While Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield launched with considerable criticism and controversy from both die-hard and new Pokemon fans, Game Freak's headfirst dive into Pokemon's eighth-generation brought about a lot of good alongside the many issues. The two main Gen 8 titles are not perfect games by any means, but as with every new generation of Pokemon, new features and changes were implemented to make the series more enjoyable in the long-run.
Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield introduced a slew of new features and quality of life changes that should absolutely be considered standard going forward, from small things like League Cards all the way to multiplayer events. There were a lot of great ideas present in Sword and Shield which may have been swept under the rug when players look at the slew of complaints that some fans had with the Switch's first mainline Pokemon games. Here is a rundown of some of the best features Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield popularized that should be mainstays for the series going forward.
Raid Battles and Multiplayer Content
Raid Battles allowed up to four players to take on one Dynamax Pokemon for a chance to capture it once the battle was over. Players all got to pick which Pokemon to bring and could even try to coordinate strategy if playing with decent players. It's a wonder how a feature like this wasn't implemented on a larger scale sooner. Raid Battles in Sword and Shield were not perfect, and if they return, they should have some minor tweaks. The AI which is used when playing alone or with less than three other players was less than ideal. More often than not, the AI would opt for stat-increasing moves rather than attack moves to help whittle the gargantuan Pokemon's health down.
This problem wasn't exclusive to the overworld Raid Battles found in the Wild Areas, but also to the Dynamax Adventure battles found in the Crown Tundra DLC. While Dynamax Adventures as a whole is a great addition to the series, and should return in the future in some form, the AI was still abysmal. The AI would stick with a Pokemon like Mantine when going against an Electric final boss, passing up several opportunities to switch to literally any better matchup. But, even with this in mind, the Raid Battles and Dynamax Adventures were a great feature that should hopefully return in some form, even if Dynamax does not.
The Wild Area (and Roaming Pokemon)
The Wild Area in Sword and Shield highlights what Pokemon routes should be like: Pokemon running everywhere, plenty of places to explore, and other trainers all enjoying their own adventure. While it seems like Pokemon Legends: Arceus is taking this concept to the next stage with its sectioned map concept, it is a design choice that should be standard going forward. Routes should feel open (though not empty like many sections of the Wild Area in its current iteration) with plenty of Pokemon running around for players to chase after or run from. There should be items hidden away that are rewarding for those who enjoy a good search. These open areas should all feel unique and have character that makes the space between towns and cities just as important as those cities themselves.
League Cards
This may be a smaller feature, but League Cards were one of the hidden gems of Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield. They allowed players to really show their characters off in unique ways, and players could share them whenever they connected with someone online or even by exchanging Card Codes. Honestly, any feature that allows players to express themselves in creative ways is always a welcome one in Pokemon.
Easy Nature and Ability Changes
With Sword and Shield's launch, players were able to easily change a Pokemon's nature thanks to the introduction of Nature Mints. These allows for a lot of forgiveness and flexibility when it came to breeding Pokemon and trying to get a solid Pokemon for competitive battling. However, it was not until The Crown Tundra that Pokemon Sword and Shield really peaked. In The Crown Tundra, Ability Patches were introduced, which allowed Pokemon to swap to their Hidden Ability, which is a huge deal for competitive Pokemon battles. Many Hidden Abilities completely change how some Pokemon work, and make a lot of Pokemon way more viable.
Consider Cinderace, who has the default ability of Blaze, which is nothing special. However, with the Ability Patch, Cinderace can now get Libero as an ability, which changes Cinderace's type to the same type as the move it is about to use, giving it permanent STAB bonuses and throwing a wrench in type matchups. Hidden Abilities do not regularly appear on Pokemon, and are usually available in events, or given out as part of a distribution, so the fact that these were introduced to be used whenever completely changes the game for the better. Every future Pokemon title should have both the Mints as well as the Ability Patches.
Expanding Future Games
Pokemon Sword and Shield were the first mainline Pokemon games to introduce DLC that added new areas, new (and returning) Pokemon, and a new story. This opens the door for future games to do the same, perhaps even doing larger, full-scale DLCs that take the place of the "third" titles in older generations (like Pokemon Emerald and Pokemon Platinum). They could even work like Pokemon Black 2 and White 2, which kept the same general region as Black and White but added new features, a new story, and more. This is what many fans were hoping for when rumors of a third Sword and Shield DLC started brewing, though at the time of writing nothing has become of those rumors. However, even the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra DLCs alone are enough of a proof of concept for how DLC can work in the Pokemon franchise, especially The Crown Tundra which was incredibly well-received by many fans.
While many fans are curious about the fate of Dynamax in future Pokemon titles, Sword and Shield introduced many other quality of life changes and new features that should not be overlooked as the series moves forward into Generation 9. From something as simple as Trainer Cards all the way up to the concept of the Wild Area, Sword and Shield brought some great changes that Game Freak should continue to iterate on moving forward, as they can only bring good things to any future titles they appear in.
Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield are available exclusively for Nintendo Switch.