10 Features Pokémon Sword & Shield Desperately Needs
We know how to catch Pokémon. Please don’t show us again.
With Pokémon Sword & Shield coming to home consoles for the first time ever, it’s not only one of the Switch’s flagship releases this year, but one of the Pokémon franchise’s most hotly anticipated games ever.
The titles have always been popular, but Pokémon Go, Let’s Go and Detective Pikachu have ensnared more casual fans back in too. Added to that, the massive success of the Switch means a lot of players who weren't necessarily committed enough to Nintendo to support the handheld are now fully on board and ready for Pokémon's eighth Generation.
With the game almost guaranteed to be a massive seller, there are a few things Game Freak could do to ensure this is a game worthy of its new popularity.
The added power of the Switch, promise of a more rounded RPG style game and massive momentum means expectations are sky high. If Pokémon delivers some of these most wanted elements, they'll have defied even the most optimistic of fans.
Pokémon has always been a great game, but there’s no doubting it could stand for an update or two. With the Switch bringing us the best Mario & Zelda games of the decade, all eyes are on Sword & Shield.
10. New Game+
New Game+ is a staple of modern gaming, and Pokémon seems perfect for it, but it’s never been implemented yet. While Nintendo have pioneered many changes to gaming across their existence, they’ve been painfully slow at picking up features implemented by others.
Unfortunately, this means New Game+ might not be on the horizon, despite the various shakeups it could bring. With that in mind, there are some features here which could fit right at home on a New Game+ playthrough, but could exist on their own too. In all honesty, perhaps they're are more likely to.
New Game+ offers players a fresh approach, something which may be especially important given this is the first time Pokémon has come to home consoles for a main series game.
Usually, New Game+ allows players to start afresh but with all the gear and stats from the first playthrough intact. With Pokémon, it could mean keeping all of your party, though possibly with their levels rolled back to five.
It could even allow you to pick up two starters, offering a completely different experience to anything Pokémon has provided before.