Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky

 DS
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 435 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 396 out of 435
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 435
  3. Negative: 22 out of 435
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  1. Xolam
    Sep 30, 2019
    10
    Ive played hunderds of games in my life and this game excells so much in music and story. The artstyle is fantastic and fits the music so well. The added episodes compared to explorers of time is insane and didn't disappoint. The game has such a unique charm and the gameplay can still get challening.

    I think that it's a godlike game, especially if you play it as a kid.
  2. Muyatalaya
    Oct 19, 2019
    9
    Este no me parece solo el mejor juego de la saga mundo misterioso sino que el mejor juego en cuanto a historia de pokémon,el apartado artistico me parece precioso de los mejores de la ds,la jugabilidad es simpe y llanamente perfecta,la historia para mi es el major acierto del juego con partes de estas que me han hecho llorar y por ultimo la banda sonora simplemente increíble.
    Exploradores    Este no me parece solo el mejor juego de la saga mundo misterioso sino que el mejor juego en cuanto a historia de pokémon,el apartado artistico me parece precioso de los mejores de la ds,la jugabilidad es simpe y llanamente perfecta,la historia para mi es el major acierto del juego con partes de estas que me han hecho llorar y por ultimo la banda sonora simplemente increíble.
    Exploradores del cielo me parece el mejor juego que no es de la linia principal un obligatorio del catalogo de la gran nintendo ds.    … Expand
  3. SoLongGayBowsah
    Nov 13, 2019
    10
    This is by far the greatest Pokémon game of all time. This is also the greatest Pokémon game that will ever be. Explorers of Sky is the definitive mystery dungeon game, offering extra content over the previous pair of games while refining everything.

    The story of the mystery dungeon games was always a strong point but this game goes out of its way to create the most memorable story told    This is by far the greatest Pokémon game of all time. This is also the greatest Pokémon game that will ever be. Explorers of Sky is the definitive mystery dungeon game, offering extra content over the previous pair of games while refining everything.

