A really interesting experiment to change up the Pokemon formula. I like a lot of the ideas, but the execution of said ideas was pretty sloppy most of the time. I love the idea of the Dynamax/Gigantamax raids, but it was down to pure dumb luck if I ever got to join someone else's raid and most of the time, it was already timed out, or even worse, I got stuck with NPCs who, on 4/5-Star raids, would usually be the cause of a full wipe. The online portions of Sword/Shield are definitely the greatest struggle, which is not a surprise considering this is Nintendo we're talking about. I LOVE the camping and curry cooking aspects, especially where other players could pop into your camp. I just wish there were more Poketoy options than "stick" or "10 different kinds of balls."

EDIT

After playing the Isle of Armor and most of The Crown Tundra, I can safely say this I still really enjoy this game overall.

The Isle of Armor was definitely weak, forcing you to complete even more Dynamax raids on the Isle itself to make the Gigantamax mushrooms appear was nothing short of a huge annoyance. Only the first 3 you gather as a part of the story don't require doing Dynamax raids, but if you want any more? Well, I hope you enjoy suffering. The story for Isle of Armor was very must just...fine. I didn't dislike it. However, I hate Avery's guts. I want that stupid smug twink obliterated.

Meanwhile, The Crown Tundra is a really pleasant experience. The "story" is woefully short though and just revolves completely around you catching Legendaries. The Dynamax Adventure is REALLY damn fun though. You get to keep any Pokemon you capture during an excursion, at the end of which is a Legendary Pokemon or Ultra Beast not found in the game anywhere else. The Dynamax Adventures also have a 100% capture rate, so you don't have to grind your fingers to the bone just trying to get one. The online experience for Dynamax Adventure was also pleasant, at least when there were a lot of people playing it during the weeks after TCT released.

The most mid that has ever midded. Pokemon has a franchise seems like it tries just a LITTLE to spice up the formula but gives up becaues they want every game to be like R/B because it will always be someone's first Pokemon game.
I like that the series is trying to have some more emphasis on story and characters, but it'd be a lie to tell you it's good. I actually liked gigamax but that's an unpopular opinion I won't talk about it or I might get flamed on twitter.
There's a lot of good designs in this game, and I kinda liked that the game had a limited pokedex but that's also a hot take.
It's pokemon. Still the same formula, still skimping out on post game, still doesn't want to commit to anything new.
The game did let me get a Shellos really early so I can get my GOAT Gastrdon really early unlike the last 4 fucking gens so that's like a whole star on it's own.

Before I really say much, it's worth mentioning that before this I haven't really played a Pokemon game since Diamond way back when.
I really liked this game and, for the most part, disregarded much of the criticism surrounding it. The biggest reason I haven't gone back to Pokemon in so long has been the colossal, ever-growing Pokedex that seems to get more and more impossible to fill out with every entry. I like to try to catch as many as I can, so the reduced Pokedex in this game seemed a good place to jump back in, and I'm glad that I did because it was only 60ish hours before I'd caught all 400 in the base game. Having been away for so long, I'm not particularly sure which Pokemon are new to this generation and which come from the past few games but it seems that (generally) the selection is whittled down to some of the better designs and as such you get quite a broad selection of appealing looking monsters to look for.
The Wild Area is a really cool addition and where I spent most of my time when all is said and done, I didn't really interact with the online functions of the Wild Area so I wished there was a little more going on in there but the Dynamax battles are a spectacle and logging on each day to check each region for new Pokemon has been a thrill.
It turns out, however, that there's no smoke without fire in most cases. I'd known that the game was somewhat controversial for its corner-cutting but it's surprising how apparent the lack of polish is when playing the game. The story sidelines you and your rival until the climax with various references to events off-screen relayed in frequent dialogue-heavy cutscenes. One of the worst offenders comes close to the climax of the game, where the villain's main motivation is revealed in a series of storyboard style slides with written dialogue (the ONLY time in the game the cutscenes aren't in-engine), which is bizarre given it only features two characters standing in a room and talking to each other - something the game uses in its cutscenes very liberally otherwise.
I never played a Pokemon game with online features (for various reasons I was never allowed to connect my DS to the internet) so exploring that side of the game was very appealing to me. Unfortunately, it over-tutorialises the most basic mechanics at the outset but then very quickly stops holding your hand and lets you feel it out. I was a significant way through the game before I ever understood how to set up a link trade with a code and haven't even tried the online raid battles because I don't feel that I understand enough about how they work, how to find people to play with etc.
Nevertheless, the experience was overall positive. I bought this with a sudden insatiable thirst for 'Pokemon magic' and somehow this game still has that. It's janky in many ways and a little disappointing as a result but in the end, it's still Pokemon and I'm glad I came back.

