Pokemon X

 3DS
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1544 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,068 out of 1544
  2. Mixed: 238 out of 1544
  3. Negative: 238 out of 1544
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  1. stako
    Mar 16, 2014
    7
    I will not lie - this game was the reason I got myself a 3DS. When you think about it, it doesn't sound that weird, even when taking into account that I'm a grown man. A Pokemon game, to me and to many others, is that special place where we want to go to experience the pure and carefree times of childhood once more. This time change has started, a few years late, and hasn't come all theI will not lie - this game was the reason I got myself a 3DS. When you think about it, it doesn't sound that weird, even when taking into account that I'm a grown man. A Pokemon game, to me and to many others, is that special place where we want to go to experience the pure and carefree times of childhood once more. This time change has started, a few years late, and hasn't come all the way. I'd like to start off with a little research did. Since I can't proclaim it as legitimate because I can't be 100% certain, from what I gathered, around 35%+ of people who purchase Pokemon games are adults. Just throwing it out there so you can take it in while I do my thing.
    Starting off with graphics - I can't start with anything else with "the first fully 3D Pokemon game" - I must say I'm rather disappointed. For a 3D game that doesnt look all that well, it puts some weird strain on the 3DS hardware. There is loads of lag, plus the fact that most of the time you simply can't use the 3D effects of the system, which kind of beats the point of the game being on the system. And even if you can and do - FPS goes down. The Pokemon style is still some type of weird noseless anime, and I find it more and more repulsive. The male and female body shapes almost look identical, some pokemon that need separate male and female models don't have them: In other words - this game lacks graphical polish. At times it looks like a fan-game.
    I was most surprised from the Soundtrack of this game - it's quite nice. I'm even thinking of buying it. It was a nice surprise. I haven't looked up composers, but I'm pretty sure it's not the same guy who did the previous games. One disappointing thing about the sound in this game is that they didnt bother to add new FX for Pokemon - Gen 1 Pokemon still have their 8-bit cries and they sound really outdated on a 3DS. Also, what gives with the lack of voice acting? It's the 21 century!
    Storywise, this game is absurd. The story is stupid. It wasnt even funny this time around - it's been recycled too many times now. Dialogue is really awkward and out of place sometimes. They took out the whole "Rival" aspect absolutely in this one. You do have some sort of "Rival", but it's not Garry MF Oak. Old players will get what I mean.
    Gameplay, ofcourse, is where this game shines. I have to be honest, this game I had the most fun with out of all the Pokemon games. I still love SoulSilver more than any other, but this one is pretty awesome too, and I still do recommend it solely for this reason. At times it has a lot of fan service, paced well, that will make a lot of people happy. Though, be cautious - it really is more casual than usual. But, truth be told, you can make the game harder for yourself. I did and it was loads of fun.
    In conclusion... this game was a insanely large disappointment. And I will tell you what I gathered from it. The developers of this game are not good devs. They simply aren't. The only reason The Pokemon Company still exists is because Pokemon is Pokemon and it WILL sell no matter what. This is by all means not a good game and it is blatantly obvious - it is programmed badly, it lacks essential things that every pokemon player wants - things that are not that hard to program (I'd know), the game is not at all optimised for the system and the worst - with every next game they get more and more casual and childish, because that is what Nintendo is now. Remember my opening statement? Even if it is wrong, still a large percent of pokemon players are adults. I'm not saying this to say that all pokemon games should be more hardcore (though a more-mature Pokemon game would be awesome) I still prefer a 20 hour journey into my childhood. But I'm smart enough to know when a game is not well constructed and is being released almost unfinished just because it can get away with it - because it's Pokemon and people WILL buy it, like I did. And that most certainly doesn't mean that I should stop playing Pokemon games. It means that The Pokemon Company isn't innovative. Remember the first Pokemon game? That was innovative for the time - the whole concept. Later on, Gold/Silver - you had Pokemon following you and friendships and what not - still a step up. Even Black/White had some story progression and 3D camera play. This one is the first fully 3D pokemon game, but it's an incomplete package. Somehow, with that statement, I expect it also to be voice acted, to be optimised and to have new FX. I'd much rather have that than a new Pokemon generation consisting of even more uninspired pokemon with OP stats, like the previous 2 generations. And I'm sure most players will agree. My 6YO nephew got recently into Pokemon, without having played or watched anything Pokemon related before. Guess what - his faves are Charisard and Blastoise. Hardly a coincidence.
    To sum it up: Pokemon X/Y is outdated by itself, it's an incomplete package and should not be praised for what the Genesis did 30 years ago.    … Expand
  2. Legion455
    Feb 17, 2014
    7
    Overall the most disappointing in the series, a weak post game, lazy animated 3D models, a terrible story that's meant to feel "deep" but in the end comes off shallow, and extremely dumbed down AI.

    But it also has some of the best multiplier, and some really good customization options so each trainer looks unique to each player plus the music is still good like in most Pokemon games    Overall the most disappointing in the series, a weak post game, lazy animated 3D models, a terrible story that's meant to feel "deep" but in the end comes off shallow, and extremely dumbed down AI.

    But it also has some of the best multiplier, and some really good customization options so each trainer looks unique to each player plus the music is still good like in most Pokemon games

    Is it a bad game no, is it a good game no, its mediocre at best and will really only be enjoyed by new players to the series or die hard Poke-Fans    … Expand
  3. Voltex
    Feb 25, 2014
    5
    I became a fan of the Pokemon series with the release of Pokemon Emerald, flying through that game and Firered within a few short weeks. I was captivated by Diamond when it was released in 2007, and again felt joy when playing through Soulsilver in 2010. However, I disliked the Generation V games - the gameplay was too repetitive, the Pokemon designs were ugly, and I just could not attachI became a fan of the Pokemon series with the release of Pokemon Emerald, flying through that game and Firered within a few short weeks. I was captivated by Diamond when it was released in 2007, and again felt joy when playing through Soulsilver in 2010. However, I disliked the Generation V games - the gameplay was too repetitive, the Pokemon designs were ugly, and I just could not attach myself to any of the characters.

