With the release of the Crown Tundra DLC last week for Pokémon Sword and Shield, it looks like Game Freak has put a wrap on Gen 8. For the most part, fan reaction has been positive for the latest generation of Pokémon, but does it really rank up there with the best Generations in the Pokéverse?
To make that determination, several aspects have to be considered. So let’s dive right in and take a shot at grading all aspects of Gen 8.
7 The Roster - A+
Let’s face it, if the Pokémon roster isn’t good, the entire Gen is going to suffer. Happily, the new selection of Pokémon is simply phenomenal, probably the best group in the series. There are really no duds in the roster. All of the new Pokémon are incredibly solid both design and battle wise. It reaches a really good balance of new and old stuff as well, having a big focus on the new Pokémon, but also introducing more variants of older ones and their new evolutions. Game Freak even gave some more neglected types like Ice and Dragon a lot of love this time, which was wonderful to see. It’s an A+.
6 The Region - A-
Ever since Gen 5, Game Freak has really stepped outside of their borders when creating regions. In the latest region of Galar, we are based in the United Kingdom, and they did a great job with it. It is an incredibly diverse region, having environments themed after snow, deserts, magical forests, and even a run-down, punk-themed, town. They make sure to incorporate elements of the country it’s based on as well, such as having a town based on Manchester or references to Stonehenge. Ok, admittedly some of the British colloquialisms feel a little phoned in and trying too hard, but even with that, this is a very well-made region. Definitely deserves at least an A-.
5 Personality - D+
Something that every turn-based RPG needs to strive for is creating a sense of personality entertaining enough to carry most of the adventure, as you will be playing the game for quite some time. Sword and Shield simply don’t do this too well. Ok, so the gym leaders show a lot of character in this Gen, but their screentime is so minimal that it all ends up not amounting to much. The rivals (with the exception of Marnie) feel really formulaic, and by the numbers in their character arcs. There aren’t really any traditional sidequests either, so the minor NPCs don’t get much time to shine.
The biggest offender in this category by far though is how the game completely throws away this great structure it has of being focused on your gym challenge near the end in favor of an extremely typical Pokémon climax we’ve had for the past 5 generations now, which feels really insulting. It gets a D+, it’s not as dry as some other games in the series, but compared to Sun and Moon or all of Generation 5, or just other RPG’s in general, the personality is just not there.
4 Gyms - A+
The gyms in Sword and Shield are nothing short of incredible, they totally nailed them this Gen. The types they picked for the gyms are well thought out, beginning with the 3 starter types and then branching out into some more unusual types such as Ghost and Fairy. The gyms themselves are masterfully done, having some really interesting puzzles and visuals, in addition to having a live crowd watching you battle. The crowd even reacts to things that happen during each battle, which not only is a great touch, it makes the gym leader fights all the more exciting. Game Freak also added a cool new feature where some of the gym types differ between Sword and Sheild, giving the versions more individual identity. When all is said and done, the gyms are probably the highlight of the game, and they definitely deserve an A+.
3 Graphics - B+
The graphics inherently are going to have a slight advantage over the most other games in the series solely due to being on Nintendo’s newest system, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they went all out with because there are some issues here. The visuals overall are very clean and smooth, but animations leave a lot to be desired. While the move and trainer animations in battle are fantastic, the Pokémon themselves don’t really move or emote as much as you think they should (outside of Pokémon Camp anyway, where they are actually very well animated).
Some of the textures look really rough as well, particularly in the Wild Area, and animations in the overworld haven’t really progressed much since Gen 6. They also don’t play with the lighting or graphical effects as much as you would expect from a system with the capability of a Switch. The visuals get a B+. They’re good, probably some of the best Pokémon has had, but compared to other Switch games, they’re lacking.
2 Music - A+
This section is a complete no-brainer. Pokémon as a whole always does music well, and Sword and Shield are no exceptions. There is a ton of variety in the music, as it makes use of a wide arrange of different genres in the soundtrack, ranging from electronic, orchestral, or rock. The soundtrack is quite large too, being over 100 songs long, meaning nothing gets too repetitive at any point. The music gets an A+.
1 Pacing - A+
The pacing of a game can never be overlooked. It makes all the difference in whether a game maintains its excitement and intensity, or whether it has long lulls in the action. Thanks to Sword and Shield’s bigger focus on the gym challenge, a lot of events throughout the game feel more connected and meaningful as it all relates to the themes of victory and your journey. Nothing goes on for too long, yet nothing feels overlooked, either. It hits that great middle ground of giving everything its proper time in the spotlight before moving on to something else. It also helps that the engine they use is very snappy and streamlined so that nothing is unnecessarily slow. The pacing is excellent and deserves an A+.
NEXT: Pokemon: The 10 Most Glaring Omissions from Gen 8, Ranked
