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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. ddark14
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. los intercambios con amigos estan un poco complicados, la transición a consola mas potente me parece excelente, buena historia, buenas mecanicas… Expand
  2. Ruvi
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    It's my first real Pokemon game though so I don't know all the drama behind the expectations other people had for it. I think It's relaxing and fun. Well thought out!
  3. PixelChicken
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    I want to start by saying the only reason this got a 9 instead of a 10 is purely because i believe nothing can be perfect. Pokemon shield (and sword but whatever) is a great game and lives up to the rest of the series easily.

    As the first real entry on console it does a good job showing off how expansive the world can be with the wild area. While this doesn't take up the whole game you    I want to start by saying the only reason this got a 9 instead of a 10 is purely because i believe nothing can be perfect. Pokemon shield (and sword but whatever) is a great game and lives up to the rest of the series easily.

    As the first real entry on console it does a good job showing off how expansive the world can be with the wild area. While this doesn't take up the whole game you can spend hours just wandering around finding things you wouldn't expect, i'm looking at you level 60 pokemon and final evolutions. It actually starts to feel like how the pokemon world is in the anime and i love it.

    People complain about the graphics but honestly if you think graphics are the most important part of a game then i don't think your playing games right.

    There is more i want to say but haven't got time so i'll end with this

    Toby. Fox. Made. Music. For. The. Game

    that's all the convincing i needed    … Expand
  4. Ya_boi_Jingles
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I absolutely love and adore this game. I am aware of the flaws it has which is why it doesn’t get a perfect score, but it’s just such a blast to play, and the Champion, Leon, was one of the most amazing fights I’ve played in Pokémon. It really was challenging. The new Pokémon are fantastic, and the music is amazing.… Expand
  5. ArosFarron
    Nov 19, 2019
    9
    Dispite the controversy around certain aspects of the game. I can say it was well rounded and overall good quality. The online does need a bit of work as the Y-Comm systems is not as easily useful as the Festival Plaza or the Comm feature in XY. Despite that however, you don't feel the lack of a national dex because if diverse each and every Pokemon is. The battles are still as fast passesDispite the controversy around certain aspects of the game. I can say it was well rounded and overall good quality. The online does need a bit of work as the Y-Comm systems is not as easily useful as the Festival Plaza or the Comm feature in XY. Despite that however, you don't feel the lack of a national dex because if diverse each and every Pokemon is. The battles are still as fast passes and strategic as always.… Expand
  6. Naraku
    Jan 16, 2020
    9
    Un gran avance en los juegos de pokémon, la verdad es que desde el pokémon Lets Go se me hacen juegos muy fáciles, la dificultad se ha perdido por completo y eso es un gran punto en contra, por otro lado los gráficos son fantásticos y la historia es buena.
  7. Maliao01
    Nov 19, 2019
    9
    Tiene grandes mecanicas que pueden sen mejor utilizadas pero este juegoe s odidado por su fandom que es el mas toxico
  8. fidalgo0
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    The story is amazing and entertaining. The pokemon selection, despite incomplete, is perfect for the region. The music is amongst the best of all the franchise. The wild area is immersive, and a great step forward in the franchise.
  9. theangryscapula
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Ultimately a very fun and immersive Pokemon experience that is greater than the sum of its parts. The new Pokemon designs are stellar, the region is beautiful, and the music is absolutely incredible. While there is still a lot of room to expand in this franchise, and this game has a number of flaws, it's easy to overlook them and enjoy what is in my opinion the most ambitious and utterlyUltimately a very fun and immersive Pokemon experience that is greater than the sum of its parts. The new Pokemon designs are stellar, the region is beautiful, and the music is absolutely incredible. While there is still a lot of room to expand in this franchise, and this game has a number of flaws, it's easy to overlook them and enjoy what is in my opinion the most ambitious and utterly charming entry to date.… Expand
