Pokemon Sword and Shield has come out, and the new generation of Pokemon is here now to be loved by both existing and new Pokemon fans. But is the latest game worth the hype surrounding it?
Review Roundup
If we're to ask critics, it seems like they are in favor of Pokemon Sword and Shield, with most reviews generally good and commending the gameplay experience, with Polygon saying that the game still managed to surprise them, and despite the game's limitations, it did not feel like that at all.
According to Forbes, the new Game Freak release has also acquired a good score out of 19 reviews, totaling 81 over 100.
Fans versus Game Freak?
However, fans are not as happy as the critics are, and have given the game a score of 3.4 out of 10--a rather low score for such a promising game, according to critics.
So, what seems to be the problem?
Before Pokemon Sword and Shield were officially released, the complete Pokedex was allegedly released and showed a considerable cut, including some beloved first-generation Pokemon missing from the list.
But more than that, the hate seemed to have come from the belief that Game Freak has cut corners when developing the game, with some of the fans accusing the developers of several issues such as the lackluster animations as well as reusing older game models.
According to CNN, this led the hashtag #GameFreakLied to trend in the United States, believing that the studio lied about the game's production.
"Top quality animations"#GameFreakLied pic.twitter.com/mkfQyDvsCO — Kevin (@_KevinTheP1_) November 13, 2019
Twitter was also filled with videos pointing out the alleged shortcomings of the game.
A Big UK Launch
But, all is not bad for Game Freak and Pokemon Sword and Shield as the game has a rather great launch in the UK.
Based on a report by WCCFTech, Pokemon Shield acquired the 3rd spot on the United Kingdom charts, and the Dual Edition got the 7th spot.
The combined sales of the titles have led to the 2nd largest launch in the UK in Pokemon history.
Additionally, there are also some great things about Pokemon Sword and Shield that fans will love, including having a change of clothes (seeing as clothes are expensive), allowing you to come face to face with your smaller Pokemon, and inactive dens are a great way to gain some money in the Wild Area.
Final Thoughts
So, what's the verdict?
Overall, Pokemon Sword and Shield can give you a great experience, especially if you're an existing fan of the franchise--but you do have to brace yourself for a few simple problems. Still, it's definitely worth the try and the hype.
