Pokemon GO

 iOS
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
Buy Now
Stream On

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    7
    Had a lot of fun with it at it's peak! Its a lot more social than it seems and encourages you to get out there and walk around. But as it got more complicated it got more predatory and i can only semi-recommend it
  2. r0haan
    Nov 20, 2022
    7
    Overall - 7/10
    Difficulty - Easy
    Platform - iOS Replay Value - 7.5/10 Gameplay - 5/10 Hours Played - 70+ hrs Extra Notes: Although there were moments where the game was janky, this was such a different way to experience Pokemon and genuniely enjoyable when it first was released. They kept improving and adding new gens which was obviously fun to see at the start, but they kept    Overall - 7/10
    Difficulty - Easy
    Platform - iOS
    Replay Value - 7.5/10
    Gameplay - 5/10
    Hours Played - 70+ hrs

    Extra Notes: Although there were moments where the game was janky, this was such a different way to experience Pokemon and genuniely enjoyable when it first was released. They kept improving and adding new gens which was obviously fun to see at the start, but they kept adding more pokemon and other features that over complicated the game.    … Expand
  3. MasterV777
    Sep 29, 2022
    5
    Concept at first is pretty novel and the game is highly accessible to people unfamiliar to the Pokémon gameplay formulae however there is nothing more to say then that. The game lacks content and gets boring extremely quickly buried under the cool ar layer of paint is just a **** grindy free to play mobile game
  4. Maxdom77
    Jun 16, 2022
    6
    Pokemon go fue el fenomeno mas raro y corto de los videojuegos, ¿adelantado a su epoca? ¿estaba sobrevalorado? yo diria que estaba bien, ni muy bueno, ni muy malo
  5. YoungBirdyRingo
    Jun 3, 2022
    6
    Welp, this game had a good run. I just can't be captivated by it the way I did in 2016. Granted it was a blast back then and it was relevant and fun for a very long period of time
  6. Toasttt
    Mar 26, 2022
    6
    meh .
  7. Cedigo
    Mar 17, 2022
    6
    I think that the game gets pretty boring and overal its not that good of a game.
  8. Peppedrillo
    Mar 2, 2022
    6
    I've been playing this game for more than most people here who posted a review in 2016 after 1 week of playing it, so I'm going to explain everything about the game and what I think about it.

    There are three main aspects of the game: Catching, raiding and doing pvp. Catching pokemons is basically what the games wants you to do, go out of your house and catch as many mons as possible.    I've been playing this game for more than most people here who posted a review in 2016 after 1 week of playing it, so I'm going to explain everything about the game and what I think about it.

    There are three main aspects of the game: Catching, raiding and doing pvp.

    Catching pokemons is basically what the games wants you to do, go out of your house and catch as many mons as possible. In my opinion it is the most boring aspect of the game, you just throw balls at wild pokemons and hope they stay in. It gets repetitive really fast and Niantic knows it well, that's why there are constant events with exclusive new/shiny mons every time, to make the game feel fresh every week or so. Inside of events you only find the 10 or so featured event pokemons. What that means is most pokemons are locked inside of random events that happen once a year if you are lucky, and if you want a specific mon as soon as possible you will have to wait a lot. Outside of events you only find rattatas or the equivalent of rattata for the next gens.

    Raiding allows you to catch rare mons and legendaries, they will appear as bosses inside of a gym and you have to defeat it before the time ends and you can try to defeat them with a group of people or alone. It is again, incredibly repetitive as you just need to tap the screen on the same point of your device until the boss is defeated or the time runs out. 99% of legendary pokemons are impossible to defeat alone and you will need a large group of people to defend them. No matter how good you are at the game, there is absolutely nothing you can do to kill the boss faster, or to outplay in some way the boss to deafeat it, all you can do is click the screen of your phone until it dies. The only difference between day 1 players and new players is the pokemons they own, if you give a fully maxed account to a new player, they will be as good as a day 1 player, because they will have to tap the screen the same way.

