Exploring new areas and tackling new challenges has made Pokémon Sword & Shield’s DLC a treat for players who have looked into both expansions. The Isle of Armor became available for fans back in June 2020 with a beachy theme for summer. The Crown Tundra came out in October 2020, just in time for the chilly weather that distinguishes the story’s plot. Both DLC are revolutionary for the Pokémon series, which has relied on releasing a third game like Emerald, Platinum, or Crystal to expand on a series in the past. By adding DLC, players can continue the journey they have put so much time into, and bring their Pokémon team to new places.

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Both Sword & Shield DLC entries offer players a range of new content. The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra both have new maps that also function as large Wild Areas. Each game also adds Pokémon from past generations that didn’t make the original cut for Sword & Shield. The DLC expands on the story of the Galar region, giving players new characters to meet and learn about. While they both have these basic additions in common, each one handles the added content differently.

In The Isle of Armor, players travel to a beachy map where they can train at a Dojo. This expansion allows Sword & Shield players to make special soup with items like the Max Mushroom, which grows in the area. This soup grants eligible Pokémon the Gigantamax factor if they don’t already have it, and can remove it if they do. Besides the Max Soup and a short storyline surrounding the Dojo, however, it is easy to burn through the area quickly, leaving the Isle of Armor DLC feeling empty and lackluster once players have explored its full map.

The Crown Tundra Offers Pokémon Sword & Shield Players More

The Crown Tundra adds a lengthy new storyline for players to go through that ends in the ability to capture many new Legendary Pokémon. The DLC also adds Dynamax Adventures, expanding the Pokémon Raid features so that players can go down into the Pokémon dens in search of Legendary Pokémon at the end of a series of Max encounters.

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The Crown Tundra also offers new means of Shiny Hunting to fans who love to hunt the rare, alternately colored Pokémon. One of the biggest additions to the game that the DLC offers however, is the Galarian Star Tournament. This battle system allows players to team up with other prominent characters from the story and learn more about them as they battle together through the different tiers of the tournament. It also offers post-game insight into characters like Champion Leon, being the first game to show what happens to the Champion once they are unseated by the player.

Because of the large additions to gameplay, battling and Shiny Hunting mechanics, The Crown Tundra comes out on top as the better of the two DLC offerings. With longer playtime and more fulfilling content, The Crown Tundra will hopefully set the bar for what players can expect from future DLC both for Pokémon Sword & Shield as well as future titles. While the Isle of Armor didn’t quite hit the mark for expectations on added content, the release of The Crown Tundra makes the DLC pass more than worth grabbing for fans wants to expand their stay in the Galar Region.

Pokémon Sword & Shield is available for the Nintendo Switch.

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About The Author


Laura Gray
(791 Articles Published)

Laura Gray is a writer, illustrator and gamer in cozy Boise Idaho. They have had a wild freelance career in being a nerd, spending time traveling as a professional cosplayer and becoming a published illustrator while working the night grind as an IT tech. Laura is currently a content writer for D&D campaigns and Screenrant while working on personal writing projects for publication. They are also busy welcoming their first child into their life, which has been the best adventure life has given yet.

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