    The story of the mystery dungeon games was always a strong point but this game goes out of its way to create the most memorable story told from the Pokémon universe. The soundtrack features over 6 hours of memorable works that bring the areas to life. Gameplay is a fun mix of recruiting Pokémon and using the many items and moves to work through all obstacles. Artwork keeps the classic Pokémon charm and the Pokémon show a lot more expression than the other titles. Overall I’m forced to give this game a perfect 10/10 simply due to the fact that it excels at absolutely everything it set out to do.through    … Expand
  4. Metagrass
    Nov 14, 2019
    10
    This game is brilliant and it's absolutely criminal the review score is so low. Amazing story, great characters extremely fun and rewarding gameplay that requires careful thinking and planning to succeed in. Although I love this game it takes way to long to get into, there is a very lengthy intro that I can see putting people off the games. If you can deal with that though, there is a goodThis game is brilliant and it's absolutely criminal the review score is so low. Amazing story, great characters extremely fun and rewarding gameplay that requires careful thinking and planning to succeed in. Although I love this game it takes way to long to get into, there is a very lengthy intro that I can see putting people off the games. If you can deal with that though, there is a good chance this will be the best game you ever play.… Expand
  5. jackspedicey05
    Apr 23, 2020
    10
    This game is SO GOOD! If you’re debating on whether or not to get this game, GET IT! It’s my favorite game of all time and I’ve put in a collective 350 hours in the game on 3 separate playthroughs, it was that good I had to play it 3 times, and there’s a lot if post game content, even after defeating a certain dark-type Pokémon, there’s still stuff to do, which admittedly isn’t as good asThis game is SO GOOD! If you’re debating on whether or not to get this game, GET IT! It’s my favorite game of all time and I’ve put in a collective 350 hours in the game on 3 separate playthroughs, it was that good I had to play it 3 times, and there’s a lot if post game content, even after defeating a certain dark-type Pokémon, there’s still stuff to do, which admittedly isn’t as good as the rest of the game, but it’s nice that it’s there. The story is where the game shines, normally in a Pokémon game,the story isn’t something to write home about, but in this game, it’s one of the best stories I’ve ever heard. I won’t spoil anything, but there are MAJOR twists in the game, and just overall it’s the most in-depth story you’ll get from a Pokémon game, spin off or not. Now, admitedly, the gameplay isn’t all that good, its’s ok, sometimes you really just want to get some text from the characters a mystery, sometimes you don’t knowgoing to be the last,… Expand
  6. Kiraki1120
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    Really underrated game and one of the best game I played for now. This game is a real masterpiece for me, with a great gameplay, music and story especially. Dungeons games like this game can be boring to some people, but for me, it was enjoyable and fun to play without being too repetitive. There was also lot of strategies, lot of content compared to Darkness and Time, plus the story wasReally underrated game and one of the best game I played for now. This game is a real masterpiece for me, with a great gameplay, music and story especially. Dungeons games like this game can be boring to some people, but for me, it was enjoyable and fun to play without being too repetitive. There was also lot of strategies, lot of content compared to Darkness and Time, plus the story was probably the best story from a Pokemon game. The end was really overwhelming and surprising to me. Post game was really interesting too!… Expand
  7. Rare289
    Dec 10, 2019
    10
    This game is an absolute delight. If you already played either Explorers of Time or Darkness, then you kind of know the story, but the extra stuff the game throws in, including extra story content, makes this the must have pokemon mystery dungeon game. I've played every single Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game and I'll always come back to this one when I want to have fun and enjoy a wonderfulThis game is an absolute delight. If you already played either Explorers of Time or Darkness, then you kind of know the story, but the extra stuff the game throws in, including extra story content, makes this the must have pokemon mystery dungeon game. I've played every single Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game and I'll always come back to this one when I want to have fun and enjoy a wonderful story with wonderful characters. Seriously, don't listen to the critic scores for this. The fact that it is under an 80 never ceases to dumbfound me.… Expand
  8. Guay
    Feb 17, 2020
    10
    Un joc increïble!! Una història molt entretinguda, uns personatjes molt carismàtics,i una dificultat acceptable per un joc de Pokémon.
  9. Gomi234
    Jan 12, 2020
    10
    Underrated game, simply underrated. A really incredible game with an awesome soundtrack and an awesome story
  10. fanmadeendings
    Feb 15, 2022
    9
    Best story in a pokemon game, memorable charcters, charming graphics, outstanding music and, unfortunately, a gameplay that isn't for everyone. To me, it's the best pokemon game ever.
  11. Kamui_SSBU
    Mar 9, 2020
    10
    This game is so amazing. The Soundtrack was great to listen to during levels, The storytelling was amazing and interesting to follow along to. There is so much Character development between you and your partner, The game isn't too easy but not too difficult to complete, The Selection of Pokemon that you have is better than the selection in the first mystery dungeon games, The level designThis game is so amazing. The Soundtrack was great to listen to during levels, The storytelling was amazing and interesting to follow along to. There is so much Character development between you and your partner, The game isn't too easy but not too difficult to complete, The Selection of Pokemon that you have is better than the selection in the first mystery dungeon games, The level design is really good and The personality test is back and it's better than ever. 10/10 game, Best in the series… Expand
  12. Twilwind
    Oct 30, 2021
    10
    The music is so brilliant and the storyline is so moving that its low graphic and somewhat repetitive gameplay don't matter.
  13. Beth1998
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    A very underrated game that deserves much more score. The story is so great that made me cry in the end!
  14. Nohri
    Aug 11, 2020
    10
    I will never understand why critics hate this franchise so much, a heartfelt story that brought me to tears multiple times, fun dungeons to explore and combat that is as interesting as you make it, if all you want to do is mash the attack button, yeah its boring and grindy like when I played darkness as a kid, but when you start using items and learning what each move does suddenly yourI will never understand why critics hate this franchise so much, a heartfelt story that brought me to tears multiple times, fun dungeons to explore and combat that is as interesting as you make it, if all you want to do is mash the attack button, yeah its boring and grindy like when I played darkness as a kid, but when you start using items and learning what each move does suddenly your options are much larger and every single enemy becomes a wide array of options, do you just use the basic attack to conserve PP on strong moves for tougher enemies at he cost of face tanking damage, do you use a ranged move to snipe the enemy or nuke them with a strong melee attack? Do you build your team mates with strong melee attacks for bosses and if they get separated from you (admittedly too often due to the AI sometimes it wants to do its own thing and make you watch "Terry the Tangela's misadventures" tm) or have ranged attacks they can use to support in most encounters from behind you or to the side of your group because FRIENDLY FIRE IS A THING IN A POKEMON GAME (although the ai will never attack you unless it has the confused status, it will just limit range compared to other attacks that have a more limited range overall but can bypass allies)
    I could go on for ages about the intricacies that open up as you progress such as linking moves to happen simultaneously for extra combo potentials but that would take too long, play this game, its one of my favourite games from my childhood and probably my fourth favourite pokemon game behind pt, hgss and bw1    … Expand
  15. ExplorersOfTime
    Apr 25, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well, I will say the rating on this game is the only reason I made an account. This game is great, story, gameplay, everything is great with this game… Expand
  16. TIE-Defender
    Mar 10, 2023
    10
    IGNORE THE CRITICS JUST PLAY IT

