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. RenXYZ
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Bugs all over the game. Visuals are some of the worst in the console. Many Pokemons and mives are missing. The game is very short.… Expand
  2. DoublePesto
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Gamefreak Lied, Gamefreak Lied, Gamefreak Lied, Gamefreak Lied, Gamefreak Lied
  3. lolopopo
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    From a franchise literally worth billions of dollars, this unpolished, low-budged game is nothing but an insult aimed the long-time fans.
    This is really disappointing, considering that this game is on the switch, and it is uglier and has less content than the 3ds games.
  4. Witchearts
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Rekindled a welcomed wave of nostalgia! this game has a place for everyone new/old, and is definitely a step in the right direction! This is GF testing the waters... Fingers crossed for dlc, definitely excited for what they do next...
  5. victorlgarcia
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Such a terrible excuse for a game. Feels like a giant cash grab. The first couple of hours I tried to be positive but I can't pretend I don't see terrible grafics, animations and lack of innovation
  6. Zzz66
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    I hate gamefreak for this **** . Pls Nintendo buy Pokémon and switch the company. .
  7. Viivi
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game not fine grafics, but this a game with 10 Fu***g GB!
    Where all pokémon of Pokedex and where good grafics?
    And the region and the history game not is a impressive, this a generic game.    … Expand
  8. Dazo77
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Pokemon S&S is just fine. Sure there are bits where it could have been done a tad better. But overall, this is Pokemon as you know it.
  9. Ramiro0318
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Mal diseñado, es un reciclaje de sus juegos anteriores pero peor programado
  10. Error-404
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Un épisode vide et sans intérêt. Après le médiocre Let's Go, Game Freak devait sortir le premier grand jeu Pokémon sur console de salon, mais le résultat est un jeu avec environ 60% de contenu en moins que les versions 3Ds ou DS, (nombres de créatures, type de combat, end game...). Un fiasco totale.
  11. DJTwinz
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This game isn’t the worst game. But it’s not good or what you should expect from Pokémon. The largest media franchise ever. They have enough money they could implement every Pokémon, move, feature, and idea if they used a decent sized budget and expanded their team of 200. But this game is a sign of laziness. Most content is copied from sun and moon with a coat of paint and better graphicsThis game isn’t the worst game. But it’s not good or what you should expect from Pokémon. The largest media franchise ever. They have enough money they could implement every Pokémon, move, feature, and idea if they used a decent sized budget and expanded their team of 200. But this game is a sign of laziness. Most content is copied from sun and moon with a coat of paint and better graphics and resolution because it’s on the switch. It’s not worth $60. This game has less content, Pokemon, routes and features than most previous games. Heck if the post game was a polished up Alohla copy and paste where they just change wild Pokémon and NPCs around it would add twice the length of this game. If you want to play Pokémon Sw/Sh please buy preowned as I’m sure many second hand copies will start appearing in GameStop’s everywhere soon enough...… Expand
  12. Bbug
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Nada, nos quitan cosas, supuestamente para mejorar otras y es todo un copy paste de la generacion pasada, nos quitan objetos, pokemon, megas, movimientos z, y nos meten pokemon gigantes que acaba siendo lo mismo que la mega, no le veo nada de sentido, personajes sin carisma alguna, fácilmente olvida les, no me gusto
  13. Gyeasty
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    The newest mainline Pokemon game we've all been waiting for is in fact a disaster for the series. While only adding 81 new pokemon to the series, these new games managed to remove 490 (yeah, 490) pokemon from previous games, possibly forever. You won't be able to bring back your favorite pokemon that have been with you for years. Pokemon like Lucario, Dragonite, Greninja, and Sceptile areThe newest mainline Pokemon game we've all been waiting for is in fact a disaster for the series. While only adding 81 new pokemon to the series, these new games managed to remove 490 (yeah, 490) pokemon from previous games, possibly forever. You won't be able to bring back your favorite pokemon that have been with you for years. Pokemon like Lucario, Dragonite, Greninja, and Sceptile are gone forever, erased from these future games along with all mega evolutions. You would think that after erasing so many pokemon, Game Freak would add quality new pokemon to the series. But alas, and of course, no they did not. Grookey is the only starter that has a final evolution with a reasonably good design and none of the starters gain a dual type. There are only a few pokemon released in these games that are even usable in competitive play. Pokemon like Dragapult and Grimmsnarl are few and far between within the absolute pile of trash these new pokemon offer. Dynamax is a stupid gimmick that should have never been introduced and I feel like Game Freak is only hyping it up because they even realize it was a huge mistake. "Ooh, big pokemon, me like big pokemon." The only reason I'm giving this a 1 and not a 0 is because there were some decent functionality improvements to the game, but that in no way accounts for the absolute lack of content in these mainline games. I've been a lifelong Pokemon fan - from the first games that came out on gamboy, Red and Blue, and it hurts for me to say that this is the first major step backwards I've seen the company make in that time. What these games present for players is a purgatory of dreams deferred, a useful, connected space void of quality content and the hope that anything great will follow.… Expand
  14. FluffySpartan
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    its a cash grab with low effort in it. everyone expected a great and big game wich the pokemon series deserve after so many years and the most powerful console nintendo ever made.

    pokemon is the biggest franchise on this planet and they give nothing back to the fans ! how about giving the license to another studio wich cares about the players?

    gotta catch them...... few
  15. bertkevin
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    My favourite pokemon has been deleted! Tha graphic performance is too bad. The map design is for infants.
  16. KaptainKlench
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Perhaps the worst entry in the series. Constant graphical glitches, the inability to import my favorite Pokemon from previous games, and the lack of a national Dex, have all served to make me hate this game. Waste of money. Do yourself a favor, skip this one.
  17. CodyVCalderwood
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    this was supposed to be Pokemons time to shine, all these people making console games on Nintendo platforms for years finally make games that are big change UPS to the formula to better suit the switch. And this is when Pokemon should have stepped up to the plate and hit a homerun but instead they lied to fans, divided the fan base, and watered-down The experience. My largest issue us thatthis was supposed to be Pokemons time to shine, all these people making console games on Nintendo platforms for years finally make games that are big change UPS to the formula to better suit the switch. And this is when Pokemon should have stepped up to the plate and hit a homerun but instead they lied to fans, divided the fan base, and watered-down The experience. My largest issue us that they cut Pokemon and raise the price. They told us years ago that Ultra sun and Ultra Moon asre $40 worth of Pokemon, yet this game will have less features and less Pokemon but it's $60? It just doesn't add up to me… Expand
  18. ChronikSpartan
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    A fantastic addition to the Pokemon main line of games. As expected gameplay is similar to usual, but that is what we love about Pokemon.
    Graphics look wonderful and the subtle changes to the standard intro of the story are a refreshing change. The only two issues are: Obviously a full Pokedex would have been better. Also character voices definitely should have been added now that this is    A fantastic addition to the Pokemon main line of games. As expected gameplay is similar to usual, but that is what we love about Pokemon.
    Graphics look wonderful and the subtle changes to the standard intro of the story are a refreshing change. The only two issues are: Obviously a full Pokedex would have been better. Also character voices definitely should have been added now that this is a Console experience.    … Expand
  19. The_Stapler
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    I have owned every Pokémon game FYI. Pokémon Sword and Shield: 9

    I must admit Sword and Shield are awesome! Here’s why: Dynamax Online play! The music is superb! First main Pokémon game on console! The battles are hyped up and fun! Generation 8 Pokémon are unique! Being able to see Pokémon roam freely AND still being able to have wild encounters is a cool idea that works     I have owned every Pokémon game FYI. Pokémon Sword and Shield: 9

    I must admit Sword and Shield are awesome! Here’s why:

    Dynamax Online play!
    The music is superb!
    First main Pokémon game on console!
    The battles are hyped up and fun! Generation 8 Pokémon are unique!

