In 2020, The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra are coming to Pokemon Sword and Shield. Each will add new areas, quest lines, modes, NPCs, and of course, new Pokemon including new legendaries and Gigantamax evolutions. Still, after backlash surrounding the National Dex, another change has left many fans skeptical of the new direction. Now many Pokemon fans are asking is Pokemon Sword and Shield’s expansion pass better than a whole new game?
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In short, the answer is yes. This DLC rollout is just the way this type of thing is done nowadays, and Game Freak’s antiquated way of releasing post-game content in the form of a new game(s) is no longer viable. In the long run, Pokemon Sword and Shield will be stronger for expanding upon the game that is already there and players will be happier and able to access new content more immediately.
From a technological standpoint, this shift is actually pretty logical. Putting aside the cynical notion that early games like Pokemon Yellow or Crystal were created to just sell players another slightly enhanced version of the same game, selling a new cartridge was the only way to expand upon a game in the Game Boy era. The Pokemon series began before DLC was even a term, and in that way, it was ahead of its time.
This practice of a third game, or third and fourth games in the cases of Black 2 and White 2 or Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, was a continuation of a bygone era of gaming. Even into the 3DS generation, it could not be ensured that every player had access to internet on their device, even if the handhelds themselves did have the capability. It’s only now, with Sword and Shield on Switch, that Pokemon finds itself on a modern console where games are mostly downloaded.
Financially, the expansion pass benefits the players. Instead of making players buy a new full-price game, the expansion pass option clocks in at $30 or half the asking price of Sword or Shield. Players do not need to play a mostly similar story playing spot-the-different the entire way. Instead, the new expansion pass gives them two new mini campaigns to complete, on top of the expected additions of new Pokemon, and gives them content to continue playing throughout the year. On its surface, this seems like a better deal, but what does the expansion pass offer in comparison to the most recent generations’ sequels?
Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon were released a year after the Gen 7 originals and realistically didn’t add all that much. New Pokemon and legendaries were to be expected and were delivered. The games added some minor modes and mini-games as well, but the biggest addition was an expanded post-game featuring battles with the leaders of every enemy organization from prior Pokémon games.
It made Ultra Sun and Moon stand head and shoulders above the vanilla versions but didn’t actually add much to the meat of the game, which players would have to replay anyway to access this content. Compared to these, the expansion pass delivers more in terms of post-game story and won’t require players to replay content to see what’s new.
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Before Gen 7, the last time Pokemon did the third and fourth games were Black and White 2, which were the first to truly break the mold the Game Boy and early DS generations had locked into place. The games had the advantage of being genuine sequels with new stories and the ability for players to catch older Pokemon from the get-go, a feature fans always ask for but never receive. They still took place on the same map, but featured some new regions and mechanics and felt the most like a true remix of the games that came before.
This release is the most similar to what Sword and Shield seems to be doing with the two expansions; it gives players new areas to explore and a new story while also satisfying fans by adding Pokemon from older generations. Only this time, the expansion pass costs less than a new full-price game and it allows players to carry their party of trusty pocket monsters into the DLC without having to go jumping through convoluted trading hoops. It is worth noting that right now that point is a positive in the favor of the expansion pass, but there is no information on just how many hours of gameplay The Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra will provide.
In previous generations, it was possible to not get the final game in a cycle and still get the next Pokemon through trading. Thankfully, this is still the case. Sword and Shield will allow players to get new Pokemon without buying the DLC, either through trading or through Pokemon Home, which is set for release in February. The expansion pass will not remedy the fact that there aren’t nearly enough classic Pokemon in Sword and Shield to please diehard fans, but it might be a good enough band-aid for now.
It certainly seems like the expansion pass is preferable to making players buy a new game. Fans get to bring their team to new areas in the Galar region in expansions that will hopefully combine post-game challenge with the excitement of seeing brand new characters, legendaries, and Gigantamax evolutions. Not too mention the nostalgia of finally being able to catch some old favorites.
Pokemon Sword and Shield is out now, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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