User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 726 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Jul 28, 2016
    4
    This game aptly reveals the potential of AR and its immersive capabilities. However, as soon as the novelty wears off, you'll see this game for what it truly is: a hastily polished, buggy shell containing only shallow, monotonous gameplay
  2. Jul 27, 2016
    1
    There was SO much potential here. Unfortunately, they blew it. Too many glitches that need to be fixed, especially the way it disconnects you every 30 seconds. I really wanted to like this game, but like so many others I found it to be disappointing and underwhelming.
  3. Jul 27, 2016
    8
    What a good game... Pokemon go is not just Nintendo trying to please parents by getting their kids outside. Its an amazing AR Pokemon game. The catching system is wonderful! The only downsides i can find are that it only gen 1 (However there is room for improvement here as with a few updates this could include gen 2,3,4,5 endless amounts of updates could come here) and the battling system.What a good game... Pokemon go is not just Nintendo trying to please parents by getting their kids outside. Its an amazing AR Pokemon game. The catching system is wonderful! The only downsides i can find are that it only gen 1 (However there is room for improvement here as with a few updates this could include gen 2,3,4,5 endless amounts of updates could come here) and the battling system. We all know, even if we don't want to admit it, that the battling, well, lacks. Overall a great game and definitely worth a download (Not forgetting one of the biggest plus sides, Its free!) Expand
  4. Jul 26, 2016
    3
    Very basic gameplay without the combat or features of the main games. Suffers from poor optimization and performance, the freemium model means they have your game save to server side for every time you usea item and time you touch a pokeball which leads to more data usage and chances of freezing then necessary. No trainer battles or trading with friends.
  5. Jul 26, 2016
    5
    i really love playing the game its addictive, but only when its working. I have put some actual money into it and a lot of the time and when i apply an item such as an incense or lucky egg, it glitches on me then i have to restart, for it them not to load for an hour, wasting my actual money spent as the item has then worn off. I am very dissapointed that it has been released with so manyi really love playing the game its addictive, but only when its working. I have put some actual money into it and a lot of the time and when i apply an item such as an incense or lucky egg, it glitches on me then i have to restart, for it them not to load for an hour, wasting my actual money spent as the item has then worn off. I am very dissapointed that it has been released with so many glitches. it also drains battery at a ridiculous speed even on the battery saver mode and uses a lot of mobile data. Expand
  6. Jul 25, 2016
    7
    as much as I really want to give this game a 10 out of 10 for its original idea cool premise and helping countless people with their anxiety and lousing weight etc. its did not launch well apon its release 3 weeks ago it riddled with constant crashes for a number off reasons and if your not in a area with a descent amout off poke stops and no poke gyms in sight the game is straight upas much as I really want to give this game a 10 out of 10 for its original idea cool premise and helping countless people with their anxiety and lousing weight etc. its did not launch well apon its release 3 weeks ago it riddled with constant crashes for a number off reasons and if your not in a area with a descent amout off poke stops and no poke gyms in sight the game is straight up unplayable just try playing this game in a middle of a desert and you will see what I mean

    I admit I never had a problem with the second issue because there's a poke stop only 100m away from my house and a poke gym only another 100m after that and my collage has five poke stops in it so I maybe a little bit byest (I wish my luck was used for better things like winning the lotto)

    time of this review the tracking mechanic is glitcted every Pokémon on the tracking list comes up 3 steps no matter how close you are which is annoying it was working on the first week of its launch but now its not working so you have to walk around the area and just hope for the best that you come across it

    however though its fantastic that you can find Pokémon in the real world battle other people Pokémon at the gyms and visit your towns landmarks to get the poke stops and you also learn some info off what its propose is its really cool I may update this review when its crashing problems and the tracking glitch gets fixed (if it gets fixed) if it doesn't I don't see this game being relevant for long
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  7. Jul 25, 2016
    9
    This game is fun and addictive. Niantic has mostly fixed the server issues, and new features are scheduled to be rolled out.