    Being able to see Pokémon roam freely AND still being able to have wild encounters is a cool idea that works great! There are many other reasons why I rate this game so high but I will leave it to you all to see for yourselves! Being a long time fan of the series it’s a breath of fresh air to be in a new region with new Pokémon. Yes some of my favorites did not make the cut to sword and shield and THAT IS COMPLETELY FINE. I have all of the other Pokémon games so if I really want to play as that Pokémon I can go back to that nostalgia trip. It’s nice to have something different. Why would I want to play with the same Pokémon every single game? That’s straight up boring to main the same Pokémon every game. Some people are taking this Pokédex situation way too far like it’s a personal attack. It’s just a game. I don’t mind the EXP share at all. I don’t have all of the time in the world to grind away just to level up one particular Pokémon. I have a full-time job and a family soooo less time spent grinding is a good thing. The only gripe I have with the game is the graphics in hand held mode. ***I’m sure there will be a future patch to address this though as I have faith in GF.***

    If you are a Pokémon fan this is a must play.    … Expand
  20. KlariNoX
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Don’t buy it, burn Pokémon, they only want our money, it’s a scam, let Pokémon brand finish, it’s all trash, stop Pokémon stop them
  21. Thunder103093
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Once again just like LGPE i have to skip this. Been playing Pokemon since 1999-2000 & i cannot except how this game has screwed up & no one else should too. The most obvious problem is acorse the removal of the national dex. Along with lying to us about why they did it. That needs to be resolved immediately & them saying they "aren't going to" is both likely a lie & also. not acceptable.Once again just like LGPE i have to skip this. Been playing Pokemon since 1999-2000 & i cannot except how this game has screwed up & no one else should too. The most obvious problem is acorse the removal of the national dex. Along with lying to us about why they did it. That needs to be resolved immediately & them saying they "aren't going to" is both likely a lie & also. not acceptable. The game has graphical issues & bugs & glitches, including the good old delete save date glitch from XY came back. That is not acceptable for that to be in the game, especially when it happened before & Gamefreak deserves criticism for letting it happen again & no, people saying the issues were lies & people were forcing them to happen, that isn't true & i saw numerous poketubers doing videos & streams on this game all day today & those problems were happening to them also. So gamefreak can't make a game right anymore apparently. along with the non existing "graphics & animation improvements" that were suppose to happen with the national dex removal. Forced EXP Share on us, Removing moves, Z-Moves & Megas, higher price for less gameplay & how Gamefreak lied to us for months now & Poketubers blindly defending them. If you really love pokemon as much as i do. do not buy this game, wait until the problems are fixed in the future versions. But right now you should do your wallet & the series a huge favor & ignore this game… Expand
  22. SainxtrichX
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Quizá uno de los mejores juegos de pokemon, las cadencias son claras, y destacan mas en switch, pero la experiencia en general fue muy grata y entretenida. Lo recomiendo a 100& y recomiendo no dejarse llevar por las controversias y jugarlo por que vale mucho la pena.
  23. JuniorBertao
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Muito bom!
    Gráficos bonitos
    Pokémon sendo Pokémon
    Galarian Forms 10/10
  24. Brizius1996
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    This game is a f****** mess...We're in 2019 and a game like Pokemon sword and shield is Simply unacceptable. The graphics are WAY inferiore to manu PS2 games, the models are the same of previous 3ds games of the saga, animations are recycled and they' re Trash, characters and Monsters move like robots or sometimes they' dont even move when they' should do. Bycicle flies for no reason andThis game is a f****** mess...We're in 2019 and a game like Pokemon sword and shield is Simply unacceptable. The graphics are WAY inferiore to manu PS2 games, the models are the same of previous 3ds games of the saga, animations are recycled and they' re Trash, characters and Monsters move like robots or sometimes they' dont even move when they' should do. Bycicle flies for no reason and water doesn't move while pokemons are swimming in It. They cut more than half of the roster and over 100 moves Without any reason. The storto is super short (around 15 hours) and there Is NO POST-GAME. Dynamax battles are Just stupid, Raids are boring and the wild Is EMPTY. I Just wasted my money… Expand
  25. maxspin
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    I have just played this game for 5 hours and all I can say is that the rumors were right. Graphics are lackluster (to not say bad) for a Switch game, animations are not detailed like Nintendo promised, routes are boring and most are just straight lines, national dex is nowhere to be seen (I was expecting this but whatever), and tons of other small issues that end up causing a snowballI have just played this game for 5 hours and all I can say is that the rumors were right. Graphics are lackluster (to not say bad) for a Switch game, animations are not detailed like Nintendo promised, routes are boring and most are just straight lines, national dex is nowhere to be seen (I was expecting this but whatever), and tons of other small issues that end up causing a snowball effect. I really did expect it to be a bit better, but as a long time fan, I'm just disappointed.… Expand
  26. Lersotakus
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Pokedex no no no noooooooooooooooooooooo potencia diabloooooooooooooooooooooo
  27. Cozzy
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    I’ve played the game for thirteen hours done five gym badges and have had an absolute blast
    It’s a great little Pokemon entry
    The wild area is great The animations of the Pokemon are nice when there out in the wild or in battle the characters and overall story are fine for a Pokemon game. yes it’s not the Witcher 3 or the last of us type story driven and character building games with    I’ve played the game for thirteen hours done five gym badges and have had an absolute blast
    It’s a great little Pokemon entry
    The wild area is great
    The animations of the Pokemon are nice when there out in the wild or in battle the characters and overall story are fine for a Pokemon game.
    yes it’s not the Witcher 3 or the last of us type story driven and character building games with beloved characters you care for.
    because guess what this is a Pokemon game not a narrative driven gaming experience
    Dynamaxing is far more than a gimmick it’s a great little added element that just makes raiding or gym battles that much more fun and cooler to witness.
    There are 436 Pokemon to catch as of now and if that isn’t enough for you then I’m sorry your a self entitled A hole that should get a job at game freaks at see if you can do better than they have.

    There is plenty to do in this game overall from customisation for your character to side actives to raids and post game activities that I haven’t personally experienced but will update once I have.

    This Pokemon game does what it does very well and if your hating on it as part of the band wagon or controversy over the national dex how about you shut the hell don’t buy the game and go play something else you actually like and leave people that actually like the game alone
    At the end of the day it’s just that a game it’s not a way of life the world isn’t gonna end of it
    Once sword and shield ultra or whatever they call it comes out next year with improved features content and so on you’ll have a defining Pokemon experience.
    It’s a great set of games to build up on in the future and I personally am looking forward to it. .    … Expand
  28. Draco901
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Absolutely pitiful. Half of the entire dex is cut, megas and z-moves are gone meaning far less strategical diversity, the main game is only about 14 hours long, exp share was buffed to make the game stupidly easy, there's practically no side content in the least, practically no post game at all, no elite 4, bland and uninspired Pokemon designs, and a new battle "feature" which is not onlyAbsolutely pitiful. Half of the entire dex is cut, megas and z-moves are gone meaning far less strategical diversity, the main game is only about 14 hours long, exp share was buffed to make the game stupidly easy, there's practically no side content in the least, practically no post game at all, no elite 4, bland and uninspired Pokemon designs, and a new battle "feature" which is not only limited to a handful of battles in the entire game, but fundamentally adds no amount of strategical variance in the slightest. This piss poor excuse of a game isn't even worth the dirt on my shoes. Free fan games have done better and will continue to do better.… Expand
  29. erion94
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    In 20 years following and loving Pokémon (specially in that times that people bullied who did it), this is the first time I got disgusted with the franchise.

    Theses games are nothing more than a mix of recicled Pokemon, models, animations and scripts, literally just a 3ds Pokemon game upscaled(citra did it better). And even worst, with HALF OF THE CONTENT CUTTED!!! 500 less Pokemon    In 20 years following and loving Pokémon (specially in that times that people bullied who did it), this is the first time I got disgusted with the franchise.

    Theses games are nothing more than a mix of recicled Pokemon, models, animations and scripts, literally just a 3ds Pokemon game upscaled(citra did it better). And even worst, with HALF OF THE CONTENT CUTTED!!!
    500 less Pokemon
    100 less Moves
    No Megas
    No Z Moves
    No Special Pokemon (Cap Pikachu, Cosplay Pikachu)

    And the new stuff S*CKS
    PokeCurry is just a new Pokemon Amie mini game feature.
    Dynamax is just a Mega Pokemon copycat.
    New mechanics made the game even more easier, even if you want to play in a hardcore way.

    Why bothering training, breeding and trading if you can get perfect Pokemon so easily?

    The only old Pokemon that received more attention are the gen 1 ones, again.

