2Pokémon Sword and Shield will be the eighth generation game in the mainline Pokémon franchise. The series has been running since the mid-90s, and, naturally, every game in the series has warranted its fair share of hype. Fans are excited to explore the Galar Region — a region inspired by Great Britain — and harness one of three new starters to embark on a fabulous adventure.
However, as with all new games in any series, fans are trying to figure out what to expect. Every new game has offered unique new features – as well as some features that are less than stellar. If Pokémon Sword and Shield is going to stand out among its contemporaries, it will need to innovate on Pokémon’s familiar formula…
So what do we hope to see in Pokémon Sword and Shield? And what do we hope doesn’t make the cut?
(Not See) Pokémon Go Mechanics
Pokémon Go isn’t a bad game, but its gameplay mechanics have no place in a main Pokémon RPG. The mobile game took the world by storm, so it’s only natural that the first major Pokémon game for the Switch would attempt to appeal to fans of the game.
While Pokémon Let’s Go succeeded at what it set out to do, it didn’t satisfy the itch longtime fans craved. If Pokémon Sword and Shield is going to appeal to the mainline fans, it’s gonna need to stick to the mechanics of the main games. Make innovations where necessary…but none of that mobile game malarkey!
(See) British Inspired Locations and Pokémon
The Galar Region is heavily inspired by our real-world Britain. While we have yet to really explore this island region, we hope that they will incorporate more obvious references to Great Britain, as prior games based on real-world regions have based in-game locations on real locations. A Big Ben-inspired tower might prove a very interesting area to explore.
On the other hand, Pokémon inspired by British iconography would be very intriguing as well. There are already silly pieces of fan-art on this subject, but the designers at Game Freak can probably cook up a few designs that can tickle the fancy of British Pokémon fans.
(See) Content Beyond Combat
While Pokémon is an RPG focused on fighting, prior games have included content beyond the fighting. Most notably, Contests, which, for better or worse, have been absent in many recent Pokémon games.
Content beyond fighting, like Contests, would go a great deal to help Pokémon Sword and Shield stand out among the crowd. It can force players to diversify their roster to appeal to a system of game play unlike battling entirely, offering players a whole new series of challenges unlike any in the the game.
It would be incredible if the camera mechanic in Pokémon Sun and Moon evolved into a console reboot of Pokémon Snap – hey, a man can dream, right?
(See) References To Older Games
Many prior Pokémon games have contained references to other fan favorite games. While this sometimes includes incorporating fan favorite characters (Professor Oak, Red, former gym leaders, etc), it can also take more subtler forms, like how the protagonist in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire is moving from Johto.
Either way, references to prior games will be at once really nice instances of fan service as well interesting tidbits of world building to help each region of the Pokémon world feel more interconnected. Who knows? Maybe they might reference the all-but-forgotten Orre Region.
(Not See) Uninspired Pokémon Designs
While most Pokémon are fondly remembered by fans, there are a fair share of them that are…not. Game Freak deserves credit for crafting so many unique pocket monsters, but sometimes they just look at random stuff and just go “What if we turned ice cream into a Pokemon?” Or just “You know that Poké Ball Pokémon? What if we flipped it over? Evolved form!”
While it’s inevitable that some Pokémon designs in Pokémon Sword and Shield will be more inspired than others, it’s also clear that we’d like to see as few Garbodors as possible in Gen 8.
(See) See Pokémon-Human Integrated Technology
One interesting component of the Galar Region mentioned in the Nintendo Direct announcement for Pokémon Sword and Shield was that the Galar Region would feature technology created as a form of integration between Pokémon and human ingenuity.
This could mean many things. Voltorb power plants. Klinks used as gears to a machine. Construction crews comprised of Machamps – oh, wait, we’ve seen that since Kanto. Whatever form it takes, we hope to see some creative ways Pokémon have affected the development of technology in this region. It’ll offer a fascinating way to develop the world.
(See) Incredible New Legendary Trios/Duos
It goes without saying, but Legendary Pokémon are something of a highlight of each generation. However, some Legendaries are better than others. Not every legendary can be as awe-inspiring as Mewtwo, Lugia, or Rayquaza, after all.
We hope Pokémon Sword and Shield introduces a whole lot of fascinating Legendary Pokemon – and, more specifically, some incredible Trios and Duos. Pokémon Duos and Trios have been a tradition since Gen 1. We hope Gen 8 offers us a few really good ones.
(See) An Interesting Villain Plot
It’s tempting to assume that each Pokémon game can get away with introducing a new Team Rocket clone, but nothing could be further from the truth. Starting in Gen 3, the Pokémon games have introduced a new villainous team to interfere with the progatonist’s progress. But not all are equal. Gen 7’s Team Skull might be a riot, but players demand more of their villains (which, without spoiling anything for Pokémon Sun and Moon, they got. Oh, did they get it).
The villains for Pokémon Sword and Shield need to be something memorable. The antagonists have to have a discernible goal. As it stands, the last great Pokémon villain really was N, the “leader” of Team Plasma. It would be nice to see an antagonist who matches N’s level of nuance.
(Not See) A Straight-Forward Quest
For seven generations, the Pokémon formula has been established. Beat gym leaders. Fight the Elite Four. Catch ’em all. Pokémon Sun and Moon innovated that formula, but didn’t stray too far.
While the core formula should remain, it would be great if the first Pokémon game on the Switch innovate further. Offer a more divergent adventure. Offer some twists on tradition. Reward long-time players with something a little unorthodox.
(See) Great Post-Game Content
Post-Game content has been a staple since the first game, when, following the player’s triumph over the Elite Four and his rival, the Mysterious Dungeon opened up, allowing players to capture Mewtwo. Then, in Gen 2, post-game revealed the entire Kanto Region was available for exploration, nearly doubling the content players expected when they loaded Pokémon Gold and Silver, and leading to a final battle atop Mount Silver that gives players chills when they think back to it.
The Switch has a lot more processing power than the Nintendo 3DS. There needs to be a lot of new content for players. This can include a new region, a new challenge, whatever. Maybe they can fight Deoxys atop a descending meteor. Perhaps they can travel to a set of new islands. Perhaps they can travel back in time and fight Giovanni. Anything like what came before? Something entirely new? The point is it has to be something so great that players think back to the final, ultimate challenge in the same reverent tones they speak of the final Pokémon battle between Gold and Red.
