For years now, thePokemongames have included an item calledExp Sharethat allows players to spread XP earned in battles across all of the Pokemon in their party, which has been controversial as some feel as though it makes the games too easy. In the past, Game Freak has given players the option to simply not use the Exp Share item, but that’s no longer a possibility in the newPokemon SwordandShield.
It’s been confirmed byPokemon SwordandShieldgame director Shigeru Ohmori that Exp Share is no longer optional in the new games. The Exp Share item itself doesn’t even exist, but rather, all Pokemon in the party gets equal experience automatically as players progress through the game. For manyPokemonplayers, this will be a nonissue since they used Exp Share anyway, but those who enjoy training each individual Pokemon may be disappointed by this news.
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At the end of the day, though, Exp Share doesn’t necessarily makePokemongames easier, it just serves as a time-saving function by cutting out the grind. Even so, there are some traditionalists who will still be upset by this news, and so perhaps it would have been better to make Exp Share optional like it has been in past games.
Forcing Exp Share on players isn’t the only controversial decision Game Freak has made in regards toPokemon SwordandShield. Perhaps the biggest controversy surrounding the game has to do with thelack of a National Pokedex. This means that it won’t be technically possible to capture literally all of the Pokemon inPokemon SwordandShield, which has upset some members of the community.
But the flip side of that argument is that the vast majority ofPokemonplayers never bothered to catch ‘em all anyway, and so a National Dex is not all that relevant to the majority of players. Ultimately, we’ll have to wait forPokemon SwordandShieldto launch next monthto get a better idea of how these changes will really impact the overall experience, but fans will continue to take to social media to express their opinions in the meantime.
Pokemon SwordandShieldlaunch on November 15, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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