    The game is not perfect, but it is enjoyable and fun.
  8. Jul 25, 2016
    9
    Login UX 1/10; AR effects 10/10; Gaming difficulty level up gradient 9/10; Entertainment 10/10; Map Accuracy 9/10; Gym UX 8/10; Exercise factor 10/10; Originality 9/10; Overall 9/10.
  9. Jul 24, 2016
    8
    A lot of people are rating this game low because of the glitches that plague it. Usually you don't have a problem, and you can always check before you leave to see if the servers are down. I would rate it a 7, but it has promise and potential. I would rate it a 9 but it needs to deliver first. Overall, the game requires grinding, and I think that's what most people are really upset about.
  10. Jul 24, 2016
    1
    This game is a bad cashgrab from Nintendo. The idee is fantsitc but they way the done it is real bad. Never saw a promising concept failing so hard. They try to make Money from everywhere they can. Oh you Pokemon is ded and you dont have any reviver? Pay us 1$ and we review your hard earnd Pokemon becouse we didnt include a Pokehospital mechanic. You get 4 poke balls at best at one stopThis game is a bad cashgrab from Nintendo. The idee is fantsitc but they way the done it is real bad. Never saw a promising concept failing so hard. They try to make Money from everywhere they can. Oh you Pokemon is ded and you dont have any reviver? Pay us 1$ and we review your hard earnd Pokemon becouse we didnt include a Pokehospital mechanic. You get 4 poke balls at best at one stop and a medium Pokemon can cost you up to 11 of them. Wait you dont have any pokeballs anymore? I gues you can buy 10 of them for 1$ wich doent even asure you that its enough for one good Pokemon. They made more then enough money to improve the Game in thnks like the optimasiation and gameplay aspekts but no its still makes them money soooo. Sorry my English is bad ._. Expand
  11. Jul 24, 2016
    1
    In the beginning of the this essay, I want to indicate that; my country is Turkey and this game is not available our App Store. Because of that, I signed up a new Apple ID from Australia and downloaded this game.(like other Turkish users).

    Of course, I have great expactation about Pokemon Go. Because, this anime was the best anime for my childhood. As a consequence of observations, I
    In the beginning of the this essay, I want to indicate that; my country is Turkey and this game is not available our App Store. Because of that, I signed up a new Apple ID from Australia and downloaded this game.(like other Turkish users).

    Of course, I have great expactation about Pokemon Go. Because, this anime was the best anime for my childhood. As a consequence of observations, I firmly believe that; most of people are playing this game, but a great majority of people do not like enough.

    First of all, this game is so boring. We can only catch Pokemons and after 5. level we can go to a GYM and fight with other pokemons. When intending to "fight"; this is very simple, we are touching screen recurrently, thats all thing about fight. Another issue is "Zubat" thing. They are in everywhere and this situation definitely irksome. In addition; servers of the game are too slow, the reason of this situaiton probably is huge user number. This is normal, but while you are trying to catch powerful pokemon, the game freeze because of these slow servers.