  10. Tim22008
    Nov 21, 2019
    9
    Good game.
    Story isnt excited got through main story and post story in around 15h.
    But the new gym format is nice.
    The dexcut sucks but u can catch 400 Pokemon in one game - version exclusive which is nice.
    the wild area lags docked online which is kinda sad.
    The wild area is nice but kinda empty and the spawn radius of pokemon is kinda low.
    Raids are fun!
  11. Cindadams1
    Nov 21, 2019
    9
    I don’t understand all the hate. I get it, Pokemon were cut, that was a mistake. The gym battles, the characters, the character development, all on point. I can’t remember the last time I walked away from a Pokémon game remembering each individual gym leader. Also, the MUSIC. Omg. The music is so good. I came into this game very skeptical, and was worried about how it wouldI don’t understand all the hate. I get it, Pokemon were cut, that was a mistake. The gym battles, the characters, the character development, all on point. I can’t remember the last time I walked away from a Pokémon game remembering each individual gym leader. Also, the MUSIC. Omg. The music is so good. I came into this game very skeptical, and was worried about how it would play out. Please please don’t listen to these upset fan boys. This game is a masterpiece, just with a few rough edges.… Expand
  12. Cmw2605
    Nov 21, 2019
    9
    Es stimmt. Technisch ist an dem Spiel nicht alles 100 prozentig optimiert, doch mir ging es schon immer mehr um Spielfluss und Spielgefühl bei Pokémon und das bekommen Schwert und Schild besser hin als viele andere. Wenn man sich nicht dem wütenden Mob anschließt, sondern sich selbst eine unvoreingenommene Meinung von dem Spiel bildet, so glaube ich, dass man durch Spiel geht und dieseEs stimmt. Technisch ist an dem Spiel nicht alles 100 prozentig optimiert, doch mir ging es schon immer mehr um Spielfluss und Spielgefühl bei Pokémon und das bekommen Schwert und Schild besser hin als viele andere. Wenn man sich nicht dem wütenden Mob anschließt, sondern sich selbst eine unvoreingenommene Meinung von dem Spiel bildet, so glaube ich, dass man durch Spiel geht und diese Fehler einfach übersieht, denn der Fokus der Entwickler lag woanders.… Expand
  13. supgaming
    Nov 22, 2019
    9
    It’s a good game, I really recommend for those who just want a sit down for a couple of hours and do something.
  14. nGrangetto
    Nov 22, 2019
    9
    Gran juego. Me gusta mucho la región, los nuevos pokemons. En si los graficos no son la gran cosa, pero son muy lindos. La musica es más que interesante, y la historia si bien es corta, a mí me resulto interesante. La opción de poder interactuar con amigos en incursiones es muy buena, abré camino a que esto continue mejorando para las proximas entregas. Lo unico que NO me gusta tanto es elGran juego. Me gusta mucho la región, los nuevos pokemons. En si los graficos no son la gran cosa, pero son muy lindos. La musica es más que interesante, y la historia si bien es corta, a mí me resulto interesante. La opción de poder interactuar con amigos en incursiones es muy buena, abré camino a que esto continue mejorando para las proximas entregas. Lo unico que NO me gusta tanto es el tema Dinamax/Gigantamax, pero es algo personal, no creo que sea determinante para calificar el juego como mejor o peor. En fin, quienes gusten de Pokemon van a encontrar un nuevo mundo para explorar y conocer, y nuevos pokemones más que interesantes.… Expand
  15. ToasterRoaster
    Nov 22, 2019
    9
    This game feels incredible. All the subtle animation and UI changes look and feel amazing, compared to SuMo. The wild area is expansive and can at points feel overwhelming, but is overall worth exploring with neat items scattered around. There's also an odd, playful charm with the cooking mechanic, as it works well and feels rewarding. Battling also feels good. The amount of availableThis game feels incredible. All the subtle animation and UI changes look and feel amazing, compared to SuMo. The wild area is expansive and can at points feel overwhelming, but is overall worth exploring with neat items scattered around. There's also an odd, playful charm with the cooking mechanic, as it works well and feels rewarding. Battling also feels good. The amount of available Pokémon is ironically almost overwhelming once you get to the wild area.
    It's fun and worth a buy. Don't listen to the current average metacritic score. The Pokémon being gone is really not a huge deal and is barely noticeable. The game finds it's own charm and fun. Try it before you review bombing it.    … Expand
  16. PontoCom
    Nov 23, 2019
    9