    Omori, Masuda LEAVE POKEMON COMPANY RIGHT NOW!    … Expand
  30. Videogamer7800
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Pure **** Fire masuda and let nintendo deal with pokemon. These games are as fun as a dead dog. And all the gamefreak apologists suck too
  31. MattAttack218
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    As a video game it’s ok...as a Pokémon game it is by far the worst main line generation ever. If you’re new to the series you may not be as bothered but if you’ve been around awhile it’s blatantly obvious how much corner cutting there was in creating this game. Models are pulled directly from the 3DS and they don’t use the switch to anything near it’s full capabilities. It’s the most handAs a video game it’s ok...as a Pokémon game it is by far the worst main line generation ever. If you’re new to the series you may not be as bothered but if you’ve been around awhile it’s blatantly obvious how much corner cutting there was in creating this game. Models are pulled directly from the 3DS and they don’t use the switch to anything near it’s full capabilities. It’s the most hand holdy game I’ve ever played with basically no difficulty and they took the ability to self impose a higher difficulty level away. Almost half of all Pokémon are cut from the game with no real reason ever given by Gamefreak. This series has been in a steady decline since gen 5 (although the gen 3 remakes on 3DS are an exception). Almost no post game content at all and a very short game which lacks replay ability because of how much of a cake walk it is. I have so many complaints that I can’t get them all in a line. By far the worst Pokémon game I have ever played and I’ve been around since gen 1. Gamefreak doesn’t care about quality anymore. I’m sure this time next year they will release another “Ultra” type version that is closer to a complete game but still utterly lacking. #GameFreakLied ****… Expand
  32. Lushen1212
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    El pokemon que llevo deseando muchismo tiempo. La espera merecio la pena. Es una joya y divertidisimo
  33. Trojan4
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Dispite what you might read, this is the best pokemon game released in years. Hours of fun to be had and a great first step into the home console world, the giant steps forward that everyone wants will only arrive once game freak have their feet under them and build the confidence needed
  34. Banjo0119
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Honestly this game is good. It's definitely not USUM or Black and Whote levels of perfectuon, but it plays well. I don't really care about 400 pokemon, i juat want new ones. It would get a 10 however the game is very easy and should've had difficulty settings
  35. Sellerus
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    This is already one of my favorite Pokémon games, easily in my top 3. Yeah, a lot of the older Pokémon aren’t featured in this these games, but that doesn’t really end up taking away much of the experience that much. I love the emphasis won gyms and the Pokémon league, contrasting sun and moon, which was much more story driven that objective driven. Overall this game is loads of fun and isThis is already one of my favorite Pokémon games, easily in my top 3. Yeah, a lot of the older Pokémon aren’t featured in this these games, but that doesn’t really end up taking away much of the experience that much. I love the emphasis won gyms and the Pokémon league, contrasting sun and moon, which was much more story driven that objective driven. Overall this game is loads of fun and is so hard to put down.… Expand
  36. annslow41
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    As a fan who's bought (sometimes both version) and played every single mainline Pokemon game and was even in the hardcore training & battling scene for years, I will NOT be buying this game. I will NOT support lazy developers. Both game freak a Nintendo know they COULD have made a great game - the game we've all wanted - the Breath of the Wild of Pokemon.

    But let's face it, they knew    As a fan who's bought (sometimes both version) and played every single mainline Pokemon game and was even in the hardcore training & battling scene for years, I will NOT be buying this game. I will NOT support lazy developers. Both game freak a Nintendo know they COULD have made a great game - the game we've all wanted - the Breath of the Wild of Pokemon.

    But let's face it, they knew people were going to buy the games like hot cakes regardless of how much effort they put in. The promise of an "open world" Pokemon game will be too much to resist, full-well knowing their fanbase will be expecting so much more. But the bottom line is it's going to sell, so they'll deliver the bare minimum on that and on everything else. It's going to sell and they're going to make their money. Why put the extra effort in? It's a business decision, and as far as their profits are concerned, a pretty good one.

    It's still bullsh*t: a huge disservice to their fans. They know it. We know it. But it's not going to stop them from making their money. Still, I won't be contributing to that because that's not the kind of developer I want to support.    … Expand
  37. JakePlayZ_OG
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Unfortunately, these games were review bombed & very underservingly so too.

    As these games *in my opinion* are in the top 3 Pokemon games EVER. Ranking among Diamond/Pearl & Ruby/Sapphire. The story is easy & straight to the point, not including some mega person who wants to end the universe *Thank the heavens* & the gameplay is overall a lot more fun than some other main-line Pokemon games.
  38. ZeroHorugane
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Garden
    4 mounths for GARDEN
    This is a Pokémon Game?
    Pokémon Go have a Best history than this game
  39. LightIsMyPath
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    -cute new pokemons -great trainer customization - No gts
    -400ish missing pokemons -3ds quality graphics upscale
    -bad fps and freezes
    - stupidly easy (too many heals, forced xp share) -shortest main story of any pokemon game -shortest post game of any pokemon game - too many tutorials -50% price increase for a worse product -wild area is empty -locked by badge catching
  40. Picklez888
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    While I bought this game,as I have for every generation of pokemon, I regret it for the first time. The first console entry should be bigger, not smaller. There is no excuse to cut SO MANY pokemon. I can understand removing legendaries for lore reasons or others but this is just laziness. This is the biggest media franchise ever...what is their excuse again? It surely can't be a lack ofWhile I bought this game,as I have for every generation of pokemon, I regret it for the first time. The first console entry should be bigger, not smaller. There is no excuse to cut SO MANY pokemon. I can understand removing legendaries for lore reasons or others but this is just laziness. This is the biggest media franchise ever...what is their excuse again? It surely can't be a lack of resources.… Expand
  41. Ferrox
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    While a lot of people might give this game either a 10 or 0 in the hope to somehow "balance" the score to what they believe it actually is, that leaves reviews as unreliable. This game isn't a mere 0, but it also definitely isn't a 9 or 10. Let's discuss the good and the bad.

    The good: -Streamlining the proccess of making a competitive pokemon: This also has some downsides for the    While a lot of people might give this game either a 10 or 0 in the hope to somehow "balance" the score to what they believe it actually is, that leaves reviews as unreliable. This game isn't a mere 0, but it also definitely isn't a 9 or 10. Let's discuss the good and the bad.

    The good:
    -Streamlining the proccess of making a competitive pokemon: This also has some downsides for the satisfaction of breeding your own but it makes it a lot easier for those unwilling to put in the time, as well as change your beloved in-game capture during a playthrough into a powerful warrior.
    -The Gym Challenge: In previous games, challenging the Gyms was just something you did to progress the story. They were fun, sometimes forcing you to change up your team, but other than a unique sprite with special song it felt like story-wise it was just what kids were supposed to do. Here it feels like an actual choice was made. It is a carreer path in the Pokémon World, and people love seeing it. You are like your favorite sport star, gaining fame and entertaining the masses as you rise in the rankings. The battles in the Stadiums with an audience feels like a big event.
    -The challenges leading up to the Gym Battle: Combining the best of both traditional Gym Battles and the Island Challenge, there is a trial to prove yourself before facing the Gym Leader. And while some are better than others, it is more satisfying to do it this way than to just beat up a few Gym Trainers in normal fights.
    -The new Pokémon: it wouldn't be a Pokémon game without the titular beasts. And while not all are equally great, there are definitely a few that charm or impress you. Just look at Wooloo.
    -Several inovative ideas: GameFreak has finaly tried to join the current scene by experimenting with some new ideas like a small open-world setting with varying levels, a free camera, online multiplayer, but this unfortunately leans more towards, well...

    Unfortunately we come to

    The bad:

    -The graphics: While Pokémon might have never placed itself as a powerhouse graphicswise, it usually had a style uniquely their own with decent graphics. Unfortunately, decent is rather too generous to call this game's graphics. While it has been said many times before, the trees and vegetation call back to the era of N64. Shadows flicker, the water is horrible,...and then we have to talk about
    -The pop-in: NPC's, trees, pokémon. When you move it simply jumps into existance. This is a problem that games for years have dealt with in different methods: loading only what is visible on the screen, using lower-res models for those in the distance...and with a camera always angled just the way the develloper wants, it should have been easy to recognise just what needs to be loaded when and what could be ignored. Speaking of which
    -The camera: GameFreak was proud to show of the Wild Area, where you could roam free and encounter many pokémon and look all around you. Unfortunately it is still relatively small, with too little to do, and even that is restricted. It's not as beautiful as you'd like, and as for the Pokémon, they hardly move, pop-in jarringly, and even if you're ready to face a challenge
    -Pokemon capture is limited by badges: While it might seem like letting a newbie trainer try their hand at capturing a level 40 pokémon would be unballancing the game, take into account that it is their choice to do so, they have to win that fight and capture them first with their underlevelled pokémon, and even if they trained their Starter up to LV100 through sheer grinding, they'd still be barred by the game. And if it is a Shiny, too bad. Speaking of Shinies
    -Overworld Sprites come in one color only: Even Let's Go showed of wether you had a Regular Pokémon or the ellusive Shiny before you battled. A simple palette swap should have done that here, but it's not, so you have to engage each pokémon and hope to find them shiny during that encounter. But overworld or in battle,
    -The models are unchanged since X & Y: The root cause of the #GameFreakLied trend, Sword&Shield still use those same models AND animations as the 3DS games, with slightly upscale textures. This might not have been so bad if they hadn't promised (and yes they did) that they HAD to remake them from scratch because they couldn't transfer them over and therefore
    -Not all Pokémon are in: Less that half or all existing Pokémon are in the game, and the rest will never be here. Considering the models and animations are all there waiting, this feels like a big disapointment to long-time fans. Because what else will you do when you finish the game? Because
    -The Game is SHORT: Both in story length and routes, there is very little to do. 10 routes, some with only 2 patches of grass and
    -No post-game: Other than a more limited Battle Tower there is no battle facility or option to transfer in non Galar pokémon to fight or try a new game with.

