I actually did enjoy Isle of Armor quite a bit, but I do understand why people found it a bit underwhelming at times. That said, Crown Tundra is an improvement in pretty much every way. The charming character writing that has been one of the game's strengths continues to be great, even if I wish there had been more of a proper arc for Peony and Nia. Like, come on, you have these two going through the plot of A Goofy Movie and you don't even get a real resolution! When do they go to see Powerline!
Though, one character I didn't even expect to BE a character got a really good arc. Seriously, I didn't expect to like Calyrex based on their frankly kind of silly design, but the game made me love them. The Galarian Star Tournament also brings in a bunch of fun interactions between the cast, which makes me smile.
The gameplay front is where the most significant improvements are. The Isle of Armor was considerably more fun to explore than the original Wild Area, and the Crown Tundra improves even upon that, with tons of nooks and crannies to explore. It was also pretty fun seeing the exploration aspect actively being implemented into some of the Legendary searches, too. Hunting down the birds in various ways had a real sense of adventure to it, and it was also fun to see little riddles for the Regis again. I think the game could have benefited from a more detailed mini-map that gets filled out as you explore, though, as the ingame map was basically useless in trying to orient yourself. That's the one real gameplay complaint I have, though.
Speaking of Legendaries, Max Raid Adventures were way more fun than I was expecting them to be. Granted, they're probably more fun with friends than randos or, god forbid, NPCs, but as a co-op experience to enjoy with friends they've been a blast. It's also pretty fun showing off your Legendary catches to Peony after your adventures and seeing his color commentary.
All in all, I'd say the Crown Tundra alone is worth the price of admission, and the Isle of Armor is a fun bonus. Hopefully we get good stuff like this in the series future instead of third versions that are mostly the same full price game you already played but with occasional writing alterations and something actually resembling a postgame...!
Though, one character I didn't even expect to BE a character got a really good arc. Seriously, I didn't expect to like Calyrex based on their frankly kind of silly design, but the game made me love them. The Galarian Star Tournament also brings in a bunch of fun interactions between the cast, which makes me smile.
The gameplay front is where the most significant improvements are. The Isle of Armor was considerably more fun to explore than the original Wild Area, and the Crown Tundra improves even upon that, with tons of nooks and crannies to explore. It was also pretty fun seeing the exploration aspect actively being implemented into some of the Legendary searches, too. Hunting down the birds in various ways had a real sense of adventure to it, and it was also fun to see little riddles for the Regis again. I think the game could have benefited from a more detailed mini-map that gets filled out as you explore, though, as the ingame map was basically useless in trying to orient yourself. That's the one real gameplay complaint I have, though.
Speaking of Legendaries, Max Raid Adventures were way more fun than I was expecting them to be. Granted, they're probably more fun with friends than randos or, god forbid, NPCs, but as a co-op experience to enjoy with friends they've been a blast. It's also pretty fun showing off your Legendary catches to Peony after your adventures and seeing his color commentary.
All in all, I'd say the Crown Tundra alone is worth the price of admission, and the Isle of Armor is a fun bonus. Hopefully we get good stuff like this in the series future instead of third versions that are mostly the same full price game you already played but with occasional writing alterations and something actually resembling a postgame...!