    In the months leading up to the release of Pokemon X and Y, I grew excited again. The new Pokemon designs were, for the most part, fantastic - and while I disliked the exclusivity of Mega Evolutions and that they only activate during battle, I thought they were a cool concept. Visually, Pokemon X is spectacular, although the frame rate drops noticeably if the 3D feature is activated during battles. However, I dislike the music, which does not meet the standards set by the earlier generations. The region feels very small compared to earlier locales such as Hoenn, and the caves choke you in their linearity.

    The worst offender is the story. While the Pokemon games have never been known for their story, at least it was there - at least it made sense and was enjoyable to watch as a side quest to whatever story you had created for yourself. That is not the case with these games. The story - if it can be called that - was quite clearly tacked on without a second thought for how it should work, and it killed the experience for me. I cannot recommend this game.    … Expand
  4. Halosoulfire
    Jan 18, 2014
    5
    This game is alright, it was average in its play, collection, and storyline. However its downfall is the repetitiveness of trying to "catch them all". Not really disappointing but at the same time was exactly what was expected.
  5. LucaxCubix
    Oct 25, 2014
    6
    Note: This is a completely Honest review of someone who has played EVERY Main Series Pokemon Games.
    And this is my personal opinion, so if you dislike it, cool, make your own review :3
    Seven Words: OVERRATED, OVERHYPED, AND LACKS IN MOSTLY THINGS. ;) Well Now, I'll explain myself, the game lacks and dissapoints in: the soundtrack because they did a dissapointing job compared to the    Note: This is a completely Honest review of someone who has played EVERY Main Series Pokemon Games.
    And this is my personal opinion, so if you dislike it, cool, make your own review :3

    Seven Words: OVERRATED, OVERHYPED, AND LACKS IN MOSTLY THINGS. ;)

    Well Now, I'll explain myself, the game lacks and dissapoints in: the soundtrack because they did a dissapointing job compared to the other games in the series, unlike in HG/SS and W2/B2, which had a FANTASTIC soundtrack, then we've got the story, and maaan did it suck, Writing? Bad (Cheesy and unnatural dialogue), Characters? Forgetable (The only one's name I remember is Serena, but that's cause she's in the anime, duhh), Story as a whole? Well... nothing new AND pretty short (Like 10 hrs long), theeen we've got the graphics, they look nice, but the 3d sucks since when it's activated on battles, the game lags :(
    Then the Difficulty... I havent lost ONCE! and that's thanks to the dammed new Exp. Share mechanic (Which I'll rant to and explain later on this review)

    Then the New stuff:
    First we've got the added pokemon: I like 'em all, but like I said, the game lacks in mostly everyway, specially in the added pokemon... ONLY 70 (Actually 72 but that's adding the other 2 pokemon of the trio that Diancie is a part of ;3) BUT the game complements that by increasing the amount ofcapturable pokemon from other regions to INSANE! (the Highest in the series actually)
    Second, The Mega Evolutions............. Fanservice, by that I mean, MAKING ALREADY INCREDIBLY FAMOUS AND POWERFUL POKEMON AND LEGENDARY POKEMON (like Blaziken and Mewtwo) MORE POWERFUL IS A BAD IDEA, but making Pokemon which dont evolve more powerful by giving them a mega evolution is a GREAT idea in my opinion, and I want more of that, but that doesnt mean that I dont want a Samurott or Shaymin Mega Evolution *wink* *wink*
    List of Mega Evolution I aproooove (bcuz i like em as pokemon): Absol, Mawile, Audino (OR/AS), Slowbro (OR/AS), Sableye (OR/AS), Diancie (OR/AS, because it sucks), Steelix (OR/AS), Lopunny (OR/AS) and.... 4 of the Starters that now have mega evolution, which are, Venasaur, Blastoise, Swampert (OR/AS) AND Sceptile (OR/AS).

    Now the movement and stuff you can do in the game... well I like the rollerskates but they make the bicycle completely worthless if only for IV and EV training, then we've got the stuff you can do... well multiplayer and the looker quest are pretty fun, but everything else? not really fun... (well maybe that unnescesary Mewtwo battle so you can get his OP mega evolution... yeah, maybe)

    PKMN Amie and Super Training: Cool Additions, but I prefer Amie because... MAKING GIRATINA LOVE YOU IS AMAZING!

    About that difficulty tho... The Gym Leaders and The Elite 4 only having 4 Pokemon is stupid, who thought of that idea.....

    NOW THE EXP. SHARE! F**K IT, that's the main cause of why the game is so freaking easy and the exp share main purpose is now to give exp to all your pokemon! GREAT IDEA, RIGHT!? nope, stupid IF ONLY for the Post game, is very necessary by then if you want to complete the pokedex as fast as possible :P

    Well that's it, thanks for reading and have a nice day :3    … Expand
  6. Ibanez89
    Oct 16, 2014
    7
    To start off, I really did enjoy this game. I love the graphics, the music and the new features.
    Its as I remember from the previous gens. Catch Pokemon, train them, beat the elite four, catch em all.
    The mechanics are the same and nothing is changed to ruin its reputation in the franchise. The main 3 problems I have with this game are the following: EXP share - I get it. But to    To start off, I really did enjoy this game. I love the graphics, the music and the new features.
    Its as I remember from the previous gens. Catch Pokemon, train them, beat the elite four, catch em all.
    The mechanics are the same and nothing is changed to ruin its reputation in the franchise.

    The main 3 problems I have with this game are the following:

    EXP share - I get it. But to offer this at the beginning of the game takes away that desperation of training your Pokemon to beat the gym ahead of you. Every other game made you work for your success. Red,Blue and Yellow had this 3/4's of the game so you had to make progress to earn it. In this, you simply use 1 Pokemon in your whole party and everything levels up. We just got it far too easy this gen.

