Pokemon Sword and Shield: The Isle of Armor Reviews
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
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 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.
A solid first piece of DLC that has a few chinks.
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.
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
The Isle of Armor isn't much, but it's a nice addition of content for an already great Pokémon game.
If you loved Pokemon Sword or Pokemon Shield, then this is a worthy addition. If you had any doubt, and aren’t fussed about catching Pokes and beating blokes, then this island should be deserted.
The Pokemon Sword and Shield Isle of Armor DLC is a worthy add-on to the base game, despite being somewhat light on content.
The Isle of Armor changes a classic format to more open-world-ish, but it couldn't reach its full potential.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
The Isle of Armor is an expansion that does things right, but in the end it feels like an underwhelming experience. The main story leaves a lot to be desired and I can't help but think that some of its improvements should be on the base game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A slew of extra items and features making Pokémon breeding and training a bit better are also included, along with enough bonuses to warrant the existence of this DLC... but not much more than that.
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.
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.
In the end, Isle of Armor builds on the foundation of Pokemon Shield’s Wild Area, but there simply isn’t enough to it.
While the story is leagues over the original, its short length and lack of content feels sparse. I think the value of the DLC lies with having both expansion packs together, since Crown Tundra will feature the long awaited Legendary Raids. Isle of Armor is a nice addition for Pokémon Sword and Shield, but only the biggest Pokémaniacs will get the most out of the experience.
I would have enjoyed this DLC much more if it was longer than it was.
Every time I enter my profile on my Nintendo Switch, I get greeted by that message when my Pokémon Sword cartridge is inside. With that amount, Pokémon Sword is the third most played title in my library after Animal Crossing and Octopath Traveler.
It’s streets ahead of the existing post-game, and thanks to the better realization of the Wild Area concept, I feel comfortable calling it an improvement on Sword and Shield’s biggest feature. It may not be a game changer, but the Isle of Armor still manages to be both an enjoyable slice of Pokémon and a satisfying taste of more to come.
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.