SwSh Sword & Shield: Expansion Pass

[KiranTheWitch]

I have to go on the internet to get this?

You're on the internet right now.

To answer your question seriously, you have to download the DLC from the internet, yes. Hence the name "Downloadable Content".

There is a button on your Menu in game that can take you to the eShop page to buy it. Each Pass is $30, one for Sword, one for Shield, and both passes include both the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra, due for release by end of June and end of Autumn.

 

[BackSet]

You're on the internet right now.

I think the point is that Nintendo Online is a thing.

 

[Fan of Jarrus]

You're on the internet right now.

Online on Switch costs money.

 

[KiranTheWitch]

Online on Switch costs money.

I don't know what to tell you.
NSO is only $20 a year.

 

[Grass Type Gardenia]

In The Isle of Armor, it says that there is a way to allow certain Pokemon to Gigantamax. And I think it has something to do with the Dynamax power bar that you build up with the Dynamax Candies. Complete full bars mean they can Gigantamax.

 

[TRNatalie]

I don't know what to tell you.
NSO is only $20 a year.

You could buy it for a month or just do the seven day free trial. I did the latter with the gift Meowth and I’m planning to do the former when June arrives.

 

[KiranTheWitch]

You could buy it for a month or just do the seven day free trial. I did the latter with the gift Meowth and I’m planning to do the former when June arrives.

That. Part.

 

[Bolt Strike]

Oh my Arceus, they're actually doing it. The crazy bastards are actually putting DLC in a Pokemon game. The cynic in me said they wouldn't do this, that they would just keep making us pay for a new game all over again to profit. But as I was thinking about this Direct I had a niggling feeling that they might do this. That between the fanbase's outrage over Dexit and the general feeling of not enough content and Game Freak likely being forced to rush SwSh out for the holidays that they might buck the trend and turn to DLC so they can work on the game further after launch. And lo and behold, the Sword and Shield Expansion Pass is now a thing.

This is may be simultaneously the best and worst thing to happen to Pokemon this generation. DLC can be easily abused and it's fair to be concerned about whether or not we're just getting what was once a full game's worth of content in the past for even more money. But look at it this way, if they handled this the same way as they did the past, we'd have to pay $60 for Ultra Sword/Ultra Shield or whatever they'd call it and buy the same game all over again with this stuff included. Here, you can just buy the extra content directly for $30 and save $30 for not needing to buy an extra version of the game just to experience the new stuff. So in that respect this is actually a better deal, and I've been banging on the drum for Game Freak to go this route for a while now for this reason. If you're going to complain about the amount of money you're paying for a complete game, you should focus your outrage on the base game not being a complete experience and judge the Expansion Pass on whether or not the added content is actually worth $30, not judge what your full $90 is getting you.

Also, I think this rules out us getting DP remakes or LG Johto or some other new game this year. With Game Freak spread thin as much as they are, I can't imagine them having the resources to give us both this content AND a full new game. For all intents and purposes this probably is our new "game" this year, and they could probably sell it as such with a special edition of SwSh this fall which includes the base game + expansion pass for the holiday season. I was kind of hoping for DP remakes this year, but it just doesn't seem to be in the cards with this announcement so maybe next year.

Man Game Freak, I really want to hate what Pokemon is doing now and move on with all of the lack of content and polish, but you're doing juuuuusst enough to hold my attention.

 

[swiftgallade46]

Do you even need Switch Online to get DLC? I’m pretty sure I got the Smash expansion pass without it.

 

[KiranTheWitch]

Do you even need Switch Online to get DLC? I’m pretty sure I got the Smash expansion pass without it.

No. You don't.

Guys, literally the only reason you currently need NSO is to play online. Updates and DLC, as well as access to the eShop, are not restricted by NSO.

 

[Defiant]

I wonder if you have to have beaten the main game first in order to travel to these places. Would definitely make for fun playthroughs in the future if you didn't.

Don't think you do, the Slowpoke is available for the first time you get to Wedghurst if playing from scratch and the guard says if you've got a pass you can get on the train to the Isle of Armour.

Awful crass to have this be a UK-based region and not have the pack title spelled "The Isle of Armour"

So true, especially when they put so much effort to put Britishisms in, Mum etc

I like how two new areas correlate to cardinal directions? Crown Tundra is placed south and Isle of Armor is placed east of Galar. Going into Super Speculation mode, maybe there will be another pass for this game, with two new areas correlating to West and North?