    From the art style to the ost to the intriguing plot. This game tells a story about personal development, sacrifice and friendship like few other games can. Oh, and the gameplay is lit too.
  17. Raed2001
    Oct 12, 2020
    10
    Great Game, had a lot of fun!
    Cool story, epic dungeons and a lot to explore!
  18. Meta-Dracul
    Jun 23, 2020
    10
    If you are a fan of Pokémon, dungeon crawlers, or want an amazing story with a memorable soundtrack to match than this is the game for you! The gameplay is fun as you navigate through dungeons with each floor unlike the previous one. And with the massive amount of pokemon you can become and pair up with at the start it creates a limitless amount of combinations making each play throughIf you are a fan of Pokémon, dungeon crawlers, or want an amazing story with a memorable soundtrack to match than this is the game for you! The gameplay is fun as you navigate through dungeons with each floor unlike the previous one. And with the massive amount of pokemon you can become and pair up with at the start it creates a limitless amount of combinations making each play through different from the last. This is among one of the best games not only in the Pokémon series but on the DS.… Expand
  19. Lucario_Wiz101
    Jul 9, 2020
    10
    Here's the long and the short. This is THE best of the Mystery Dungeon franchise. While Pokemon Spin-Offs are never well received by critics, see how this game essentially got review bombed by them all those years ago.
    If you think that you are a fan of Pokemon, please play this.
    If you're a fan of Dungeon Crawlers, please play this. If you're a fan of mystery, please play this. If you    Here's the long and the short. This is THE best of the Mystery Dungeon franchise. While Pokemon Spin-Offs are never well received by critics, see how this game essentially got review bombed by them all those years ago.
    If you think that you are a fan of Pokemon, please play this.
    If you're a fan of Dungeon Crawlers, please play this.
    If you're a fan of mystery, please play this.
    If you like comedy you'll have laughs from character interactions.

    I cannot give high enough praise to this game, this is the greatest, if not very close to the greatest, of all time in the medium of video games. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE needs to experience this game. It was compelling 11 years ago when I first got this copy. It's still good today when I casually beat the game at various speeds. If you want to play an Explorers game, this is the definitive edition. Time and Darkness are good. But the few unique dungeons as well as the extra additional content surrounding them is worth it.    … Expand
  20. mindbubbls
    Nov 26, 2022
    10
    This game improves on Explorers of Time and Darkness in almost every way, and is one of my favorite Pokémon games of all time.