    Conclusion: Good ideas but bad execution.    … Expand
  42. JoaoJorge
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Bad game! Game Freak has made his laziest job with this game! Don't buy it! It's **** it's trash, it's short and don't deserve your money and your time!
  43. Kelvynklain
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Muito ruim eles prometeram cortar a dex porém teríamos animação de qualidade E o que temos é uns Pokémon travados. Um rival chato da porra. E um final ruim que desmerecer muito os fans.… Expand
  44. Keffey
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    A Game Freak devia tomar vergonha na cara de usar toda a grana que ganha com Pokémon pra contratar uma equipe decente e grande. Ela tem que entender que não faz mais jogo pra gameboy.
  45. AGGuy
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    Want more Pokémon? This is more Pokémon (except with fewer Pokémon). It's the same it's always been - stilted presentation, good music, so-so gameplay comprised of thrilling highs and frustrating lows, a mix of good additions and subtractions and bad additions and subtractions... and the story is not worth mentioning (actually even less so than in past games).

    It's kind of just... more    Want more Pokémon? This is more Pokémon (except with fewer Pokémon). It's the same it's always been - stilted presentation, good music, so-so gameplay comprised of thrilling highs and frustrating lows, a mix of good additions and subtractions and bad additions and subtractions... and the story is not worth mentioning (actually even less so than in past games).

    It's kind of just... more Pokémon.
    Is "kind of just more Pokémon" what you're looking for? Yes? Then this is worth 30 bucks, I'd say.
    Is "kind of just more Pokémon" not what you're looking for? Then don't bother.    … Expand
  46. Moemoe1
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    so many people exaggerate this game is a nice game and does what it needs to do
  47. Ang24507
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Excelente juego, mejor que otros juegos de Pokemon que e jugadoooo, con gran variedad para los gustos, en esta nueva generación.
  48. AverageT
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Probably the most controversial pokemon game yet, 2/3rds of the dex removed along with tons of moves and features. In what was supposed to be the holy grail of pokemon games sadly development was rushed, mistakes were made and the developer went on to lie to the public about it. I wanted to see past all that and still enjoy a pokemon game and found a very short story with reused animationsProbably the most controversial pokemon game yet, 2/3rds of the dex removed along with tons of moves and features. In what was supposed to be the holy grail of pokemon games sadly development was rushed, mistakes were made and the developer went on to lie to the public about it. I wanted to see past all that and still enjoy a pokemon game and found a very short story with reused animations and no music? I was stumped when I came across a pokemon I could not catch because I wasn't high enough level. I couldn't even throw the pokeball! Sadly the game is as easy as ever. While it's as fun as any other pokemon game, its probably the most lackluster of all the main series titles.… Expand
  49. Artatm
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    So Nintendo creates breath of the wild and Mario odyssey - then delays Metroid because it’s not up to snuff - wow pokemon is going to be good - fast forward to release .... yeah not so much - So the textured look legitimately sloppy in places, it’s not just stylistic they are upscale and stretched, charters float over them looking rigid and plastic it’s like a bad mobile game not somethingSo Nintendo creates breath of the wild and Mario odyssey - then delays Metroid because it’s not up to snuff - wow pokemon is going to be good - fast forward to release .... yeah not so much - So the textured look legitimately sloppy in places, it’s not just stylistic they are upscale and stretched, charters float over them looking rigid and plastic it’s like a bad mobile game not something you expect from Nintendo on there main console, this ain’t no portable mini title no more game freak this is the big league and you fluffed it with the worlds most profitable franchise - wow - oh and you lied about it too - games out in the wild the reasons you gave for less pokemon have been proven untrue / you cut beloved content and didn’t innovate one bit, dynomax - give me a break - how about you voice the pokemon - even just the np characters in the cut scenes?! It’s 2019! Some of it is charming, a lot of the new designs look nice and cute and interesting - it’s hard not to it’s pokemon but the level of laziness here is just unforgivable - they even publicly announced it wasn’t there main project- holy hell fire?! You got some super secrets other billion dollar franchise up your selves? No?! You just want to betray your fan base and nickel and dime them with a high price game with less content than a indie game jam. Please - Protest by reviewing pokemon - tweeting/Facebook/reddit/YouTube - let Nintendo know they need to take back pokemon. we all want to love this but you got to let them know it’s not on.… Expand
  50. PointingGaming
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think the game is extremely good so far, as someone who has played Pokémon since Gen 1 I am quite happy, there are some features they did remove, some with obvious reasons some without. Such as global trade, in the previous games they were flooded with cheated in shinys and legendaries. It adds more challenge to the game so you can’t just trade a garbage Pokémon for one super high leveled, and they made it so you can’t catch a Pokémon higher level than what your gym badge allows.

    I enjoy the wide open areas and being able to see other players in the wild areas. I think the dynamaxing is cool, and a lot better than the mega evolutions and the special moves and other gimmicks they have had in the previous games in the main storyline.

    In terms of new pokemon it was a hit and a miss, they have some good ones and some terrible ones. It’s about the same as gen 5 where they had some great ideas, and they also had some absolutely retarded ones.

