Earlier today Game Freak pulled back the curtain just a little bit more on the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield games. From the preview we are able to see more of the gameplay mechanics at work in Sword and Shield including the wild area, which is the name given to areas between cities, which will include a free roam camera and Pokemon appearing in the terrain! It is hard not to compare the wild area with Nintendo’s own breath of the wild however as the aesthetics are very similar.

Battle mechanics have also received a new addition with Dynamaxing. Dynamaxing is exclusive to the Galor region and it allows your favorite Pocket Monster to be transformed into a massive titan ready to crush everything in its path with new powerful MAX moves. Dynamaxing can only be used once per battle and the massive Pokemon will return to its original form after 3 turns so like Mega Evolution and Z Moves, the use will need to be strategic.

Dynamaxing will also come into play during Sword and Shields redesigned gym battles which now take place in massive arenas to compensate for the large size of the Pokemon. Dynamaxing will also be a huge focus of Sword and Shields multiplayer mode as a new raid style system has been developed where 4 players can team up to battle a permanently Dynamaxed Pokemon for the chance to capture it and earn rewards!

The story this time around is also that of a traditional Pokemon game where you travel around from city to city collecting badges in hopes to challenge the champion. The Champion, Leon, is a cool dude with an undefeated record in official Pokemon battles. One of your main rivals in Sword and Shield will even be Leon’s own brother so I expect plenty of run-ins with the champ will occur through the course of the story!

The end of the presentation also introduced us to the newest legendary Pokemon Zacian and Zamazenta. One is a dog wielding a sword while the other uses a shield surprising right! These 2 new legendary Pokemon join a cast of newly shown off Pokemon and look pretty sick! The release date for Sword and Shield has also been revealed for worldwide release on November 16, 2019! Pre-orders are open now for a new double pack as well that will contain both games.

I have to admit I was going into today’s presentation a little wearily as the first reveal of Sword and Shield made it appear random battles had returned to the game after Pokemon Let’s Go had done away with them. After seeing the new wild area aspect of the game I don’t think I could be more hyped now! What did you all think of the presentation? Let us know below!