Pokemon GO

 iOS
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 37 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 37
  3. Negative: 2 out of 37
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  1. Digitally Downloaded
    Jul 12, 2016
    100
    Once I’m actually playing, I have a ball with this, because it is, in a very real sense, a cultural phenomenon. Never has a game managed to get people to flock over to specific areas of town like birds to seed. People point to it being too simple as a game, but really the game bit is barely relevant. What is relevant is that this game has people out and about, socialising and exploring. There’s a group experience event going on with Pokemon Go, and it’s addictive to simply be part of the collective.
  2. Jeuxvideo.com
    Jun 2, 2018
    90
    You don’t even have to like Pokémon to enjoy Pokémon Go. During the previous year, Pokémon Go has tuned its ideas and it’s now even more original and addictive. This is a one-of-a-kind game.
  3. CD-Action
    Sep 17, 2016
    90
    The best mobile game I have ever played. [09/2016, p.66]
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  5. Pocket Gamer UK
    Jul 7, 2016
    90
    Pokémon GO isn't perfect, but its sense of nostalgia and pure excitement are unparallelled.
  6. XGN
    Jul 22, 2016
    80
    Pokemon GO is already the best thing from 2016. Although the game has some server issues, once these problems are resolved the hype will probably continue. Thanks to limitless possibilities in add ons of Pokemon and features.
  7. Wccftech
    Jul 20, 2016
    80
    Pokémon Go is unlike anything else I've ever played, and for that reason alone I implore you to play it. I'm not sure it will keep the current momentum, but for now it feels really good.
  8. 3DJuegos
    Jul 18, 2016
    80
    Pokémon tries to go real with an innovative formula. The pokémon creatures goes real and challenge players to explore their own city to become a true Pokémon Master. Niantic and The Pokémon Company needs to focus in their content to bring new challenges for all the Pokémon enthusiasts in the near future.
  9. Yahoo!
    Jul 13, 2016
    80
    Despite its initial problems, Pokémon Go is an absurdly addictive and approachable game. Chances are you can go out on your lunch break and see people playing at this very moment. After staying out of the smartphone game market for years, Nintendo has finally jumped in headfirst and scored an absolute hit.
  10. Gameblog.fr
    Jul 12, 2016
    80
    An amazing game. I would even dare to say that it is an amazing social experience. The idea of traveling, meeting new trainers and catch pokemons everywhere is simply too good to be true. Cannot wait to play it even more, I've never been so eager to go grocery shopping.
  11. Gamer.nl
    Jul 11, 2016
    80
    At this moment Pokemon Go is still plagued by bugs and server issues, but behind it all is a very special game. This year there will be nothing that compares to Pokemon Go.
  12. Eurogamer Italy
    Jul 11, 2016
    80
    Every Pokémon fan's dream is finally true: get ready to go out to hunt all the little monsters all around your town in AR. The game isn't perfect, but it’s a very promising (and fun) beginning.
  13. Games Master UK
    Sep 6, 2016
    78
    How do you review a revolution? [Sept 2016, p.84]
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  14. Everyeye.it
    Jul 19, 2016
    78
    Pokemon Go is not a great game. Some important features are missing and bugs are way too frequent. Still, the social implications of Niantic's app are impressive. This game has changed forever the augmented reality market and reshaped the mobile gaming landscape.
  15. GamesBeat
    Jul 14, 2016
    77
    Despite its problems, Pokémon Go is something that I’m going to be playing for a long time to come (I mean, I have to catch ’em all, right?). Go has a solid base, and if Niantic can sustain and cultivate the community and Go as a platform, it has real potential. And by that measure alone, it’s quite a success, even if it still has a lot of room left to grow.
  16. MMORPG.com
    Jul 14, 2016
    76
    Pokémon Go is fun. It’s just a beginning, but I can’t put it down. It’s free, and what you can spend money on can also be earned in the game easily. If you’re into this sort of thing, if hunting down fake digital monsters in the real world with friends or alone sounds fun, then try it. You may be disappointed in the combat, but the real world adventures are worth the data plan overages.
  17. Polygon
    Jul 14, 2016
    75
    Right now Pokémon Go is in a fascinating position, a cultural artifact whose power and pervasiveness is impossible to ignore, even if you're not playing it. Is it good? That's a complicated question that's going to change depending on how much you value a game's mechanical depth versus the unique social experience it provides. But in a week of playing it, we've been all smiles while doing so. For now, that's enough.

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Most Discussed iOS Game of 2016
1
#1 Most Shared iOS Game of 2016

User Reviews

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User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 726 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 268 out of 726
  2. Mixed: 194 out of 726
  3. Negative: 264 out of 726
  1. Tytos
    Jul 8, 2016
    1
    - Requires a Gyroscope for AR to work
    - Rural areas are empty
    - Combat has nothing to do with Pokemon (nothing tactical about it, its just    - Requires a Gyroscope for AR to work
    - Rural areas are empty
    - Combat has nothing to do with Pokemon (nothing tactical about it, its just who can swipe faster)

    Summed up, what they could **** up hard, they ****ed up even harder    … Full Review »
  2. TsukasaHiiragi
    Sep 3, 2016
    0
    Terrible game, by a terrible company. Their answer is to ban first, questions later no matter what. There is absolutely no balance to theTerrible game, by a terrible company. Their answer is to ban first, questions later no matter what. There is absolutely no balance to the game, especially true for rural or suburban players who live far from any pokestops or gyms. Niantic is not addressing this at all, they are sweeping this problem under the proverbial rugs, so unless you live in a large city like NYC, you will have an extremely hard time playing PoGo.

    To prove how severely unbalanced and unfair the game is, I did a comparison ""test"", using a GPS spoof on an emulator (yes cheating) playing in New York's central park, and travelling at walking/running and bike speed only, it took just over a day playing for about 4 - 5 hours in two sessions to reach trainer level 20, and capture around 95% of all the current pokemon in the G1 pokedex, and without warping around to capture rare pokemon.

    Compared to my 'legitimate' account in my area, that took just over a month to reach trainer level 20, and only only fill a small % of the pokedex, often I had to travel more than 5+ miles just to find any amount of pokestops to fill up on pokeballs, now tell me - where is the balance? Perhaps, NYC should have 900 of its 1000s of pokestops, gyms and massive spawn points removed?

    Players complaining because of cheaters should be forced to play the game with little to no ability to play before judging- I call out players living in areas with large amounts of stops/spawns/gyms cheaters in that respect, but ultimately it doesn't really matter who uses IV checkers/PokeVision/GPS Spoofers, eventually they'll ban everyone, heck even people who haven't been cheating are getting banned so..

    To avoid alot of this mess to begin with, Niantic should have balanced the game so much better and cater to every player no matter the location but they didn't so any really its their fault there are so many issues, unfortunately the games popularity surge clouded their judgement, and corporate greed took over any common sense, and as such - this game is doomed to fail hard sooner or later and so it should, this could have been something special if more time and care was taken - but in the end, proved to by an over-hyped cash grab by a pitiful company, and has alot of fanboys defending it.    … Full Review »
  3. appelsinudjus
    Jul 9, 2016
    0
    If you don't live in an urban area there's nothing for you to do, Even if you did, the game doesn't work most of the time. Everything aboutIf you don't live in an urban area there's nothing for you to do, Even if you did, the game doesn't work most of the time. Everything about this game screams that the developers are amateurs.… Full Review »
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