Pokemon: Sword/Shield

Pokémon Sword/Shield – The Controversial Galar Adventure That Still Slaps (Especially With DLC)

Attribute	Details
Publisher	The Pokémon Company, Nintendo
Developer	Game Freak
Release Date	November 15, 2019
Genre	Role-Playing Game (RPG)
Platforms	Nintendo Switch

So, What Exactly Are Pokémon Sword and Shield?

Look, let me be real with you. When these games came out in 2019, the internet was on fire. And not in a good way. Game Freak announced they were cutting the national Pokédex – meaning not every single Pokémon from previous games could be transferred in. The fans called it “Dexit” and they were furious.

But here’s the thing. Despite all that noise, Sword and Shield sold over 26 million copies. That’s not nothing. That’s the second best-selling Pokémon games of all time. So clearly, Game Freak did something right.

You play as a young trainer in the Galar region, which is basically Pokémon’s version of the United Kingdom. Big cities inspired by London. Rolling countryside that looks like the Scottish Highlands. And a weirdly intense sports culture around Pokémon battles that feels exactly like Premier League football madness.

Your goal? Beat all eight Gym Leaders, win the Champion Cup, and become the next Champion of Galar. Along the way, you meet your rival Hop (the champion’s younger brother, so he’s got a chip on his shoulder), a punk rock Gym Leader named Piers, and Chairman Rose – a guy who runs everything and definitely has some secrets.

The games are almost identical except for a few version-exclusive Pokémon and Gym Leaders. Sword has Bea (fighting-type Gym Leader) and the legendary Zacian. Shield has Allister (ghost-type Gym Leader) and the legendary Zamazenta. Pick whichever box legendary looks cooler to you.

How Does It Actually Play?

Let me break this down, because Sword and Shield did some stuff that’s genuinely great.

The Wild Area Is A Big Deal

For the first time in Pokémon history, you get a proper open-world zone. The Wild Area sits in the middle of the Galar region, connecting all the cities. You can just wander around. No fixed camera. Dynamic weather that changes what Pokémon appear. Pokémon just walking around in the overworld that will chase you or run away depending on their personality.

It’s not perfect – the graphics are a bit rough, and the draw distance is questionable. But the freedom? That’s new for Pokémon. And it paved the way for Scarlet and Violet’s fully open world.

Dynamax and Gigantamax Are Ridiculous

Here’s the new gimmick for Gen 8. In certain battles (Gym fights and special raids), you can make your Pokémon grow to the size of a building. They get massive HP boosts, and all their moves turn into powerful “Max Moves” that often have secondary effects like setting weather or terrain.

Some special Pokémon can Gigantamax instead – they change form completely and get a signature “G-Max Move”. A Gigantamax Pikachu looks like a chunky chubby version of itself. A Gigantamax Meowth becomes a long cat. It’s silly. It’s fun.

The raids are like Pokémon GO’s system but better. You and three other trainers (or AI helpers if you’re playing solo) team up to fight a giant, overpowered wild Pokémon. If you beat it, you get a chance to catch it. Good for getting rare Pokémon and items.

The Quality of Life Is Insane

I cannot overstate how much Sword and Shield streamlined the annoying parts of Pokémon.

The bike is also a hover-bike that can travel over water. No more needing a separate Pokémon for Surf.
You can access your Pokémon boxes anywhere, anytime. No more running back to a Pokécenter to swap your team.
Exp. Share is always on and affects your whole party. No more grinding each Pokémon individually.
Mints let you change your Pokémon’s nature, so you don’t have to breed for perfect stats anymore.
Ability Capsules and Ability Patches let you switch between normal abilities and hidden abilities.

Competitive players were over the moon. Casual players might not care. But all the friction is gone.

Gym Battles Are Actually Exciting

For the first time in the series, Gym Battles feel like a SPORT. The stadiums are huge. There’s cheering crowds. The Gym Leader walks out to their own theme music. And when you both Dynamax at the same time? The music shifts into this intense rock remix that still gives me chills.

The Gym Leaders themselves are hit or miss. Some are great (Raihan the dragon-type Gym Leader who does double battles, Piers the dark-type rockstar who doesn’t use Dynamax because he’s a purist). Some are forgettable (looking at you, Milo).

The “Dexit” Problem Is Real

I have to address this honestly. You cannot catch every Pokémon in these games. Only Pokémon that appear in the Galar Pokédex are available. That’s about 400 in the base game, plus 200 more via DLC. That’s 600 total – less than half of all existing Pokémon at the time.

If you’re a living dex collector, this hurts. If you just want to play through the story and do some online battles, you probably won’t notice. But the backlash was loud and understandable.

The DLC Fixes Almost Everything

Here’s the thing everyone agrees on. The base game is fine. The DLC makes it GREAT.

The Expansion Pass (released June and October 2020) adds two whole new areas:

The Isle of Armor

This is a beachy, dojo-themed island. You train under a woman named Mustard (yes, really) and befriend his pet Pokémon Kubfu. You raise Kubfu’s friendship, choose one of two forms (single-strike or rapid-strike style), and evolve it into the legendary Urshifu.

The Wild Area here is smaller but denser than the base game’s. New Pokémon, new Gigantamax forms, and a fun tournament at the end.

The Crown Tundra

This is the real winner. A snowy mountain area where you lead a “raid exploration team” to track down legendary Pokémon. You get to catch almost every past legendary – Mewtwo, the Kanto birds, the Johto beasts, the Hoenn weather trio, Sinnoh’s Creation trio. All of them. In Dynamax Adventure mode, you and three other players go through a dungeon of three raids, ending with a legendary battle.