    This game is new and in my opinion it is not ready for world.
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  12. Jul 23, 2016
    1
    Early Access "game", it's not really entertaining and the only hype is on catching Pokemons irl which to be honest is pretty dull (at least for me), I got more excitement from other things.
    Besides the Pokemon everything is far away from the real universe game we all love playing.
  13. Jul 23, 2016
    9
    A maioria dos 0 são por coisas banais então de haters, afinal das contas, virou modinha odiar o que é moda O jogo é apenas um protótipo, trouxe uma ideia inovadora então é normal que ainda falte muita coisa que possam ser resolvidas com simples atualizações. Ainda é um jogo cru, mas não deixa de ser muito divertido se jogado com companhias e ainda estimula a sair de casa quem passa o diaA maioria dos 0 são por coisas banais então de haters, afinal das contas, virou modinha odiar o que é moda O jogo é apenas um protótipo, trouxe uma ideia inovadora então é normal que ainda falte muita coisa que possam ser resolvidas com simples atualizações. Ainda é um jogo cru, mas não deixa de ser muito divertido se jogado com companhias e ainda estimula a sair de casa quem passa o dia inteiro preso. O unico erro que eu vejo é que nao deveria de haver pokemons em locais privados, museus e cimitérios, pois é muita falta de irresponsabilidade ver brincar com celular nesses lugares. Expand
  14. Jul 23, 2016
    3
    While it's fun to catch and collect the Pokemon, ultimately the game is a total waste of time. There's no reason to evolve or level up Pokemon, when you can just catch fully evolved ones later on. Your starter Pokemon ends up being the weakest one because you won't find them anywhere. No real battling, leveling, trading, interaction of any kind with other people.
  15. Jul 22, 2016
    1
    I am an old gen1 & 2er and to me this is just a mediocre game with the Pokemon logo slapped on it. It brings nothing new to the genre - there are already very similar AR games. I don't get what makes it interesting to some people.
  16. Jul 22, 2016
    7
    Although it can be really fun, it also can be really buggy. My game has crashed numerous times even when encountering rare or high CP Pokemon. Battles are nothing special and aren't anything like the actual Pokemon games.
  17. Jul 21, 2016
    1
    Is this the place were you write a review of games or of their ability to get people outside? This is game a piece of garbage here's why:

    No skill required
    No depth what so ever
    The game mechanics are completely broken. There's incentive to not evolve Pokemon
    The game rarely works
    The tracking system does not work well
  18. Jul 21, 2016
    5
    Best premise of the decade and extremely addictive. The gameplay mechanics has unfortunately been very simplified though to appeal to a larger audience with poor combat and no real strategy required.
  19. Jul 21, 2016
    7
    concept bien réalisé mais plein de choses sont a revoir................le gyroscope , le AR .................zones rurales ............et aussi la localisation non exacte
  20. Jul 21, 2016
    3
    I've had enough of this BS. This game is Broken ... BROOOKKEENNN, It crashes frequently, locks up if I catch a Pokemon or start a Gym battle, Constantly logs me out. The Opening Load times just add fuel to the fire of frustration of having to constantly restart the game.

    There is literally no excuse for a game to be released in such a current state, especially since it likes to drain my
    I've had enough of this BS. This game is Broken ... BROOOKKEENNN, It crashes frequently, locks up if I catch a Pokemon or start a Gym battle, Constantly logs me out. The Opening Load times just add fuel to the fire of frustration of having to constantly restart the game.

    There is literally no excuse for a game to be released in such a current state, especially since it likes to drain my Battery and my Data plan. It's unoptimized, it's shallow and its clear they released it early to cash in on the Pokemon Nostalgia.

    If you want to keep playing, I ain't going to stop you. However I implore you DON'T SPEND A CENT on this game until they fix the issues.
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  21. Jul 21, 2016
    2
    The game is super glitchy and I had to wait 3 DAYS to get an account or to make one. I like the game encourages people to go outside but people HAD DIED and gone in people's yard's! The gameplay is so bland and bad it makes five nights at freddy's look like the best idea the universe has ever had! This game should die not people.
  22. Jul 20, 2016
    1
    This game has a lot of potential, and is fun WHEN IT WORKS. Which is never. The servers crash ALL the time. And I'm running the game on a new iPhone 6S, so there shouldn't be any technological issues. I log into the game, use some items (an egg and some incense) and then it crashes. And then won't log me back in for HOURS. So basically, the hard-earned game "money" that I spent on thoseThis game has a lot of potential, and is fun WHEN IT WORKS. Which is never. The servers crash ALL the time. And I'm running the game on a new iPhone 6S, so there shouldn't be any technological issues. I log into the game, use some items (an egg and some incense) and then it crashes. And then won't log me back in for HOURS. So basically, the hard-earned game "money" that I spent on those items is lost to the void because the game doesn't work. I have "caught" at least 30 pokemon since I started, only to have the game freeze and crash just before the successful capture animation. And though the game says that it will automatically complete the capture and you'll find the pokemon there when you log back in... It's lying. I have never found one to be there after it's crashed on me.