    ninety percent of the people who rated this game badly certainly did not play, because this game is a very good and addictive masterpiece
  17. LisaRueh
    Nov 25, 2019
    9
    This is a great game - I had a lot of fun playing it and enjoyed the whole thing. It isn't a 100 % there yet and is still a bit rough around the edges but I don't regret buying or playing it. The game play is nice and works well - there are three things bothering me within the game - 1. you cannot turn off or filter all the notifications you receive on the lower left hand side for onlineThis is a great game - I had a lot of fun playing it and enjoyed the whole thing. It isn't a 100 % there yet and is still a bit rough around the edges but I don't regret buying or playing it. The game play is nice and works well - there are three things bothering me within the game - 1. you cannot turn off or filter all the notifications you receive on the lower left hand side for online playing, 2. the instructions for how cooking works are a bit too limited, 3. the limitation of implemented Pokemon (even though I don't think, that this is such a big deal).
    Otherwise I think it is a great game with a really great story, great game play and I really enjoyed that the game and the opponents you face have actual emotions and things happen, that you don't naturally expect. I also really enjoyed the graphics and the 3D world - how the Pokemon run around on the map and I can actually see them - that was great and an awesome addition.    … Expand
  18. Starcat
    Nov 25, 2019
    9
    Just shut the freaking **** up the game is really good not the best but still good. The gym leaders are really fun mega evolution was cut but we have gigantamax now. The look of the game is really good, it's cartoony but this stile really works with pokemon. Yes, the game still has bad things for example the lack of multiple save files. (My fav pokemon was cut but I don't care because theJust shut the freaking **** up the game is really good not the best but still good. The gym leaders are really fun mega evolution was cut but we have gigantamax now. The look of the game is really good, it's cartoony but this stile really works with pokemon. Yes, the game still has bad things for example the lack of multiple save files. (My fav pokemon was cut but I don't care because the game is still really fun and I always use the new pokemons instead of the old ones.) :3 also putting bad grades to a good game is not ethical the game is not the greatest but its not as bad as some haters say.… Expand
  19. ArthurSG
    Nov 27, 2019
    9
    great game but the graphics leave a little to be desired but the game is a lot of fun and brings a great gameplay experience
  20. Magma1234
    Nov 29, 2019
    9
    Just way better then the other newer games so far. And makes for a wonderfull game to play thrue several times
  21. 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
  22. Poyzo
    Dec 2, 2019
    9
    Let me first address one thing. I am also disappointed that there was no National Dex. I have Pokémon on Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon that I caught over a decade ago in Pokémon Sapphire. That being said, the sheer number of Pokémon that exist means that a hard decision has to be made at some point, and while I hope more Pokémon are released as DLC or in a future games, I understand why theyLet me first address one thing. I am also disappointed that there was no National Dex. I have Pokémon on Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon that I caught over a decade ago in Pokémon Sapphire. That being said, the sheer number of Pokémon that exist means that a hard decision has to be made at some point, and while I hope more Pokémon are released as DLC or in a future games, I understand why they couldn’t be in this game. I normally don’t leave reviews, I’m one of those people who normally buy the game, play it and live my life. However, I feel like due to all the ridiculous review bombing from entitled whiny people that I need to set the record straight: These are good Pokémon games, great ones even. The max raid feature keeps me going back to the wild area and the campaign was fresh and interesting. The sports vibe was a natural fit with both British soccer culture and Pokémon generally and the rivals had real personality. The difficult was more balanced than in other 3D offerings on the 3DS but the experience candy allow for less experienced or casual players enjoy the game. There are flaws and the graphics aren’t perfect but the game was engaging, playable and nostalgic. I never felt wanting choices when it came to Pokémon and the game allows for greater flexibility to add and remove Pokémon from your party.… Expand
  23. MetteCraft
    Dec 4, 2019
    9