    Easy Difficulty - I guess this ties to the EXP share too, but the overall gameplay is also on easy mode. I don't think there was one battle where I struggled

    Nothing after the Elite Four - So I'm pretty sure we were all waiting to see what we will get to do after the Elite Four? Well I have to say it was insulting that nothing else was waiting for us after our previous experiences with the other games. Ok you can look for the megastones, but nothing exciting unlocks. Thats where the game died for me.

    Now I'll explain why I gave it a relatively high score.
    I loved the competitive gameplay. The EV/IV training was a great feature in this and much more simplified for players to get into.
    The environments were very immersive as well. I enjoyed taking in the scenery while exploring the region.
    The graphics, battle sequences, animations and music also made this game for me.

    They kept the core of the gameplay the same. Just refreshed, more competitive and for everyone to enjoy.
    If it wasnt for those flaws, this game would be amazing. Again, I really did enjoy this game and its certainly one of the top 10 3ds games in my opinion.    … Expand
  7. Rolento
    Jun 25, 2014
    7
    Hopefully this game is just a starting point for future releases with its same features. Not that I play Pokemon for the story, but after the overly long main playthrough of gym leaders and Team Hipsters, you are left postgame-less. There's the battle mansion I guess, but at higher levels it gets artificially difficult, although in the context of pokemon it may not be all that bad (if youHopefully this game is just a starting point for future releases with its same features. Not that I play Pokemon for the story, but after the overly long main playthrough of gym leaders and Team Hipsters, you are left postgame-less. There's the battle mansion I guess, but at higher levels it gets artificially difficult, although in the context of pokemon it may not be all that bad (if you view it as a "get out of this situation" minigame, in which the situation is an opposing pokemon with powers the player does not have such as infinite luck). Region was ok-ish, rivals were just too many to care and not doing much anyway, customization was a nice idea done poorly due to lack of variety.

    Now that's the game itself's impression I had, as for the actual generation: they did VERY good with the new pokemon, as in making few of them but quality, and most of them have very competitive characteristics to the point that some of them almost looked like (good) fan-made ones. "Mega-evolutions" are... a thing, I guess. I can't really say wether they are good or not, while i understand those who saw it as an unnecessary thing, ultimately you should see it as a new, arbitrary mechanic that can take many forms and make some changes and that is that (plus the obvious eye-candy factor because "ooooooh mega evolutions cooool", remember that this game has the biggest chunk of target audience consisting of kids). Speaking of target audience, shinies farming and breeding are made way easier: it's still an excruciatingly tedious thing, but I would never expect the game to go "full online simulator" by just making you insert IVs and EVs by typing them: it's not what this game is about. I would usually see such a thing with spite, but in Pokemon I guess it's contextual: it's what it is.

