An evolution in gameplay was achieved when Pokémon Sword and Shield were released in the fall of 2019. Unlike many previous Pokémon games in the series, Sword and Shield introduced a new way for players to embark on a Pokémon training journey, all while utilizing the Nintendo Switch's capabilities as both a portable and home console. However, it has been revealed that the younger staff on the development team were a large part of the changes made to help the new title in the Pokémon series appeal to modern audiences while standing up to the stiff competition already released for the Switch.
The Pokémon games have remained steady and predictable since their release on the Game Boy twenty-five years ago. Players obtain a region-specific starter companion and then embark on a journey to collect eight Gym Badges and challenge the Elite Four while tackling an evil team up to nefarious plots along the way. However, what started as a simple, pixelated adventure in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow in 1998 had become a repetitive slog by the release of Pokémon Sun and Moon in 2016. To help try and combat the aging mechanics and dated graphics, Game Freak began implementing new story elements and challenges for players to tackle, as well as new battle mechanics like Z-Moves and Mega Evolution.
However, Sword and Shield was a very different game than what had been seen previously in the series. A rich narrative was complemented by crisp graphics and full, 3D models of customizable playable characters. The Elite Four were replaced by a fast-paced Championship Cup battle, and long routes were swapped out for an open-world-inspired, explorable Wild Area. A wide variety of Pokémon species were available from early in the game, giving players access to a much better strategy for Gym challenges, while quality-of-life improvements like camping and Pokémon Storage access allowed players to keep exploring and tackling objectives without needing to stop at Pokémon Centers.
Pokémon Sword & Shield's Young Staff Added Their Voices To Galar Development
In an interview with NintendoEverything, Director Shigeru Omori and planning director Kazumasa Iwao revealed surprising information about the development of Pokémon Sword and Shield. In order to make the game an amazing experience on the Nintendo Switch both in handheld mode or while docked, they knew changes from previous games would need to be made. To help aid in transforming the new Pokémon title, Game Freak gave younger staff new opportunities, bringing new voices into key positions for the game's development. Additionally, Omori chose to divide work according to the interest of staff members, ensuring that love and passion would help create a polished and authentic feel for the final product.
It is this choice that could likely be why so many gamers have enjoyed the diverse gameplay in Pokémon Sword and Shield. The game offers numerous ways to engage in difficult battles, explore areas, or complete side quests regardless of playstyle. It is also one of the first Pokémon titles to remain relevant long after release thanks to the Max Raid multiplayer battles and events that regularly freshen gameplay. Sword and Shield have also paved the way for future Pokémon titles thanks to experimental gameplay and may have opened the door for the groundbreaking upcoming title Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which will greatly change how players have engaged with a Pokémon journey in past games.
Pokémon Sword & Shield Help Pull The Player Into The Story
One of the biggest changes in Pokémon Sword and Shield is how fans interact with the narrative. From the start of the game, players have the ability to clearly see their character, as well as customize them for a more immersive and relatable experience. Instead of an arrogant rival and additional characters lacking in personality, players are given a rich narrative made up of complex and emotionally engaging NPCs. Hop and Bede both have struggles that are actively shown as the player encounters them, and the difficulties of being a Gym Leader in the Galar region are encountered in areas like Spikemuth, where Chairman Rose has run the town into the ground after Gym Leader Piers refuses to move his Gym to a location that supports Dynamax and Gigantamax battles.
The change in the "evil team" antagonists is also surprising and refreshing. Early in Sword and Shield, players are introduced to Team Yell, which appears to be the group causing trouble in this game. However, the red herring goofballs are eventually revealed to be nothing more than overly enthusiastic Dark Gym trainers from Spikemuth intent on supporting Marnie. Instead, it is revealed that Chairman Rose, the runner of the Galar Championship, is the antagonist lurking in the shadows. This change of pace in a Pokémon narrative is both refreshing and surprising, giving both old and new fans of the series a truly engaging and hair-raising mystery to solve, and could be thanks to the influence of younger members of Game Freak's development team.
Sword and Shield also broke ground for the Pokémon franchise with the addition of the DLC expansion pass including The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra. Both content expansions added new areas, Pokémon, and objectives to post-game play, allowing players further ways to explore the Galar region after completing the main storyline. While The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild used a similar expansion pass concept to add a few additional items and modes, the Sword and Shield expansion pass set an example and a president for what should be added using paid DLC. Both expansions add tens of hours of gameplay, as well as new characters and ways to engage with locations already exiting in Galar's base game map.
While change can be intimidating for both fans and creators, the choice to innovate and try new things can offer new players, as well as long-time fans, fresh challenges. The alterations made in Sword and Shield have allowed players to enjoy a Pokémon series generation more easily with others while rediscovering the joys and triumphs that come as part of a Trainer journey. Hopefully, Game Freak will continue to include the voices of younger creators, allowing future Pokémon titles to further adapt to both audience desires and console capabilities. In doing so, games that follow Pokémon Sword and Shield could help set in motion new expectations, creating more ways to enjoy a well-loved series.
Source: NintendoEverything