If you've sunk your teeth into the first part of the Pokémon Sword and Shield DLC, by now you've probably noticed that the Isle of Armor expansion doesn't actually feature the level scaling we were originally promised.
Yep, although Nintendo product marketing specialist Demetrius Boggs told IGN earlier this week that the DLC areas would even scale to match a team of level 100 Pokémon, it seems this is not the case.
IGN: People are reporting in actuality, the cap is similar to the mainland's original Wild Area, which is Level 60, but with some Pokemon and encounters reaching Level 80. The DLC seems to scale with badges as the original Wild Area does, and can be started as soon as the Wild Area is reached.
Pokémon dataminer and Twitter user @SciresM (thanks, Nintendo Everything) took a closer look and confirmed party levels have "zero" impact. Like IGN, they also believe this new content scales to badges - keep in mind, this is still being investigated.
Over on social media, some trainers got quite the surprise when they decided to take a new low-level party of Pokémon to the Isle of Armor (based on the original confirmation of level scaling). As you can probably imagine, it didn't end well:
How do you feel about the game not perfectly scaling to match your party's level? Did you get caught out when you arrived, like other trainers? Leave a comment down below.
[source ign.com]
Comments 53
I wasn't disappointed by this, the gw disappointed me ages ago so this didn't affect me much.
They really should sort that out.
If anyone thinks I'm being hard on them, they did this to themselves.
I was basically that tweet. I selected a whole new team of levels 5-12, went to battle Klara and my level 5 Hidden Ability Grookey from Home got immediately destroyed. Then I reset and redid it all with my regular team, oh well
No big deal. I actually like it better this way.
They really can't do anything right, can they? Scaling to badges is a terrible idea. If you're playing it before finishing the story then you'd need to awkwardly jump between main story and DLC and would soon be over-leveled for both. If you're playing it after the story then you're probably already over-leveled. They should have just designed it as post-game content... or incorporated it into the main game to begin with like it should have been instead of releasing the shell of a game at launch and charging more for the rest later.
Oh well, I'm really enjoying this DLC regardless.
Wow you mean they LIED while marketing Sword and Shield?
I'm shocked. Absolutely thunderbolted. I need to sit down...
@BenAV well, in my file on my switch lite I have one badge.
When I began the dlc, the rival had level 10-12 Pokemon, by the time I got Kubfu, he had Pokemon in their mid 20s.
So level does increase a bit within the dlc itself.
I did drop my main team and started fresh with Pokemon from the island, so that helps keep the balance I guess.
I'm not surprised in the least, but I do wish they had at least bumped things up another notch for those of us who have already finished the game. It makes sense to me to have it keep pace with the main story for those jumping in part way, but my post game lvl 100 Sylveon is TRASHING literally everything on the island. It doesn't need to be soul crushing, but it'd be nice if things survived at least one Draining Kiss so I can catch them. Maybe have the inventor kid make a device that adds an extra 10-20 levels to wild area pokemon if you show him a lvl 100 on your team.
Game Freak is such an honest excellent team, and all developers should strive to be like them. Ugh
To be honest, this is actually what I expected when I heard that the Isle of Armor is accessible at any point of the game.
I was almost going to say at some point that scaling is probably based on your number of gym badges.
Just another disappointment to add to the list I suppose.
I guess in pokemon games, badges have always served as “trainer level”, no?
Good ol' Pokemon Company.
I'm not overly bothered by this, but it does suck that there was some lie or miscommunication related to this. I also went in with a level 23 and died instantly to Klara, but I made a team with it anyway. I had a level 100 to help with catching Pokemon and just went on from there.
It does not scale to badges, I have 8 and they are still ~level 10. It seems to be 10s before you become champion and 60s after.
I don't recall Game Freak ever saying anything about it. Just various press outlets talking about it. I fully expected it to work like the Wild Area. And I don't mind. I'd be happy with just the additional Pokemon, raid battles, move tutors and items.
I'll be doing more shiny hunting, playing in a new competitive meta, and doing more raids.
If my character is a high level but I use crummy equipment, games don't level scale to my equipment. If you're the champion, it doesn't level scale to your Pokemon. Aye yi yi, some people love to complain.
Going by this article, I believe this might have been a miscommunication. Not only by some assumptions on IGN's part, but also due to how Demetrius's statement was interpreted. It doesn't appear that he stated explicitly how the scaling would occur.
Is Pokemon still a thing in 2020? Hard to see the appeal.
Meh, hasn’t really affected my enjoyment of this DLC. Really glad they made everything Wild Area, really the base game shouldn’t have had any non-Wild area as that’s where you spend most of your time late game. Overall quite pleased so far, makes a good game even better.
I’ve had a good time with the Isle of Armor so far but it suffers from many of the problems as the same game. To be honest, I have no idea why Pokémon aren’t scaled to your current party. It’s an incredibly easy fix.
@MichaelHarvey People have literally been asking why Pokemon is still a thing for nearly 20 years now. At some point you guys are going to have to realize people will buy things they like even if you don't like it.
So people are mad that they assumed the wrong thing about the expansion?
@MichaelHarvey Considering it makes more money then you and your entire family, group of friends and workmates will in entire lifetime combined yeah its very much a thing and always has been.
I have 8 badges but haven't become the champion yet, and I started the dlc last night and the pokemon were all level 15!!
@Eel same with me I was running into level 15's, but I haven't become the champion yet in the main game, is this the same with you?
@MichaelHarvey ask the 18 million people that bought sword and shield or the hundreds of millions who play pokemon GO
@playstation_king on this file I only have one badge.
I don't think this is that surprising to be honest. The level scale in the new Wild Area is the same as the current one just with pokemon going up to level 80 instead of staying at level 60. Assuming there would be lvl 100 wild pokemon everywhere in the area is a bit much.