    Arguable decisions: giving Mawile a mega evolution when it could very well be made an evolution, Fairy type could have been avoided if they instead balanced the other types (which they did anyway, therefore it wasn't an issue with retconning as usual, so I really don't get it, but whatever).    … Expand
  8. MentalVortex
    Jun 15, 2014
    7
    The new fully animated 3D Pokemon models are a breath of fresh air, and the addition of random matchmaking for online battles is also pretty good, even though I would have liked more search options. However, there a few issues which hold the game back from a higher score. One is the lack of a cooperative online feature like the Battle Tower from Pokemon Platinum. You CAN do local co-op atThe new fully animated 3D Pokemon models are a breath of fresh air, and the addition of random matchmaking for online battles is also pretty good, even though I would have liked more search options. However, there a few issues which hold the game back from a higher score. One is the lack of a cooperative online feature like the Battle Tower from Pokemon Platinum. You CAN do local co-op at the Battle Maison, but that's not convenient. Secondly, in terms of battling, even though you can now use TMs to teach your Pokemon a certain move an infinite number of times, one of the most important ones, Stealth Rock, is missing. Some Pokemon learn it naturally, but for many others the only way to acquire it is to transfer them from the older generation of games which is quite frustrating and just seems like a cheap way for Nintendo to sell you on their new Pokebank service. Lastly, the lack of post-game challenges is really noticeable, as there's not really anything to do once you beat the Elite 4 other than breed and battle. If these issues could be addressed it would mean the difference between a really good game and an excellent one, but as usual it seems Nintendo is purposely excluding content as a means of stringing people along for the next addition to the series.… Expand
  9. Wildkry
    Nov 11, 2014
    7
    This installment in the series is a pretty good one. The 3D graphics are awesome and the music is great as well. The world is beautiful and the story is very interesting. However, the game is way too short in comparison to the previous generations and, while there is a lot more to do outside of the main story, it falls short in my opinion as far as the amount of content in the game. MyThis installment in the series is a pretty good one. The 3D graphics are awesome and the music is great as well. The world is beautiful and the story is very interesting. However, the game is way too short in comparison to the previous generations and, while there is a lot more to do outside of the main story, it falls short in my opinion as far as the amount of content in the game. My other complaint with this generation is some of the Pokemon they came up with, such as the keyring with keys and the ice cream cone. Previous generations were awesome and I feel as though this time around, they got lazy and could have come up with plenty of really creative and cool looking creatures. Overall, I think this is my least favorite generation in the Pokemon series and although the graphics update is very nice, I think it fell short in too many core concepts that the series is known for. I feel as though the upcoming ruby and sapphire versions will be an example of how this game should have been made with a longer story, better Pokemon, and a quality experience like the previous installments.… Expand
  10. EpicYellow
    Nov 26, 2014
    7
    I was expecting more. There aren't a lot of new pokemon & the story wasn't very motivating. Sorry Nintendo, maybe Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire might be better.
  11. karlti8
    Mar 25, 2015
    7
    The game continues classic system of Pokemon saga and good or bad all the game follows the common patterns.The mains innovations are graphics or minor functionalities.New graphics are good but 3D is almost useless.The combat'animations look great but only the background looks that way because pokemon movements in combat don't take any advantage of innovations.The new additions like clothesThe game continues classic system of Pokemon saga and good or bad all the game follows the common patterns.The mains innovations are graphics or minor functionalities.New graphics are good but 3D is almost useless.The combat'animations look great but only the background looks that way because pokemon movements in combat don't take any advantage of innovations.The new additions like clothes shop or pokemon-amie may be curious but i don't think this is interesting at all.
    The history is "meh" but i understand this can be secondary in a pokemon game and obe of the worst thing in the game are the NPC dialogs that are childish and in the greater number boring.
    Cities desing are cool and also buildings, in general artist aspect looks kind. I think the game is a little bit easier than older pokemon'games and it requires less time of farming time but you will not get bored beacuse of difficulty.
    Pokemon and not pokemon fan will enjoy but this game will not be remembered as an example of this saga    … Expand
  12. PizzaW0lf
    Sep 4, 2017
    6
    Pokemon X is the same thing we had before. Except worse let me explain, This game first off is very easy. I know it's a kids game, but I mean super Mario galaxy 2 is way harder than this game and that too is a kid (It can be enjoyed by all ages though!!) game so that's not an excuse! I know you can tell me to turn off the EXP share, but if I do that then the game becomes so unfair becausePokemon X is the same thing we had before. Except worse let me explain, This game first off is very easy. I know it's a kids game, but I mean super Mario galaxy 2 is way harder than this game and that too is a kid (It can be enjoyed by all ages though!!) game so that's not an excuse! I know you can tell me to turn off the EXP share, but if I do that then the game becomes so unfair because the game is MEANT to be played with the EXP share. So it's a lose lose situation. What I mean is it seems like the game just gives off less EXP with the share off. How did that get past QA testing? also, the story is as bad as Gen 4. Very bland and soulless. In fact, in conclusion, this is just a soulless Pokemon game meant to get people to buy the 3DS. Well, I guess they achieved that. I love the 3DS but for other reasons.… Expand
  13. Dragonfly44
    Nov 27, 2017
    7
    While it looks great and the added trainer customization is practically one of the coolest things imaginable, the game is just ridiculously easy even while trying to make it harder by doing a so called nuzlocke of the game. The lack of content after the main story is also rather disappointing. This game was great but had the chance to be amazing.
  14. KegMinami
    Dec 31, 2019
    5
    While one of the most visually pleasing games on the 3DS, Pokemon X and Y are fairly bare-bones as far as Pokemon games go.
    If there's one thing I can say is really good about this game, it's the region. Some will say it's kind of a **** but I for one really like the seasonal progression of the game. It allows for some fantastic and extremely memorable routes. Additionally, Mega Evolution    While one of the most visually pleasing games on the 3DS, Pokemon X and Y are fairly bare-bones as far as Pokemon games go.
    If there's one thing I can say is really good about this game, it's the region. Some will say it's kind of a **** but I for one really like the seasonal progression of the game. It allows for some fantastic and extremely memorable routes. Additionally, Mega Evolution is a fun mechanic, and it was great seeing some of my favorites that weren't really strong, like Mawile and Houndoom, turn into absolute powerhouses.
    But that's about all the praise I can give these games. Sure, the Pokemon formula still works here, but there's just not much. There's basically nothing to do once you complete the main story. No new areas to explore, no Battle Frontier, nothing. Just the Friend Safari and the Battle Tower and that's pretty much it. Additionally, once you get through the around the third or fourth Gym, the pacing in the game decides to crank up to a breakneck pace. It's a bit disappointing, since I felt the pacing before than was fairly good. There was a lot to see and explore, but once you get back to Lumiose it's a mad dash to the finish line.
    As stated before, it's a very bare-bones Pokemon experience, which isn't necessarily "bad." I just feel like these games, the only pair in the series thus far to NOT get a third version, are the ones that would have benefited most from one.    … Expand
  15. maxspin
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    As someone who have played every single mainline pokemon game I can say this one is "ok", but it lacks substance previous games had. It's still nice to see pokemon in 3D, thought.
  16. Kiraki1120
    Nov 16, 2019
    7
    Unfortunately, a little dropdown compared to other Pokemon series. Many great features has been removed, but it still gave a good main game and plot. But the post-game was the biggest downside of this game. There was very few things to do in the post-game compared to other Pokemon games and training Pokemon up to level 100 was a mess of repetitiveness in this game.
  17. JasonBB
    Nov 20, 2019
    5
    Story sucks (thanks god we had the great SM after this), difficulty is the worst by far in the series and the game feel unfinished. After all, those games are not as bad as people say, but are not the best entries.
  18. beatlesfan64
    Oct 30, 2013
    5
    It's a good game that's obviously reaching towards younger audiences than previous entries to the series. This is the very first pokemon game I've ever feel like would be a better rental than an owned game.

    Gameplay: It's generally the same pokemon formula. You get a starter (more than one eventually) you fight gyms, you train your pokemon, etc. It's fun, it's what has made the    It's a good game that's obviously reaching towards younger audiences than previous entries to the series. This is the very first pokemon game I've ever feel like would be a better rental than an owned game.

    Gameplay: It's generally the same pokemon formula. You get a starter (more than one eventually) you fight gyms, you train your pokemon, etc. It's fun, it's what has made the franchise, however I feel like this game gets very easy very quickly. Throughout the game, I lost maybe 2 or 3 battles, and those were only because I didn't have the proper supplies to battle. As for money, you win far too much of it from trainers. Before I fought the Elite 4, I was able to stock up on 99 revives, 50 hyper potions, and about 30 super repels for victory road. There are also places throughout the game that allow you to randomly heal your pokemon. Sure, this has happened in previous pokemon games, but it happens more often in this game than any other. This game just simply throws the player a bone too often.