    Pvp (also known as go battle league) is by far the best part of the game, however it is the least played. In pvp there are three main rotating leagues, each one allows pokemons of a different combat power, you pick 3 of them and queue into another guy using 3 pokemons. Up until they show the mons in battle, you have absolutely no idea what they are playing. Most teams are built around this blind pick, and some times no matter what you will just be hard countered by your opponent's team. That's because of the mechanics of pvp: it's a "turn" based game, with each turn lasting 0,5 seconds. If you touch the screen, your pokemon will use a fast move (that can last from 1 turn of 0,5 second to 5 turns of 2,5 seconds), this fast move damages the opponent mon and generates energy for your own mon. Once you have enough energy, you can throw a charged attack, which does a lot of damage. Because charge attack are so strong, you can choose to shield your pokemon from it (2 times per match) and make it take only 1hp of damage istead of the full damage. If you swap pokemons, you can't swap it again for the next 60 seconds, meaning that if you lose lead, swap, and they swap into a pokemon that counters yours, you will have to play a bad matchup for 60 seconds. This is again, what makes it impossible to win some games and some and why I wrote earlier that " sometimes no matter what you will just be hard countered by your opponent's team". Experienced players will know how to play out of a bad lead and a bad swap, and will still be able to win the game. While at first glance it will look like just another tapping simulator, it is so much more than that, you have to make split seconds decisions according to your opponent, you can swap your pokemons with a precise timing in order to take their charge move on a different pokemon and waste all their energy, you can bait their shields with a weak and unexpensive charge move to then hit them really hard with a more expensive one... I absolutely reccomend you giving it a shot or at least watching some video of it on youtube, especially the ones where the highest rated players explain their gameplay, you will understand just how complex a game like this can be.
    However, there are just so many problems with pvp, and I'm not just talking about problems caused by game design, the gamemode is full of bugs. Even catches and raids are full of problems and bugs, but because in pvp a turn (0,5 seconds) can be the difference between a win and a loss, having a bug occur during a game can cost you the game. These bugs have been around ever since pvp came out and haven't been fixed yet, and combined with the already present problems of pvp makes for an incredibly frustrating experience. I would like to list every single problem this gamemode has, but unfortunately I don't have enough characters left to do so. Unfortunately, in 10 seasons Niantic did absolutely nothing to try and fix the game, not even bugs that have been here since day1.    … Expand
  9. Amorph0us
    Jan 12, 2022
    7
    One fine practice of AR based on the widely acclaimed concept of catching pokemon. If you want to find out how much of a hit it was I will say from personal experience that roads at cities were really crowdy the first day it war released...
  10. MAELISMA
    Sep 20, 2021
    5
    Pokemon GO is a decent mobile game with many glaring flaws. First is the negative play experience for players in rural areas or a neighborhood without any major landmarks for Pokestops. This makes the obtaining and maintaining of the items required to play the game difficult without spending money. This also extends to finding other players to participate in raids with if you struggle toPokemon GO is a decent mobile game with many glaring flaws. First is the negative play experience for players in rural areas or a neighborhood without any major landmarks for Pokestops. This makes the obtaining and maintaining of the items required to play the game difficult without spending money. This also extends to finding other players to participate in raids with if you struggle to have people in your friends list available. Second is how repetitive the game play becomes after a while with the battles such as raids just requiring tapping, and collecting Pokemon being monotonous. The final issue to the devaluing of shiny Pokemon brought on by events with extremely high odds which can be transferred in to the main games with less effort than usually needed to obtain the rare coloring. Overall, this app has issues that are either difficult or impossible to solve that prohibit many peoples enjoyment, including mine, but for others, this game brings large amounts of enjoyment and an unseen level of connectivity to our favorite pocket monsters.… Expand
  11. LongerShooter
    Jul 13, 2020
    6
    Este juego es muy adictivo lo malo es que pesa mucho espacio, consume mucha batería, las animaciones son malísimas y el combate no tiene profundidad.
  12. INU4SH4
    Jun 23, 2020
    5
    I only play this game because I don't really have anything else to play while I'm just walking around. I go jogging every day and while I'm on a break from running I play this game for a few minutes and while walking to my local park.