    So far I am happy with this game, and I am about half way through it I have to say it was money well spent. A lot of people may hate on this game but I believe that it deserves more credit than it is givin considering this is the first main story game that has come out for the Pokémon franchise that isn’t completely pixelated.    … Expand
  51. Pikerrix
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Jugad esta maravilla de juego. Merece mucha la pena gracias al multijugador
  52. blisss
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    A wonderful selection of new Pokémon, story that keeps you captivated, an open world to explore, likable characters and Pokémon choices. Good looking graphics, top tier music, and a wonderful tv screen Pokémon experience which is something I’ve always wanted.
  53. Kylekid
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Worst pokemon game I've ever played, I'm not even kidding! I'm a huge pokemon fan and that's why I can say this is the worst one, it's empty, boring, has subpar graphics, bad animations and such. The only thing I liked was some new pokemon designs, but they cut half of the pokedex so it's not worth. Don't buy it if you like pokemon, but if you want to play buy an used copy and see forWorst pokemon game I've ever played, I'm not even kidding! I'm a huge pokemon fan and that's why I can say this is the worst one, it's empty, boring, has subpar graphics, bad animations and such. The only thing I liked was some new pokemon designs, but they cut half of the pokedex so it's not worth. Don't buy it if you like pokemon, but if you want to play buy an used copy and see for yourself. Don't support gamefreak for making bad games like this!… Expand
  54. Quimbarreiros
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Honestly not that good of a game.
    Incomplete game, bad animations add more.
  55. Wakarahen
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Gamefreak, why you lie?
    I mean, it's obvious that players would discover it was all a big lie, then why getting on the bad side of players?
    This brand need to get back to high quality, this is unacceptable for the company of one of the highest selling game brand.
  56. LGM3-6-9
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    El mejor Pokémon asta hoy los mejores gráficos de todos los Pokémon viva Pokémon
  57. greninjaX
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    gamefreak lied. they said they were cutting pokemon because they were making new models with high quality animations, but that is simply not the case. everything was recycled from the 3DS game. there was no reason to cut pokemon. gamefreak needs to learn they can't get away with this. don't support this game
  58. Zazash
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Just the worst pokemon ever. 5xx pokemon, linear story, tiny map, no more mega evolve, useless dynamax, less moves, ugly charadesign
  59. zshbr0
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This game is so rubbish but so rubbish, for so many reasons that comes from the laziness of writing, just do not waste your time and money and do not buy, who warns friend is.
  60. Skylysenpai
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Beat the game in around 15 hours and was pretty disappointed. This wasn’t the Pokémon game I was hoping for. The story was meh, graphics were horrid, and the new Pokémon designs aren’t really my favorite. And honestly this feels like an upscaled 3DS game with just a tad more graphical fidelity. When games like dragon quest, breath of the wild, and the Witcher 3 exist in the switch, YouBeat the game in around 15 hours and was pretty disappointed. This wasn’t the Pokémon game I was hoping for. The story was meh, graphics were horrid, and the new Pokémon designs aren’t really my favorite. And honestly this feels like an upscaled 3DS game with just a tad more graphical fidelity. When games like dragon quest, breath of the wild, and the Witcher 3 exist in the switch, You have to wonder why they couldn’t use the full potential of the switches power. Do I think this game is worth $60? Nope. Maybe when it goes on sale for cheap you can try and pick it up if you really wanted. But this isn’t the game for me and many others. I will never touch this game again.… Expand
  61. Tseppelin
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The worst Pokemon game ever... Worst Pokemon and worst content, Also so much cutted off
  62. OnyxBolt
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Much better than I anticipated, love the online features. Only an 8 because no NatDex
  63. Dagatansky
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    I'm gonna be very honest here, this game is not finished at all! The game isn't bad, but it's not good either. I am about 8 hours in and honestly have no desire to finish it. I have been a Pokemon fan since I was 7 when Gen 1 came out, and this is the most disappointing entry ever in the Pokemon series. The models don't look bad, but not great either, just reused 3DS models. The battleI'm gonna be very honest here, this game is not finished at all! The game isn't bad, but it's not good either. I am about 8 hours in and honestly have no desire to finish it. I have been a Pokemon fan since I was 7 when Gen 1 came out, and this is the most disappointing entry ever in the Pokemon series. The models don't look bad, but not great either, just reused 3DS models. The battle animations are boring and lazy. A lot of the new Pokemon designs are uninteresting, I do like some of them, but a good chunk of them are just bland. I do like some of the new character designs though, but Dynamax is dumb. Just another gimmick to be abandoned next generation. I was really hoping that Mega Evolution would stick around, but it got ditched just like every other gimmick. The always on EXP Share makes the game way to easy, I have blown through all 3 gyms I have fought so far. Absolutely destroying the Dynamax Pokemon the leaders use. The new Wild Area is very lackluster as well. We deserve much better than this game that feels more like an unfinished spin-off, especially from the largest media franchise to ever exist. The Pokemon Company and Game Freak are squandering this series and I honestly have no intentions of playing the next games, especially if this continues. These games are marketed towards kids eventhough the core audience is between the ages of 18 and 30, we want a challenging game. Very disappointing entry, could've been so much better than it is.… Expand
  64. ioxon
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    All in all, this game seems like a rushed release. Easy money trying to cater to fans (mostly new I think) and maybe some old ... but not me. Already looking forward to the next iteration where they give it the attention it deserves and actually make it Switch worthy.

    Sure, it has the charm of any Pokemon game you'd expect but today, we are expecting better graphics than this crap. I'm    All in all, this game seems like a rushed release. Easy money trying to cater to fans (mostly new I think) and maybe some old ... but not me. Already looking forward to the next iteration where they give it the attention it deserves and actually make it Switch worthy.

    Sure, it has the charm of any Pokemon game you'd expect but today, we are expecting better graphics than this crap. I'm sorry. Also, I've heard the new pokemon that replaced the slew of pokemon that were removed - they are re-hashed with same specs or something but new name/look. That's a horrible thing to do to your fans.

    Anyway, I give it a 3 because it's not broken really as a game - it works and plays well and does what you'd expect as far as a pokemon game is concerned, plus some new things that are cool - sure - but do much better next time Game Freak. If you want to sell a $60 game for a system like the Switch, you can't make it a 3DS game and just drop it on the Switch without putting effort into higher textures (better/new engine if you need to).

    If you're going to not put effort into a better graphic presentation and actually give more attention to the new Pokemon (especially if you're removing old classic and oft loved pokemon), don't go open world like this. If you're going open world for future games, make it aesthetically pleasing to system expectations.    … Expand
  65. Kazem
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Nice transition! Really like the game, the story the new pokemon! can't wait for the next one with Gamefreak
  66. Cakey77
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Fantastic game, the 30+ year olds crying about this can be easily ignored, this is a great game.
  67. Coby555
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Gamefreak lied about doing new models and "qUaLiTy aNiMaTIoNs" when they look horrible! Enough said, done with this series.
  68. MGG_2006
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Es un juego Magnífico.
  69. Cxistderkleinst
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Best pokemon ever - denis ist der beste .. Er wird der allerbeste sein. Dd was soll man noch sagen.. Besser alslets go und. Pokemon go
  70. Kyhrux
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    If you expected to get the full blown home console Pokemon experience with this game, I'll have to disappoint you. Everything in this game just looks like an upscaled 3ds port, the textures are bad, some objects seem like they're from a n64 game and let's not even talk about the animations which were supposed to be of higher quality in exchange for the lower amount Pokemon in the game. TheIf you expected to get the full blown home console Pokemon experience with this game, I'll have to disappoint you. Everything in this game just looks like an upscaled 3ds port, the textures are bad, some objects seem like they're from a n64 game and let's not even talk about the animations which were supposed to be of higher quality in exchange for the lower amount Pokemon in the game. The graphics are really bad we know that already what about the gameplay? What does the new big Pokemon game for home consoles bring to the table with it's supposed revolutionary gameplay? Dynamaxing
    Dynamaxing has been one of the most boring gimmicks for Pokemon since they stared doing them and funny thing is
    You can't even use them in every fight, only in some story missions and arena battles. The other gameplay is very linear and boring and there is next to no late game gameplay.
    I wouldn't recommend to buy this game and I feel so strongly about this game that I would honestly say that hate this game and everything it stands for I'll never ever support gamefreak again.    … Expand
  71. Redx
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    No Dragonite nor other people favorites. Vote with your wallet people! If enough people see this and contribute changes can happen.
  72. amed_fonseca
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    el juego se ve muy bien a pesar de todo lo que han dicho, para ser el primer juego de la saga principal desarrollado para una consola casera esta excelente, por lo que llevo jugado me parece un gran juego de pokemon así que no tengan miedo al comprarlo, si el juego les llama la atención no se arrepentirán al comprarlo, juego 100% recomendado.
  73. PokeMaster22222
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. There's so many problems with it:

    1) Pokemon models reused from XY; only change is lack of compression (which was previously needed for 3DS), and shading. 2) Pokemon animations are incredibly static, lifeless and basic - Tomb Raider on the original PlayStation had better animations. 3) Move animations are still incredibly basic and lifeless too; Tail Whip, for    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. There's so many problems with it:

    1) Pokemon models reused from XY; only change is lack of compression (which was previously needed for 3DS), and shading.
    2) Pokemon animations are incredibly static, lifeless and basic - Tomb Raider on the original PlayStation had better animations.
    3) Move animations are still incredibly basic and lifeless too; Tail Whip, for example, just flips the user around and shakes them about - no actual tail movements. Double Kick is still just basic hops instead of actual kicks, a la Battle Revolution.
    4) NPC movement is incredibly stiff, static, and robotic.
    5) Insane amounts of pop-in.
    6) Overworld uses very low-quality assets for trees and the like.
    7) Pokemon in the Wild Area aren't tied to any thematic area, just wander about, and generally look very artificial and lifeless.
    8) Over 470 (~60%) of 809 older Pokemon completely removed.
    9) A slew of moves removed.
    10) Mega Evolution removed.
    11) Dynamax isn't exciting or a worthwhile innovation, since it's a temporary scaling-up of regular models only able to be used to specific areas.
    12) Pokemon model size scaling is way off; Pokemon are way too tiny compared to what they should be. For example, Tyranitar and Wailord should be huge; instead, they appear smaller than the Trainers.
    13) Box Legendary battle has no music.
    14) Game is incredibly linear, I've heard.
    15) There's an insane amount of free heals and auto-heals present, EVEN DURING THE ELITE FOUR CHALLENGE. You know, the challenge where you traditionally had to go through five battles in a row, relying on whatever healing items and general strategies you had?
    16) Permanent Exp. All effect ruins any kind of challenge, and there's no way to turn it off, unlike the 3DS games.