    Story: What story? You just moved into a town, the local kids try to include you in an activity and bam, you have your starter. Nobody plays pokemon games for the story, I get that, but there were a few moments where the story was just flat out bad. It's unprecedented how tacked on the story feels to this game.

    Replay value: Minimal. There is a side quest that you can do to burn another hour or two, but there's nothing to keep the ds in your hands once you've beaten the game.

    Overall: It's probably the worst pokemon game to date. It looks nice, it has pokemon in it, but that's all it has going for it. That being said, I did have fun in the 27 hours it took me to get to the Elite 4 and beat them. It's a good game to rent, but not a game to buy and certainly not a game to buy a 2ds or 3ds for.    … Expand
  19. sakura1441
    Dec 1, 2013
    5
    get confusing with the way your character is facing, especially in the town where i have a hard time facing the direction i want to face. Too many old pokemon that are not from this generation that appear too early in the game, and that skates are permanently on your character leaving you to avoid the joystick to walk normally and not glide out of control into walls. You cant goget confusing with the way your character is facing, especially in the town where i have a hard time facing the direction i want to face. Too many old pokemon that are not from this generation that appear too early in the game, and that skates are permanently on your character leaving you to avoid the joystick to walk normally and not glide out of control into walls. You cant go underground like in Pearl and Diamond, and you dont really follow a plot like in HG and SS. I prefer Pearl and Diamond much more than this game, but somehow i felt the need to finish this. Good game i guess, but in terms of previous pokemon games, this one is pretty low in the ranks.… Expand
  20. Florrible
    Oct 19, 2013
    6
    While the gameplay is great with the new graphics and all new gameplay aspects and it also accuratly representing France(at least besides them giving you stuff all the time). My favourtie part of the game is probably the Battle Chateau and all the services within Luminose City.
    Though there are also some apsects I disliked:
    First, story dialogues are not very well done. The Team Flare    While the gameplay is great with the new graphics and all new gameplay aspects and it also accuratly representing France(at least besides them giving you stuff all the time). My favourtie part of the game is probably the Battle Chateau and all the services within Luminose City.
    Though there are also some apsects I disliked:
    First, story dialogues are not very well done. The Team Flare scientists are more of a laugh then an actual challenge and what they are saying doesn't make them seem much more threatening. And they could have put more effort into Serena(your rival). Most of the time she just comes up to you and say's "Let's battle" and once you beat here, she leaves just as quickly.
    Also the plot starts very slowly and once you come to the final parts of the battle against Team Flare, you get all the info of their plans thrown at you at once, within pretty much less than ten minutes. Some aspects of it could have been told you much earlier(like about the machine) and it would have probably made the story better. You also can guess who the leader of Team Flare is before you even met it for the first time.    … Expand
  21. noNio
    Oct 15, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's like every fan's dream come true. 3D graphics, a lot of Pokémon available, you can play with Pokémon, and convenient and quick multiplayer features. Sadly the execution is flawed at many parts, so it's best to just rush the game through and only play the multiplayer.

    There's no shortage of Pokémon to use in the massive Pokédex of Kalos. Despite only around 70 being new, X and Y do a great job distributing Pokémon across areas, before the first gym you already have dozens to choose from. The new Pokémon have designs that are pretty good on average.
    It's another problem that plagues this generation's Pokémon; the fairy type. When I first heard of it, I was incredibly excited about the game getting a new element to mix things up, and fairies are a fascinating and diverse type of creatures in folklore, but the implementation is horrible:

    Chansey-line might be understandable for balance, but when the most obvious candidates, many based on beauty/emotion, actual fairies (Mismagius) and various youkai-inspired Pokémon don't get fairy type, while Marill and Jigglypuff get it, the aftertaste is rather bad. Retyping more Pokémon would have made the fairy type more impactful and made up for some types of the new Pokémon (perfume could be poison as dual, the dryad could be grass and many should have evolved).

    The story is dreadful. The dialogue is cheesy and unnatural, most characters lack credibility, and the few that actually have it have weak presence. The friends are a good idea but incredibly one-dimensional, incompetent and annoying. The worst thing about singleplayer is the constant obstacles to make the game more restrictedly linear than it has ever been and no optional areas until the end.

    The soundtrack is good, but pretty typical. Pleasant to listen to, but doesn't stand out like generations 1 and 5 did, for example. The graphical upgrade is a great, everything looks great in general. The presentation has some inconsistencies that show lack of polish. While it's mostly not supported, there are scenes in stereoscopic 3D randomly. A similar inconsistency is battle models. Some important characters have no model yet flare grunts get it. Why don't the highlight moments of the game get the glory?

    Actually, the highlight moments are neglected in general. Gym challenges barely can be called that. The teams are small and poorly diversified. Bigger teams and better move sets, dual types and berries that lessen damage from certain types should be used to fix this issue. Same with team flare and E4. The teams are pathetic, the champion is the only one whose team is full. It feels like you conquered a region where only two competent trainers exist. Pokémon are also really easy to catch so gone are the amazing feelings of accomplishment after catching a snorlax or a legendary.

    Singleplayer is a dull cakewalk. All problems are just inconvenience. For example, the HMs still exist. What does forcing us to use fly and cut accomplish other than destroying move sets? Why can't HM be replaced without move deleter? There are multiple ways to do it in a way that doesn't screw up our preferred way to play. It does nothing to protect you since you can surf into a desolate island and trade your entire team for bunnelbies.

    On the positive side, movement is great. Bicycle and roller skates make movement quick and unrestricted compared to all previous games. Roller skates could use the option to be disabled, but it's not the end of the world. Exp. All is handed out early and it saves a lot of time from grinding. Amie is fun to use and well executed, playing with the Pokémon is addictive and makes them feel closer than ever. Super training is a more fun way to train EVs. A bit slower than the classic method but less tedious. Reset bags are a useful for those who stick to the classic way. Keep in mind you shouldn't use these features before the end if you want challenge in singleplayer. Min-maxed EVs and the Amie bonuses make the easiest Pokémon game even easier. The offline postgame is short. Collecting clothes is fun and there's berry growing and battle facility for BP. The search for mega evolutions is fun but easy and short.