The Crown Tundra also introduces Galarian forms of classic legendary birds (Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres) and a new Regidrago/Regieleki.

If you buy Sword or Shield today, buy the version with the Expansion Pass. Trust me. The DLC adds dozens of hours of content and fixes the “no postgame” complaint.

What Are the System Requirements for Pokémon Sword/Shield?

Here’s the thing. This is a Nintendo Switch exclusive. There’s no official PC version. But people ask about emulation requirements all the time, so I’ll give you the real info.

Real System Requirements

Component	Requirement
Console	Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, Nintendo Switch (OLED Model), or Switch 2 (backwards compatible)
Storage	12.4 GB (base game) / 15+ GB with DLC
Download required	Yes – even physical cartridges need updates

The official file size from the eShop is 12.4 GB for the base game. The DLC adds more, so expect around 15 GB total.

PC Emulation Requirements (For Ryujinx/Yuzu – Not Official)

If you’re trying to run this on PC via emulation, these are the general specs you’d need:

Minimum (Ryujinx/Yuzu):

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB (Vulkan support)
Storage: 15 GB available space

Recommended:

OS: Windows 11 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i7-10700K / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 2060 / AMD RX 5700 XT
Storage: 15 GB SSD

Important Note: Some sketchy websites claim to have PC system requirements. Those are for emulation at best, or straight-up fake at worst. The game is not legally available on PC. You need a Nintendo Switch or a very powerful PC with an emulator (and you need to dump your own game files from a cartridge you own – piracy is bad, don’t do it).

What Makes Sword and Shield Still Worth Playing in 2026?

Look, I get it. These games are controversial. The story is rushed. The routes are linear. The “Dexit” thing still stings for collectors. But here’s why I think they’re worth your time.

The DLC Completes the Experience

The base game is a 6 or 7 out of 10. The base game PLUS the DLC is an 8 or 9. The Crown Tundra alone is worth the price of admission – hunting legendaries in Dynamax Adventures is the most fun I’ve had with postgame content in years.

The QoL Changes Are Standard Now

Pokémon games are just better because of what Sword and Shield did. Accessibility to boxes anywhere. Mints. Ability Patches. These features are in every game now, but they started here (well, some started in Sun/Moon, but Sword/Shield perfected them).

The Competitive Scene Was Fantastic

Gen 8 competitive battling was some of the most accessible it’s ever been. Rental teams (use other people’s teams without breeding yourself). Easy EV training with jobs. Easy IV checking. If you ever wanted to get into ranked battles, this was the game to do it.

The Music Absolutely Slaps

I’m not kidding. The Gym Leader theme. The Battle Tower theme. The credits theme. Toby Fox (of Undertale/Deltarune fame) contributed to the soundtrack. Go listen to “Battle Tower (Final Battle)” on YouTube. You’re welcome.

26 Million Players Can’t Be Wrong

For all the hate these games got online, they sold like crazy. That’s because the core Pokémon formula – catch cute creatures, battle your friends, become the champion – is still incredibly fun. The haters are loud, but the fans are numerous.

It’s Cheap Now

The games are a few years old. You can find used cartridges for $30-40 USD. The DLC is still full price, but the base game is affordable.

The Not-So-Great Stuff (Being Honest)

I always try to give you the full picture. So here’s where Sword and Shield fall short.

The Story Is Weak

Chairman Rose’s motivation makes no sense. He wants to solve an energy crisis that won’t happen for 1,000 years… RIGHT NOW. The villain team (Team Yell) isn’t even really a villain team – they’re just overzealous fans of a rival gym challenger. And Hop won’t stop talking about how amazing his brother is.

The Routes Are Straight Lines

Remember exploring caves in older Pokémon games? Getting lost? Finding secrets? None of that here. The routes are basically hallways. One path from point A to point B, with a few tiny side branches. The Wild Area is where the exploration is, but the actual routes are boring.

The Graphics Are Rough

For a Switch game in 2019, the graphics are not great. The Wild Area has pop-in. The trees look like they came from the N64 era. The battle animations are stiff. Compare this to Breath of the Wild (released 2017) and it’s embarrassing.

“Dexit” Still Hurts

Even with the DLC, you cannot catch every Pokémon. Over 200 Pokémon from previous generations are just… not in the game. If you want to transfer your Shiny Greninja from Sun/Moon, you can’t. It’s frustrating.

The Postgame (Base Game) Is Barely There

Beat the champion? Congratulations. Now go catch a legendary dog and do a few boring battle tower fights. That’s it. The DLC adds the real postgame, but the base game’s postgame is embarrassingly short.

So, Should You Play It in 2026?

Here’s the bottom line. Pokémon Sword and Shield are flawed. The story is weak. The graphics are rough. The “Dexit” thing still stings. But the core gameplay? It’s still Pokémon. Catching monsters, battling friends, becoming the champion – that formula doesn’t get old.

The Wild Area was a bold experiment that paved the way for Scarlet and Violet. The Dynamax raids are fun with friends. And the DLC – especially the Crown Tundra – adds some of the best postgame content in the series.

If you’re a longtime fan who skipped these games because of the controversy, give them a second look. Especially if you can find the version with the Expansion Pass included. If you’re new to Pokémon, this is actually a fantastic starting point – the QoL features make it the least frustrating entry to learn.

Just don’t expect a deep story. Don’t expect mind-blowing graphics. And definitely don’t expect to catch every Pokémon from every previous generation.

But if you want a solid, comforting, monster-catching adventure you can play on the couch or on the go? Sword and Shield deliver.

Now go pick a starter. Just don’t pick Grookey. Pick Sobble. He’s a sad little lizard and he needs your love.

Installation Guide