Pokemon News: Pokemon Direct 2/27/2019

Links-Home–Reviews–Articles–Library–Contact

On February 27, 2019, Pokemon had a Pokemon Direct, where they announced the upcoming games, Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield versions. These games were teased at roughly 2 years ago without a name, so it is good to finally know some of what we may have in store for the next installment in the series.

From what was shown during the direct, the games have a suitable graphical upgrade, enough to get fans old and new excited for the upcoming games. There wasn’t a whole lot that was shown in the direct, but here are some of the highlights so far. I will also comment on some of my impressions in this article as well.

The game takes place in the Galar region, which seems to be based off of the Scotland and the UK. Interestingly enough, the rumor of these games taking place in England was relatively accurate (though the rumored titles of the games, King and Queen, or alternately, Crown and Scepter, were incorrect). Of note, the map of this location seems more vertical than usual, and relatively large too.

There seems to be some good variety in the locations available here, from the standard towns, to mines, and snow-covered regions. There even seems to be some more modern machinery in some locations, adding variety to the mix.

This is pure speculation, but it looks like the players will travel northward as they progress though the game, and may even have some choice as to where they go next as they travel. I noticed some interestingly placed landmarks, and it seems unclear what order the player might encounter them in.

As to which features return, only a few were mentioned or hinted at. The developers mentioned gyms, and some traditional wild Pokemon battles were shown (including the random encounters). What appears to be a Soccer game, (or some other sporting event) was also shown, but not elaborated on.

Additionally, the three Pokemon the player gets to choose from were also revealed. They are the grass type Grooky, the fire type Scarbunny, and the water type Sobble. These new Pokemon aren’t my favorites in the series, but the designs might grow on me as time moves on. I still haven’t decided which I may pick at the start of my game when I get the chance to play it. This game is scheduled to be released worldwide in late 2019. The developers also teased that there will be more Pokemon games coming out in 2019 as well. If I had to guess, these would be spin-off games, and not more main series Pokemon games.

As to how good or bad these games will be, as well as what kinds of new and old features will be in it, it is too soon to say. I am relatively excited, and look forward to hearing more about this game as Game Freak releases more information. I also look forward to reporting and commenting on this game as more becomes known about it. Until then, see you next time!

So, what do you make of this Pokemon news? Are you looking forward to Pokemon Sword and Shield versions? Which version will you pick up? Which starting Pokemon will you choose? Do you like the designs of the starters so far? What features do you hope are in the games? Let me know in the comments below!