    But that doesn't matter since the multiplayer is amazing. There are a lot of features to make it easily accessible and fun to use. The connectivity and different options and modes are awesome. Combined with endless customization of your own avatar, profile and team, the multiplayer has pretty much unlimited potential for playing value in communication, collecting, trading and battling.

    The online battling is very easily accessible. They also overcame a previously terrible problem that the game had by giving automatic full IVs to all Pokémon that are battling, all in order to let us play without fear of hackers getting too much of an unfair advantage. Wonder trade could use some tweaking but it's still a fun and addictive feature.

    2 for singleplayer 8.5 for multiplayer (x2) 6    … Expand
  22. birdman3
    Jul 3, 2014
    6
    I was a big fan of Red and Blue, and have not played a single pokemon game since that generation. I decided to take the plunge and see what has happened to the pokemon world since I was last a part of it, and I must say: I was a bit disappointed.

    The positives in this game are what people have said already- stellar graphics, character customization, online play, etc. I agree with most    I was a big fan of Red and Blue, and have not played a single pokemon game since that generation. I decided to take the plunge and see what has happened to the pokemon world since I was last a part of it, and I must say: I was a bit disappointed.

    The positives in this game are what people have said already- stellar graphics, character customization, online play, etc. I agree with most of these sentiments, except that I don't understand the appeal of the online play. Additionally, the character customization is not my kind of thing. But yes, the graphics are gorgeous (except I did run into some frame rate issues, which really surprised me).

    As for the negatives, I can point out a few- I read one review that praised the number of minigames that this game provides. I disagree- I see them as a dramatic timesink that only serves to provide marginal buffs to your pokemon. Spending hours in the balloon matches and punching bags provides my pokemon with additional power, but they're incredibly redundant and not terribly effective. Plus, every time I decided to swap out one pokemon for another, I felt obligated to train that new pokemon up to the same levels as my previous pokemon, which means i had to sink lots of time into just tapping my bottom screen.

    The other significant downside I faced was the sheer number of pokemon in the game- having not played since there were only 150, I was surprised to see pokemon that were: pumpkins, chandeliers, keyrings, swords, and many, many nondescript blobs. In addition, the addition of new types provided an additional level of complexity to the combat system. I can't tell you how many times I had a pokemon faint in a fight to a move whose type I did not know and could not understand how it was super-effective against my pokemon. I had one battle where a single psychic pokemon 1-hit KO'd 4 of my pokemon in a row because a) he was faster than my pokemon and b) he happened to have a move that was super effective against each one. I also could almost never determine the type of a pokemon while I was battling it- "is that pokemon dark or steel? I forget which one's super-effective against which!". The only way to overcome this was to have my tablet handy nearby to research the pokemon's type and see what was effective against it. Doing this almost trivialized the game, however, but I felt it was necessary in my fights against the Elite Four because otherwise I faced the prospect of all my pokemon being 1-hit KO'd by some random move that the opposing pokemon happens to know (e.g. I once had a Slowbro use Flamethrower on me!).

    Finally, the plot: Pokemon Red and Blue had memorable locales and events, like the Pokemon Tower, Silph Co., S.S. Anne, and the Safari Zone. Not so with this one- this game's "highlight" is a hilariously over-the-top world-threatening phenomenon that can't possibly be explained or reasoned with. Wonderful.

    All in all, the game is good if you you've been keeping up on your generations, but I feel like if you've been holding out, wondering if you need to get back into pokemon in your later years, that there's almost no reason to come back.    … Expand
  23. Sylveon
    Jan 31, 2016
    6
    For some reason, I think Pokemon X and Y didn't success much as the other games. But I'd love to give it a point for it's splendid graphics, and cutscenes. Also, the new "Mega Evolution" feature, really got it going. It was probably the "Mega Evolution" that hyped kids who played the game the most, so they didn't care much about the actual story, and the easiness of the game. For mostFor some reason, I think Pokemon X and Y didn't success much as the other games. But I'd love to give it a point for it's splendid graphics, and cutscenes. Also, the new "Mega Evolution" feature, really got it going. It was probably the "Mega Evolution" that hyped kids who played the game the most, so they didn't care much about the actual story, and the easiness of the game. For most kids, they don't want to "catch em' all" they just want to be the most powerful player. So yeah, most kids who played the game really loved the "Mega Evolution". But now let's think again. For the actual gamers, the game had the usual "cliche Pokemon game plot", which is the plot where an evil team wants to take over the world using powerful Pokemon. A lot of gamers disliked it. THEY wanted a different plot. Also, the game was TERRIBLY easy for the experienced players. It just lowered the game's pizzazz, and it was boring. It was so boring that the new Pokemon aren't even exciting anymore.

    So I definitely recommend this game for the new Pokemon players, but if you are one of the more experienced Pokemon players, you probably shouldn't play this game.    … Expand
  24. Halfnerd
    Jan 26, 2019
    6
    While definitely still a good game, I'd say this may be the weakest example of a mainline Pokemon game since the original Gameboy games. For one thing, the game is incredibly easy. Not much else to say about that point. The music is also subpar compared to previous and later entries in the series. The story is boring and a tad nonsensical. This game just doesn't properly capture what iWhile definitely still a good game, I'd say this may be the weakest example of a mainline Pokemon game since the original Gameboy games. For one thing, the game is incredibly easy. Not much else to say about that point. The music is also subpar compared to previous and later entries in the series. The story is boring and a tad nonsensical. This game just doesn't properly capture what i believe is the personality and character of the Pokemon franchise. This game does have some strong points. The new Pokemon in this generation are probably the second most all-around great group of monsters to-date, only to be edged out in terms of consistently good designs later by Sun and Moon. The human character designs are really good as well. This game does make for a decent starting off point for newcomers, but it may make them think all of the games in the franchise are this easy. The game looks nice considering the hardware its running on. Not a bad game, but definitely less than what I would expect from the Pokemon franchise.… Expand
  25. sathvik_
    Aug 1, 2023
    5
    This is where these games started deteriorating in quality. I used to think this was good but now that i gave it a re run its pretty mid
  26. LazyKingSingh
    May 15, 2014
    7
    Pokemon X/Y Review

