The Pokémon Sword and Shield DLC is the perfect answer for disappointed fans.

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• The Pokémon Sword and Shield DLC is the perfect answer for disappointed fans.

Pokémon is the most profitable media franchise of all time, currently with 890 weird and wonderful pocket monsters to catch, 22 movies to watch (122rd coming soon on Netflix), and XNUMX video games to play. This cultural dominance is certainly good business, but it also means that fan criticism can be quite strong, with the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield marred by backlash and controversy. The limited Pokédex drew particular ire, with some fans even calling for a boycott during pre-release. For mainstream games that should usher in a new era for Pokémon RPGs on the Nintendo Switch, especially when compared to the somewhat light Pokémon Let's Go games, this probably wasn't the reaction Game Freak was hoping for. However, the latest Pokemon Direct announcement of new DLC, Crown Tundra and Isle of Armor, goes a long way towards addressing fan concerns and moving the franchise in the right direction. But first, we have to see what exactly happens when it goes wrong.

Why the reaction?

The pre-release of Pokémon Sword and Shield received an unusual amount of reaction, even for a franchise with a fandom involved as well. Longtime fans of the series were particularly unhappy with Game Freak's decision not to include all of the Pokémon from previous games, given the number now created for the series. This decision later became known, perhaps nonchalantly, as "Dexit": a surprisingly appropriate ironic play on Brexit's words, given Galar's vaguely British ambiguity.

(Image credit: Nintendo) Online communities have grown rapidly in the smaller Pokédex, resulting in calls to boycott the game entirely. Social networking sites like Twitter and Reddit were flooded with people exclaiming that they would never buy a Pokémon game again. The reaction was baffling enough that Game Freak's Junichi Masuda issued an official statement in response to the criticism, saying that the impressive number of Pokémon currently in existence (more than 800) forced the developer to choose quality over quantity. as he suggests that "even if a specific Pokémon isn't available in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, that doesn't mean it won't appear in future games." Unfortunately for Sword and Shield, this review did not go away when the games were released. Players continued to complain about the nature of the story, its relatively short length, the quality of the graphics, including reused, broken, and lazy animations, and that many aspects of the game seemed unfinished or rushed.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

When love prevails over hate

Granted, it's still a beloved franchise, and the angry gossip on Twitter hasn't had much of an impact on sales. The two Pokémon games had sold a combined 16,18 million copies in their first six weeks, meaning the new installment in the franchise had already surpassed its recent predecessors in lifetime sales, outpacing units. of 16,17 million Pokémon Sun and Moon and 11,76 million units of other Switch Pokémon Let Pikachu and Eevee Switch titles. There were also several positive things to learn from the new games. The new wilderness and free roam raid system were welcome, and a massive indication of what might be possible in a Pokemon game. There have also been several changes to the game's quality of life to improve gameplay, and for the most part, the next-gen Pokemon designs have been well-received. Of course, not everyone is happy with the state of gaming, and Game Freak's latest announcement shows that there's a lot to change.

Armor Island: a bright future ahead? (Image credit: Nintendo)

You, me and DLC

Three months after the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield in November 2019, a Pokémon Direct feed in January 2020 made a big announcement: Pokémon's first DLC, The Isle of Armor (released in June) and Crown Tundra (late 2020). The DLC will add 200 Pokémon to the game's Pokédex, including a new Pokémon and even more regional variants of the Galleys, which should calm down the "Dexit" nags. Those who thought Sword and Shield's main gameplay was too short and lacking in side quests will also have two quests to complete, and there's even a graphical fix that improves some of the worst graphics in Sword and Shield (the desert trees being the main culprits.)

Crown of Tundra (Image credit: Nintendo) Most importantly, the ability to add DLC gives Game Freak the ability to do something they've never been able to do before in a Pokemon game: they can meaningfully respond to feedback from players, add substantive changes and give players more to do. There's an additional cost to purchase the DLC: $29.99 / $26.99 to access both packs, but it's not offline in the way that Nintendo (and other publishers) and publish content for flagship games. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild also had two expansion packs within a year of its release. To some, it was another cynical game studio trying to milk its customers for what they were worth. But for others, it was a really positive step in the right direction and, as we said in the title, the perfect response to the pre-launch reviews.

New Legendaries Are On The Move (Image Credit: Nintendo) This DLC set officially replaced the game's traditional third entry for Pokémon Sword and Shield, and arguably offers a lot more new content than you'd normally get in a third episode of Brothers. You'll also get it for about half the price of a new game, at just $29.99 / $26.99, making it much better value for money. Sure, some of those savings can be eaten up by Nintendo Switch Online, and a subscription to the new Pokémon Home app, which will also bring back the Global Trading System, but catching them all and holding on to your favorite creatures should help. Soften the blow. Masuda said Game Freak had a plan, and the incoming DLC ​​should fix a lot of the bugs players had surrounding the pre-release of Pokemon Sword and Shield. This may not be enough for some, but it looks like there's a bright future ahead for many Pokémon players.