For years, some fans have wanted a true open-world Pokémon game to revitalize the series the way The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild revolutionized what a Zelda game could be. These calls for something new have only grown louder in the wake of the most controversial Pokémon games to date. While critical reception to Pokémon Sword and Shield has been generally positive, fans have been split with a vocal subset furious about graphical quality, technical issues, and "Dexit."
Those disappointed that Sword and Shield were not the franchise rebirth they hoped for now have a reason to be hopeful for the future. In a surprisingly dense Pokémon Direct, Game Freak announced new DLC for the game, apparently in lieu of the third version usually released a year or two after the start of a new generation. The Expansion Pass will be slightly different between versions, but either will give players access to two new locations: The Isle of Armor (scheduled for June) and The Crown Tundra (coming sometime this Fall). Both are said to be large, expansive areas similar to the Wild Area already present in Sword and Shield.
Probably the most well-received new feature, the Wild Area of Sword and Shield's Galar region is a huge open space with sections featuring various terrains, changing weather, and lots of Pokémon. Much like in an open-world game, players can explore the Wild Area freely and control the camera while doing so. While the area is home to some of the technical hiccups that have sparked complaints, the freedom and adventure it contains offers players something to come back to even after finishing the game.
For all it has to offer, the Wild Area is both literally and figuratively cut off from the rest of the game. Nothing relevant to the main story happens within it, and the only time players are required to spend time in it is when traveling to the cities of Motostoke and Hammerlocke for the first time. While players will probably want to spend hours exploring the Wild Area, it is not required in order to progress in the game. This makes it a compromise of sorts between the open world many want and the traditional, linear Pokémon experience everyone expects.
The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra take the openness of the Wild Area and add what was missing from the exploration: an adventure to go on. While few details have been revealed, the Direct did feature three new characters from The Isle of Armor, a dojo where the player will become an apprentice, and new Legendaries for each part, suggesting elements of the expansion's stories.
The Wild Area always seemed like an experiment of what an open-world Pokémon game could look like. By adding new areas with adventures of their own, the Expansion Pass doubles down on the idea of an open-world setting for a Pokémon game. The official Sword and Shield website even features the tagline "The Wild Area was only the beginning."
Game Freak has never done DLC of this kind before for a main series Pokémon game. Up to now, they have always saved new Pokémon and features for a fully priced third version like Pokémon Emerald or Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, so what these additions mean for any future releases is unclear. It could indicate that Game Freak is testing the waters for a true open-world Pokémon game for which the Wild Area is a trial run and the Expansion Pass a next step.
Of course, one does not have to look further than the controversy surrounding Sword and Shield to observe Game Freak's history of abandoning features, even those central to their original games. Mega Evolution and Z-Moves were pivotal in Pokémon X and Y and Pokémon Sun and Moon respectively, but both have been replaced by Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing. Pokémon Contests became the Pokéathlon became Pokémon Musicals, all of which have since been cut.
Still, the decision to release an Expansion Pass at all seems like a step forward for Game Freak, or at least a sign that they are willing to depart from their formula. While they've tried to be unpredictable (the aforementioned Black 2 and White 2 being a prime example), their risks have always taken place within their existing structure. Adding some of the previously cut Pokémon via DLC and allowing players who don't purchase the expansion to obtain them could be read either as the company listening to criticism or a natural decision they would have made anyway.
Until the inevitable release of the Generation IX Pokémon games, it is impossible to know what is coming next. Future games could be like Sword and Shield and feature an open area inside an otherwise linear game, or even no open areas at all. Either way, The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra expansions will give players a taste of what true open-world Pokémon games could be like, and, depending on how they are executed, might show fans whether asking for one is a good idea or not.