    I know the argument is that they couldn't have foreseen the popularity of the game or the demand on their servers, but the functionality of this game just isn't there. I feel bad for the people who spend real money on items just to have them wasted during server blackout hours (seems to be from about 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm). The glitches have made it so that this game isn't fun to play, and is instead just irritating and frustrating. I'll be taking some strain off the servers, at least, by not playing this anymore.
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  23. Jul 20, 2016
    1
    I grew up with the old / first gen pokemon. I am not a super huge fan of the franchise but I love it enough to know enough. Got a pikachu hat and a talking plushe. Used to be mental on the N64 with poke stadium. However... When I first started PokeGo it was pretty awesome. But now... since after the release and more countries added... EVERYTHING sucks!!! I don't understand why rural areasI grew up with the old / first gen pokemon. I am not a super huge fan of the franchise but I love it enough to know enough. Got a pikachu hat and a talking plushe. Used to be mental on the N64 with poke stadium. However... When I first started PokeGo it was pretty awesome. But now... since after the release and more countries added... EVERYTHING sucks!!! I don't understand why rural areas are empty. I don't understand why they are silent about the 3 step bug and the whole NEARBY list that doesn't work. I've been out and about with my GF and friends and the game KEEPS screwing me over. Again and again. Just now I finally found an Arcanine, I saw it on the map, tapped it to catch it / battle, and guess what. Game went down. I cant believe something THIS BADLY DESIGNED is out on the market without any word of fixes. I understand the hacks made it difficult. But stop FEKKING putting the game out in other countries because your servers aren't stable yet. This game could be sooooooo much more than it is right now. I am more than frustrated. I am truly angry because I am so let down. And my enthusiasm is a weak point. But for the love of God and everything that is holy. FIX THIS GAME COMPLETELY! AND LET US HEAR FROM YOU! NIANTIC!!! Expand
  24. Jul 20, 2016
    10
    Pokemon Go is one of the most fun and addictive games i have ever played. It's a really neat concept for a person to walk around in REAL LIFE to catch some Pokemon and it works well. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
  25. Jul 19, 2016
    9
    The issues are the servers being down way too often and the app freezing every now and then. But when it's working, it's great. It's bringing people of all ages and all walks of life together for a bit of harmless fun. And it's getting players off their asses in a less awkward way than dance games.

    Is it a simple game? Yes. But that makes it very approachable. It's not an in depth
    The issues are the servers being down way too often and the app freezing every now and then. But when it's working, it's great. It's bringing people of all ages and all walks of life together for a bit of harmless fun. And it's getting players off their asses in a less awkward way than dance games.

    Is it a simple game? Yes. But that makes it very approachable. It's not an in depth strategic combat game (at least yet), but if you understand that going in, you're going to have loads of fun.
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  26. Jul 19, 2016
    8
    A very enjoyable and fun game. Spent many hours walking around with my spouse catching Pokémon in the park and downtown. Saw many other people doing the same thing, even ran into old friends. The game is very simple and very fun, walked nearly 15 km's so far. Even battled in some gyms. Cons: Can get slightly repetitive with another Zubat, end game is only gym battles.
    Well worth playing.
  27. Jul 19, 2016
    8
    Pokémon Go is the new heroin for videogame addicts. Well, the servers are down too often, but this happens because it´s a worldwide phenomenon. It´s an impact for the way we play games in the future. Thumbs up for so much creativity, even they "stole" it from Ingress
  28. Jul 18, 2016
    4
    The problem with this game is simply that no one expected it to be the success it is. It's the PREMISE of the game that is the phenomenon, not the game itself. The premise of being able to go out into the real world and catch virtual creatures is an incredible and, in hindsight, natural idea for the Pokemon genre. But the game itself is incredibly shallow, geared towards the typicalThe problem with this game is simply that no one expected it to be the success it is. It's the PREMISE of the game that is the phenomenon, not the game itself. The premise of being able to go out into the real world and catch virtual creatures is an incredible and, in hindsight, natural idea for the Pokemon genre. But the game itself is incredibly shallow, geared towards the typical shortcomings of free-to-play / pay-to-get-ahead games.

    Traditional Pokemon games have not undergone any major transformations over the decades for one reason: the original concept is solid. Aside from collecting Pokemon, Pokemon Go doesn't actually subscribe to the same concept. Which is a problem. Which is where its unexpectedly, unbridled success comes in. What do they do now? Do they take the game away from Niantic and revamp it to be more like traditional Pokemon games (I can hope!). Or do they double down on the Ingress-style gameplay?

    Doing the former may mean the complete revitalization of Pokemon. Doing the latter will, in my opinion, lead to ultimate failure as the novelty wears off.

    Where will they go from here? They can make this something great, or they could drop the ball big time. Only time will tell.

    As it stands, it's a game with great promise, but one that in its current iteration fails to deliver.
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  29. Jul 17, 2016
    7
    This is an incredible game. I don’t mean mechanically or technically. Hell, it’s not even innovative (it’s just Ingress, an arguably worse version, with Pokemon). But the other day, 3 of my news app's 4 top gaming stories were about Pokemon Go, and a couple of those made the Top Stories section.

    Last week, the game had more active users than Twitter and people spent more time on Pokemon
    This is an incredible game. I don’t mean mechanically or technically. Hell, it’s not even innovative (it’s just Ingress, an arguably worse version, with Pokemon). But the other day, 3 of my news app's 4 top gaming stories were about Pokemon Go, and a couple of those made the Top Stories section.

    Last week, the game had more active users than Twitter and people spent more time on Pokemon Go than on Facebook. Both presidential candidates have talked about it. There’s already a divide on the Internet about whether the game is a complete time waster (“people finding Pokemon when they should be finding jobs”) or a miracle game that’s pushed more unhealthy people off their couches than anything in recent memory. A friend of mine convinced her manager to let her expense Pokemon lures to attract people to their store. All this despite the fact that the game constantly froze and crashed for the first week of release because the servers were swamped (not just for me but for everyone, if the memes are to be believed). Wow.

    If you don’t know the premise, it’s a GPS-based game. When you boot it up, you’re told to physically walk around trying to catch Pokemon and visit Pokestops, real-world landmarks that give you in-game items like Pokeballs if you’re close enough to them. Bigger landmarks are called “gyms” where you can battle Pokemon that some other player left there. Camping out in front of a gym or Pokestop isn’t going to help you the most though: the Pokemon eggs you collect won’t hatch unless you’ve walked some number of kilometers. Almost every mechanic in the game is designed to get you off your couch.

    As is typical game fare, the goal of the game is to make numbers go up. Get more Pokemon, give those Pokemon higher numbers, level up so you can have a higher number yourself, get medals for having high numbers, etc.

    The mechanics aren’t great. Keeping your Pokemon at a manageable number is tedious since you can have duplicates and you have to release Pokemon you don’t want manually. I’ve stopped walking just to give myself time to sort through my Pokemon. I don’t think that’s in anyone’s best interests.

    Oh and a server call is made every time you release a Pokemon, so if it’s a bad day for the servers then good luck doing that in a reasonable amount of time. In fact, every action in the game requires a network call. Patience is a virtue, and one required to make the most of Pokemon Go.

    But despite all that, people still play this game. I still play this game. Why? Maybe it’s pure nostalgia. It could be that exercising and getting fresh air has never been more enjoyable. Maybe it’s because this is a way for people to socialize with others without getting too far out of their comfort zones.

    Or perhaps it’s nice to believe that there’s a little magic in the world; a Charizard sitting on your table if you only were looking closely.
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  30. Jul 17, 2016
    0
    What the **** I nearly fell off a cliff with this app!________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 37 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 37
  2. Negative: 2 out of 37
  1. 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.
  2. CD-Action
    Sep 17, 2016
    90
    The best mobile game I have ever played. [09/2016, p.66]
  3. 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.