It’s 2am and I’m running through wintry blizzards following the cries of legendary bird Galarian Articuno. Once you track the bird down over the vast lands, the beast splits into three for a mini-game of deception – whereby you only get a chance of catching it if you identify the real Articuno. Once you finally have the Pokémon cornered, you have to enact the typical HP juggling act of catching it, while worrying about hail weather damage chipping away your chances.<\/p>\n
It’s an irritating dance, yet one that’s distinctly Pokémon. These roaming discoveries were sorely missed in Sword and Shield’s main story, which streamlined the experience and pushed players through continuous, easy battles with little variety. The Crown Tundra<\/a>, the second DLC expansion after the underwhelming Isle of Armor, brings back mystery and intriguing mythos to the world of Pokémon – which was slightly lost beneath Galar stadiums and Dynamax stomps. <\/p>\n New mythical Pokémon Calyrex is the bizarre standout. With a freaky bulging ‘noggin’ and the ability to possess human beings to speak, he’s one chemical accident away from well mannered, jockey super villain. Yet, his eccentric oddities are some of the most likeable from the eighth generation, with a backstory which ties him to two different steeds, Glastrier and Spectrier<\/a>, who you can choose between depending which Pokémon type (or aesthetic) you prefer. <\/p>\n