Pokemon Sword and Shield: The Isle of Armor Reviews
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.
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.
The Isle of Armor pales in comparison to previous post-game campaigns included in older Pokémon titles released throughout the years, and you didn’t have to pay extra in order to access them.
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
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
The Pokemon Sword and Shield Isle of Armor DLC is a worthy add-on to the base game, despite being somewhat light on content.
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.
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.
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.
In the end, Isle of Armor builds on the foundation of Pokemon Shield’s Wild Area, but there simply isn’t enough to it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.