Pokemon Sword and Shield: The Isle of Armor Reviews
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.
The unquestionable fact here is that the first DLC in Pokémon history could have been something much more grand, or at least memorable. It is possible to have fun, enjoy a few quick moments and you can certainly kill some time. Pokémon fans will feel compelled to buy the expansion, and if they want to extend the Sword / Shield experience, there really is no other option. It is a pity, however, that we fans always have to be content with so little on the part of Game Freak.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Pokémon Sword and Shield: Isle of Armor isn’t the largest expansion available, but it is packed with enough to hold you off until the next DLC. There’s plenty of new Pokemon to catch and raid battles to join as you make your way across this new adventure. The entire expansion features enough to want to reinvest your time into this game that you might have put down a few months ago.
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
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.
A solid first piece of DLC that has a few chinks.
Pokemon Sword and Shield‘s Isle of Armor is groundbreaking but it gets the job done in pulling trainers back into its world. It’s exciting to see the expansion of the Galar Region with new geography and new stories. Pokemon catching may be the selling point of these games but this time around it is the story and level design that shines brightest.
The Isle of Armor isn't much, but it's a nice addition of content for an already great Pokémon game.
I would have enjoyed this DLC much more if it was longer than it was.
As Pokémon's first-ever DLC, The Isle of Armor is an entertaining but shallow return to the Galar region.
With few summer Switch games this year, The Isle of Armor is a breath of fresh air and its vibe will make you feel like you're on vacation. Plus, exploring the beautiful island while catching new Pokemon has definitely made me re-experience some of Pokemon Sword's magic.
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.
Nonetheless, we would still like to recommend the Mysterious Isle of Armor to all those who have enjoyed Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield , and we are confident that this new type of content will replace the now obsolete improved versions, offering a faster way and direct (and even cheaper) to access new content.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
The Isle of Armor is a short adventure on a small stretch of land. But, with new features, the expanded Pokedex, and a beautiful wild area, it's hard not to suggest it for anyone with the base game.
If you picked up the expansion pass hoping for a lengthy and interesting story, or some new gameplay then you’ll probably find Isle of Armor a little lacking as I did.
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.
A modest expansion to Pokémon Sword and Shield, Isle of Armor doesn't stray away from the established formula of last year's blockbuster game. But when the core experience was that good to begin with, more of the same is exactly what the series needs to still stay fun and fresh.
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.
In the end, Isle of Armor builds on the foundation of Pokemon Shield’s Wild Area, but there simply isn’t enough to it.