    I have play nearly every game since the 3rd generation and onward and with the new release of X and Y, so it’s no surprise that I would purchase this. Many claim that this is hands down the best game in the best game in the entire series, with that I reply with a yes, and a no. Gameplay: Gameplay by no suprise follows the same exact formulaic style it has had since    Pokemon X/Y Review

    I have play nearly every game since the 3rd generation and onward and with the new release of X and Y, so it’s no surprise that I would purchase this. Many claim that this is hands down the best game in the best game in the entire series, with that I reply with a yes, and a no.

    Gameplay: Gameplay by no suprise follows the same exact formulaic style it has had since the very beginning and really hasn’t changed one bit, so don’t expect any surprises with it’s turned base gameplay. Though the gameplay mechanics that affect the overall experience are a key component to the gameplay, I decided to put that in another section due to the large amount of new mechanics. The same formula is intact from the very beginning, turned base monster vs monster action RPG where you collect monsters from various areas, defeat trainers, and become the best trainer there ever was. The same system is still intact since the very beginning,with a new region, new Pokemon, and new adventure. X and Y introduces a grand total of over 60 new pokemon, which I must say is a pitifully small roster, and a new type Fairy. So in terms of gameplay additions, there isn’t a whole lot added though this is what every new generation does so that really isn’t a surprise. But the same system is intact and probably never will so take that as you may.

    Music and Sound: The music is of the same quality it was before, very fast paced, energetic, light-hearted, and occasionally epic. Though there are a couple of odd tracks that aren’t typical of the series, but it’s not to say it was bad by any stretch of the imagination. X and Y’s music still contain the same level of quality as the other games in the series. As for other simple sounds there is very little to say about it, the only sounds you consistently hear throughout the game are clicks, cries of Pokemon, and effects from attacks. It all sounds fine enough and there really isn’t much else to say.

    Graphics: As for the graphics, being on a much more powerful system the game looks great,
    the actual Pokemon battles look fantastic, with crisp clean sprites and impressive battle animations, but it does suffer it’s fair share of framerate issues. Though the open world sprites and areas could look more polished and refined, it still does look pretty damn good for a handheld game. There honestly isn’t much else to say about it, it looks rather well on a small device.

    Mechanics: The mechanics of X and Y by far is the greatest advancement to the series and the best part about the game which can only move the series forward, adding fresh ideas to the formulaic gameplay that has gotten somewhat stale. The game introduced one of the most robust additions to the series, Mega Evolutions, to the table and it does somewhat make up the extreme lack of new pokemon. These are temporary transformations that last for a battle and can only be used once, they are essentially new forms of certain previous Pokemon that provide a huge increase in their power. Though this may seem ludicrously game breaking, well that’s because it is, considering they provide no negative effects at all other than a slight decrease in some stats for some Pokemon, so there is really no point in not using it throughout the game. Considering all the ridiculously powerful bonuses your Pokemon receives are insanely broken but a hell of a lot of fun to use. Another new addition is the ability to customize your trainer allowing you to purchase clothes at shops and change freely throughout your adventure, though this may seem a rather minor addition, it is a long time desire of myself and fans to customize your character the way we want that isn’t choosing whether or not we’re a boy or girl. X and Y also introduced one of the most needed changes to the series, Super training. Super Training essentially makes the long tedious process of EV training into an understandable and easier task by having your Pokemon go through a series of challenges where Pokemon gain stats according to the assigned match. This process allows players who desire better stats but don’t want to go through a redundant process to play a simpler and funner alternative. There are plenty of other mechanics that were introduced like a more convenient online system, Pokemon Amie, and many others that provide the series a huge advantage over the older games, driving the series in the right step for gameplay and mechanics into the right direction. However for the story front, that is a different tale.

    Story: By far, the story in X and Y has to be the most shallowest story told in the main series Pokemon games, and considering it’s track record of stories, that says quite a lot. Though I can’t really judge it’s common formula of collecting badges and challenging the elite four considering that is what every Pokemon game is about. I chose to instead talk about everything that isn’t a common trope in the series. First off are the new villains, Team Flare, and by god these new villains are laughably bad and are just awful at what they do, their apparent goal is to destroy the world and cleanse all the evil that resides in it, so they may create a new and beautiful world away from all the vile people that exist. Now the plot of the villains’ is actually very intriguing and philosophical, it does make me think maybe the world will be perfect if we start a clean new slate. But the execution of Team Flare is atrocious, they act more humorous than threatening, removing all sense of danger.Considering the fact that there has never been one instance in which I was concerned, threatened or even cared about the villains’ plans or there plan. It was most likely due to their incompetence how goofy they act being what ruined the philosophical point of the story. Plus, their main villain is just bland, he is revealed early on as an ally and rambles on about the world being filled with scum and banters on about creating a beautiful world, and it becomes painfully obvious that he is in fact the big bad guy, and they even treated his reveal as a bad guy so nonchalantly, it’s like the creators knew people would of figured it out. So for the conflict and villains it falls flat on its face, they attempted to create a sort of philosophical kind of villain, but failed horribly. It’s not like the series of games never had a decent conflict or villains, considering they have had a fair amount. Though this issue may be excused had there been a fair amount of memorable and astounding moments along the journey, but yet again X and Y fails on this front as well. There were very few stand moments within the story, sure the introduction to mega evolutions was great but that is but a few memorable parts in the story, most are rather short. None of the Team Flare encounters were the least bit threatening or memorable, no unique stand out areas to explore, and not a whole lot of interesting gyms either. If you were to compare the memorabilia of many of the other games in the series to X and Y you’ll see the issue. As for the characters, some of the characters were not too bad, if not incredibly annoying at times. There is of course the professor, the rival, the gym leaders, the companions, and the silent protagonist, it is the same formulaic traits of all Pokemon games to date so don’t expect any robust and new characters to the series. So all in all, the story was sub par for the series, which is quite a low, with a group of ridiculous villains, little to no memorable moments, and no new fresh changes to the overall story make it an abysmal attempt at a story and only holds the series back from having an exceptional and well done story.