    The singleplayer experience is pretty boring but if you have other people to actually play with it gets better. I'm lucky I have a park filled with    I only play this game because I don't really have anything else to play while I'm just walking around. I go jogging every day and while I'm on a break from running I play this game for a few minutes and while walking to my local park.

    The singleplayer experience is pretty boring but if you have other people to actually play with it gets better. I'm lucky I have a park filled with pokestops but playing this game in certain zones is a waste of time because there are no pokestops or gyms around. Another issue is that it takes to long to load, there are tons of GPS bugs, there is no option to skip animations and there are not many shiny pokemon yet.

    The combat just sucks. There is no strategy unlike the actual pokemon games, you just tap the screen. But I'm not much of a battler, I'm more of a collector and enjoy capturing shinies more than anything else in this game.

    Basically, if you have other friends interested in playing this, you can have a fun experience and do some trades and raids together. If you plan to play this alone, don't even bother. It's a waste of time. Unless you walk a lot and want some distraction to pass some time.    … Expand
  13. nightstroller
    Apr 30, 2020
    5
    It's 2020, you should know what you're getting into if you play Pokemon Go. That being said, if you have any experience playing Pokemon on gameboys, throw that out the window now.
    The "game" if it can be called that, it's too terribly deep or engaging and like many other have said, it's not fair because players living in populated areas get more chances to catch rare pokemon and have more    It's 2020, you should know what you're getting into if you play Pokemon Go. That being said, if you have any experience playing Pokemon on gameboys, throw that out the window now.
    The "game" if it can be called that, it's too terribly deep or engaging and like many other have said, it's not fair because players living in populated areas get more chances to catch rare pokemon and have more stops to collect gifts and other items from.

