Pokemon Sword and Shield: The Isle of Armor Reviews
As Pokémon's first-ever DLC, The Isle of Armor is an entertaining but shallow return to the Galar region.
Pok'mon's first ever expansion offers sunny vibes and another, more open world, but is still lacking the substance to do much with it.
The Isle of Armor capitalizes on Pokemon Sword and Shield's strengths with an even better area to explore, though its story offering is modest.
The Isle of Armor is a lovely addition to the base Pokémon Sword & Shield games, bringing in far more new features to tickle hardcore fans than we initially expected. On the downside, it's a little shy on narrative-driven content and is really all about the isle and its Pokémon inhabitants. Still, while we would certainly have liked to have seen more story-based gameplay, what's on offer is still excellent, and offers dedicated fans of the series an awful lot to explore and do. If you loved the Wild Area in Sword and Shield and want more of that, we can safely say you'll get a real kick out of this.
Isle of Armor won't convince naysayers to try Pokemon Sword and Shield for the first time, but offers fans some lovely new content and bags of charm.
Despite not being the primary DLC for the Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass, The Isle of Armor has enough quality content to bring us back to the eighth generation. Even if its history is short and shallow.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
There are definitely some much-needed additions that come with the Isle of Armor, but it still feels as though it's the least amount of content possible. I love Pokémon, but this expansion has left me feeling a little bit cold on the whole thing. There's fun to be had, but unless you're committed to catching 'em all or grinding every Pokémon up to a competitive standard, it won't last very long.
Yes, if you just want more Pokémon Sword and Shield. It’s not a groundbreaking package, but it’s a fun excuse to see some old favorite monsters.
Reasonably good value for money and a better open world environment than the original but with very little story or structure, Pokémon's first expansion feels disappointingly hollow.
Isle of Armor is a small good step for Pokémon, but we can only recommend it to players who want to continue capturing and fighting.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Surprise: Isle of Armor does not completely shake up the Pokemon formula. You're getting a very small narrative and another big interconnected Wild Area: that's pretty much the gist of it. With those expectations in check, you'll have a blast if you've been looking for an excuse to get back into the swing of chilling out with Sword and Shield.
With all the added Pokemon that were previously missing and the fact it's just more Sword and Shield to enjoy, The Isle of Armor is definitely worth getting, but it's best not to have the highest of expectations going in regardless due to the major flaws that hold it back from being great.
A tiny boring plot, four new monsters for the series, and optimization of some game mechanics are clearly not enough for fans of the franchise, nor for ordinary players. The overall impression of the Expansion Pass, of course, can be formed only after the release of the final part - The Crown of Tundra. Now we can only say with complete confidence that The Isle of Armor is not worth the money.
Review in Russian | Read full review
If you’re in the mood for more of what made Pokemon Sword and Shield so good, Isle of Armor will be just what you need.
But in the end, the design of this adventurous and sprawling island - and the chance to raise your own legendary - will ultimately reign supreme for all the Pokémon fans out there. I can’t wait to see what the Crown Tundra has in store.
Pokémon Sword and Shield's Isle of Armor Expansion gives the game the best environment and world design Pokémon has had in any 3D game, mainline, or spin-off, but very little else. If you're a Pokémaniac who is dead-set on completing another Pokédex, you'll love this, but if you want to do something other than filling out a list, this is not for you. This is not the whimsical world-traveling adventure mainline Pokémon games are, this is just boring.
The Isle of Armor breathes new life into Pokémon Sword and Shield by giving players something they wanted from the start: access to more classic Pokémon from previous generations.
Isle of Armor is an enjoyable expansion to Pokemon Sword and Shield and brings the franchise one step closer to embracing a cohesive open-world, but it isn’t enough to detract from an experience that is far too brief for its own good.
We were striving for a new Wild Area and we received a the next step of Pokémon's open world experience. Sadly the first part of the Expansion Pass still feels shallow and with lots of empty space.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I enjoyed it greatly, so I'd say it's worth it, with the caveat that we don't know much about the second half of the Expansion Pass yet. Just make sure to get the right version.