    Game Freak LIED when they said they made brand-new models; they never officially told us how many Pokémon were missing, or how many moves were missing. This game feels incredibly rushed and incomplete, yet Game Freak has no plans on patching the missing content in.

    If you're looking for a good RPG on the Switch, try Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Fire Emblem: Three Houses or Octopath Traveller. If you're looking for a good Pokémon game, get a New 3DS XL and buy Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire and Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon - hell, buy Platinum, HeartGold or SoulSilver, Black or White, and Black 2 or White 2, since these DS games are still by far the best Pokémon games I've played.

    DO NOT SUPPORT SUCH LACK OF EFFORT. DO NOY BUY POKÉMON SWORD OR POKÉMON SHIELD.    … Expand
  74. Dahcs
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    Before finishing the game, I am actually enjoying this game a fair bit. So far, this is definitely the best the Pokemon series has looked to date. Period. The games run at a stable framerate out side of the wild area, and the battles actually feel pretty immersive. Dynamaxing is a cool feature, and it really shows that that's where a lot of the love and effort really went into, along withBefore finishing the game, I am actually enjoying this game a fair bit. So far, this is definitely the best the Pokemon series has looked to date. Period. The games run at a stable framerate out side of the wild area, and the battles actually feel pretty immersive. Dynamaxing is a cool feature, and it really shows that that's where a lot of the love and effort really went into, along with the gyms. Alot of the user reviews are baseless, and it shows that they have obviously not played the game. I went into this game expecting Pokemon and I got exactly what I expected, and even a bit more. So far, I reccommend it, but definitely not for the full price. Will update my review when I finish the game.… Expand
  75. Leci
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Horribly rushed, had false advertising, game is a joke when it comes to difficulty, many features were stripped away just to charge extra for them despite being extremely overpriced already.
  76. vylleon
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    A falta da nacional dex, o modelos reutilizados de outros jogos o corte de mais de 400 pokémons no jogo.
  77. Ralet
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    worst pokemon ever. No national dex. No endgame. Short and boring story. Terrible graphic.
  78. Somerandomguy2
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    All i have to say is while some of the criticisms are valid i still had a blast and haven't had any issues.
  79. souma2312
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Yo sinceramente si que soy nintendero pero tampoco es que sea fanboy de la compañia y hay que decir sus verdades aunque la desarrollada es gamefreak y este juego no tiene la mas minima justificacion los puntos malos mas notorios son: Las animaciones por dios que un juego del 2019 salga con unas animaciones tan flojas si que daria bastante vergüenza,otra cosa las texturas en el mapa que seYo sinceramente si que soy nintendero pero tampoco es que sea fanboy de la compañia y hay que decir sus verdades aunque la desarrollada es gamefreak y este juego no tiene la mas minima justificacion los puntos malos mas notorios son: Las animaciones por dios que un juego del 2019 salga con unas animaciones tan flojas si que daria bastante vergüenza,otra cosa las texturas en el mapa que se podria decirce que es mundo abierto se nota que no pusieron nada de optimizacion y por eso las texturas van tan mal y otro punto la pokedex nacional sinceramente me parece tambien algo muy flojo de su parte viniendo de un juego de switch que no quieran metar a todos los pokemon ni si quiera es tan complicado porque tienen los modelos anteriores de 3ds que si algunos es reutilizados aca asi que no hay justificacion para esto,quizas lo unico bueno que tenga serian los diseños de los nuevos pokemon y ahora es mas facil jugar al multijugador competitivo y otra cosa que recalcar es que el juego tiene una duracion sumamente corta siendo el juego mas corto de la saga sinceramente se nota que no le hecharon ganas al juego y es una pena porque sino el juego sin duda hubiera sido un exito pero ni modo solamente la gente que quiere tirar su dinero ala basura lo comprara sin duda.… Expand
  80. BrightEyedPunk
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Plays just like how you’d expect a Pokémon game to play. Wild Area could look better. Performance holds up with a stable framerate. The dex cut sucks, but the new Pokémon are better than they have been in years. Game doesn’t deserve a 10/10, but it definitely doesn’t deserve a 3.
  81. LordCheezey
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    I can't say this is even close to the Pokemon game anyone wants. I started this game out with high hopes, but as it turns out, this is just a rehash of the 3ds games. And if you're wondering, the money grubbing second version scheme has no benefit past exclusive Pokemon and two different gym battles, Please, avoid this game at all costs and play Heart Gold or Soul Silver for the DS, thoseI can't say this is even close to the Pokemon game anyone wants. I started this game out with high hopes, but as it turns out, this is just a rehash of the 3ds games. And if you're wondering, the money grubbing second version scheme has no benefit past exclusive Pokemon and two different gym battles, Please, avoid this game at all costs and play Heart Gold or Soul Silver for the DS, those games, while old, give a much better experience.… Expand
  82. DRGXIII
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Full of Bugs and glitches, 3ds style graphics, less features than previous games, half of the pokedex was removed for what turned out to be lies,constant stuttering,and still a bare-bones endgame.
  83. Cpt_Calico_Jack
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Despite this franchise's long-awaited arrival on a full console, Pokémon does nothing but disappoint with its 3DS-level graphics and PS1-esque animations. This comes especially disappointing to long-time fans of the series who were told that roughly 50+% of the previous existing Pokémon were not programmed into this installment so that the developer could focus on graphics and animations specifically.… Expand
  84. Bdiz
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Made for the hoi polloi with no appreciation for sophisticated strategy and challenge. The selection of carried over pokemon from previous versions is nonsensical (see Mudsdale), Dynamax is LAME, and they spent all that time making the game LOOK good while the pokemon still make garbled 8-bit sounds (except for Pikachu and Eevee). Save your money, play older versions and wait until theMade for the hoi polloi with no appreciation for sophisticated strategy and challenge. The selection of carried over pokemon from previous versions is nonsensical (see Mudsdale), Dynamax is LAME, and they spent all that time making the game LOOK good while the pokemon still make garbled 8-bit sounds (except for Pikachu and Eevee). Save your money, play older versions and wait until the next installment at which point Gamefreak will have hopefully realized their stupidity and reinstate the full pokedex and the deleted move-sets. OH AND WE STILL DIDN'T GET A NEW EEVEELUTION! #gottacatchemall NOT #gottacatchabouthalf… Expand
  85. thrwycr
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Enormous amounts of cut content, bold-faced lies from developers used as excuses, incredibly poor use of the hardware, overall an obviously unfinished game. Definitively the worse in the history of the franchise.
  86. koophakuna
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    We need more pokemon We want better visuals
    We want a real pokemon game in Switch
  87. Ravnard
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game Is interesting, and I don't mind Dexit too much. But the graphic quality is subpar, cutscenes are annoying. Wild zone is a nice gimmick but three level cap is annoying. The story is too linear. Some towns are less interactive than Pallet on Gameboy. It's a fun game but it just wears out too quickly and could have been made so much better.
    I can't understand how in 2019 there are some blank screen battles. And not having speech is just ridiculous and annoying in a console game...

    Hopefully the next one will be better, because I know they can improve it.    … Expand
  88. LaCroixBoy
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Too little content to justify its existence. Nintendo and Gamefreak should have learned their lesson when they didn't make Ruby and Sapphire backwards comparable with the previous gen games. Only having access to a little under half the total number of pokemon is really lame and counter to the whole concept of the games in the first place. I think that it's pretty inexcusable.… Expand
  89. ragnawind
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    The game is great. It could use some work, but this was nice as a first attempt at a mainline Pokemon game on the Switch. It has quite a few new interesting features, as well. For example, you can now change natures and make any Pokemon competitive without grinding or hacking. They may have cut a lot of Pokemon, but that was bound to happen sooner or later. The Pokedex is just getting tooThe game is great. It could use some work, but this was nice as a first attempt at a mainline Pokemon game on the Switch. It has quite a few new interesting features, as well. For example, you can now change natures and make any Pokemon competitive without grinding or hacking. They may have cut a lot of Pokemon, but that was bound to happen sooner or later. The Pokedex is just getting too big. Even Digimon games don't have all of the Digimon in them and they never did. It is a miracle Pokemon lasted with all of them for 7 generations of mainline titles. They even add some new forms for old Pokemon as well as giving some Gen 1 Pokemon new evolutions, such as Farfetch'd… Expand
  90. WeissSchnee
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Please don't support Game Freak, we fans deserve better games with better quality.
  91. ilikechikin
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    IGN is trippin, pokemon sword & shield are easily the 2nd worst games in the series after sun/moon. As someone who has played every game since red in 1999, the mainline games have become somewhat stale over the past few iterations. Sword/shield are literally just HD 3ds games that Nintendo is selling for $60 and that's kind of disappointing to me. I still give it a 5 because well, it'sIGN is trippin, pokemon sword & shield are easily the 2nd worst games in the series after sun/moon. As someone who has played every game since red in 1999, the mainline games have become somewhat stale over the past few iterations. Sword/shield are literally just HD 3ds games that Nintendo is selling for $60 and that's kind of disappointing to me. I still give it a 5 because well, it's Pokemon and it's still decent for a Pokemon game but it is super underwhelming for being the first mainline game on the switch console. Super short story too btw, completed in 12 hours even with a couple hours of messing around in the wild area. Oh, and #GameFreakLied.… Expand
  92. ScarletSpider
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    A non review bomb review.

