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Pokemon Sword and Shield revealed!

Doctor Oak

Staff member
Overlord
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Happy Pokemon Day, folks! In celebration of the release of the first generation of Pokemon Games 23 years ago today, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have finally lifted the lid on this year's brand new, 8th Generation of Pokemon games: Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Set in the Galar region - ostensibly based off of Great Britain (pretty much just England though, really) - the first brand new Pokemon games for the Nintendo Switch really put the system to work in bringing this new region to life. Galar is an expansive region with diverse environments— an idyllic countryside, contemporary cities, thick forest, and craggy, snow-covered mountains. In what's presumably a nod to a combination of classic Northern English cities and London, there's also a quite industrial feel to certain areas of the game, too. Something that's quite unique to a series that's either very naturalistic or very futuristic in its settings.​

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The new game's visuals feature a significant step up from both Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon and Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee. The Galar region is presented with a lot of verticality and distant green and hilly lands. The camera is brought even closer to the player - though seems to still be fixed to a specific location behind and above the player, rather than being a freely controllable 3D camera.

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Although the world is brought to life in more detail than ever before, the Pokemon battles look very familliar. There are no big visual changes - beyond an improvement in textures and lighting - to the battle system that's been in use since X/Y, but the Switch continues to do a great job in realising it.

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We'll have to wait and see whether there will be any gameplay changes to these games, but it seems that after a dalliance with trying new things in Let's Go and the previous Generation, GameFreak have reverted to the standard "fight gym, get badges, become champion" formula with pretty typical random wild encounters and trainer battles.

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We did get a slight hint at the potential for something new to the series with a view of the protagonist heading out into a football stadium in a football kit, though. So watch this space for more.

As well as our first look at the game, we also got to see the first three new Pokemon of Generation 8: the starter Pokemon.​

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Grookey is a Grass-type Chimp Pokemon and is described as "mischievous and full of boundless curiosity".

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Scorbunny is a Fire-type Rabbit Pokemon. It's "bursting with energy" and "always running about".

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Finally, Sobble is a Water-type Lizard Pokemon and is described as "stealthy" and "shoots out attacks as it hides itself in water".​

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We didn't get to see any other new Pokemon, though we can't help but wonder if this hillside chalk drawing (not unlike those you can actually find across Britain) might be our first glimpse at at least one of the game's new Legendary Pokemon...

If you missed today's Direct you can watch the full thing here, or you can watch the trailer itself below. As ever, we'll bring you more information on Sword and Shield as we get it in the run up to its release at the end of this year. Let us know what you think of the new game's style, the region and the new Pokemon in the comments below!

 

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I can't wait to see what the next games have in store for us. I have a few main hopes on what we can expect in these games.

1: Some more unique types of Pokemon like Dragon/Ghost (Not just for Giratina).
2: Awesome Pseudo-Legendaries (I know they're all awesome, bit I mean really awesome).
3: Some diverse clothing options like the kind from X and Y.
 
Right... so let me get this out the way: *intense screaming*

Just like Shiny Blue Gardevoir up there, it's a region on my country which is amazing!
Also, the starters are adorable! (psst I like Scorbunny...)

And, we might get an Eeveelution for this game: excluding Generation 1, it's been an even number where one was released. It's Generation 8.
Personally, a Steel-Type would fit in with the 'Industrial' setting to this region.

I also think that weird hill-carved legendary is very Necrozma-esque.

I can drag on forever!
 

Bolero

Previously Boleroofnoodles
Although given their wolf heads on the logos. It's more than likely these legendaries may be wolf related.

makes sense and one have a large attack and s.attack and the other a large defense and s.defense
that would be cool

I like Scoble the most, but will need to see their final evolutions so I can decide my favorite for Gen 8

my favorite is Grookey, but we nedd to see the last formes this is right
 
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Not a big fan of the designs for the starters this region tbh. Though, their final evolutions might just change my mind.
But the graphics looks so freaking beautiful, and I am extremely hyped for this game.
 

Psycho Monkey

Member of the Literary Elite Four
I'm torn between choosing Grookey or Sobble as my starter. I love both of them. Scorbunny being a rabbit did not surprise me at all mainly because at this point I think everyone knows the Fire starter is a sign from the Chinese zodiac.

I really like the look of Galar from what I've seen from it so far in the first trailer. I like the amount of detail in the environments which puts even the likes of Kalos and Alola to shame. Plus we've never had a vertical region before so I think it will be pretty fun to explore.

I need more information before I fully settle on getting Sword or Shield, but in all likelihood I might just get both if the whim strikes me hard enough.
 
3D? Oh wow! I'm excited to see all the final evolutions, although I feel that Sobble might end up being the new Popplio. It's so cute though!
 

Sir Red

Charms' Caped Crusader
Wow. This game looks gorgeous. I adore all the starters right from the jump, which hasn't happened in a while for me. My only problem is simply being wildly impoverished and thus not having a Switch.
 

TheJustinMann

Previously TheJustinMan
A simple review of these games for me:
-The games look absolutely gorgeous
-I thought they took place in Canada at first cause the male trainer looks like a hipster(no offense)
-Sobble cute, Grookey cool, Scorbunny looks like it’s gonna be another fire fighting type
- looks pretty open world for Pokémon standards, hopefully there’s many ways to go and paths to choose from
-based on the name, there better be a Aegislash Mega, different form, or you at least better be able to capture on easily
-Castles. Just Castles.
-Why does the soccer- I mean, football look like a FIFA game
-CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION IS BACK WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
-It seems as if you can catch most Pokémon from other regions in this one
-There’s probably a way to get all of the other starters
-Final city on the map reminds me of Aether Paradise
-Music is gonna be amazing
-Beret on the girl trainer means that we could also be seeing a Scottish area, but the games mostly seem focused on England
-Gyms are back and better than ever(probably)!
-I have a feeling that the starter hate train is gonna start making its way through the Internet

That’s about all! I’ll probably be getting both games, because all my friends are trying to persuade me to get sword, but now I usually get both.
 
A simple review of these games for me:
-The games look absolutely gorgeous
-I thought they took place in Canada at first cause the male trainer looks like a hipster(no offense)
-Sobble cute, Grookey cool, Scorbunny looks like it’s gonna be another fire fighting type
- looks pretty open world for Pokémon standards, hopefully there’s many ways to go and paths to choose from
-based on the name, there better be a Aegislash Mega, different form, or you at least better be able to capture on easily
-Castles. Just Castles.
-Why does the soccer- I mean, football look like a FIFA game
-CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION IS BACK WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
-It seems as if you can catch most Pokémon from other regions in this one
-There’s probably a way to get all of the other starters
-Final city on the map reminds me of Aether Paradise
-Music is gonna be amazing
-Beret on the girl trainer means that we could also be seeing a Scottish area, but the games mostly seem focused on England
-Gyms are back and better than ever(probably)!
-I have a feeling that the starter hate train is gonna start making its way through the Internet

That’s about all! I’ll probably be getting both games, because all my friends are trying to persuade me to get sword, but now I usually get both.

Oh boy, I'm already on the hate train of the Fire/Fightin type
 
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