    Beautiful region, great designs to pokemon og characters, great character development for some central characters, wild area with it's raid is the best, gym challenge was great, camp is great too (could be better if there was petting your pokemon in it). Story is ok, could be more expansive than it is, but more realistic than previous pokemon games in a good way. Graphics like texturesBeautiful region, great designs to pokemon og characters, great character development for some central characters, wild area with it's raid is the best, gym challenge was great, camp is great too (could be better if there was petting your pokemon in it). Story is ok, could be more expansive than it is, but more realistic than previous pokemon games in a good way. Graphics like textures could be better, and the inside of some of the homes in the cities is too similair in the funiturese. Haven't used any of the online things, and if you have a specific kind of sd card (Official sd card should be fine) when it might delete the games on you switch (it doesn't delete your saves) this is a switch thing it's not because of the game it just happen while playing the game.… Expand
  24. 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.
  25. Sarahphim
    Jan 12, 2020
    9
    Been playing pokemon since Ruby. Love this. Can play all day. Gym battles are especially fun. Camping is fun without being too grindy. Itd be 10 if those bags could be turned off and the female model didnt have a weak stance.
  26. accrfc
    Mar 24, 2020
    9
    Really enjoyable game. The wild area is a great addition which keeps the game fresh.
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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.
  30. greyrinplays
    Sep 18, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The past games did not have a National Dex also. And also from a business perspective, the DLC is much more easier then lets say creating another game from scratch, and finally you can just continue your story and I think that is what majority of Pokemon players were asking for before and yes they had to make some cuts, but it really is not a big deal. The game has it's flaws as well but overall exploring the new region was fun. And with the DLCs coming it will only get better.… Expand
  31. SZero2800
    Jul 21, 2021
    9
    Me parece un buen juego, sin embargo no tiene la chispa de aquellos buenos tiempos de Pokémon, como primer Pokémon para las nuevas generaciones de gamers esta increíble, que tengan oportunidad de unirse a una saga tan buena, ya después irán experimentando y jugando los antiguos.
  32. AshGamer08
    Mar 21, 2021
    9
    Pokemon Sw/Sh are some of the best pokemon games ever made, Here are some things I really liked about the game. The WIld Area is amazing, The Starters are balanced, decent graphics, decent story, Gigantamax Is Incredibly fun, the best pokemon soundtrack in years, Raid battles are really fun, pokemon appear in the overworld. Here are some things I disliked about the game. No National Dex,Pokemon Sw/Sh are some of the best pokemon games ever made, Here are some things I really liked about the game. The WIld Area is amazing, The Starters are balanced, decent graphics, decent story, Gigantamax Is Incredibly fun, the best pokemon soundtrack in years, Raid battles are really fun, pokemon appear in the overworld. Here are some things I disliked about the game. No National Dex, Some Textures look awful, shinys don't appear in the over world. Overall Pokemon Sw/Sh are 100% worth buying If your a long time fan of the series or a new comer to the series, Personally I give it a 9/10 because it's such a great game.… Expand
  33. Trench666
    Oct 17, 2021
    9
    idk why people hate it so much, best pokemon game IMO,
    best pacing out of any game,
    theres a 3D open area.
    And best location. Britain.
  34. Donkristo
    Nov 10, 2021
    9
    Отличная игра. Все те же покемоны, но с элементами открытого мира. Интересный сюжет, активности, рейды, крупные дополнения.
    Хейт относительно отсутствия national dex абсолютно незаслуженно.
    Минус бал за отсутствие локализации    Отличная игра. Все те же покемоны, но с элементами открытого мира. Интересный сюжет, активности, рейды, крупные дополнения.
    Хейт относительно отсутствия national dex абсолютно незаслуженно.
    Минус бал за отсутствие локализации
  35. Snoob_player
    Nov 14, 2021
    9
    Gratamente mejorable en sus graficos especialmente pero aun con algunas pegas tuvo cosas muy nuevas en la saga y además te proporciona muchas horas de juego si te gusta aprovechar al máximo este tipo de juegos como yo hago que exploro cada rincón.
  36. Castdeath97
    Nov 22, 2021
    9
    Yet another Pokemon game that I don't get the fuss on. Seems good to me.