Actually they more correlate to other parts of the UK. Scotland is North of England (as Galar is flipped this becomes South), Ireland is West of England, (as Galar is flipped this becomes East).

Not only do the Expansion Passes make third versions obsolete, but they also make traditional remakes obsolete too.

We've been through this already, how do they? Are you really suggesting the whole of Diamond and Pearl could be a simple expansion pack for Sword and Shield. As someone else commented by that logic there wouldn;t be a new main series game until the new Console.

No. You don't.

Guys, literally the only reason you currently need NSO is to play online. Updates and DLC, as well as access to the eShop, are not restricted by NSO.

Do I need to pay to do a simple trade over Wifi like weve been able to since Gen 4?

 

[BackSet]

I did the latter with the gift Meowth

You, uh, you don't need NSO for mystery gifts.

 

[Defiant]

Can the Galarian Slowpoke caught now be bred?

 

[Titania]

For what it's worth, if this expansion pass is anything like Xenoblade Chronicles 2's expansion pass (having content that has 20-30 hours of gameplay on top of the actual game expansion and extra items), then for me, it's going to be a money well spent.

 

[Silktree]

If you're going to complain about the amount of money you're paying for a complete game, you should focus your outrage on the base game not being a complete experience and judge the Expansion Pass on whether or not the added content is actually worth $30, not judge what your full $90 is getting you.

I don't think that the base game is worth $60 or that the expansion is akin to half the game. Hence, the complete package is definitely not worth $90.

As I've said before, I am not going to pretend to be impressed just because USUM were arguably less consumer-friendly (by $10) or because they're bringing back 200-ish Pokemon for free. What matters is the new content and it's a mixed bag so far. I don't see an exciting new story or much of a challenge to conquer.

For what it's worth, if this expansion pass is anything like Xenoblade Chronicles 2's expansion pass (having content that has 20-30 hours of gameplay on top of the actual game expansion and extra items), then for me, it's going to be a money well spent.

That depends entirely on how inclined you are to catch all these old Pokemon again and do the Raids. The story isn't going to be very long in all likelihood; how long can you train in a dojo or look for some legendaries? Not to mention that Xenoblade Chronicle 2's base story averages at around 65 hours, so the comparison is faulty.

 

[KiranTheWitch]

Can the Galarian Slowpoke caught now be bred?

Yes. A few Youtubers already have the gold and mustard shiny Slowpoke.

What matters is the new content and it's a mixed bag so far. I don't see an exciting new story or much of a challenge to conquer.


That depends entirely on how inclined you are to catch all these old Pokemon again and do the Raids. The story isn't going to be very long in all likelihood; how long can you train in a dojo or look for some legendaries?

We literally all just heard about this today, and the first part doesn't even release for 5 months. Maybe you could at least try to be opptimistic? These passes could be LOADED with new content for all you know. Don't be such a debbie downer.

 

[Defiant]

In fairness from what we've seen already, the expansions combined seem to have more content than the Ultras did.
Returning old Pokemon I dont think should be counted in with the expansions, as unexpanded games will be able to receive them too, presumably through home as well once available.

 

[CynthiaLover]

I also wonder if this expansion will give us other things along with the expanded adventures, like the ability to buy TRs with cash or have tutors that'll teach the "lost" moves to you like Return and such. If these expansion packs throw in some quality of life bonuses that'll make these games more valuable then I say, "Go, GF!", and they'll definitely be worth the price. I mean, together, they're the price of one run-of-the-mill Switch game, and considering that we used to go the route of third version/sequels/updated re-releases, it's actually more affordable than any of those options at this time. So, let's hope that this DLC will grant us more than just extra adventures and more Mons.

 

[KiranTheWitch]

In fairness from what we've seen already, the expansions combined seem to have more content than the Ultras did.
Returning old Pokemon I dont think should be counted in with the expansions, as unexpanded games will be able to receive them too, presumably through home as well once available.

They did say that there was going to be even more to do in these two areas than even in the Wild Area, and the WA is big AF and has a shit ton to do.

 

[Grass Type Gardenia]

Actually they more correlate to other parts of the UK. Scotland is North of England (as Galar is flipped this becomes South), Ireland is West of England, (as Galar is flipped this becomes East).

Except the Isle of Armor is more than likely based on the Isle of Man, that's located in the middle of the Irish Sea.