Pokémon Sword and Shield will be the first games in the series not to feature a full Pokédex, and we think that's actually a good thing.
The release of Pokémon Sword and Shield is now a little more than a week away, and the build-up to the latest installments in the Pokémon franchise has resulted in mixed emotions. The biggest criticism Game Freak has faced came off the back if its revelation that for the first time in its history, it would not be including a full Pokédex.
We appear to be on the far less crowded side of the fence that thinks a reduced Pokédex actually makes a lot of sense. Each new iteration of Pokémon game takes place in a new region and usually brings with it the introduction of new Pokémon. However, it seems pretty convenient that all the Pokémon from previous regions are there, too. Like the real world, certain creatures should only be able to be found in certain parts of the world.
There will also be more than 900 Pokémon in total when Sword and Shield are released. Think about that for a second. Remember when there were a mere 151? 151 Pokémon to update and tweak is manageable. More than 900 of them, on the other hand, is a very tall order. Plus, with a whole new engine in place for Sword and Shield, just imagine the number of man-hours needed to create the games. We might not have seen it for another several years, at least, had developers opted to include a full 'Dex.
Just as players upset with the condensed Pokédex might have been coming around to the changes, Game Freak revealed which Pokémon hadn't made the cut. A surefire way to re-annoy a lot of potential players. No matter which Pokémon were left out, someone would have been upset. That being said, Legendaries from previous games not making the cut makes perfect sense—Sword and Shield's new Legendaries will now feel far more special.
We were taken aback by the news at first and yes, a few of our favorites haven't made the cut, but all in all the decision makes sense. Plus, trainers eager to complete a full 'Dex will still be able to sometime in the future, they'll just need to use Pokémon GO in order to do so. Sword and Shield will be better games thanks to its reduced Pokédex, trust us.