Bit surprised about the trainers not having highler level pokemon to be honest but again it makes sense. Personally I'm just glad I took the time to train up a new Cinderace to level 60 and treat this as a new adventure.
Level scaling seemed perfect to me; but I went to Armor with a bunch of 'mons that I'd just picked up in the Wild Area.
I was definitely going to start a new team with the dlc. Shame there's no scaling
@SortingHat
Funnily enough, this is an article about S & S's expansion not BOTW 2, I also think you are burying your head in the sand a bit or believing things to be true that just aren't.
What we have heard about BOTW 2 is exactly what we thought we might hear, were you not around for BOTW development? Announced and showed as if its a Wii U exclusive, took forever and an age to come out and frankly never really did see much news about it, when it comes to BOTW 2 we have heard more than we ever seen for BOTW especially in the time frame.
Remember you can have your opinions, but remember they are that, not fact.
Also laughing at how to spell a Japanese name or any of them is just disrespectful, when you then try going deeper into their ethos and ways of life like you know simply makes you look a fool.
From the sound of things, the new content sounds like it would have worked better as a sequel a la Black 2/White 2 (with a mixture of new and returning elements to keep a familiar experience feeling fresh), and that a new save file would have served the content well, as opposed to going all in with a Level 70+ team or having to worry about ill-conceived balancing issues. There's no fun in playing through the story with a team that has no room for growth.
While the idea of to-scale overworld Wailord sounds awesome (though the laughable draw distance would serve to undermine its majesty), my stance on DLC for a main series Pokémon game hasn't changed. I have kept an open mind, but I am completely indifferent to the expansion pass so far, and the response has only confirmed all I had suspected about it. I'd rather wait for a DLC-free Let's Go Gen II or a full-blown Gen IV remake, whenever they may arrive.
Considering how underwhelming the base game has been, I think people are naïve in assuming that overpriced DLC will solve its problems. Judging by the DLC release schedule, Sword/Shield should have spent another year in development in order to really make an impression and set the groundwork for future instalments (as main series Pokémon games typically recycle the same engine/assets in subsequent instalments on the same console, as we have seen with Gens I/II, IV/V, and VI/VII), especially as elements such as battle animations and Pokémon models have been future-proofed and are endlessly recycled across releases (including the mobile games GO and Masters) which would reduce the expense/time of developing new titles.
Until then, I can't see myself pouring any more money into Sword/Shield unless Nintendo issues a complete physical release at the end of the year (or perhaps early-mid next year if there is a new main series game coming out later this year, which seems unlikely).
@SortingHat What do you mean Zelda is dead?
Because in the game I played, Zelda was much alive. Unless we played entirely different versions of the game or something went completely over my head
Gamefreak didnt say this the people that spread rumors and leaks said this.to many people believe what they read on the internet not what the actual game company says
I'm glad I waited until reviews for this DLC. So far it looks like it wasn't worth the purchase. I'll wait for the inevitable price drop.
Disappointed yes, surprised, not really... I wonder if when you beat the story in the expansion if they scale up again
@MichaelHarvey because every new mainline pokemon game tends to be a first for a new generation of children but then there are plenty of games that have lasted over 20 years you could question what the appeal is since at their core they are still the same game. Just because you don't see the appeal though doesn't mean something shouldn't be a thing as I am sure there are plenty of things you like that others don't.
@MichaelHarvey Lol at all the people scrambling to tell you there is appeal. I enjoyed pokemon as a kid but it was a gateway into more complex JRPGs with better gameplay/stories. Not to say Sword and shield wasn't fun for a play through for nostalgias sake, but anyone that plays it for the gameplay and not the IP needs to branch out.
@GiygasAF Yeah, beacuse people who play Pokemon don't play other games.
@Venus_Adept A very large portion of Pokemon players don't play other JRPGs. I know several people who play pokemon but have zero interest in other RPGs.
And I know several people who play Pokemon and a lot of different RPGs (myself included). So, for these people and me "but anyone that plays it for the gameplay and not the IP needs to branch out." This is false. I admit the games became stale in many departments, but the multiplayer and the competitive side are still a great fun, at least for me.
Yeah..... I’m pretty upset by this. False advertising at its finest....
I honestly don't see an issue with the way it is set up. Though I also wasn't aware of the supposed scaling.
It fits the level for people who beat the game and wanted to go straight into DLC. I know my final party was lvl 60-70, which is just a little too strong for the trainers in this new area, but not too badly.
It'd be really weird if the trainers here were low level to match the user's party. It just wouldn't make sense to me.
@SortingHat Dude wtf... You REALLY sound like you haven't played BotW xD
Also: Zelda is alive. The one thing you NEED to do in the game is save her. Christ.
I need help, I can't get into the isle of amour even though i bought it. I play the game in Japanese when my Nintendo account is Australian.
I saw this coming, so I used only the Gigantimax Pokemon I caught from the current raid events. That actually gave me a decent challenge.
@poiple345 Have you gone to the Wedgehurst station and caught the Slowpoke there?
@MichaelHarvey Do you live under a rock?
Meh. They added a guy who reverses EV training, and there's Gigantimax soup. I'm happy.
I started with a team of 6 level 100’s - taking no chances.
@DevinRex lol youre loss im having a blast scyther and scizor return
@NintendoPok Good for you. I'll wait for the inevitable price drop.
i hope the next part of dlc does address this because its focused on exploration. If this part is level 80 at the end. than the last part should cater for level 100 teams. Or at least start aiming for level 80 teams and scaling for those people who are lower and of course near the end its got to cater for level 100 teams simple as
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