Pokémon Sword and Shield (Switch) First Impressions.
Hello everyone: while I have been quite busy as of late, I thought I would give you my first impressions of Pokémon Sword and Shield from the first couple hours of gameplay of each version. For the sake of argument, I will be mainly focusing on the games themselves and not addressing others’ reactions for the most part. So, let’s open them up and get started.
The games take place in the Galar region, a land heavily influenced by England and surrounding areas. While the visuals may not quite be what others were expecting, I personally like the style they went with: I enjoy how the stylized art design compliments the setting, and I was never as bothered by the graphics’ fidelity as others. I still play a lot of games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, and it’s definitely clear we’ve come a long way since the original entries on the Game Boy. The music is also really catchy, I’ve enjoyed listening to it even before the games officially came out. While there might not be any voice acting, I actually don’t mind; nor do I feel it’s necessary. I also submit that both Super Mario Odyssey and Zelda: Breath of the Wild had the right idea to make the side characters speak, but only have Mario exclaim when he does something cool and Link yell when he swings his weapon. In many ways, I actually prefer being given a character I can choose the name, look and identity of. All I need is the imagination of my inner 10-year-old, and the rest is done for me, but I digress.
The gameplay, obviously; sees many shakeups to the long-running formula, which have been viewed as divisive to put it mildly. Though I understand the skepticism to a fault, personally; if they just kept the same mechanics with each installment in any video game, we’d all still be playing Pong. How do I feel about this latest take in the series, both as a longtime fan and someone who tries their best to take each game on its own merit?
Well, I am pleased to say the experience is nowhere near as bad as many people that shall not be mentioned here worried it would be; and is actually the experience I’ve wanted out of a home console version of the game ever since I was 10. The controls are very intuitive, building on last year’s “Pokémon Let’s Go” and all the way back to the original games on Game Boy. I also don’t mind the XP Share being integrated into the level-up mechanics, since it’s actually not uncommon in other RPGs I’ve played. Final Fantasy, for example, has been doing it like that for years.
As for the Wild Area: if you’re someone like me who’s been a fan for years; or a newcomer who wants something to enjoy, exploring this world is like a dream come true. In many ways, this section reminds me of playing some of the Grand Theft Auto series when it began the transition to 3D. Not for stealing cars or getting into gang fights, certainly; but in the sense of just having the ability to explore the place at your own pace. I actually don’t mind that some monsters aren’t accessible until you reach a certain skill level; though I do admit being chased by an overpowered Machoke reminds me of CJ’s first meeting with Big Smoke in San Andreas. The game is also no cakewalk either: even at this early stage, trying to catch a Ninjask in the Wild Area was much tougher than I thought.
I have also been trying not to worry about all the uproar online, though at this stage it’s unclear whether or not the more hostile detractors’ actions will make much of an impact in the grand scheme of things. Though concrete sales numbers probably won’t be out for a bit, the games have consistently been in the bestseller charts for Amazon, Gamestop, Walmart and Nintendo eShop each time I’ve checked. Also, even amid attempts to claim otherwise; critical reception on both versions has been relatively positive, with an 81 score on Metacritic as of this writing. Even the mixed reviews admit there’s a lot to like here, despite the detractors claims otherwise. I have never been too concerned about what others think, especially since if you peel back the layers; their complaints really aren’t that different from when they tried to dismiss it as a “fad” twenty years ago.
The games take place in the Galar region, a land heavily influenced by England and surrounding areas. While the visuals may not quite be what others were expecting, I personally like the style they went with: I enjoy how the stylized art design compliments the setting, and I was never as bothered by the graphics’ fidelity as others. I still play a lot of games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, and it’s definitely clear we’ve come a long way since the original entries on the Game Boy. The music is also really catchy, I’ve enjoyed listening to it even before the games officially came out. While there might not be any voice acting, I actually don’t mind; nor do I feel it’s necessary. I also submit that both Super Mario Odyssey and Zelda: Breath of the Wild had the right idea to make the side characters speak, but only have Mario exclaim when he does something cool and Link yell when he swings his weapon. In many ways, I actually prefer being given a character I can choose the name, look and identity of. All I need is the imagination of my inner 10-year-old, and the rest is done for me, but I digress.
The gameplay, obviously; sees many shakeups to the long-running formula, which have been viewed as divisive to put it mildly. Though I understand the skepticism to a fault, personally; if they just kept the same mechanics with each installment in any video game, we’d all still be playing Pong. How do I feel about this latest take in the series, both as a longtime fan and someone who tries their best to take each game on its own merit?
Well, I am pleased to say the experience is nowhere near as bad as many people that shall not be mentioned here worried it would be; and is actually the experience I’ve wanted out of a home console version of the game ever since I was 10. The controls are very intuitive, building on last year’s “Pokémon Let’s Go” and all the way back to the original games on Game Boy. I also don’t mind the XP Share being integrated into the level-up mechanics, since it’s actually not uncommon in other RPGs I’ve played. Final Fantasy, for example, has been doing it like that for years.
As for the Wild Area: if you’re someone like me who’s been a fan for years; or a newcomer who wants something to enjoy, exploring this world is like a dream come true. In many ways, this section reminds me of playing some of the Grand Theft Auto series when it began the transition to 3D. Not for stealing cars or getting into gang fights, certainly; but in the sense of just having the ability to explore the place at your own pace. I actually don’t mind that some monsters aren’t accessible until you reach a certain skill level; though I do admit being chased by an overpowered Machoke reminds me of CJ’s first meeting with Big Smoke in San Andreas. The game is also no cakewalk either: even at this early stage, trying to catch a Ninjask in the Wild Area was much tougher than I thought.
I have also been trying not to worry about all the uproar online, though at this stage it’s unclear whether or not the more hostile detractors’ actions will make much of an impact in the grand scheme of things. Though concrete sales numbers probably won’t be out for a bit, the games have consistently been in the bestseller charts for Amazon, Gamestop, Walmart and Nintendo eShop each time I’ve checked. Also, even amid attempts to claim otherwise; critical reception on both versions has been relatively positive, with an 81 score on Metacritic as of this writing. Even the mixed reviews admit there’s a lot to like here, despite the detractors claims otherwise. I have never been too concerned about what others think, especially since if you peel back the layers; their complaints really aren’t that different from when they tried to dismiss it as a “fad” twenty years ago.
Though I will probably learn more as I keep playing, I will definitely enjoy these games well into 2020 and beyond; no matter what lies ahead. Before I go, don’t forget what happened to the man who got everything he always wanted: He lived happily ever after.
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