    I beat the game at around 12 hours. Post game is an extra 2 hours and some gimped Battle Tower, otherwise my playtime would be a little over 8 hours. There were a few good things in this game. Characters expressions are more varied than the soulless expressions from Sun/Moon. Interiors looks pretty, although some are cut/paste. Nice QoL changes such as being    A non review bomb review.

    I beat the game at around 12 hours. Post game is an extra 2 hours and some gimped Battle Tower, otherwise my playtime would be a little over 8 hours. There were a few good things in this game. Characters expressions are more varied than the soulless expressions from Sun/Moon. Interiors looks pretty, although some are cut/paste. Nice QoL changes such as being able to change natures for competitive. Some of the new Pokemon look really, REALLY good. Some great designs.

    The story was pretty bland and baffling, even by Pokemon standards. For all that was cut, Gamefreak hasn't provided enough content to justify paying $60. The game is missing 60% of the Pokemon roster, moves have been cut, there is no accurate size scaling despite the gimmick being giant Pokemon, forced EXP share with no toggle means you'll be over leveled and nearly one shotting every opponent. Tons of empty corridors, no dungeons, and TMs are split between TMs and TRs. Most TRs can only be used once and most are necessary for competitive. You'll have to grind raids for it which can be a bit annoying clearly meant to pad out the game's post game. The game is graphically unimpressive in 2019 and some weird overworld bugs are present such as extreme pop ins, the world freezing when you climb ladders/mount your bike, etc. Alas, it's just another Pokemon game I have to regrettably sell for my money back. Very disappointed.

    I truly love this franchise but management at The Pokemon Company International clearly don't know what they're doing with the brand in terms of the mainline games. Trying to keep these games releasing yearly is decreasing the quality of the product. Gamefreak had just gotten past using sprites 7 years ago, and spent even less time in the 3D era, now they're dealing with HD assets are are clearly struggling to adjust. Gamefreak needs help but TPCi is not making it easy for them.    … Expand
  93. theoftime12
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Gracias de nintiendo 64, un juego muy pixelado, un diseño muy infantil me encontré el juego muy aburrido, gracias a Dios que no lo compre y mejor lo conseguí pirata
  94. josephfry4
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    While I think any longtime fan can find SOME enjoyment in this game, the minimal improvements made to the Pokemon experience are not enough to overshadow the cut content and the general lack of polish. More than half of the total Pokemon are missing and the visuals and animations are underwhelming at best--especially in outdoor sections. The postgame is practically non-existent. The gameWhile I think any longtime fan can find SOME enjoyment in this game, the minimal improvements made to the Pokemon experience are not enough to overshadow the cut content and the general lack of polish. More than half of the total Pokemon are missing and the visuals and animations are underwhelming at best--especially in outdoor sections. The postgame is practically non-existent. The game does make some quality of life improvements, especially so in menus and in battle. Some of these changes seem like no brainers, so I'm glad to see them implimented. However, the EXP share is now forced, only making the game more of a breeze. In the end, it's a more streamlined version of a soulless Pokemon game, obviously rushed and obviously missing a lot of passion. At its base, it's at least as fun as X and Y. But even then, that was a 3DS game that still has more content than this Nintendo Switch game on hardware as powerful as a home console. It just shows how outdated the design philosophy is at Gamefreak. This game is a heartless cashgrab. Do yourself a favor and avoid it.… Expand
  95. Latterain
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    As a pokemon fan who enjoys both casual and hardcore gaming since my early childhood, Pokemon Sword and Shield are not awful games, but rather disappointing in every possible sense.

    Blatant puzzling changes made by the developers have decreased these games' quality to a new standard never before seen within the entire Pokemon series. Removal of more than half of all Pokemon, removal of    As a pokemon fan who enjoys both casual and hardcore gaming since my early childhood, Pokemon Sword and Shield are not awful games, but rather disappointing in every possible sense.

    Blatant puzzling changes made by the developers have decreased these games' quality to a new standard never before seen within the entire Pokemon series.

    Removal of more than half of all Pokemon, removal of the GTS, removal of a significant amount of useful moves and fan features such as Mega evolution are only small examples of things cut with no redeemable exchange for these cuts. For comparing, Pokemon Sun and Moon, for the 3DS ( a much more underpowered system than the switch) had all of these features and more.

    As a long time Pokemon fan, this really kills a lot of the play value of the games for me. However, if I completely disregard this, I would still give the games a fair 7.5 for their content alone.

    Unfortunately, even if we only consider what is within the games, the content is completely underwhelming.

    -While the graphics aren't bad, they're the same as the 3DS games, and the animations are particularly rudimentary and hard to watch. -Bugs, glitches and even console bricking errors have been reported by a baffling significant amount lf people, and to the date, Gamefreak hasn't said anything about fixes.

    -The game has lost a huge amount of difficulty, but the gameplay itself has remained quite stale with no tradeoff.
    A lot of the freedom and choice that comes with these kind of RPGs have been lost. Notably, you can no longer toggle the EXP share feature with valid reasoning.

    -Technically, the game struggles greatly with framerates and rendering, even thought its engine should pose no difficulty to the system. In other words, the game is not properly optimized.

    Here are some positives that the games deserve to be mentioned though:

    -Many QoL changes, such as the ability to change a pokemon's nature greatly increase the amount of customization for the avaliable Pokemon.

    -The player customization is well implemented and really allows the players to play as themselves or how the see fit.

    -While the music isn't by any means my favorite in the series, it does have some good tracks that stand out.

    -There's the curry cooking minigame, and while I personally don't enjoy it, other people seem to welcome it as a feature.


    All of this, coming from a multi billionaire company is not only baffling, but definitely proof that the games could have been so much more than what they're being sold as. The franchise deserves a lot more. The games aren't bad but I definitely don't think that they're worth their retail US 60 dollar pricing.

    As such, I have no comment other than giving these games a score of 4, for not only not living to staple standards of the franchise since its inception, but also for failing to fully utilize what is available within the actual game.    … Expand
  96. BlockFort
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    The release of Pokemon Sword and Shield sadly confirmed all the fears I've had during the build up to it's launch. I've been a huge Pokemon fan since its inception and always dearly loved this series, however the last couple of entries have been getting progressively worse when it came to aspects such as polish, removing features, difficulty, dungeon complexity, post game and many more. MyThe release of Pokemon Sword and Shield sadly confirmed all the fears I've had during the build up to it's launch. I've been a huge Pokemon fan since its inception and always dearly loved this series, however the last couple of entries have been getting progressively worse when it came to aspects such as polish, removing features, difficulty, dungeon complexity, post game and many more. My enthusiasm when it came to Pokemon slowly faded away. But I remained hopeful. Afterall Gamefreak promised us that Generation 8 would be "for the hardcore fans". And it would be the first mainline game on a home console, a huge step for the series!

    Despite my initial optimism for these new home console entries I couldn't ignore all the glaring and obvious problems that were observable in all the pre-release material. Graphical quality not even on par with last gen console games, complete lack of care and polish in regards to animation, reusing as many outdated assets as possible; and these were just the issues that were quickly noticeable from a first glance. But the more time passed the worse things got. The removal of basic features like the national dex and the subsequent cutting of over half of all Pokemon was the straw that broke the camel's back. The following PR disaster of justifying all of this with blatant lies certainly didn't help. I could go on but you get the point.