    About the only thing that I personally take away from this "game" is the social aspect of it all. It gives me something to talk about with friends/coworkers. Otherwise, the feeling is largely, meh.    … Expand
  14. EthanParmet
    Aug 20, 2019
    6
    This game has its ups and downs. I like the facts that Niantic tried to bring Pokemon outside and include so many features that derived from things only fans knew about from the show and TCG and expanded it into something millions got to experience. I think that many players are at a disadvantage because most areas in the world only have grasslands Pokemon, and I have to go on vacation toThis game has its ups and downs. I like the facts that Niantic tried to bring Pokemon outside and include so many features that derived from things only fans knew about from the show and TCG and expanded it into something millions got to experience. I think that many players are at a disadvantage because most areas in the world only have grasslands Pokemon, and I have to go on vacation to the beach to catch any new ones. I also find it kind of sucky that you can't trade items.… Expand
  15. Pokebou157
    Jul 17, 2019
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is pretty good compared to other ar games. Pros:
    Great for exercise
    Can help with socialising Cons:
    Not a lot of gameplay
    Server communications are quite bad
    Battle system is boring    … Expand
  16. ArithelOfLenias
    Dec 31, 2018
    5
    So I have been playing Pokemon Go on and off for the past couple of years and let me tell you, what started off as a bland game with not much to do but walk around and look for Pokemon, now has too many features for a casual like myself to keep up with.
    The idea of Pokemon Go is fantastic and continues to fascinate people around the globe, myself included. When I am bored at the store or    So I have been playing Pokemon Go on and off for the past couple of years and let me tell you, what started off as a bland game with not much to do but walk around and look for Pokemon, now has too many features for a casual like myself to keep up with.
    The idea of Pokemon Go is fantastic and continues to fascinate people around the globe, myself included. When I am bored at the store or waiting for someone, I will hop on instead of needlessly wasting time scrolling through social media. I waste my time where it counts! Catching Pokemon lol. It is always inspiring to see Niantic pushing new ideas on the gamer to keep them hooked (or ways to get more money but whatever floats your boat).
    The thing with Pokemon Go is that once logged on, you catch Pokemon, waste some items and that is about it. Then you have to walk to locations on the map to do more things within the game. I don't like socializing, I am pretty antisocial so that aspect of the game is totally lost on me. When I log on, I catch the Pokemon within my radius, try to complete some tasks and then log off for who knows how many days. Honestly, at this point, the game is just taking up space on my phone.
    I am giving it 5 stars due to the fact that the game is pretty revolutionary, a new technology that will certainly see more usage in the near future. This is only the beginning of something much more beautiful.    … Expand
  17. Mpbpl
    May 30, 2018
    6
    Decent fun that gets you outside.
    The gameplay is really simple, too simple even, you get Pokeballs, throw them to get Pokemon and the higher level you are, the higher the chance of their power being really high. And...... that's mostly it.
    Seriously, you walk outside, try to find pokemons and throw a ball to get them, so simple but decent fun. The game shines when you get friends and go    Decent fun that gets you outside.
    The gameplay is really simple, too simple even, you get Pokeballs, throw them to get Pokemon and the higher level you are, the higher the chance of their power being really high. And...... that's mostly it.
    Seriously, you walk outside, try to find pokemons and throw a ball to get them, so simple but decent fun. The game shines when you get friends and go to a park, the game encourages a overweight, lazy generation to go outside and walk. Eventually, you can meet new people and new real friends by talking to them when getting Pokemon.
    But it's too simple to actually sustain itself, even with gym battles you eventually get bored, but until that time you can get a great workout and some decent fun.    … Expand
  18. njja02
    May 15, 2018
    6
    I had a ton of fun with GO for a decent amount of time. Collecting Pokemon was fun and addictive. But many of the combat elements and overall long term stance with this game falls flat.
  19. Fobmcrafi6
    Mar 7, 2018
    7
    While certain things like unfair location differences and beginning technical problems have dissuaded non-gamers and non-familiar Pokemon gamers. Sure certain mechanics are still not included (trading which seems like a key-core feature of Pokemon in general) and spoofers are at at all-time high. It's still to be noted of the first time catching and hatching new Pokemon is a fun experienceWhile certain things like unfair location differences and beginning technical problems have dissuaded non-gamers and non-familiar Pokemon gamers. Sure certain mechanics are still not included (trading which seems like a key-core feature of Pokemon in general) and spoofers are at at all-time high. It's still to be noted of the first time catching and hatching new Pokemon is a fun experience as well as the newly introduced raid mechanics. With shiny and berry features being integrated as well as all the way up to Gen 3 Pokemon, version 0.91.2 has been more exciting than it's beginning. 7.4 out of 10… Expand
  20. CenkAlp
    Jan 3, 2018
    5
    Hikaye = -
    Oynanış = -
    Grafikler = -
    Sesler = -
    Keyif = -
    Atmosfer = -
    Süre = -
  21. SrPepe
    Oct 30, 2017
    7
    La idea de Pokémon GO es la mejor que vi en años, y me divertí muchísimo los primeros meses de su salida. Pero luego ya está, tardaron en renovarlo, la optimización fue de mal en peor, no escuchan a los usuarios, en fin...
  22. AlexanderDM
    Oct 30, 2017
    7
    Gameplay is nothing great; the Gym/Raid systems are hardly motivating, so most progression is simply for its own sake. Catching is repetitive and hardly depends on the user's choices.

    That said, the game is free, encourages physical activity, and begets socialization where there might otherwise have been none. You can ignore the game for a month and return when it suits you; it fits    Gameplay is nothing great; the Gym/Raid systems are hardly motivating, so most progression is simply for its own sake. Catching is repetitive and hardly depends on the user's choices.