    Graphics: The game uses sprites for its visuals, and they’re very colorful and expressive. Gameplay: The game is a rouge like dungeon crawler, with randomized dungeons. The game can get repetitive relatively quickly because of it. It also starts out pretty    This game improves on Explorers of Time and Darkness in almost every way, and is one of my favorite Pokémon games of all time.

    Graphics: The game uses sprites for its visuals, and they’re very colorful and expressive.

    Gameplay: The game is a rouge like dungeon crawler, with randomized dungeons. The game can get repetitive relatively quickly because of it. It also starts out pretty easy, but actually starts to get really hard in the later half of the game, and there’s some postgame dungeons that are RIDICULOUSLY hard to the point where you would need to rely almost entirely on luck to beat them. There are some rpg elements in the game such as the standard Pokémon moves and items from the main series of Pokémon games.

    Story: The premise of the story is you are a human who has turned into a Pokémon and has no memory of how it happened. Time is stopping everywhere and you and your partner have to find a way to stop it.

    The story is one of the deepest stories I’ve every seen in a Pokémon game, and in my opinion is even better than the mainline games. The story can get pretty sad at times and may or may not make you cry. You can beat the main story in about 20 to 22hours long, but then there’s actually a lengthy post game story that’s REALLY good and is almost a full game in itself, and is about 10 hours or so long depending on the amount of retries you do. Not to mention this version of the game has 5 special episodes that weren’t in Darkness and Time, and they’re focusing on other characters in the game’s story. These can easily add yet another 8 hours to the game on average. And if you’re into completionism, be prepared to have playtime reach the 100+ hours mark. Mine is about 254 hours and I STILL haven’t gotten everything.

    Sound and music: The music is really catchy, and most dungeons have their own themes, with a few repeats hear and there. Most bosses have the same theme, but some are exclusive to specific bosses, and I think they’re all catchy, especially the final boss before the credits roll. When you beat the game, you unlock the jukebox so that you can listen to pretty much any song in the game.

    You should really get this game on the DS, if you’re willing to spend the money anyway since the ds games are worth some money now. So you can get them on the WiiU virtual shop, or just emulate it if you have nothing else to play on, but the game is totally worth it.    … Expand
  21. Felixel
    Aug 12, 2020
    10
    This is the best pokemon game, the perfect game, but the end of the game have too much water
  22. Epicscout548
    Mar 29, 2021
    10
    Do not talk trash about the game its 10/10 5 stars
    You need to play it ok try it boi
  23. Jeshuan
    Sep 29, 2020
    10
    Basically, the most fun, enjoyable and underrated game in the whole time. I would highly recommend this to someone that really likes this old style game.
  24. hector_bcn98
    Nov 7, 2022
    9
    El mundo misterioso definitivo de Pokémon. Mejoraba e incluía más contenido que Tiempo y Oscuridad, además de ofrecer la mayor cantidad de horas de todos. El más completo hasta la fecha si te apetecía volver a pasar por caja, claro.
  25. LeopardBunny
    Jan 13, 2021
    9
    You've all heard by now if you've looked at this thread for more than 2 seconds or ever met a PMD fan once in your entire life that PMD Sky is an absolute masterpiece of a game that trumps even the main series' Pokemon BW/BW2 and Platinum as the best Pokemon game to date. But why exactly?

    THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MODERATE SPOILERS FOR BOTH EXPLORERS AND RESCUE TEAM. Spoiler box is left    You've all heard by now if you've looked at this thread for more than 2 seconds or ever met a PMD fan once in your entire life that PMD Sky is an absolute masterpiece of a game that trumps even the main series' Pokemon BW/BW2 and Platinum as the best Pokemon game to date. But why exactly?

    THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MODERATE SPOILERS FOR BOTH EXPLORERS AND RESCUE TEAM. Spoiler box is left unchecked for those who aren't totally sold and want to know what the hype is about, since the Metacritic spoiler function has no sort of visible tagline section for spoilered posts.

    Well to begin with... the first games, Rescue Team, were very much an experiment. What exactly did it mean to be a Pokemon game? While a lot of people still liked it, including myself, it was very much testing the waters back then and was painfully slow-paced at times. One of the things they tested though was giving players something they had been asking for since forever: a darker, more mature story. While nothing particularly groundbreaking or complex, Rescue Team wasn't afraid to throw punches. The entire town gets turned against you, your previous partner Pokemon sacrificed herself and now haunts your dreams... it gets dark at times.

    PMD: Explorers of Sky takes this energy and runs with it, with a much more detailed story than before. Right off the bat, it's implied that your partner has anxiety issues, and possibly depression. Despite this, they still have dreams, and your sudden appearance sparks a bit of hope in them. You recover their stolen treasure and form a team together. From there, you stop Drowzee, a child kidnapper and probable metaphor for pedophiles, get mobbed by a Manectric gang like a pack of wild animals, you find time itself is grindng to a halt, and despite all the warnings that they're the last line of defense... someone steals a Time Gear, setting in motion a rapid decline. At one point you're thrown in a literal stockade in a dying future, sentenced to execution death-by-1000-cuts style. Yet there are just as many light-hearted or otherwise sweet moments. Your guildmates bring you leftovers from dinner after you've been unjustly punished for a major screw-up, spearheaded by the biggest eater, of all people. There's a touching moment with the joke baddies, Team Skull, at one point. All the while, you've been bonding with your fellow guildmates, and of course your partner. You help them face their fears, taking leaps of faith and trust in ways they never would've without you. They've come to rely on you in a way that the partner of Rescue Team never quite did. After everything you go through together, both positive and negative, as a team, as a guild... as partners... the emotional beats feel earned far more than they do in any other Pokemon game. It made me cry more than even Undertale could manage, or any other game I've played. Niagara Falls, Frankie angel. How every single critic managed to miss all this is beyond me.

    Artwise, it's very pretty. The artstyle invokes the feel of an aged paper map with its tanned watercolor-esque color scheme. The character sprites are cute as heck. The portraits are expressive, moves look nice considering the size, all in all very sharp and distinct. In certain cutscenes, the art looks dare I say stunning. Fogbound Lake in particular is of special note.

    Musically, it's one of my all-time favorite soundtracks. In a similar way to Toby Fox, it tends to reuse motifs to tie things together, with one of the most important being the Time Gear motif, with a few others including a fairly heavily remixed return of a motif from Rescue Team's Sky Tower within the various final dungeons. The songs also fit very well within not only the context of the dungeon itself, but often with the story as a whole up to that point, and when you get to the end, the visuals, music, and story all feel like they're simultaneously reaching a perfect emotional crescendo. All of it foretells of tragedy yet to come.

    I will say, though, despite everything else being so exceptional... gameplay is probably the weakest aspect. Not necessarily bad, but nothing revolutionary. It's standard Pokemon combat adapted to a turn-based dungeon crawler format. Keep track of your hunger, bring healing supplies and projectiles, fight feral Pokemon. Standard missions are random and get a bit redundant, though outlaws were a great addition that basically serve as minibosses you can fight instead of the usual fetch quests. You can also bring up to four missions into a dungeon at a time, so take on some easy quests, fight a miniboss or two, head back home with a bit of money and a job well done. Treasure Chests are also a cool feature, though Exclusive Items take so much effort to make that they're usually more of a collectible than something you'd actually risk losing in a dungeon.

