Why does SWSH feel so incomplete?

[Sham]

This is like 2-3 weeks over due (and not a full on a review) but did anyone leave the games feeling empty? These games felt like they belonged somewhere in between generation 1-4 but not generation 8. These games felt hollow and shallow. I contribute a bit of that towards the fast pacing of Gym challenges and probably the lack of towns but we’ve had games with fast Gym challenges (Johto) and lack of towns (Alola) and I didn’t leave those games feeling like something was missing. I’m just curious did anyone else get these vibes?

 

[Marbi Z]

Not at all and I'm Still Actively playing nearly 130 hours in. My only real peeve is that the games don't support cloud saves.

 

[Alcremie]

I don't feel like the games are empty per say, but the thing is, I streamlined ran the game instead of going into every house, nook, and cranny, got that feeling, then had to look up where everything was...boy, do I feel silly!

Also, Cloud saves should definitely have been a thing from the get go. I hope they add compatibility for them in the future!

 

[Dragalge]

I don't know about feeling empty afterwards but Galar was definitely barren in many places. Cities like Hulbury and that snow city are fine but Turffield and Spikemuth were just awful lol. Even the large ones, Motostoke and Hammerlocke, had little to see that was noteworthy. Even Wild Area bland!

Just because you look big & pretty doesn't mean you're automatically good!

 

[Mysteryguy]

There aren't cloud saves, but simply make another Switch profile (takes no time at all) and voilá, you can start another save without having to delete your previous one and you can have 7 profiles in total I believe.

In any case, I agree they feel rushed. But I think they literally just didn't focus on the storyline at all and just thought the wild area by itself would create any game length. There's virtually nothing to explore in the few tiny towns and routes there are. It's all about the wild area.

 

[Ignition]

I certainly feel it was rushed. So many towns are just 1-3 houses, the Pokémon Center, & a Gym. As a result, you get to the next town way too fast. (Admittedly I liked the pacing up until Opal’s Gym.)Routes are pretty much hallways with small deviations. The story is pretty much a disjointed mess. Anyone not named Hop could use screen time especially Rose and Oleana. Enternatus just exists with little foreshadowing and build up. Post game content is lacking compared to even XY.

 

[shoz999]

This is like 2-3 weeks over due (and not a full on a review) but did anyone leave the games feeling empty? These games felt like they belonged somewhere in between generation 1-4 but not generation 8. These games felt hollow and shallow. I contribute a bit of that towards the fast pacing of Gym challenges and probably the lack of towns but we’ve had games with fast Gym challenges (Johto) and lack of towns (Alola) and I didn’t leave those games feeling like something was missing. I’m just curious did anyone else get these vibes?

Oh yeah. This game is absolutely rushed. I don't feel it, I know it.

 

[Mysteryguy]

I certainly feel it was rushed. So many towns are just 1-3 houses, the Pokémon Center, & a Gym. As a result, you get to the next town way too fast. (Admittedly I liked the pacing up until Opal’s Gym.)Routes are pretty much hallways with small deviations. The story is pretty much a disjointed mess. Anyone not named Hop could use screen time especially Rose and Oleana. Enternatus just exists with little foreshadowing and build up. Post game content is lacking compared to even XY.

Oh god yes. Eternatus was so lame. As if they just put that in to quickly create the impending doom they need to have in every game nowadays. At least with Ultra Necrozma you knew it was going to come at some point, making the battle pretty cool. Now it felt like they thought: "Oh **** we forgot the legendaries, let's quickly thrown in these three in the last hour of the game".

 

[shoz999]

Oh god yes. Eternatus was so lame. As if they just put that in to quickly create the impending doom they need to have in every game nowadays. At least with Ultra Necrozma you knew it was going to come at some point, making the battle pretty cool. Now it felt like they thought: "Oh **** we forgot the legendaries, let's quickly thrown in these three in the last hour of the game".

Felt like there were three hours worth of storytelling missing when Eternatus is suddenly brought up out of nowhere. Why is he in a freaking castle in the first place lol?

 

[DaddyOak]

This is like 2-3 weeks over due (and not a full on a review) but did anyone leave the games feeling empty? These games felt like they belonged somewhere in between generation 1-4 but not generation 8. These games felt hollow and shallow. I contribute a bit of that towards the fast pacing of Gym challenges and probably the lack of towns but we’ve had games with fast Gym challenges (Johto) and lack of towns (Alola) and I didn’t leave those games feeling like something was missing. I’m just curious did anyone else get these vibes?

sword & shield belonging somewhere between gen 1 to 4 that's an insult

The best games in the entire series are between gen 1 and 4 being emerald platinum and heart gold soulsilver

only black & white 2 was equal or better than those gen 5

those gens aside from gen 1 had the most post game in the entire series. and where quality. gen 6 and up is where post game content became non existent and overall quality just went to the shits. the full national dex and online multiplayer where the only saving graces of gen 6 and 7. gen 8 took even that joy away with the dexit. the rushed story poor grapics and lack of post game content are just the cherry on top in sword & shield

I'd say it fits somewhere between gen 6 and 7. extreme lack of post game and the dexit being the main difference. gen 6 and 7 + oras remakes also lack postgame compared to older titles so if there is any place for sword & shield it is between gen 6 and 7 allot of things match.

 

[shoz999]

You know in some ways, SwSh feels like a Gen 1 remake/reboot, as opposed to Let's Go, because of that feeling of emptiness and how barebones it is. It's definitely better than the Gen 1 and the XY games in my opinion but only by an edge.

