AsPokemoncontinues to expand, its regions continue to mimic real world locations in terms of both geography and inspiration for the series' particularly battle-happy wildlife. While geographic features like theLegendary rock/steel/ice Regisare pure invention, areas like those inPokemon Sword & Shield’s upcoming expansions are rooted firmly in real world locations.
WhilePokemonchanges its region with every new pair of games released, it is well known that each one takes heavy inspiration from a real nation or landmass in the world, so the idea of smaller islands being used for thePokemon Sword&Shieldexpansions is not very far fetched. Part of the fun of each new game is finding the similarities between the real world and the fantastic one created for the games, and knowing what real world location one’s comparing to the game certainly helps.
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It is common knowledge at this point thatSword & Shield’sGalar region was heavily inspired by theUK, with references placed throughout the games. It should not come as a surprise, then, that the first expansion of the new pass, Isle of Armor, has been confirmed to be heavily based on the real world Isle of Man. The second expansion, called the Crown Tundra, is confirmed to be based on the highlands and valleys of real world Scotland.
Both new areas promise a variety of locales for players, with the Isle of Armor mirroring the beaches and forests of its real world counterpart. The Crown Tundra, as its name suggests, features high-altitude snowscapes to explore, mimicking some of the higher areas of the Scottish Highlands. In fact, the Crown Tundra is so vast that some parts will have to be explored in thenew co-op mode being introduced toSword & Shieldwith the expansion.
With all the details already released about the expansions, there are still a lot of tantalizing features from the real world locations that fans have not heard for certain are making it into the newPokemonlocales. It’s known, for example, that the Isle of Armor will feature dojos where players and possiblyPokemon can learn new fighting styles, but what isn’t known is if it will feature any of the medieval castles and rich, Celtic history the Isle of Man is known for.
The anticipation is absolutely enormous forSword & Shield’s second expansion, the Crown Tundra, since Scotland has an incredible history and culture to draw on for the Tundra’s people and locations. Fans already knownew Pokemon forms are on the way, but how much of the legends and history of real world Scotland will make an appearance in the form of Pokemon inspired by, say, the fae, or old figures of legend? Only time will tell.
Pokemon Sword & Shieldare both currently available for the Nintendo Switch. The Expansion Pass is set to release in June of 2020.
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