Pokemon Direct Recap 06/05/2019 - Sword & Shield Release Date Confirmed

Nintendo love to release details about their popular upcoming title via live stream at their YouTube channel. Today's Pokemon Direct has given us some pretty damn juicy details about the upcoming Pokemon Sword & Shield versions, so here's our recap of the stream in case anyone missed it.

New Gameplay Features

Some of the most interesting developments in Pokemon Sword & Shield come in the area of new gameplay features. For the first time in the history of the Pokemon series, you'll have full control over the camera, and will be able to fully explore an open 3D-world. The overworld in question, known as the wild space, features a weather cycle, different terrains, and wild Pokemon which change depending on those factors.

That's not all either, battles are going to be getting some new features. Firstly there's a new mechanic called 'Dynamaxing' which allows your Pokemon to grow to massive sizes and gain a boost in power. These giant Pokemon forms aren't just available to you, however, sometimes gym leaders will be able to use them too, meaning you'll have to basically get into a pokemon Kaiju fight. These Dynamax Pokemon can also be found in the wild space, opening up another new feature, online co-op, and raid battles!

New Pokemon

One of the first things talked about in the stream was the release of a few brand-new pokemon for the Gallar region. First announced was Wooloo, a sheep-like Pokemon with strange dangling parts near its head. Apparently, it has such soft fluff that it is highly sought after by clothes makers and various other professions throughout the region.

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The next pokemon, Gossifleur was the only Pokemon to have a confirmed evolution. The flowering pokemon is said to have magical healing properties contained in its pollen, and being a plant prefers areas with clean air and water available. It evolves into Eldegoss, a fluffy, seeded Pokemon bearing many marked similarities to a dandelion clock that still retains the healing properties of its earlier form. They have the Cotton Down ability which will cause pokemon who hit them with an attack to be covered in a fluff of cotton lowering their speed stat.

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The final two new pokemon on displayer were Corviknight and Drednaw. Corviknight is a jet black bird that seems to hover and fly very smoothly, and apparently is a Pokemon which will be seen all over the region taxing players and other people to regions which they've already visited before. Drednaw appears to be a large turtle-like pokemon, said to be able to take big bites out of metal and rocks without batting an eye.

A New Region

Along with new Pokemon and new features, the Pokemon Direct announcement showed off the brand new Gallar region in all its Britain-inspired glory. The world, in general, seemed more alive than it has in previous Pokemon games, with humans and Pokemon moving around and interacting dynamically with environmental elements and furniture. There were also some new characters on display, including this region's champion: Leon. Since this region has more of a focus on battling as a source of entertainment Pokemon battles take place in stadiums and are broadcast on TV, Leon is hugely popular across the entire region. To put it in comparison terms, it seems like Leon is the David Beckham of Gallar. Of course, this also means that every gym fight that the characters take part in is watched by hundreds if not thousands of people, in some cases live in the stadium.

Another new character, Hop, fulfills the rival role in Sword & Shield and also happens to be the little brother of the current champion Leon. Hop follows you around on your Pokemon journey, training alongside you in hopes of one day becoming the champion just like his older brother. Along with a new champion comes a new Pokemon Professor, in this case, Professor Magnolia. The new professor will, presumably, be the one in charge of sending you off on your journey, as well as providing you with your starter Pokemon. She is also accompanied by her assistant and granddaughter, Sonia, who occasionally furnishes you with some solid advice on your journey.

The final character revealed was Milo, one of the regions gym leaders, who specializes in Grass-type Pokemon. From the scenes in the video, it seems like he has an Eldergoss who is capable of Dynamax transforming, so players should be on guard against giant dandelion monsters. The most exciting piece of news for many fans was the announcement of an official release date for the game, November 15th, 2019. The release will be worldwide simultaneously and you can even pre-order the game right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_dgvgpC8Nw

Are you excited for Pokemon Sword & Shield? Which feature are you the most interested in? Let us know in the comments down below.