While the initial Pokemon Sword and Shield reviews have been mostly positive, with these Sword and Shield reviews suggesting that the games are quality executions of the Pokemon formula, the forthcoming Switch exclusives have been surrounded by controversy for quite some time. In what is perhaps the strangest of these controversies, fans have recently discovered that changing the sound options in Pokemon Sword and Shield is more complicated than it should be.
Specifically, screenshots leaked by Twitter user @thatdude433 suggest that players need to talk to a random, optional NPC in the world to acquire a key item needed to adjust sound settings in Pokemon Sword and Shield. The item in question is called the Hi-Tech Earbuds, and it can be acquired from a character in Motostoke. These earbuds let players adjust the balance of sound effects, background music, and Pokemon cries – a feature that are available from the start in most every other video game.
This may not be a huge accessibility crisis, but it is a baffling decision that is not common. Fortunately, it seems like players of Pokemon Sword and Shield are still able to access other crucial game options from the main menu, even if they are unable to adjust the sound. Certainly, requiring players to speak with an optional NPC to change any game settings would not sit well with many fans, especially in the wake of all the other issues that have been harped on.
The discourse around Sword and Shield is bound to be colossal, considering how highly anticipated these games are, and it already has been in many ways. Only days ago, this discourse materialized with the trending of the hashtag #thankyouGameFreak, but that has since transformed into the hashtag #GameFreakLied and a call to boycott Pokemon Sword and Shield. All of this is making this games' launch absolutely tumultuous, but it remains to be seen if there will be any impact made on the games' sales overall.
Pokemon Sword and Shield will release on November 15 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.