Pokémon Sword and Shield are the new classic RPG Pokémon games that have been released on the Nintendo Switch. New for the franchise are online multiplayer raids that are clearly inspired by Pokémon GO. Our editor Leya thinks the raids are brilliant and explains why.
Pokémon Sword and Shield are the new main titles in the classic Pokémon RPG series for the Nintendo Switch. They bring a new gameplay mechanic that has never been featured in classic Pokémon games before: Dynamax Raids. Those who are familiar with the raids in Pokémon GO will recognize some parallels to the raids in Sword and Shield – they are almost identical.
Small but fine differences include that raids in the mobile game are displayed with eggs over an arena, while in Sword and Shield they are indicated by a large red beam. In Pokémon GO, you play with up to 20 players, while in the console game, you can play with up to 4.
I have been playing Pokémon since I was 6 years old and haven’t skipped a generation since the first Game Boy game. The new raids are one of the best innovations that have ever come to the classic RPG games for me. As always, when a new Pokémon game comes out, I am ready from the release and dive into one of my favorite universes for a while.
With these expectations, I approached the new games: In advance, Sword and Shield faced a lot of criticism. Poké collectors have a problem with the fact that they can only use and catch 400 Pokémon in the new game, while the entire franchise with the new generation includes about 800 monsters. The graphics are not up to modern Switch standards when looking at titles like Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and the muddy textures disappointed some players for a full-priced title. There is even more criticism from the community, which I will not go into here.
Admittedly, I consciously turned a blind eye to these criticisms because I just wanted to dive into a new Pokémon without ruining my anticipation. So far, I have enjoyed every main installment and felt safe. Now I am glad that, for a gaming journalist, quite unprofessionally, I had my guard down.
Perhaps the previous shitstorm could at least have been mitigated if the Pokémon Company had spotlighted the nature zones and its Dyna-Raids more. They are a real centerpiece.
I let myself be held up by Dyna-Raids
I have now spent nearly 20 hours in the game since release (November 15) and am progressing slower than ever in a Pokémon game before. Usually, I strictly follow the story. After that comes the grind for Pokémon, hatching eggs, evolutions, and side content.
At the moment, I am spending a lot of time in the large nature zones that are located between the cities. These are vast areas where the Pokémon are freely visible and approach you for a battle. The Pokémon that roam here adapt to your progress in the game. In these nature zones, there are large nests where the gigantic Dynamax Pokémon await for the raid.
What I find so great about the Dyna-Raids: The challenges are a welcome change for me. I excitedly run towards every nest from which a large red beam shines – the sign that there is a raid boss here.
Especially cool is that the raids can be tackled in online multiplayer. There is matchmaking that allows 3 other trainers to join the raid. Which Pokémon they bring and how they proceed is always a surprise.
I love the feeling that real people from all over the world are sitting on the other end and fighting with me. Here, my MMO heart is taken care of, beating for the connection to other players. If you don’t have an internet connection, you can bring 3 NPCs along.
My inner child is also quite excited when my Pokémon bursts at the seams, grows, glows, and sputters with Dyna-energy around its head. Little Leya would probably have experienced the first Dyna-Raid with flushed cheeks.
The victory feels good every time, as really good rewards await, which I am of course keen on. Among them is the raid boss that I can catch after a successful raid. Some of the raid Pokémon have special forms, making the joy of capturing them even greater.
So I am currently leisurely going from raid to raid in the nature zone, catching the Pokémon that jump in front of me and forgetting my actual mission: to become the best arena challenger and Pokémon master.
Why the Pokémon GO raids in Sword and Shield are a good thing
The raids in Pokémon GO have the particular strength of being an above-average social feature for a game. After all, you go out on the street and meet real people to participate in a raid. Solo play is also possible, but it is more challenging. The raids provide an incentive through rewards to face particularly strong Pokémon and offer a greater challenge.
These are the aspects that can now be integrated surprisingly well into Pokémon Sword and Shield. Already in 2017, the CEO of the Pokémon Company, Tsunehazu Ishihara, spoke about how Pokémon GO would influence the entire franchise in the future (via Gamasutra). They were surprised at the time by the success of Niantic’s mobile game which alone generated over 800 million dollars for Niantic in 2018.
In the case of Pokémon Sword and Shield, this influence is most strongly felt in the raids. This fresh breeze around the Poké-nose does the RPG good and allows for a new perspective on the DNA of the game – fighting, trading, and collecting together.
If you want to read more about Pokémon Sword and Shield, check out our sister site: GamePro has extensively tested Pokémon Sword and Shield.
