When it comes to region design, Pokémon Sword & Shield may just be the best in the series. The Galar Region is incredibly fleshed out, and is full of fantastic environments and areas that are unlike anything we've seen in the Pokémon series as of yet, with a great mix of bustling cities and quaint hideaways. Today, we're going to be looking at the bes✅t locations that the region has ton offer. Letꦗ's get into it.
10 Best: Motosoke ⭕
As the first big city of Galar, Motosoke does a fantastic job of showing players that the scale of the Galar Region is something unlike we've ever seen. Motosoke is absolutely huge. Right from the start, it is clear that there are secrets and NPCs that will keep you coming back for the entire game. The actual design of the city is great as well, with a fantastic industrial vibe that, once again, helps to set Galar apart from the rest of the Pokémon games. Motosok෴e is a great introduction to what our Gym Challenge is going to look likღe.
9 🌟 ☂ Best: Glimwood Tangle
Glimwood Tangle is a fantastic little area of the Galar Region. It feels like a hidden little magical forest, full of mystical creatures, and it pretty much is. The dark area is lit up by nightlight-like foliage that really make Glimwood Tangle pop. The music compliments the area wonderfully, really helping to emphasize the "magical" part of Glimwood Tangle. As the only pla🌱ce that you can find Galarian Ponyta, Glimwood Tangle is worth a visit even without the fantastic scenery.
8 ♑ Terrible: Spik꧋emuth
Spikemuth is one of the biggest disappointments in the game. Lore-wise, Spikemuth is really interes𒊎ting. It's a town that is basically in ruin, it's abandoned by Galar. The dilapidated town is cared🍷 for by no one except for its residents, Team Yell. This doesn't really come across when playing the games, though.
Spikemuth is basically a hallway. You battle a bunch of Team Yell trainers, and beyond that, there's nothing to do. It is a boring town that feels like it needs something else, it's missing something. All in all, it is Sun and Moon's Po Town, but worse.
7 Best: Ballonlea 𒀰
Ballonlea is akin to Glimwood Tangle but on all of the steroids. The two areas go hand-in-hand, so it does make sense. The same darkness accompanied by nightlight-like fungi light your way around town. Entering Ballonlea for the first time is astounding, and really shows what Game Freak is capable of with a bit higher-fidelity graphics. Luckily, they know not to overuse this type of scenery, as it could get stale very quickly. Hopefully we get to see as creative areas as Ballonlea and Glimwood Tangle in future Pokémon titles.
6 🐻 Best: Wyndon
Wyndon is basically 80% of the Galar Region. It is thicc. Huge. But, it's worth it. As the final city that you'll explore in Sword & Shield, it's really cool to find a sprawling city full of adventure in front of you. The town has everything that y༒ou could need, and is actually split into several different❀ sections it's so big. Plus, it's home to a wide array of leather outfits for your child player character to wear, so that sure is a lot. Wyndon is a very fitting final town.
5 🎀 Terribꦅle: Early Routes
You can't really blame Sword & Shield entirely for this, but the earlyꦫ routes of the Galar Region are just tired. Save for Alola, the early r꧋outes look just like every other region's. Of course, this quickly changes as you progress through the Galar Region, but it's still a problem.
It's nice when Pokémon switches it up and has players start off their journey in one of the ꧂larger cities of the region, as it helps to switch up th🐬e early game formula that we always see.
4 ﷺ 🅠 Best: Hammerlocke
Hammerlocke is another major milestone of players' Galar journey. Hammerlocke is another absolutely massive city, and lets players know that the second that they walk in. With some fantastic music accompanying you as yoℱu explore, you really get a sense of how grand the city is, if you couldn't already tell from its massive presence in the Wild Area before you can enter. There are plenty of secrets to discover in Hammerlocke, so make sure to take your time combing through this great area.
3 ▨ Terrible: Rose Tower 🎃
Look, the story segments that surround Rose Tower are tons of fun, that's for sure. However, the actual tower itself is just so borinꦰg. It is literally just an elevator ride where everything looks exactly the same. The walls, the grunts you're fighting, everything. The entire sequence is just a ride of monotony. There's almost nothing unique about Rose Tower, which is pretty much the opposite of what you'd think this tower would be like. What an upsetting area, especially for being explored so late in the story.
2 Best: The⭕ Wild Area
Of course, the Wild Area is one of the best parts of Sword & Shield. This incredibly expa🅷nsive area is home to many different types of landscapes that feature almost♐ any Pokémon that you can imagine. If that's not your style (why are you even playing this game), then there are Max Raid Battles you can take part in to earn yourself a Gigantamax Pokémon. Not a bad deal, huh?
1 ไ Best: The DLC Areas
The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra are on their way in the form of DLC, and wowee, they look pretty cool. We've only received bits of footage and concept art at this time, but both areas look like fantastic expansions to the Galar Region, especially the Crown Tundra. What mysteries could these areas hold for Pokémon fans? Who knows! Let's hope that these areas hold up when they're actually💎ℱ released! With 200 old Pokémon coming back, fans better be excited either way. We hear the screams. Settle down.