To me, it's not so much the graphics as it is other cuts and sacrifices.
- National Dex cut. This is huge not only for these titles but for the franchise moving forward. People complaining about Kano pandering and Charizard getting a 4th form are actually complaining about the same thing as the Dex Cut - it's about Game Freak choosing which Pokemon are relevant and which Pokemon are ignored. If the game had all the Pokemon, it wouldn't matter. People could use and transfer in the Pokemon they like. Now Game Freak has unprecedently taken control of the process and will dictate to fans which Pokemon they can use and which they can't.
- Forced XP share. Again, something that was optional is now forced on everyone. For those of us who preferred early generations and like adding just a little more challenge to the game, this is really such a pointless removal.
- More gimimcks with Dynamaxing. I don't know any single fan that is actually excited about this. Megas were great, but now they've been abandoned. Z-Moves? Gone. It's just one gimmick after another now, and I think that Dynamix and Gigantamax are flat out stupid. It's blunt, but it's how I feel. Just ridiculous concepts.
- Pokemon following you? Not in the game. Flying on Pokemon? Doesn't look like it. These games will once again lack beloved features that appeared in previous games that haven't been touched since. It's always one step forward and two steps back with this franchise.
So what is Sword and Shield offering? Better textures and 720p resolution? Because other than the Wild Area, which looks a bit rough, I'm not seeing anything revolutionary here. I'm seeing more of the same - gimmicks, cuts, and an overall design philosophy that hasn't budged in 20 years.