    That said, the game is free, encourages physical activity, and begets socialization where there might otherwise have been none. You can ignore the game for a month and return when it suits you; it fits into your day without displacing anything else.    … Expand
  23. CanadianYeti
    Jul 17, 2017
    7
    While it’s not really something you can play for hours at a time, there’s really something that keeps bringing me back over and over again. I already walk a lot during the day when I take out my dog, but now I’m going out even more by myself often just to see what’s lurking around my house.
  24. miningmario101
    May 7, 2017
    5
    I'm a small fan of Pokemon, but while this is fun to play if you bring a friend with you, alone it is super boring. The technology is impressive, but other games have more of a tech advantage.
  25. JohnWitten
    Feb 23, 2017
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokemon Go is flawed at best but it is an endearing project that, similar to Bungie’s Destiny, has evolved over time into something much greater and relatively smoother than it initially was when presented. Over the past week (and potentially still going on) Niantic has been slowly but surely releasing new pocket monsters into the wild. Although not all Generation 1 and 2 Pokemon are in the game as of yet- many monsters of the legendary variety have yet to ever show up and be confirmed, this is definitely good for publicity as well as for adding content to the alternate reality simulation.

    I was never personally big on Pokemon Go, but I recently started watching the original Indigo League again for old time’s sake- more on that later, as I was considering blogging about it and my impressions as well. Needless to say, this led me to want to scratch my Pokemon itch- something that I haven’t felt in a good long time, and rather than shell out the forty bucks for the newest game(s) I deigned it an appropriate time for the hefty download to my iPhone instead.

    It’s only been a couple of days and I’ve played sparingly here and there between work and other responsibilities, but I’m finding that it is easily one of the most accessible titles, if a bit frustrating thanks to several glitches and bugs here and there. The most annoying aspects come from random GPS and server failures as well as the fact that the app takes about six or seven tries to even get started. Besides three moments where my app crashed right when I captured rarer monsters, it’s been fun and games so far. I’m a solid level ten and already have some nice second generation additions with over five or six hundred combat proficiency and power.

    My basic impressions are probably pretty close to any and everything else you’ve heard about the game and the update in the past, however I still think some things merit credit or explanation where credit or explanation are due. The most recent update has added some other elements besides simple boosts to the roster and the mechanics. Pokemon now more actively and realistically try to evade capture- often knocking even well-aimed pokeballs away if you’re not careful in your timing. Several new items have been added as well to further expand the lore and the universe of Pokemon Go. All in all, the update itself lays a solid layer upon the shaky foundation of the game and actually makes it a little more balanced and playable even for its flaws.