    And now here we are and Pokemon SwSh is exactly what is looked like it was going to be; a soulless, unpolished and short mess of a game not worthy of belonging to the most successful multimedia franchise in the world. I think the Eurogamer review said it best when it used the new Dynamax mechanic as an analogy to SwSh themselves: "Pokémon Sword and Shield project a sense of scale and ambition far beyond any previous ones in the series, but to take it back to those gargantuan new Dynamax forms, the size is merely a shadow. A shallow projection, in place of the real thing."    … Expand
  97. Haefen
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    It's really not that bad to be honest. Maybe not the best game in the series but I certainly wouldn't say it's the worst main line pokemon title. There are a few choices that I think were a little weird, but certainly nothing that's game breaking or as horrible as people are rating it. There are little things that are kind of unneeded and silly, like locking out catching pokemon based onIt's really not that bad to be honest. Maybe not the best game in the series but I certainly wouldn't say it's the worst main line pokemon title. There are a few choices that I think were a little weird, but certainly nothing that's game breaking or as horrible as people are rating it. There are little things that are kind of unneeded and silly, like locking out catching pokemon based on being too strong. But I get what they were going for, as much as I don't think it needed it. The new Pokemon are absolutely adorable and I've been just having a fun time playing Shield. I already expected this game to be review bombed, and I was right. So final take from someone who's been playing since Red first came out and doesn't have the time to catch every Pokemon from every generation every time a new game comes out, It's fine, it's fun, give it a try. I'll update this review later when I finish the game.… Expand
  98. Pikario
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. No puede ser verdad, este juego es horrible. No sólo quitaron cosas que a la mayoría de fans le gustaban si no lo sacaron antes de tiempo para poder generar ganancias nada más, ahora resulta que está tan incompleto que hasta borra partidas
    #gamefreaklied    … Expand
  99. moonronic
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    (LONG LEGITIMATE REVIEW, NOT A REVIEW BOMB) sword & shield is the final nail in the coffin to this once outstanding franchise's good name; a franchise that was once packed full of depth & content & defying the limits of the GB, GBA, DS & 3DS has slipped into mediocrity to a point where it is v noticeable. this game is mediocre, it is not dreadful, but it is not much better than any of the(LONG LEGITIMATE REVIEW, NOT A REVIEW BOMB) sword & shield is the final nail in the coffin to this once outstanding franchise's good name; a franchise that was once packed full of depth & content & defying the limits of the GB, GBA, DS & 3DS has slipped into mediocrity to a point where it is v noticeable. this game is mediocre, it is not dreadful, but it is not much better than any of the 3DS games, yet it is double the price, on the powerful switch console, & has half of the main core content (the pokemon), gone (which would be fine, but there is little that makes up for the content lost). any parent looking to buy this to entertain a child; this will not do the job for long. if they got this at the holidays, don't be surprised if they are done with it by new year. in the past, i used to slowly play games due to not having the money for new ones, but i can't imagine mini me being able to do so for these; the story is swift (& it has as much depth as a child's paddling pool) & gaining levels is easier than ever.

    for any hardcore, older fans, as a long time fan myself who has played most pokemon games, disregarding the "dex controversy"; they are passable. they are essentially a 3Ds pkmn game on the nintendo switch. if you thought there would be any large improvements since the x/y 3Ds games... there's been v few. the good parts are flashy gimmicks & little more which will likely be gone by next gen, so no point becoming attached to them anyway (dynamax, the wild area, etc). it's not worth 60 dollars, not when it sits on a store shelf next to mario odyssey, luigi's mansion, breath of the wild & more. if you want a similar experience; ultra sun & moon is 30 dollars less with a better story, all the pokemon still there, & just as many features as these games... but, if sifting through a slightly fun, but quickly boring field in a rushed game with awful pop-in & just generally subpar graphics for the switch (comparable to the wii at its worst), then going into an admittedly fun but swiftly dealt with town & gym, onto a boring linear corridor path w awful music to progress a shallow story & beat the game in the grand total of a week at most, again, for double the price of the previous games which are far better, then this game might be up your alley. but it's not all bad, a slightly improved character creator, tiny quality of life improvements, & slightly better graphics than a 3Ds game (which isn't a hard thing to surpass on a console format), are worth an extra 30 dollars right? even if you do have this money to spend, why settle for the bare minimum for it?

    i realise im going on, but this is a franchise that meant something to me, others had disney, had other companies which defined their childhoods, for me it was pokemon. here's a cheesy analogy, but a fitting one: sword & shield is like candy. it is packaged nicely, it's flashy & fun (mainly the stadium gym battles), all glittery & bright colours, when you consume it, it does the job, it makes you feel happy for a moment, then you forget you've consumed it at all. "but this is a children's game, isn't it meant to be fun?" yes, & it is. but, the older pkmn games were fun, had more content & more fleshed out content, appealed to nearly any demographic, & lasted just as long. mario, zelda, every other nintendo franchise out there that also appeal to children (although yes, they do have their own flaws), have games more akin to fine meals on the switch. they're fulfilling, have depth in their craft, are presented beautifully, with intricate little details, & you will probably remember the experience for a long time. & yet, they are the same price as sword & shield, which was so buggy upon release, it corrupted many people's consoles. it's ironic how the most famous franchise on earth is about creatures evolving... & it's unable to evolve & catch up to every other nintendo name out there at the moment. after playing it, i want to return it. it's sad to see it sitting there on my shelf next to much superior & older pokemon & non pokemon games which could entertain anybody of any demographic for much longer.

    TLDR; the games are so mediocre, that it's miserable to imagine what it might of been. potential was there. instead we have this glittery, zombie-like waste of money, able to hide how plain it really is through quickly boring flashy sections, from a company that clearly doesn't have its heart in it anymore. yet, it's double the price & with half as much content as the prior games. if you want a better long term experience packed with depth & content for cheaper, try nearly any other pokemon game.    … Expand
  100. nikospant
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    In the beginning I was so excited about the upcoming games and the first couple of trailers seemed entertaining both in designs and the future of the game. As the time passed by, I was feeling less and less excited about the game and I will try to summarize the main points after having already finished the game after only 16 hours of gameplay, as an early copy arrived yesterday.In the beginning I was so excited about the upcoming games and the first couple of trailers seemed entertaining both in designs and the future of the game. As the time passed by, I was feeling less and less excited about the game and I will try to summarize the main points after having already finished the game after only 16 hours of gameplay, as an early copy arrived yesterday.

    Longevity and replay value:
    First of all, compared to previous Pokemon games, only 16 hours of gameplay to beat the whole game seems way underwhelming, especially considering that I caught all the new pokemons that I found, explored the Wild Area and passed through it as many times as deemed possible, as long as there was something interesting to day (Hint: there wasn't much). I feel that except the online component, there isn't much replay value to the games and I don't feel the need to play them again.

    The price tag: $60 compared to a $40 a couple of years back, for less amount of content seems way overpriced in my eyes.

    Characters:
    Most of the in-game characters seem bland, not interesting and especially the rival seems... not like a rival should feel. Even the Champion seems like a naive person the least .

    Plot:
    Easy, predictable, no depth, I really wonder if someone thought through the whole story from the beginning or was creating on the way..

    Difficulty:
    It is a pokemon game, I do not expect to have actual difficulties from a game designed also for children and here is the main point, mario odyssey is also designed for children and everyone can complete the game, but it also have more content, targeted on more mature audience with an actual difficulty to complete 100% of all the game aspects. There is no such option in this pokemon game. Exp.Share gets OP and all my pokemon are overleveled, even after switching all the overleveled ones mid-game.
    On the other hand, handholding and cutscenes in every route does not make me feel and experience the map as it should be and there is always someone telling me where to go, who to speak to and how to handle every aspect of the game without me feeling responsible for the decisions made in game at any level.

    Graphics:
    Graphics don't seem like an upscale compared to previous 3ds games and for being the first mainline game in a console, I would expect something better, for example natural-moving characters or introducing pre-rendered movie scenes in times where the movement seems unnatural (e.g. when the 2 legendaries turn around when they face each other). To get it even a notch further, voice acting in a mainline console gaming doesn't seem far fetched but they didn't even cover the basics so, that is too much to expect from what they have given us.

    Controversy:
    I am not gonna use any buzzwords, I totally understand about large number of designs logistics and that doesn't hinder my ability to play the game, so all the other reasons are why I give such a low score for the game.

    All in all:
    A pokemon game is never gonna be awful, because of the successful formula they have and because of the size of the franchise, but the way the company is going, we are never gonna have a truly great Pokemon game ever again (eg. HG/SS, Platinum, Emerald, B2/W2).

    It is not a 0, but anything above a 2 would be unfair, so my score is gonna be exactly that.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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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