straightforwardly (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
straightforwardly) wrote2026-03-15 08:54 pm
straightforwardly) wrote2026-03-15 08:54 pm
350 | pokémon shield, initial thoughts
I wasn’t feeling quite done with Pokémon after Brilliant Diamond, so I decided to borrow my brother’s copy of Pokémon Shield and have started playing that! I’m not too far in yet—maybe three or four hours, I think. I originally skipped Sword/Shield when the games came out, as I wasn’t interested at the time, meaning that it’s currently the only Pokémon generation whose main game I haven’t played.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve skipped a generation*—I was very sulky about the Hoenn games as a child, mostly because I was upset about them cutting off transfers from the previous games (in hindsight: I have much more sympathy for why the developers made this choice!), and so didn’t get around to playing them until the remakes came out; and while I did start Pokémon White and Moon not too long after their respective releases, with both of those I ended up taking a break mid-game and only came back to them years later. But ultimately, whatever my initial feelings are, I always seem to play through a version of each generation’s games eventually, and apparently Sword/Shield is no exception.
*Specifically, the main games I’ve played through are: Red [technically my brother’s game, but we shared the save files], an incomplete Yellow playthrough, Silver, Diamond, Platinum, an incomplete Soul Silver run, White, X, Alpha Sapphire, Moon, Brilliant Diamond, and Scarlet.
Anyways. So far, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised! For all that I originally felt so disinterested in these games, I’m really really enjoying my time with Shield now, so much so that I’m retroactively liking Brilliant Diamond less in comparison, oops.
First of all, this game is so pretty, and considering this came out before Brilliant Diamond… yeah, I’m retroactively mourning what I could have had, and suddenly understanding the graphical criticisms of the gen 4 remakes much better, oops. Honestly, I think this game is prettier than Scarlet/Violet? Comparing the two generations, I can really see the advantages of fixed point perspective versus open world when it comes to designing gorgeous scenery.
I instantly fell in love with the starting town and the main character’s home, and keep coming across new locations that put stars in my eyes. That foggy forest… peak atmosphere. Most recently, I entered a mine, and before going in, I was thinking, “ughhh, mine/caves, not looking forward to this”, and then I stepped in and was knocked flat by how good it looked. I loved the lighting, and the sparkling gems embedded in the cave walls. Between that and the fact you can see the Pokémon on the overworld, I’m pretty sure that’s the most enjoyment I’ve ever gotten from a cave-style environment in a Pokémon game.
I went with Sobble as my starter—usually, I’m a grass type enthusiast, but I don’t like monkeys (with the exception of a surprising fondness for Monferno/Infernape, though I always go with my beloved Torterra in that gen), so Grookey was out. I do like Scorbunny’s look more than Sobble’s, though both are cute, but when it comes down to it, it’s the final stage that matters most, and I like Inteleon more than Cinderace. Currently, he’s evolved to Drizzile, and while I’m not wild about that middle stage design, it’s only temporary, and I am having fun giggling about him going through his emo phrase.
What else… oh, one thing the game did a great job on was instantly selling me on Hop and Gloria’s friendship! That very first scene, when he walks into Gloria’s home, and how they look at each other and interacted with one another… I instantly felt their friendship/bond, and it also made me potentially intrigued by Hop/Gloria as well, though we’ll see how my impressions on that front develop as the game goes on.
Sonia is so hot. I did initially assume she was Magnolia when she showed up, oops, but I like her being Magnolia’s granddaughter, and that the actual professor is an older woman. I’m also intrigued by the implied messy emotional dynamics going on with her!
Leon’s fashion sense is… questionable.
I’m not a fan of how the game shows us (almost) all of the gym leaders right away. I always rather liked the slow process of meeting and uncovering them one by one, and the anticipation/potential of what might be coming next. So seeing them all at once makes it much less exciting.
I’ve been spoiled for who the main villain is and what his motivations are, so I’ve mostly just been giggling whenever he shows up.
Finally, Team Yell is pretty underwhelming, but I knew that would be the case going in, so I’m not fussed about it. Though Marnie has a very cute design!
This wasn’t the first time I’ve skipped a generation*—I was very sulky about the Hoenn games as a child, mostly because I was upset about them cutting off transfers from the previous games (in hindsight: I have much more sympathy for why the developers made this choice!), and so didn’t get around to playing them until the remakes came out; and while I did start Pokémon White and Moon not too long after their respective releases, with both of those I ended up taking a break mid-game and only came back to them years later. But ultimately, whatever my initial feelings are, I always seem to play through a version of each generation’s games eventually, and apparently Sword/Shield is no exception.
*Specifically, the main games I’ve played through are: Red [technically my brother’s game, but we shared the save files], an incomplete Yellow playthrough, Silver, Diamond, Platinum, an incomplete Soul Silver run, White, X, Alpha Sapphire, Moon, Brilliant Diamond, and Scarlet.
Anyways. So far, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised! For all that I originally felt so disinterested in these games, I’m really really enjoying my time with Shield now, so much so that I’m retroactively liking Brilliant Diamond less in comparison, oops.
First of all, this game is so pretty, and considering this came out before Brilliant Diamond… yeah, I’m retroactively mourning what I could have had, and suddenly understanding the graphical criticisms of the gen 4 remakes much better, oops. Honestly, I think this game is prettier than Scarlet/Violet? Comparing the two generations, I can really see the advantages of fixed point perspective versus open world when it comes to designing gorgeous scenery.
I instantly fell in love with the starting town and the main character’s home, and keep coming across new locations that put stars in my eyes. That foggy forest… peak atmosphere. Most recently, I entered a mine, and before going in, I was thinking, “ughhh, mine/caves, not looking forward to this”, and then I stepped in and was knocked flat by how good it looked. I loved the lighting, and the sparkling gems embedded in the cave walls. Between that and the fact you can see the Pokémon on the overworld, I’m pretty sure that’s the most enjoyment I’ve ever gotten from a cave-style environment in a Pokémon game.
I went with Sobble as my starter—usually, I’m a grass type enthusiast, but I don’t like monkeys (with the exception of a surprising fondness for Monferno/Infernape, though I always go with my beloved Torterra in that gen), so Grookey was out. I do like Scorbunny’s look more than Sobble’s, though both are cute, but when it comes down to it, it’s the final stage that matters most, and I like Inteleon more than Cinderace. Currently, he’s evolved to Drizzile, and while I’m not wild about that middle stage design, it’s only temporary, and I am having fun giggling about him going through his emo phrase.
What else… oh, one thing the game did a great job on was instantly selling me on Hop and Gloria’s friendship! That very first scene, when he walks into Gloria’s home, and how they look at each other and interacted with one another… I instantly felt their friendship/bond, and it also made me potentially intrigued by Hop/Gloria as well, though we’ll see how my impressions on that front develop as the game goes on.
Sonia is so hot. I did initially assume she was Magnolia when she showed up, oops, but I like her being Magnolia’s granddaughter, and that the actual professor is an older woman. I’m also intrigued by the implied messy emotional dynamics going on with her!
Leon’s fashion sense is… questionable.
I’m not a fan of how the game shows us (almost) all of the gym leaders right away. I always rather liked the slow process of meeting and uncovering them one by one, and the anticipation/potential of what might be coming next. So seeing them all at once makes it much less exciting.
I’ve been spoiled for who the main villain is and what his motivations are, so I’ve mostly just been giggling whenever he shows up.
Finally, Team Yell is pretty underwhelming, but I knew that would be the case going in, so I’m not fussed about it. Though Marnie has a very cute design!