    All in all, an unforgettable experience if you're okay with gameplay being a means to an end.    … Expand
  26. JonathanUnova
    Jan 17, 2021
    10
    This is the best game of all time. What more do I need to say? The gameplay may not be everyone's favourite, but every other aspect (story, music, atmosphere) is OUTSTANDING! A true masterpiece!
  27. ImNormal
    Feb 20, 2021
    10
    Let me get it straight. This is the most underrated Pokemon game ever , also THE best pokemon game

    Where do i start ? The story , it's beautiful , it's well-writen , it's just emotional . On top of that, you got 5 side story about side and other major character. What game does that ? What game ? Play the game with no knowing about the story and enjoy it , i swear it will make you cry    Let me get it straight. This is the most underrated Pokemon game ever , also THE best pokemon game

    Where do i start ? The story , it's beautiful , it's well-writen , it's just emotional . On top of that, you got 5 side story about side and other major character. What game does that ? What game ? Play the game with no knowing about the story and enjoy it , i swear it will make you cry

    Come to the gameplay . This game is RPG , but i really don't feel it was RPG game . You have many options , inventory , running to heal , or fight , and because of those elements , it is strategic. I know RNG in this game is very bad but it make the game harder and more enjoyable imo . It's like the mainline game , where the NPC can crit you 2-3 times a row , or 100% accuracy hit with 70% move lol.

    Come to the charm , i feel so much . You are a pokemon . not a human control pokemon , thats a first . Second , character are relatable , the extra dialogue in this game is so much that make the game feel... alive . I don't know what you thinking but man , the CAPSLOCK dialga and plakia make me laugh so hard. Also there is avatar expression for the main character and partner which is addon story a lot.

    The music... Just enjoy by yourself , i can't express how good the music is. Also hearing by yourself is better than seeing review , right ? Come check that game ost.

    With all elements , this is THE BEST pokemon game and nothing can rival PMD sky. Get the game like right now    … Expand
  28. HazelBlair
    Apr 5, 2021
    9
    Not for everyone as the game can get a bit repetitive, but for those who like this style of game, it's one of the best games ever made.
  29. Creedos
    Apr 9, 2021
    10
    A true and underrated masterpiece.
    Emotional Soundtrack.
    Npcs that truely feel like people with different personalities and a really good Story that ties everything together.
  30. polishedrelish
    Jun 5, 2023
    10
    This game's critic scores are the biggest injustice in media reviewing history. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky is a game like no other, with truckloads of content, amazing gameplay, a wonderful story, and timeless visuals. The Roguelike dungeon crawling might seem repetitive, but the jobs that increase your exploration rank and the wide array of recruitable Pokemon will keep youThis game's critic scores are the biggest injustice in media reviewing history. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky is a game like no other, with truckloads of content, amazing gameplay, a wonderful story, and timeless visuals. The Roguelike dungeon crawling might seem repetitive, but the jobs that increase your exploration rank and the wide array of recruitable Pokemon will keep you coming back well after you've finished the game. The different dungeons also offer a good degree of challenge, especially the ones late in the story and in the post-game. The story is gripping and builds itself up rather than dropping all the action right at the end, with memorable characters and a great soundtrack. If you ever get the chance to play this game, I can't recommend it enough… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Most Discussed DS Game of 2009
3
#3 Most Shared DS Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 26
  3. Negative: 9 out of 26
  1. Da Gameboyz
    60
    I just can't recommend Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky to anyone that has played the previous games in the series. It looks like a GBA game, and is chock full of lazy and somewhat dated gameplay.
    Read full review
  2. Cheat Code Central
    60
    While Explorers of Sky would be a decent game if it were judged in a vacuum, when viewed alongside Explorers of Time / Darkness, there simply isn't enough unique, quality content to make it relevant. This is perhaps one of the worst values in gaming I've ever seen.
    Read full review
  3. Gaming Age
    42
    The story isn't interesting enough to keep you involved, and the gameplay doesn't elevate past mashing attacks for combat. All together, it's a disappointing title, and not one that I suggest checking out.
    Read full review
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