I feel like a lot of people say this game doesn't live up to the hype or is overrated. To be fair, yes. This game is not perfect. But what's here is a seriously great JRPG.The Battle System is one of the most engaging I've played of any JRPG, where you have the ability to do more damage based on your inputs. The Badge System returns from 64, but is expanded greatly. The writing is top-notch, and the characters are great. Hard to pick if my favorite chapter was 3, 4 or 5, but 3 was the most memorable for me. This game was really my first JRPG, and I am so glad to have played it back then in the late 2000s.

So much nostalgia for this game. Played it back in 2008, and absolutely loved it. I really wish modern Paper Mario would go back to this type of storytelling because it is absolutely top-notch. The story is legitimately one of the best stories in the Mario franchise, along with music that is killer. The gameplay isn't bad but takes a bit of getting used to. Just be prepared for some Wii gimmicks like pointing the Wiimote at the screen to proceed— stuff like that. Wonderful writing. Give it a try if you've never played it.

Overhated, but not undeserved of its criticism.
It's strange, because there are some aspects I really love about the game. Go Ichinose always delivers bangers, but this game is seriously good with it's music. The gym battles are seriously great! I love the feeling of battling Pokemon in a stadium with dynamically changing music. Even though the gym battles are cool, they're still pretty easy. Dynamax isn't as cool as Mega Evolution, and I wish it were better. A lot of the characters are all right, but Marnie, Bede, Hop (Hau 2.0) are really good! By the end of the game, I just wanted more between the trio, because their dynamic was really good. I haven't played the DLC, but I've been meaning to. You can't discuss this game without Dexxit, and to be honest it is pretty sad that Game Freak couldn't put all the Pokemon in, when the models, moveset and such are already made. This goes to show that yearly releases for Pokemon is harmful for the end product. However with the release of Legends Arceus, I feel like as time goes on and Game Freak improves the Pokemon formula, people will look back on Sword and Shield with a bit less negativity. I really think there are aspects of the game that are which are super good, but I have a feeling they might not bring that back because of the reception.