You’ll battle with coppers, buy trackies from the shop, and just about everyone will call you “mate.” It can be a bit much at times, but it definitely gives Galar its own distinct flavor within the wider Pokémon universe. And if that didn’t drive it home, Sword and Shield are also full of English slang.

There’s a city that looks like London, ancient castles that wouldn’t be out of place in Scotland, and lots of rolling green English countryside to venture through.

The game takes place in a new region called Galar, which is very clearly based on the United Kingdom. (It also ends on a genuinely surprising twist, a rarity for Pokémon.) It’s fairly simple and par for the course for the series - Pokémon isn’t exactly a franchise renowned for its storytelling prowess - but it serves its purpose, which is to give you an excuse to explore every nook and cranny of the world. The story is intertwined with secrets of pokémon lore during your quest to become the very best, you’ll also uncover mysteries involving ancient creatures and dark prophecies. You have a best friend who serves as your rival throughout the game, and you’ll travel the world collecting gym badges on your way to qualifying for the Pokémon League. You once again play as an aspiring pokémon trainer from a small town, with the ultimate goal of becoming your region’s champion. The core structure remains virtually identical to previous games. This is the same Pokémon you know and love, but it’s cranked up with a bigger world and more adventurous spirit. And while that remains largely the same in the latest Nintendo Switch release, a newfound sense of scale turns it into something more exciting, with huge arenas filled with thousands of screaming fans while gigantic, holographic monsters do battle.

In the past, I almost always knew what to expect: a series of small challenges followed by a battle inside a gym with a high-level trainer who is obsessed with pokémon of a particular type. I’ve ventured into countless pokémon gyms over the past two decades, but nothing has ever felt as thrilling as the massive stadiums in Pokémon Sword and Shield.

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