I think that sword and shield doesn't deserve a lot of the hate it gets. I think that, while it is weaker than some generations that doesn't make it a poor game! The characters are very lovable, and it presented us with as much of a threat as any other pokemon game.
I would've wanted more plot, and a more meatier game of course- but it was paid off with interesting characters, OST, and pokemon I still got attached to never the less. A mediocre game that still made me happy, that's really all that matters.

This game did not do it for me. The story is a MASSIVE drop off from previous games, and the region has lost some of the magic. For its post game appeal, the Wild Area is great - but it does kind of throw off the fluidity of a traditional Pokémon game. The legendary Pokémon also feel uninspired – Zamezenta is alright, but Eternatus seems completely irrelevant and lacks appeal. If you are looking for a game that sets you up for successful Pokémon hunting/training/breeding in the post game, this game is great. If you want a Pokémon game with an inspired story and compelling characters, go play Sun & Moon or an older game.

In the Galar region, there lives a Dragon-type user. His name is Raihan.

The player character will hear about him before they are formally introduced, as the supporting cast mentions him on passing. He is considered to be the second most powerful trainer in the region, and he is well aware of it—the number on his back, 241, is a pun on tsuyoi, or strong/powerful in Japanese. He is the single competitor in the Galar league who can measure up to Leon, the reigning champion, in combat prowess. His status as the champion's rival is cemented during the intro sequence of the game, in which both engage in an exhibition match. Officially, the player avatar meets him upon arriving at Hammerlocke, the dragon-shaped city that sits at the heart of the region. This is a place of long history, and Raihan acts as the custodian of the city and its legends. He's hot shit, to put it short.

His gym challenge is simple and to-the-point: defeat his three apprentices, then himself, using the double-battle format. Each of his minions specializes in a different weather condition, and Raihan himself is no different: despite not battling with a full roster, the sandstorm strategy of his Ground-skewed team might catch the unprepared off-guard. Galar's gym circuit features plenty of breezy battles, but this one is no pushover.

After his defeat, the protagonist re-battles him during this game's Elite Four equivalent: a tournament-styled competition featuring (almost) all of Galar's gym leaders. Raihan warns the player that he is not the same person they fought during their gym challenge. To comply with the tournament's ruleset, he has now crafted a new team more suited to the singles format. Ready to give his all, he expects to claim victory this time.

As the battle begins, he first throws out Torkoal, whose Drought ability immediately sets up sunny weather. This boosts its Lava Plume attack and turns Solar Beam into a single-turn move.

Torkoal is rather frail for a defense-oriented Pokémon, however, so it falls without much issue.

After that, Raihan picks his shiny new Goodra as a counter. It spends its first turn setting up Rain Dance, which grants 100% accuracy to Thunder and boosts both Surf and (sigh) Muddy Water.

Depending on what Pokémon took out Goodra, either Turtonator or Flygon come out next, and—I shit you not—both of them also spend their first turn setting up weather. Turtonator needs to undo Goodra's work via Sunny Day, and Flygon uses Sandstorm because the joke has been running for so long Raihan feels compelled to keep it going, I suppose.

This game is bad, and Raihan is a dumbass.