    Sure, it’s annoying as ever that some of the rarer Pokemon, no matter their level, will break free of most any pokeball and virtually ignore your berries and charms- I’m talking to you Togepi and Totodile. But all in all it’s a rich experience and one that, despite being limited to only some three hundred of the total eight hundred plus Pokemon now available in the known universe, is fun and encompasses the feelings I imagine Ash, Brock, and Misty must’ve felt in the original series. I’m interested to see where the app goes from here and hope that it gets the continued support it and fans deserve as well. It’s a worthy goal to want to meld interactive gaming and health benefits, after all.    … Expand
  26. ITZZZPERRY
    Nov 25, 2016
    7
    Pokémon Go is a game that has died with time. I feel like it has lost its appeal. In the beginning, everyone was out to 'catch em all,' but that does not seem to be the case anymore. That's a shame, because many of the new content updates have added substantial new content.
  27. SamHalls2016
    Sep 9, 2016
    6
    Pokemon GO is a very overrated game, as well as a pretty mediocre one. In order to evolve you Pokemon, you have to catch multiple of these Pokemon, and the time you do that, your Pokemon you're trying to evolve is one of the weakest you have so far. Also, your battery drains faster while using this app and battles were very cliche. It has a decent GPS system, so it's not all bad, I mean,Pokemon GO is a very overrated game, as well as a pretty mediocre one. In order to evolve you Pokemon, you have to catch multiple of these Pokemon, and the time you do that, your Pokemon you're trying to evolve is one of the weakest you have so far. Also, your battery drains faster while using this app and battles were very cliche. It has a decent GPS system, so it's not all bad, I mean, it's not the worst Pokemon game.… Expand
  28. JonnoTwinleaf
    Aug 16, 2016
    7
    Pokemon Go is an ambitious project to say the least, and as a long time Pokemon lover I was well looking forward to this game. It is an impressive game, however after a while it begins to feel less like something a long time Pokemon fan should get involved with and more like another mindless mobile game for people who enjoy following trends. Don't get me wrong I applaud it's initiative inPokemon Go is an ambitious project to say the least, and as a long time Pokemon lover I was well looking forward to this game. It is an impressive game, however after a while it begins to feel less like something a long time Pokemon fan should get involved with and more like another mindless mobile game for people who enjoy following trends. Don't get me wrong I applaud it's initiative in encouraging people to be more active and as a free game your not losing anything while trying it, but it just doesn't have that spark that everything else pokemon had and in the end it generally fells like a creative mobile app wearing pokemon skin as a jump start.… Expand
  29. electoblaze
    Aug 12, 2016
    5
    Pros:
    - Free to play - with no required microtransactions. You can casually play Pokemon Go without spending anything. Microtransactions only exist to speed up your progress but are not necessary.
    - NO ADS! This is much applauded for a free-to-play app. - Good time-waster for riding in public transportation or taking a ride in your friend's passenger seat. - Relatively simple to learn    Pros:
    - Free to play - with no required microtransactions. You can casually play Pokemon Go without spending anything. Microtransactions only exist to speed up your progress but are not necessary.
    - NO ADS! This is much applauded for a free-to-play app.
    - Good time-waster for riding in public transportation or taking a ride in your friend's passenger seat.
    - Relatively simple to learn and not overly complicated.

    Cons:
    - Lack of gameplay depth (battles are solely against AI and involve just tapping on the screen; only 2 moves per Pokemon; lack of features present from the main Pokemon games) mixed with an endless and meaningless grind (you literally need to catch over a hundred magikarp to get your first Gyarados and literally thousands of Pokemon just to get your trainer level to the mid-20s --- FOR WHAT PURPOSE, exactly? To get the strongest Pokemon that will just get defeated in 30 minutes by the swarm of little kids invading your gym?)
    - NO CONSISTENT SUPPORT from the developer, Niantic. For the first 3 weeks after the game's launch, there was radio silence from Niantic with some launch-day features actually being REMOVED (not added!)
    - Relatively useless if sitting at home with no in-app purchases & useless for a lot of rural players that have no pokestops, gyms, or rare Pokemon spawns.
    - Lack of tutorial or guidance for newcomers that can make it daunting to start your adventure. In a way, this mirrors the usual lack of guidance or support from Niantic.

    Final Verdict:
    DO: Download it, make a GOOD username (choose carefully) and give it a try by casually including it in your daily commute.

    DO NOT: Buy microtransactions because
    a) This is an average/mediocre app at best
    b) Lack of support or features by Niantic means that you'll probably be requesting a refund shortly after your purchase.    … Expand
  30. Cheezemaniac
    Aug 10, 2016
    5
    The game has some great potential, sadly the developers are not utilizing these.
    The formula of this game was a seed for succes (Nostalgia + New Technology + Social Interactions) but the execution is pretty poor, which is a shame. It could've been more than what it currently is.
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
  1. 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.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Sep 17, 2016
    90
    The best mobile game I have ever played. [09/2016, p.66]
  3. games(TM)
    Sep 14, 2016
    70
    Improvements and additions over time – including the Raid-style events for catching legendary Pokémon, as teased in the original trailer – as well as ongoing tweaks to fundamental systems stand to improve Pokémon Go as a game, but the quality (and novelty) of the experience of playing, particularly as part of a group, is already there. Go could still one day be the legendary game its immense potential hints at.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »