Pokemon Shield

 Switch
User Score
4.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 3465 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,154 out of 3465
  2. Mixed: 587 out of 3465
  3. Negative: 1,724 out of 3465
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  1. Meheszka
    Nov 20, 2019
    8
    Great game overall. There are some minor bugs but this game feels fresh and coherent. Reading reviews I was expecting the worst but everything is perfectly fine! Haters gonna hate.
  2. SirAwesomeness5
    Jun 30, 2020
    8
    Despite all the controversy surrounding this game, I quite enjoyed it. It is pretty barebones with the postgame content without the Expansion Pass, so keep that in mind. 8 out of 10.
  3. BloodMutt
    Nov 21, 2022
    10
    I don't know why everyone has hated on this game. It was good and I played it through to completion.
  4. giannis2001
    Jul 16, 2021
    8
    Not the greatest Pokemon game but still a solid experience. A lot of content, great world to explore and a new addition - open world sections. Some Pokemon desingns are very weird though.Don't let the user score fool you. It's a great game and definetely recommended.
  5. Soldier_Owl
    Aug 18, 2020
    8
    I like this game. The new pokemon are cool and the galar forms are nice. Go on Nintendo.
  6. luis2667
    Dec 7, 2019
    8
    pese a todas la criticas mal hechas, es un gran juego, adictivo, con fallos claro esta, mecánicas muy buenas, si la compañía decide seguir usando el área silvestre y expandirla a mas partes del mapa, la franquicia daría un gran salto y mas, si lograran evitar los bajones de frames con el modo on-line activado, definitivamente no le doy 10 solo por esos detalles que faltan por pulir, peropese a todas la criticas mal hechas, es un gran juego, adictivo, con fallos claro esta, mecánicas muy buenas, si la compañía decide seguir usando el área silvestre y expandirla a mas partes del mapa, la franquicia daría un gran salto y mas, si lograran evitar los bajones de frames con el modo on-line activado, definitivamente no le doy 10 solo por esos detalles que faltan por pulir, pero se lo merecería para subir la calificación del review bombing que le hicieron, ojala corrijan esto, como lo han hecho con death stranding, que no se merece mas de 5… Expand
  7. chaputom
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    15 hours in and loving it! I haven't been this excited/interesting in a Pokemon game since X & Y so it was good to come back to something new and fresh but similar. The Pokedex goes up to 400 (who would ever want 800+ of ANYTHING in a game?) which is more than enough to keep your attention for Catching Them All's sake. The gym battles are unique and atmospheric and have great animations15 hours in and loving it! I haven't been this excited/interesting in a Pokemon game since X & Y so it was good to come back to something new and fresh but similar. The Pokedex goes up to 400 (who would ever want 800+ of ANYTHING in a game?) which is more than enough to keep your attention for Catching Them All's sake. The gym battles are unique and atmospheric and have great animations which are very interesting and engaging. The new rivals and characters are fine. Trainer battling is more interesting with newer Pokemon and animations - and that you aren't constantly being stopped for battle every few feet just to keep up space. The Wild Area still has my interest and I spend most of my time there (Catching higher level Pokemon, visiting with NPCs, Dynamax Raids). All and all a great new entry into the series and one you shouldn't really skip out on with all the (nonsense) negative reviews Game Freak has been getting lately! Play the game.… Expand
  8. Peter19
    Jul 21, 2020
    9
    Pokémon Sword and Shield are not bad games. But fun character arcs and inventive, creative designs of new ‘mon are often offset by poor pacing and restrictive world design. The world of Galar is charming, and is a Pokémon interpretation of Britain I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid, but between gating what Pokémon you can catch behind Gym Badges, some half-baked route/City designs and aPokémon Sword and Shield are not bad games. But fun character arcs and inventive, creative designs of new ‘mon are often offset by poor pacing and restrictive world design. The world of Galar is charming, and is a Pokémon interpretation of Britain I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid, but between gating what Pokémon you can catch behind Gym Badges, some half-baked route/City designs and a modest amount of post-game content, Sword and Shield can only be called ‘good’ Pokémon games… not ‘great’ ones.… Expand
  9. Burdo24
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    Good game, not one of the best pokemon out there but one very entertaining with beautiful visuals
  10. NoobSpy
    Oct 29, 2020
    9
    Apesar de muitos dizerem que o jogo é ruim e tudo mais, ele é extremamente viciante e envolvente, sim o jogo tem alguns problemas, personagens surgindo do nada, cenários, texturas feias em algumas partes, mas fora isso temos os lados bons, muitos Pokémons novos, alguns que já conhecemos, sem falar que agora o game facilitou algumas coisas, como poder trocar de Pokémon sem precisar ir aoApesar de muitos dizerem que o jogo é ruim e tudo mais, ele é extremamente viciante e envolvente, sim o jogo tem alguns problemas, personagens surgindo do nada, cenários, texturas feias em algumas partes, mas fora isso temos os lados bons, muitos Pokémons novos, alguns que já conhecemos, sem falar que agora o game facilitou algumas coisas, como poder trocar de Pokémon sem precisar ir ao centro pokémon, algo similar o que ocorre em Pokémon Lets Go, save automatico, dentre outras melhorias, sei que o jogo poderia ser ainda maior, mais grandioso, mas não achei tão horrível quanto muitos diziam!… Expand
  11. Bazerker
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    One of the best pokėmon game I've played so far, yes the visuals aren't that great compared to other games these days but it not as bad as other people are seeing, there are some wow moments in this game that tells you that you're playing a main line pokėmon game like when you step into the town fir the first time. 400 Pokėmon for me is enough, yes it be nice to have the national dex butOne of the best pokėmon game I've played so far, yes the visuals aren't that great compared to other games these days but it not as bad as other people are seeing, there are some wow moments in this game that tells you that you're playing a main line pokėmon game like when you step into the town fir the first time. 400 Pokėmon for me is enough, yes it be nice to have the national dex but I'm not too fussed about thatplus why should every region have every Pokėmon on the planet… Expand
  12. HiggsPokemn
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    I love this game, an important change, compared to the previous numbered delivery.
    The issue of pokedex does not bother me; that is to say in a couple of previous deliveries they were not all and it seems great because I am art to see the same in each fight.
    History: So far, very cool. Graphic improvement: Excellent Music: Excellent Duration: Good (20 hours 2 medals) Design of    I love this game, an important change, compared to the previous numbered delivery.
    The issue of pokedex does not bother me; that is to say in a couple of previous deliveries they were not all and it seems great because I am art to see the same in each fight.
    History: So far, very cool.
    Graphic improvement: Excellent
    Music: Excellent
    Duration: Good (20 hours 2 medals)
    Design of pokemons and characters: Some very handsome, Excellent
    The incursions are incredibly good.
    It bothers me that I can't use the B to run xD
    Berry picking is a bit bad.
    The food poke I see a little unnecessary.    … Expand
  13. EliciaMoon
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    This game is so much better than people will tell you. All of the negative reviews are coming from pre release controversy, don’t let the trolls keep you from playing this game.i am giving this game a 10 in order to counteract the review bomb, but I would likely give it an 8 or 9. Pros
    - New pokemon designs are cool, cute, and fun.
    - Galar region variants of old pokemon is a nice    This game is so much better than people will tell you. All of the negative reviews are coming from pre release controversy, don’t let the trolls keep you from playing this game.i am giving this game a 10 in order to counteract the review bomb, but I would likely give it an 8 or 9. Pros
    - New pokemon designs are cool, cute, and fun.
    - Galar region variants of old pokemon is a nice continuation of the Alolan tradition. - They reduced the amount of un-skippable dialogue by a lot. During the tutorial characters ask if you already know how things work. If you say yes, they won’t waste your time by telling you.
    - The new gym system is absolutely fantastic. Making the battles a spectated sport is afresh change and innovation that feels both unique to the Galar region and like it has belonged in the Pokémon world since the start.
    - Dynamaxing and gigantamaxing are both fat fat more fun than I had initially thought they would be.
    - The best new feature by far is the wild area. From about an hour in you have access to this place, giving you access to hundreds of Pokémon and an entire frontier to explore before you even get to the first gym. Dynamax raids give you great items and great Pokémon.
    - Pokemon camp is a great improvement on the Pokémon amie system from X and Y. You can play with and talk to your Pokémon. The greatest part is making Curry, which is actually a great deal of fun. - There are a lot of much needed quality of life changes from previous pokemon titles. Cons
    - of course the big one that spurned all of the controversy is dexit. I really don’t think it’s a big deal though. -The wild area might be TOO much fun. It’s easy to completely forget about the main story just by spending hours upon hours there.
    - Not being able to turn the exp share off is a little bit annoying. It hasn’t taken away from my enjoyment of the game, but I can imagine it annoying some people.    … Expand
  14. MK0825
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    People are making way to big of a deal out of this. Rating this game a 0 or 1 is completely unfair. I'm not saying it's the best Pokemon game. It's definitely not, but it's also definitely not a terrible game.
  15. Treecko
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Guys this game not bad But where is squritle and bulbasaur????!!!!!or Pidgeot ?
  16. Chunkdogg
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Love the game! Got 20hours clocked an I Don't see why people are rating it bad it's an amazing game. 10/10
  17. Jdsampsonite
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Best Pokemon game in series. They have really refined the gameplay. Best graphics to date and super fun. If you like Pokemon you will love this game.
  18. SIKE109
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    The best game and good adventure it have many good Pokémon and it changed the way of catching Pokémon to the original
  19. Tristezza
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    This is the most fun I've had with a main series game in years. I've spend 15 hours in game, and just cleared the 4th gym. Wild area, raid battles with friends have eaten up all of my time and its just pure fun. Yes some animations are poor and the graphics in the wild area arent great.. but some locations look damn good. This is NOT a perfect pokemon game by any means, but it's fun andThis is the most fun I've had with a main series game in years. I've spend 15 hours in game, and just cleared the 4th gym. Wild area, raid battles with friends have eaten up all of my time and its just pure fun. Yes some animations are poor and the graphics in the wild area arent great.. but some locations look damn good. This is NOT a perfect pokemon game by any means, but it's fun and that's what matters. Maybe everyone bombing this before they play needs to get some friends and have a nice raid battle (even though they probably have 0.)… Expand
  20. Kdavis8234
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Made an account just to be able to review this game! I understand people are upset about the cut in Pokémon, but giving this game an overall of 4 is ridiculous! This game is amazing! As far as the cut in Pokémon, quality of quantity! Not everything always works out as planned, but if you skip either Pokémon title, you’re missing out!
  21. Ivan1991
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Es el mejor juego q han sacado aunque deberian de hacer una actualización y poner cosas nuevas… Expand
  22. Lionthali
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    The game have a lot of unnecessary hate. Have a lot things to do and obviously they need to improve in some areas but that doesn't affect the whole game and the experience. Still a great Pokemon game.
  23. Analbashing
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    I've sunk about 20 hours in the game so far. I've beaten the game and honestly enjoyed it. Also I went into the game complety blind. I did not look at serebi. I did not bother looking anything up. Taking it back to those days when you had to buy a manual just to see what you can get. If you approach this game this way you will enjoy it so much more. I am yet to look into post game content.I've sunk about 20 hours in the game so far. I've beaten the game and honestly enjoyed it. Also I went into the game complety blind. I did not look at serebi. I did not bother looking anything up. Taking it back to those days when you had to buy a manual just to see what you can get. If you approach this game this way you will enjoy it so much more. I am yet to look into post game content. I've played every pokemon game in the series. And I got to say the gameplay is a good 8/10 there are new moves and many pokemon to capture that really make you go "yo holy **** what is that thing I want it" it really made me feel like a kid again. I understand not all the pokemon are in the game but if you wanna be the guy to go ahead and code in over 900 pokemon on top of animations dynamax and concider just the fact they manage to work in this game for so long and gave out a really good result. Graphical issues are practically not existant here is a tip TURN OFF YOUR WIFI IN WILD AREA. Pokemon games are not difficult games. They never have been. It's all how you decide to play that truly makes it an experience. If you wanna make it hard go ahead play s nuzlocke. The game is beautiful especially in the area where the fairy type gym leader is present. Story is honestly ass 4/10 but when has a pokemon game actually had a good story. This series is essentially legal dog fighting simulator. Just have fun. If you want difficult dark souls exist. In the topic of dynamax I actually enjoy it. It's so amazing to see the different kinds of pokemon essentially mega evolve into an absolute unit of pokemon.… Expand
  24. Kingleo77
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    This game is really great! Traditional style of turn based battle with new era of graphics unlike any Pokémon game ever made. I know it’s got a lot of heat from angry gamers. But if you’ve been apart of Pokémon from the very beginning, you’ll definitely like this game. Sure, the trees look like sausage but to be fair, I don’t play this game to appreciate the trees. Battle animations, moveThis game is really great! Traditional style of turn based battle with new era of graphics unlike any Pokémon game ever made. I know it’s got a lot of heat from angry gamers. But if you’ve been apart of Pokémon from the very beginning, you’ll definitely like this game. Sure, the trees look like sausage but to be fair, I don’t play this game to appreciate the trees. Battle animations, move sets, individual use of same moves are all great! The way one Pokémon uses an attack is completely different for another with some of the moves. It has life and it has potential. I’m very excited for the future of Pokémon now that’s I’ve seen this. Plus the caves are so pretty! They look like Christmas and that’s just so great. The game is a little easy at first but it definitely becomes more challenging as you go along. The Dynamaxing is...cute... I mean it’s an old franchise so their switching it up. It’s cool tho. And I’m regard to the Pokédex, there are so many Pokémon in this game I can keep up. I keep buying more pokeballs just to catch them. I’d love to see a Dratini but it’s not a done deal. It’s really fun. If you love Pokémon and not twitter outrage, this is a great experience. I can’t put it down. Thanks for reading!

    Yours truly,

    Pokémon fan since the 90s.    … Expand
  25. Ren57
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    I’ve put about 21 hours into this game at this point and I’ll just start off by saying if you like Pokémon this game is well worth your money. The removal of some things are indeed a let down but I think what they add does make up for it. The main thing I like is the new gym system and just overall goal to get to the top. I remember when I was a kid thinking “It would be so cool haveI’ve put about 21 hours into this game at this point and I’ll just start off by saying if you like Pokémon this game is well worth your money. The removal of some things are indeed a let down but I think what they add does make up for it. The main thing I like is the new gym system and just overall goal to get to the top. I remember when I was a kid thinking “It would be so cool have characters in the game watch the battles and just have that feeling of everyone in the world knowing your the best” and with this Pokémon I finally got that feeling.

    The story if you hardcore grind and cheese levels for a few hours like I did takes about 18 hours. Now when you compare this to other $60 games where a story mode can last around 7 that’s not bad, but it’s up to you personally if you think that’s good enough especially considering previous Pokémon games and their time to completion. Currently I’m on the post main game story and I’m at 21 hours.

    One of the really cool things they’ve added in are the Max raid battles. Think of a Pokémon go raid basically where you and three other people can team up to take down a giant Pokémon, honestly this is what will probably take up a lot of my time especially when post game story is over for me.

    It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, the system used to notify of Max raids and battles/trades seems to be a little delayed at points, I either have trouble with getting random people in my raids or finding raids that are still available to join even if it says they were just posted. Animation work is mixed with Pokémon and characters, feels like they mixed old animation work with new at times and I personally think we need new audio for Pokémon cries, Pikachu and Eevee got them now I think it’s time for the rest especially if you’re going to cut the Pokédex for the reason they gave and as from what I can tell all the models are the same as sun and moon but I’m no expert.

    So yes I think this is worth your money, could they have done better? Yes I definitely think they could have and I really hope their next game builds more upon this, I think it’s a decent first attempt and I’ll even forgive the graphics for now since they are a company that’s always for the most part developed for portable only systems.    … Expand
  26. alaval
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Un gran juego, intenta dar una nueva experiencia a través de nuevos personajes, gráficas geniales
  27. EeveeDragon
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think that the game is a streamlined Pokémon game that brings new social features to the front. Allowing you to play with friends, catch new Pokémon and have a unique experience when you play. The raiding mechanic and wild area gives a player unique Pokémon everyday. Every time you play this game it will be different and unique, making it stand out from previous Pokémon titles.… Expand
  28. Chombo
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    Un juego que no luce toda la potencia de la consola, pero que si significa un gran salto gráfico para la franquicia
    El diseño del mundo se encuentra a la altura de los juegos de la línea principal pero de forma más lineal de lo que se esperaba pero no más que en entregas anteriores, pero destacando los pueblos y ciudades que se muestran magestuosas, sin hablar de los nuevos pokémon que se    Un juego que no luce toda la potencia de la consola, pero que si significa un gran salto gráfico para la franquicia
    El diseño del mundo se encuentra a la altura de los juegos de la línea principal pero de forma más lineal de lo que se esperaba pero no más que en entregas anteriores, pero destacando los pueblos y ciudades que se muestran magestuosas, sin hablar de los nuevos pokémon que se incorporan en el mundo creado por game freak, pero una de las nuevas adiciones y grandes apuestas era el área silvestre, que no destaca en casi nada de lo que propone, pero al menos deja establecida una nueva mecánica que podría ser pulida para próximos juegos y que daría de que hablar, es un espacio que se siente vacío y sin vida, aún así fue un gran acierto el traer nuevamente a los pokémon al mundo en una mecánica de aparición mixta, entre visual y aleatoria. Pero hablando de uno de los puntos más importantes sería la exclusión de gran parte de la pokedex, lo que no empaña mucho la visión y calidad del juego, pero sí se podría considerar agregar algunos más posterior a la salida del juego mediante actualizaciones    … Expand
  29. Jesusmbp
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Don't really think it deserves a 10, maybe a 7, it's nothing especial, but seeming as people are giving it really low scores without even having played the game, I guess I gotta do my part too.
  30. BoomBa35
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    One of the better pokemon Games I have played. This game does have flaws with it (Such as the missing pokemon that have been around since ever), but if you are willing to forgo those pokemon that are gone, it is one of the better pokemon games I have played. I would bump it up one more point if every single pokemon was in the game.
  31. Thatcriticguy
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    I'm sick of all the whiners that do nothing but complain. I'm thoroughly enjoying this game and the multiplayer and other new things give me plenty to do. My wife loves it as well. Too many gripers whining about end game like its world of frickin' Warcraft.
  32. Starfree
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    This game a lot of issues, but IMO the positives outway them all. This feels like a Pokémon game I know and love. The atmosphere is great the characters are great, and the graphics are pretty good.MAX RAID BATTLES ARE AWESOME!!! However with the story it’s clear that this is an unfinished game. Their is a lack of story content compared to past Pokémon titles, and the last 2 gyms aren’tThis game a lot of issues, but IMO the positives outway them all. This feels like a Pokémon game I know and love. The atmosphere is great the characters are great, and the graphics are pretty good.MAX RAID BATTLES ARE AWESOME!!! However with the story it’s clear that this is an unfinished game. Their is a lack of story content compared to past Pokémon titles, and the last 2 gyms aren’t even gym challenges, the 7th gym is literally a hallway. But the game is still super fun… Expand
  33. Rukimaru
    Nov 20, 2019
    8
    Mejorable pero tiene sus cosas que disfrutar, historia muy lineal, se hecha en falta mas trasfondo.
  34. SayoNightclaw
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    most of the negative reviews are people just mad that they cut most of the national dex. they would have to eventually. thats how it is when you have so many pokemon. While the game is by no means a perfect game, its actually pretty fun. graphically its beautiful. a lot of the new designs are clever and i love the way they do the gyms this game. Some issues i personally have is the framemost of the negative reviews are people just mad that they cut most of the national dex. they would have to eventually. thats how it is when you have so many pokemon. While the game is by no means a perfect game, its actually pretty fun. graphically its beautiful. a lot of the new designs are clever and i love the way they do the gyms this game. Some issues i personally have is the frame rate drop that only occurs when youre online and connected to the net and the fact that you need a password to connect with a friend for trading. other than that its an amazing game worth at least a try. don't listen to the haters or review bombers… Expand
  35. IgnaKun
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Me parece una de las mejores entregas de la saga, sinceramente: su historia quizá no está a la altura de B&W por ejemplo, o del lore de ciertas generaciones o momentos de pasadas entregas, pero sin duda entra entre las mejores.

    Su dificultad se encuentra entre las más avanzadas de la saga, claro está, en los momentos de la verdad: la liga, algunos bosses como Eternatus, etc.

    Su evolución y desarrollo de personajes me parece quizá los mejores en la saga: las aclaraciones en los conflictos internos de nuestros tres rivales (Bede/Berto, Hop/Paul y Roxy/Marnie) me parecen increíbles, y son mi grupo de rivales favorito hasta la fecha. Lionel/Leon me parece un personajazo de pies a cabeza, que intenta en todo momento hacer que el protagonista no salga de lo que es el recorrido del desafío de los gimnasios y él mismo se ocupe de cosas más peligrosas como derrotar a Eternatus, o siendo más claros, salvar la región. El paso de ayudante a profesora que da Sonia durante la aventura me parece merecidísimo, y hasta ahora es mi profesora favorita: su diseño, personalidad, desarrollo e idales no me dejan otra alternativa.

    Su "equipo villano" como es el Team Yell me parece que cumple su función: no tener objetivos más allá de animar a Roxy/Marnie en todo momento. Su función de ocio y para que el jugador se eche unas risas por ellos me parece muy buena.

    Las mecánicas añadidas como las mentas, facilidad para la crianza y acceso menos complejo para el competitivo es de agradecer.

    Su Área Silvestre, quizá vacía, me parece un gran paso inicial al mindo abierto dentro de la saga, y las raids un acierto muy grande.

    En sí, he vuelto a ser un niño y a disfrutar de Pokémon como cuando era pequeño. Un saludo.    … Expand
  36. Knoxxin
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    It's an incredibly fun game that is very engaging. I enjoyed traveling the wild area (though I do wish it was bigger) and the new Pokemon are incredibly fun. This is the best gym challenge in the series and all the gym leaders are fun and charming, each with a notable personality.
  37. jojobbb
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    This game has its pros and cons, most likely, this game is rushed I agree. But it's a decent game and I don't mind forms or z moves are removed for dynamax maybe the devs just like the game to be less complicated for the new fans. The other negative reviews rating below 5 has probably not played the game with weak excuses and not properly giving details on why the game was bad. The gameThis game has its pros and cons, most likely, this game is rushed I agree. But it's a decent game and I don't mind forms or z moves are removed for dynamax maybe the devs just like the game to be less complicated for the new fans. The other negative reviews rating below 5 has probably not played the game with weak excuses and not properly giving details on why the game was bad. The game has a terrible resolution, needs work on the animation system because that has issues into the game, the colors are great because it's very bright showing us a brand new region of pokemon and finally, I'd say the post game was a bit eh. The villains don't impress me and repeats their "well, well, well" it gets old fast and not a neat catch phrase. Other than that, the game has a neat storyline with good characters. 7.5.… Expand
  38. TimFunk
    Nov 27, 2019
    8
    Best pokemon game in years, fixed my Marrige which has been failing since X and Y came out
  39. Larsofmars
    Nov 28, 2019
    8
    My first Pokemon game in a while. The game not having all of the pokemon doesn't really bother me. The game is fun, but it does have problems.
  40. Rift
    Nov 29, 2019
    9
    A visually enhanced, more enjoyable entry when compared to Sun/Moon. Most of the people complaining are either just trying to jump on the hate bandwagon and haven't even played the game (hence the reviews posted as soon as the game released), or are just pissy because their favorite Pokemon didn't make it into the game.

    The game is good, and having 400+ Pokemon instead of ~900 doesn't    A visually enhanced, more enjoyable entry when compared to Sun/Moon. Most of the people complaining are either just trying to jump on the hate bandwagon and haven't even played the game (hence the reviews posted as soon as the game released), or are just pissy because their favorite Pokemon didn't make it into the game.

    The game is good, and having 400+ Pokemon instead of ~900 doesn't take away from the fun. Get off your high horse and get over it.    … Expand
  41. Militos
    Dec 8, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A ideia de ter um jogo de Pokémon em mundo aberto (na série principal) é algo sem procedentes. Uma gameplay mais leve, que facilita o treinamento de pokémons, além de novos artifícios para aumentá-los de nível mais rapidamente são muito bem vindos. Porém, alguns detalhes não podem deixar de serem vistos, como a possibilidade real de ter inserido todos os pokémons e a queda de frames quando conectado a internet na Wild Area. E claro, uma história ingame um pouco mais fraca em relação aos títulos anteriores. Posto isso, uma nota 8 é mais do que justa.… Expand
  42. Igor_06
    Dec 23, 2019
    9
    Il Gioco tiene alta la qualità del franchis pokemon con la interessante meccanica del dinamax e il nuovo sistema di building per i pokemon competitivi. Interessante anche lo sviluppo della trama, forse un po frettoloso nel finale. Per il resto consigliatissimo.
  43. Hashirama
    Jun 14, 2020
    8
    Pros: Wild area is where you'll spend most of your time in.

    Competitive friendly, great for winning the battle tower. New Pokémon and new forms

    DLC looks promising

    Cons:

    Pokémon number reduced
    Battling does not compare with colloseum/XD
    Hop follows you everywhere
    Game feels small once finished
  44. yangfanhong
    Mar 29, 2023
    8
    Yeah i know this game is not good enough for a series with such sale numbers, but at least i had fun.
  45. HugoTreminio
    Jun 19, 2020
    8
    It was a pretty good game, I can see why people dislike it, but in my opinion it was pretty entertaining. Wasn't very fond of the story or the characters and I think the Wild Area could look better (especially during sand storms), but overall a very complete game.
  46. Rjair94
    Jun 21, 2020
    9
    Aventura divertida, competitivo decente, el arte es muy bonito, lo negativo los gráficos son de generación pasada y la poca cantidad de monstruos
  47. Potatonian
    Jul 11, 2020
    8
    When the trailers and announcements first started appearing rumoring the absence of a national Pokédex and the inclusion of only 400 of the 809+ Pokemon (now 893+), I didn't have the urge to buy it like I did for all other main line pokemon games. Especially with the exclusion of Mega evolution, and the poor cutscene animations, the game had needed much to be desirable. Despite gamefreaksWhen the trailers and announcements first started appearing rumoring the absence of a national Pokédex and the inclusion of only 400 of the 809+ Pokemon (now 893+), I didn't have the urge to buy it like I did for all other main line pokemon games. Especially with the exclusion of Mega evolution, and the poor cutscene animations, the game had needed much to be desirable. Despite gamefreaks promise of there being completely new pokemon animations and cutscene animations, they were still clearly present with many pokemon animations appearing as far back as 2 generations prior. This however I believe is not really that perplexing despite the developers' promises as old assets are often used in newer games naturally to save time, resources and production cost which should instead be used to improve upon other parts of a game.

    The wild area graphics such as the infamous tree textures and the stiff pokemon animations are obviously a big let down, I remember the many comparison made to it, most notably the open world of Zelda: Breath of the wild. Despite the wild area being a rather shoddily done job, and being it having much to be desired, I am not particularly displeased as it is the first open world experience in pokemon and the wild area itself is magnificent. It also seems that gamefreak has used some feedback to make the open world of the Isle of Armor DLC. I bought it near launch regardless and found the story and gameplay to be great. Contrary to popular opinion I believe dynamax is a great gameplay mechanic added to the game albeit being a less enticing combination of mega evolution and z-moves.
    It has many competitive benefits and is a great aid in any battle. I believe that the competitive scene can truly be cemented with the inclusion of dynamax, mega evoltion and z-moves, allowing for much more stretegic play and a lot less stalling due to an increase in wall-breaking.

    The story itself heavily differed from the traditional stories of old pokemon games as there was no villain team. It had some similarities with Sun and moon's story. The characters however were much more well thought out than in previous games such as the character development of Hop being similar to Wally but much more involved. Leon being made to appear as a great champion much more than any previous game's champion, even going as far as having a remix of the hall of fame being his battle music which perfectly encapsulates his persona and character arc.

    The music in this game was absolutely fantastic with some being nearly or as good as Zinnia's battle theme, PWT final battle theme, Ultra necrozma's theme etc. To name a few, we have Marnies's and Bede's battle themes, the battle tower battle theme made by the living legend Toby Fox, the champion battle music, the wild area music, Mustard's final battle theme etc. I believe gen 8 music overall is nearly on par with gen 5.

    To name a few unmentioned but nice mechanics: the apparel and customisation in this game, camping and curries, trainer card customisation, pokejobs, max raids, enhanced experience training, nature mints, an actual pokemon 'league' that makes much more sense, and pokebox system.

    One very important and much appreciated thing this game has that no other pokemon game has ever had is a DLC. To explain very briefly why this is the best thing to ever happen to mainline pokemon games: every other mainline pokemon game to come out has always either been a remake or a second version of the game, what concerns us however are the second versions (such as Yellow, Crystal, Emerald, Platinum, Black 2 and White 2, Ultra sun and Ultra moon) all of which had additions and improvements to their older counterparts but too miniscule to be considered worth buying, this is apparent in their sales also as these games have significantly less sales. What the DLC does to benefit us and game freak is rather obvious, it gives us new content for less money whilst guarenteeing a lot more sales than a second iteration would. If this is gamefreak's new formula for the mainline games, it will greatly benefit both parties long term.

    Overall, the absence of key battle mechanics from the past two generations including the absence of many many moves and pokemon definitely knocks off a few points from my rating of the game, as does some poor animations and clear laziness in some parts of the game's development. However, this game is great like any other mainline pokemon game, it has all the mechanics and quirks befitting its status as being part of one of the most illustrious, and important series of games to ever exist. I believe it is a great addition to gamefreak's collection and also an important learning curve for gamefreak. Despite how well-received the game wasn't, I personally still believe that it excelled in many ways and performed better than many of its predecessors in some aspects, and will be remembered as an important game for how great it was and how bad it was.    … Expand
  48. Gorgola34
    May 5, 2023
    9
    Juegazo la octava generación, los legendarios increíbles, la historia simple pero contundente y los dlcs con los pájaros legendarios Buff vaya sacada y la ambientación no puede ser mejor, muy muy recomendable
  49. Kiruiya
    Jul 27, 2020
    9
    I really don't care about the missing national pokedex and the ugly trees. I just enjoyed the game the way it is.
  50. BillyBobJr
    Aug 3, 2020
    8
    I personally find Sword and Shield fine games in the series. Let's get the elephant out of the room, Dexit, a reference to Brexit, is the slang term given to how Game Freak cut out a large amount of pokemon from older games in SWSH. I'm not really going to get into this, as 1) people's main problems with Dexit were how Game Freak handled it, not exactly with Dexit itself in concept, and 2)I personally find Sword and Shield fine games in the series. Let's get the elephant out of the room, Dexit, a reference to Brexit, is the slang term given to how Game Freak cut out a large amount of pokemon from older games in SWSH. I'm not really going to get into this, as 1) people's main problems with Dexit were how Game Freak handled it, not exactly with Dexit itself in concept, and 2) explaining all the finer details would take forever. All you need to know is a large part of the National Dex was removed from the game, with a promise that some would be brought back later in DLC. Into the actual game, the graphics themselves are pleasant, they're nice to look at, and some attack animations and new pokemon are gorgeous, though there are occasional moments where they felt somewhat lackluster, given this was on a home console, yet looked a lot like the original handheld games. The battle system is the same it always has been, but without the old Mega-Evolutions and Z-moves of previous games, being replaced by the new Dynamax mechanic allowing you to make your pokemon increase in size drastically, with their health being doubled (so long as you've given them enough special candies) and their moves being powered up into "Max" attacks for 3 turns, or until the pokemon is defeated or switched out. There are also "Dynamax raids" where in the Wild Area, a place I'll get back to later, you're able to engage in battles against permanently Dynamaxed pokemon with up to 3 friends or AI trainers, these are incredibly fun early on, giving great rewards and potentially letting you catch a pokemon with great moves or stats, the problem however is the later you get in the game, the harder Dynamax battles get, and eventually it gets to the point where many raids are basically impossible to do with just AI trainers, thanks to a combination of the Dynamax pokemon having colossal HP bars with multiple shields that require several hits to break, the fact your teammate's are completely random, meaning you might end up with a group of water and flying types against an electric type, the AI of the trainers being absolutely horrendous, and the fact that if 4 of your teams pokemon are KO'd, which is very likely to happen given that AI trainers can't dynamax and are fairly weak, or 10 turns pass, you automatically fail the raid, which can be incredibly infuriating. On the positive side, the Wild Area is a taste of the open world fans have wanted from Pokemon since the game's inception. In the Wild Area, you're able to walk around a large open area with pokemon and raid spots appearing in certain parts of the area, this gives you a colossal amount of Pokemon, both old and new, to use early on. One problem however is that the Wild Area is separated into different sections, each of which have different levels of their pokemon, this is fine, but the problem is that the game will not let you catch pokemon of too high a level until you finish a certain amount of gyms, which is very infuriating given the game won't tell you if a pokemon is too high level until you're already in the fight, effectively just wasting your time. Moving onto the story, this is probably the game's weakest aspect. There really isn't much of a story until the last hour of the game, and even then it's a pretty poor one, you don't really have an enemy team either, just the little Team Yell, which aren't even that dangerous, as all they want to do is help a trainer they especially like. At the very least, the game's characters almost let you pretend the story isn't horrendous. Characters like Marnie, Bede, and Hop are very likeable, with Hop being the only rival since like GSC to actually change somewhat during the story, and these characters make me enjoy the game's fairly constant breaks for dialogue and random chitchat. One of the game's greatest aspects in my opinion is it's soundtrack. Dear god it's great, one of, if not my favorite OST of any pokemon game, with songs like Marnie's Theme, the Battle Tower, and the Gym Leader theme being personal favorites. I feel the game's strongest aspect is it's replayability, which I'd attribute to how many pokemon you have access to, fairly ironic given Dexit. In many pokemon games, most of the pokemon you're really interested are locked until mid to late game, sometimes even being after the champion, SWSH doesn't really have that problem. You're given such a variety of pokemon to choose from early game, even with the level cap, that most playthroughs will have very different teams. All in all, while I most likely wouldn't call SWSH the best pokemon game in the series, I'd probably say it is one of the better ones, with most people's complaints not having to do with the game itself, but with Game Freak and their odd PR decisions.… Expand
  51. DaHomeaSimpzon
    Oct 28, 2020
    8
    Before I stated my thoughts on the game, I don't condone review bombing as they may have never played it before. The reason why I am making this is because the review bombing of the game on Metcritic just bothered everyone. I want to let you know I had played the game (Yes, I had both versions) and let me tell you the designs of the characters and the new Pokemon are great. If there thingsBefore I stated my thoughts on the game, I don't condone review bombing as they may have never played it before. The reason why I am making this is because the review bombing of the game on Metcritic just bothered everyone. I want to let you know I had played the game (Yes, I had both versions) and let me tell you the designs of the characters and the new Pokemon are great. If there things that Game Freak needs improve on is the National Dex (which they already did with the DLCs), the graphics, the storyline and other issues. Maybe an update would be perfect to improve the games. Even though I am bothered with the price of the game and the DLCs, it still hadn't stop me from liking Pokemon. Even though the games had some bad moments, Game Freak was trying their best as they can.… Expand
  52. lehepl
    Dec 5, 2020
    10
    One of my favourite games of all time. The low reviews definetly have their merit, but whilst playing they are barely noticable. The story is good and the DLC is amazing. Definetly one of the best pokemon games.
  53. daxypoo2
    Feb 9, 2021
    8
    While pokemon shield is absolutely not perfect it was an amazing game, the plot was good enough, the new pokemon are great, the galar region feels alive and big. Now one thing i like but also hate is the pokemon cut, it makes sense to cut some pokemon now that we have 898 pokemon (including dlc) and it also forces the people who would just trade in older pokemon to use new pokemon... but iWhile pokemon shield is absolutely not perfect it was an amazing game, the plot was good enough, the new pokemon are great, the galar region feels alive and big. Now one thing i like but also hate is the pokemon cut, it makes sense to cut some pokemon now that we have 898 pokemon (including dlc) and it also forces the people who would just trade in older pokemon to use new pokemon... but i just wish that they had cut less pokemon or let us trade in certain pokemon because some of my favourite pokemon were unobtainable until the dlc.… Expand
  54. KinimodYunmi
    Dec 12, 2022
    10
    Die neue Grafik und das neue Movement ist perfekt, hat extre viel Spaß gemacht, wirklich alles top!
  55. divegold
    Nov 19, 2022
    10
    Pokemon sword and shiel is great! It has the best gym environment, the best gym leaders and a wonderful soundtrack! Not to mention the well-built dex! The best pokemon experience I've had on the switch
  56. Unnypops
    Nov 20, 2022
    8
    The hate for these games is unjustified. These games aren’t perfect but they’re fun.
    The graphics do not bother average players. A good chunk of people have been hating on every single Pokémon game since X and Y for no real reason. They have no idea what they actually want. They just like to complain.. so do yourself a favor and ignore most of these negative reviews. Shield is fun,    The hate for these games is unjustified. These games aren’t perfect but they’re fun.
    The graphics do not bother average players. A good chunk of people have been hating on every single Pokémon game since X and Y for no real reason. They have no idea what they actually want. They just like to complain.. so do yourself a favor and ignore most of these negative reviews. Shield is fun, especially with the DLC.    … Expand
  57. BorisThe_Spider
    Nov 21, 2022
    8
    I'm not here to complai about National Dex and other things. I'm here just to score the experience of one person that stopped playing main Pokémon games since 2003. It was overall fun, to me this game represents to discover lots of new Pokémon. And the wild area was also a good experiment to prove new and more free ways of gameplay. The main issues of playing this title was the drop of FPSI'm not here to complai about National Dex and other things. I'm here just to score the experience of one person that stopped playing main Pokémon games since 2003. It was overall fun, to me this game represents to discover lots of new Pokémon. And the wild area was also a good experiment to prove new and more free ways of gameplay. The main issues of playing this title was the drop of FPS and the boring and linear difficulty of it.… Expand
  58. Gustavo1
    Dec 15, 2022
    9
    O jogo é muito bom mesmo por causa de várias novas mecânicas que foram nós apresentadas, a história não pode ser uma das melhores mas a Pokedex está com uma boa variedade de pokémons novos.
  59. empowell
    Jan 17, 2023
    8
    This game was fun and a good escape. I thought the graphics were great and this was the nicest looking Pokemon game on the Switch.
  60. PotatoePink
    Jan 31, 2023
    8
    A very good Pokémon game. Not much after scarlet and violet released but still worth playing if you like Pokémon games.
  61. Gaaaferraz
    Feb 10, 2023
    8
    Um ótimo jogo, com grandes novas adições ao mundo de pokemon. Vou separar aqui em pontos negativos e positivos:
    Positivos
    - Gameplay
    - Novos pokemons
    - Tematica
    - Mapa
    - DLC
    - Amigos
    - Estadios
    Negativos
    - Puzzles e misterios
    - Historia
  62. abc1234567890
    Mar 9, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love action-packed battles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!… Expand
  63. Lugizz
    Apr 2, 2023
    8
    The game is enjoyable even after my 5 playthrough i still find things i didn't see before.
  64. drseven
    Jun 30, 2023
    8
    Fun and addictive game that preserves the essence of the Pokemon saga. the attempt to implement a more open area is a bit mediocre. As a negative point, the caves are very uninspired. The implementation of raids can extend the life of the game ideal for play with your friends.
  65. Rab1219
    Jul 3, 2023
    9
    Amazing Pokemon game! Only thing stopping it from being a 10 is the amount of cutscenes
  66. Lil_noggin
    Jul 19, 2023
    9
    To me it's a really great game that's part open world part story and I like all the pokémon that they have, including all of the new ones and the regional pokémon. In fact, it's the pokémon game that got me into other pokémon games it also has a pretty good online mode and I can see you why people wouldn't like it though because it's mostly just different than the other pokémon games butTo me it's a really great game that's part open world part story and I like all the pokémon that they have, including all of the new ones and the regional pokémon. In fact, it's the pokémon game that got me into other pokémon games it also has a pretty good online mode and I can see you why people wouldn't like it though because it's mostly just different than the other pokémon games but it's also one of the first pokémon games to have pokémon out of the grass… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Best Switch Game of 2019
3
#3 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 89 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 69 out of 89
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 89
  3. Negative: 0 out of 89
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 30, 2020
    90
    Sword & Shield have a lot to love for old and new fans, and they're pure quality from top to bottom. [Issue #44 – January/February 2020, p. 72]
  2. GameCritics
    Feb 6, 2020
    75
    I enjoyed my time with Pokemon Sword and Shield, but I ended feeling conflicted. I appreciate many of the changes and felt that it generally respected my time, but I almost felt like a passive participant. The more complex gym challenges had a meatier role, but the narrative shouldn’t have been shoved to the side. Overall, I would recommend it to players who want to have a Pokemon experience, but this one won’t stick with me the way the older ones have.
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  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Jan 14, 2020
    78
    Pokemon Sword/Shield is uncharacteristically user-friendly: now there’s no need to backtrack half across the world to heal your entire team of pokemon or to get to a particular city, for example. [Issue#242, p.66]
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