 

[DaddyOak]

if where talking pokemon let's go evee and pikachu and X & Y I agree that sword & shield is slightly better

the original though i might still rank that a bit higher. i liked classic blue rival and team rocket. more challenge more mystery way better ost. I didn;t like much of the soundtrack of sword & shield might be my least favourite soundtrack in the entire series.

the routes where really boring this time around and a ton of cities just being hollywood film sets with just few places to enter.

 

[Sham]

sword & shield belonging somewhere between gen 1 to 4 that's an insult

The best games in the entire series are between gen 1 and 4 being emerald platinum and heart gold soulsilver

only black & white 2 was equal or better than those.

those gens aside from gen 1 had the most post game in the entire series. and where quality. gen 6 and up is where post game content became non existent and overall quality just went to the shits. the full national dex and online multiplayer where the only saving graces of gen 6 and 7. gen 8 took even that joy away with the dexit. the rushed story poor grapics and lack of post game content are just the cherry on top in sword & shield

I'd say it fits somewhere between gen 6 and 7. extreme lack of post game and the dexit being the main difference. gen 6 and 7 + oras remakes also lack postgame compared to older titles so if there is any place for sword & shield it is between gen 6 and 7 allot of things match.

When I say it should be in earlier generations I’m discussing the overall story. Generation five is when the stories really started becoming heavy besides “fight the bad guys”. SWSH lacking a deep story to me (and being the 8th generation at that) is weird and reminds me of earlier games where the story isn’t so heavy.

 

[shoz999]

if where talking pokemon let's go evee and pikachu and X & Y I agree that sword & shield is slightly better

the original though i might still rank that a bit higher. i liked classic blue rival and team rocket. more challenge more mystery way better ost. I didn;t like much of the soundtrack of sword & shield might be my least favourite soundtrack in the entire series.

the routes where really boring this time around and a ton of cities just being hollywood film sets with just few places to enter.

If were talking about characters, SwSh easily ranks higher than RGB in my opinion. I like the rivals, even Hop is interesting and although Rose is arguably the worst villain of the entire Pokemon series, Sordward and Shielbert are some of the most fun and best villains I've seen in a while asking the question, "What would it be like if Green/Blue Oak was a villain?" Honestly, my only real complaint of them is why weren't they the main antagonists of the main story as opposed to the post-game story? It feels like they put a lot of care and work into the post-game story but it feels like the main story was worked on at the last second.

 

[DaddyOak]

gen VII had a decent story. but those 3d scenes leave a lot to be desired it looked lame in them games.

Gen V had an excellent story and those scenes even more simplistic where way better because those scenes didnt look lame like in sun & moon. more imagination and cooler fan art as a result.

3d visuals for scenes is only good when it's really well done otherwise a style like gen 5 is the way to go imo

story line in gen 7 was more forgettable thanks to lame 3d scenes and main character smiling all the time compared to gen V in wich I remember it being very good. i get that the 3ds has limitations but some stuff can get lost as a result.

 

[Leonhart]

I don't know if I'd call the games incomplete per se. From what I've seen the games feel about the same as X/Y and S/M in terms of content, but I do feel that Game Freak decided to spend more time programming gimmicks rather than working on giving the games a good post-game, but that's an issue that I've had with practically all Pokemon games since Gen VI, so it's not an issue exclusive to Gen VIII.

 

[janejane6178]

This is like 2-3 weeks over due (and not a full on a review) but did anyone leave the games feeling empty? These games felt like they belonged somewhere in between generation 1-4 but not generation 8. These games felt hollow and shallow. I contribute a bit of that towards the fast pacing of Gym challenges and probably the lack of towns but we’ve had games with fast Gym challenges (Johto) and lack of towns (Alola) and I didn’t leave those games feeling like something was missing. I’m just curious did anyone else get these vibes?

I felt the same way..
As I feared, most of the focus was the wild area. We didnt even get a proper victory road

 

[shoz999]

I felt the same way..
As I feared, most of the focus was the wild area. We didnt even get a proper victory road

You know what we did get!

Spoiler: Duh Duh Duh!

Ball Guy! Ball Gal!
I see you!
Here's your Friend Ball!
Not coming to me?
I'll come to you!
No matter where you are!
You'll never escape!
Don't look back!
I'm waiting for you!
No matter where you are!

He's easily the best character Pokemon introduced.

 

[WishIhadaManafi5]

I don't feel like the games are empty per say, but the thing is, I streamlined ran the game instead of going into every house, nook, and cranny, got that feeling, then had to look up where everything was...boy, do I feel silly!

Also, Cloud saves should definitely have been a thing from the get go. I hope they add compatibility for them in the future!

Same here in terms of cloud saves, both in terms of Lets Go and in terms of Sword and Shield. Fair play excuse my eye. It has me looking at game saves as temporary now, since if anything happens to someone's Switch and they don't have a second Switch or a friend to trade their saves to, they are screwed over by non cloud save compatible games.

 

[Victreebong]

I got that vibe more from Gen VII than with SwSh. A lot of you guys aren’t scouring the Wild Area and grass patches for every included Pokémon, item, or den. That’s where a core component of this game is at. Now, there is a lack of sides like competitions, PokeStar Studios, Poké Olympics, Underground, etc. And don’t tell me camping and curry making are side quests, that’s BS.

Seriously though, Alola was more bare bones than Galar.