment on heavy gameplay aspects is akin to talking about Gravity’s Rainbow by discussing bookbinding practices for novels over 500 pages; it is missing the point entirely. Pokemon is a brand in the truest sense of the word. Even the worldbuidling is focused upon marketability and branding. To play Pokemon is to put faith in both nostalgia and community to carry along our daily grind via ritual and familiarity. The new exterior simply allows for a refresh of the expected, like brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand, or taking a different route to work; a slightly new means to the same end.
The story is as light, wholesome, and simple as any Pokemon game should be. The dialogue is not much to write home about, though it does have its moments. The incorporation of Pokemon “hooligans” is fitting for the semi-British thumbing of the game, and though the Wild Area may be underwhelming for some, imagine the game without it; it is simply a fun new toy in a childhood playground. The notion of DLC does not worry me in this regard, it isn’t like many people were planning on not spending more money on Pokemon in the future, and with a DLC pass we will get the opportunity to do so far quicker than waiting for the typical “third release” in the Pokemon fashion.
I will admit, I have not “completed” a Pokedex since Pokemon Silver. Every iteration since required too much trading and grinding to complete the ever growing poked, and I was happy enough to be completing my experience with 97% of the Pokedex and my countless hours in the various Pokemon regions. With the current number of Pokemon up to 895, if I am to be missing out on 3% of the Pokemon available, I will have to give up about 26 Pokemon of my experience as is. Now, 895 is a very different number than the 400 or so Pokemon currently offered in the game. Keeping in mind, however, that the DLC has already announced new Pokemon to be included, and I do believe that Game Freak will be listening to the fans, even if at a slower rate than the Twittersphere is used to. I will still gladly begin grinding away the Pokemon they have available currently whilst enjoying the latest foray into the relaxing world of Pokemon.
PRESENTATION – 90: come on, it is Pokemon. Their design is beautiful, their artwork is world-class. You can practically taste the curries you cook at your campsite.
GAMEPLAY – 95: it is difficult to critique tradition. Yes it is a simplified version of a jRPG turn-based combat system, and it is simply what works. The camera gets a little strange at some parts, where the camera is trying too hard to provide a more interactive experience (i.e. looking around corners for a hidden item) but it is still a perfectly well-done game.
SINGLE PLAYER – 85: this is where the game will operate most of the time and the reason most will probably buy it. It is solid, no more or less solid than previous generations, though the story is not the strongest (X & Y is a hard one to beat)
MULTIPLAYER – 80* : I will admit, I have not done too much multiplayer here. I have enjoyed trading with some friends (really happy with my Sirfetch’d) and I think the “Raid lite” ideas with three other trainers is clever but requires development. Overall, it is nice to see Pokemon always pushing for collaborative approaches to the world, but I do not think they have fully cracked the code for the new generation of multiplayer
PERFORMANCE – 85: my Switch Lite handles everything with ease, though occasionally the loading times into or out of the Wild Zone seem longer, I am probably just nitpicking at this point.
OVERALL – 85: come on, it is Pokemon, don’t think too much about it, like it or leave it, and there is a lot to like.
Varasi Academica 