    Verdict: Even though the story falls short on the common expectancy of a Pokemon game or any game in that regard, the new mechanics provides the series a bold new advancement on this front and is a step in the right direction. The game looks great on a handheld device, the gameplay is still intact, and whole collection of mechanics that makes the whole game more accessible leads me to give Pokemon X and Y a 7/10    … Expand
  27. Cwhines22
    Jan 6, 2014
    7
    This is a really fun game with more pocket monsters to catch than I have patience for, the only thing that I don't like is how hard Nintendo make it to add friends. Besides that this is a great game for varying ages.
  28. iElectraHeart
    Jan 18, 2014
    5
    The series of Pokemon have always meant a lot to me since I played Pokemon Diamond when I was about 7 or 8 years old. There are good and bad aspects to this game. The graphics are good in and out of battle scene but I would have liked it to have 3D outside of battles. The story is decent BUT is INCREDIBLY SHORT. I took my time over the story and it still only took me about 18 hours toThe series of Pokemon have always meant a lot to me since I played Pokemon Diamond when I was about 7 or 8 years old. There are good and bad aspects to this game. The graphics are good in and out of battle scene but I would have liked it to have 3D outside of battles. The story is decent BUT is INCREDIBLY SHORT. I took my time over the story and it still only took me about 18 hours to complete. The amount of things you can do after the story has been completed is very limited and there aren't many contest like things to do within the game like Heart Gold and Soul Silver had. Graphics-wise, this game is the best. Story and entertainment-wise... The WORST out of all of the series and is extremely lacking. The new Pokemon are also quite poor. 5 out of 10.… Expand
  29. Brc123
    Mar 28, 2014
    7
    For all the people who think this game is flawless and is the best one in the series, personally, I was quite disappointed. I wouldn't go as far as to say the whole game was rushed, but in my opinion, it didn't live up to the quality of the old ones. I feel like the series went downhill when it hit the DS. This may just be nostalgia talking but I will try to explain why I feel Pokemon XFor all the people who think this game is flawless and is the best one in the series, personally, I was quite disappointed. I wouldn't go as far as to say the whole game was rushed, but in my opinion, it didn't live up to the quality of the old ones. I feel like the series went downhill when it hit the DS. This may just be nostalgia talking but I will try to explain why I feel Pokemon X isn't as good as people are making out the so-called, "masterpiece", to be. The game feel so easy, due to the now overpowered exp. share, it took me 1 try to beat the elite four and the champion. This game somehow manages to pack in less content than some of the GBA titles. The only way to reface gym leaders is to play the tragically boring Battle Maison, which they only appear at random. Once you have beat this game, don't expect to pick it up again, as Pokemon X literally offers no post-game content.
    Everything, from the pathetic in-battle frame rate, to being forced to ride on roller skates is what makes me feel like Nintendo has lost its inspiration for Pokemon    … Expand
  30. jordanasc
    Apr 20, 2014
    7
    I have to admit, I was VERY excited for this game. 3D Pokemon? Yes, please. And, when I got my hands on it, I wasn't particularly disappointed. The gameplay graphics were smooth, and the creators managed to mix some fun and interesting new elements in well with the classic Pokemon games we know and love, like in mega evolution. Also, I'm just going to get this over with: (and I know it'sI have to admit, I was VERY excited for this game. 3D Pokemon? Yes, please. And, when I got my hands on it, I wasn't particularly disappointed. The gameplay graphics were smooth, and the creators managed to mix some fun and interesting new elements in well with the classic Pokemon games we know and love, like in mega evolution. Also, I'm just going to get this over with: (and I know it's a very common complaint about this game)
    Pokemon X and Y was very easy to beat. They should have added a challenge mode, like in Black 2 and White 2

    I thought Kalos as a region was pretty awesome, but it was a tad easy to navigate. The fact that you get FOUR rivals excited me at first, but you only battle them 2 or 3 times with the exception of 1, though that rival's team number never exceeds 3 Pokemon, and none of them are particularly strong.

    I'm not complaining about the new Pokemon, since most if not all of them were pretty awesome. I thought the whole 'giving you 3 starters' (counting mystery gift torchic) thing was pretty ridiculous, it completely ruined the whole Pokemon 'my starter is the strongest!' mindset.

    One thing I'm pretty sure annoyed every long-time Pokemon fan was the very disappointing post-gameplay, i.e nothing to do after you beat the e4. This gives the player no desire to replay the game, other than to try out a different team or starter.

    All in all: Good game, too easy, good new pokes, but no post-game or real challenge.

    Jordan    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best 3DS Game of 2013
3
#3 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2013
1
#1 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 71 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 67 out of 71
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 71
  3. Negative: 0 out of 71
  1. Merlin'in Kazanı (Turkey)
    Jan 30, 2014
    90
    3D Visuals transformed the classic Pokemon approach in a good way. Online capabilities are top notch, this new generation will really make Pokemon fans happy.
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  2. Level7.nu
    Dec 12, 2013
    80
    Even if Pokémon X & Y has graphics in 3D and several other gameplay innovations it is still the same core experience as before. Focus is as always on catching them all and it is still an addictive experience. The difficulty bar is lower than before, the online functions more present and the gameplay mechanics better realised.
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  3. Thunderbolt
    Dec 11, 2013
    80
    For the first time in a long time, Pokémon has taken a real step towards pushing the series forward.
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