    - The characters are the best since a very long while, and seem to have more personality in them compared to previous entries, I find it surprising people didn't like them. - Graphics as ok to good, not exactly anything special then again not something most people in this genre care much about. - The music is    Yet another Pokemon game that I don't get the fuss on. Seems good to me.

    - The characters are the best since a very long while, and seem to have more personality in them compared to previous entries, I find it surprising people didn't like them.

    - Graphics as ok to good, not exactly anything special then again not something most people in this genre care much about.

    - The music is top notch and excellent.

    - Absolutely love being able to play with and pet pokemons

    So yet again, I'm kinda baffled here with the fuss. I don't think it's even just dexit since a lot of reviewers here didn't warm up to the characters as much as I did, then again it could just be indirect.    … Expand
  37. ducnam2005
    Jan 10, 2022
    9
    Nice game. Beautiful graphic, nice gameplay and more new pokemon. I really like this game. But the pokedex doesn't have the national dex and this game doesn't has full pokemon too.
  38. Ventu
    Mar 27, 2022
    9
    Pokemon Shield me ha parecido un salto a mejor con respecto a la generación anterior. La nueva región es variada, con una historia entretenida, y los nuevos Pokemon tiene diseños generalmente buenos (aunque algunos de ellos, al igual que las últimas generaciones, rozan lo absurdo). Es cierto que el no poder capturar todos los Pokemon de pasadas generaciones es una decisión más quePokemon Shield me ha parecido un salto a mejor con respecto a la generación anterior. La nueva región es variada, con una historia entretenida, y los nuevos Pokemon tiene diseños generalmente buenos (aunque algunos de ellos, al igual que las últimas generaciones, rozan lo absurdo). Es cierto que el no poder capturar todos los Pokemon de pasadas generaciones es una decisión más que cuestionable. La parte de mundo abierto, me ha parecido que es el enfoque hacia donde debe de orientarse la franquicia, y las nuevas mecánicas de combate me han parecido interesantes. En definitiva, me parece una muy buena generación, siendo un cambio a mejor para el futuro de la franquicia. Muy recomendable.… Expand
  39. plattym3
    Nov 9, 2022
    9
    Had a whole bunch of fun with this title playing alongside my son who was playing the opposite title at the same time. I hear all the complaints, but hey, as someone who's not in for competitive play, I just want to collect fun-looking monsters and win, it was perfectly fine. Could the graphics be better? Sure, but nothing's perfect.
  40. 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.
  41. Rab1219
    Jul 3, 2023
    9
    Amazing Pokemon game! Only thing stopping it from being a 10 is the amount of cutscenes
  42. 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
  43. Maspain8707
    Dec 20, 2019
    8
    There's not a lot to be had story-wise, and the difficulty could be ramped a bit, but overall it does the job, and solidly. I enjoyed the 20 hours or so I had with the game, though I wish there was more to the game post-main story.
  44. drumguru
    Dec 21, 2020
    8
    Great game stop being a hater, just go & play it.. I like Wild area's they're cool
  45. Zalabar22
    Mar 24, 2020
    8
    Solid entry with lots of gameplay, was actually a better game because of Dexit imo. Over 120 hours in and I still enjoy Shield, if you enjoy Pokémon give it a go.
  46. PuppyNomNomKing
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Pokemon Sword/Shield, while not the greatest game in the series, is still a pretty damn good game, the story, while short, is very well written, with interesting characters that sadly, don't get enough time to shine.

    The wild area is a welcome edition, and Dynamaxing, while gimmicky, is a nice replacement for Mega Evolutions. The whole Dexit controversy is blown WAY out of    Pokemon Sword/Shield, while not the greatest game in the series, is still a pretty damn good game, the story, while short, is very well written, with interesting characters that sadly, don't get enough time to shine.

    The wild area is a welcome edition, and Dynamaxing, while gimmicky, is a nice replacement for Mega Evolutions.

    The whole Dexit controversy is blown WAY out of proportion, there are till over 400 Pokemon to catch, the average player will only catch 20-30 of those.

    In all, the first main series pokemon game on console is great and i highly recommend it to ANY pokemon fan.    … Expand
  47. Stinsav
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    Now now let met ask a question to all the people who review bombed this game. How many of you guys and girls actually caught EVERY SINGLE POKEMON in the game !? And don't freaking lie about it. I play Pokemon to have fun, make a decent team, get through the gyms, battle the league (or in this case the ''playoffs''), and then play the Endgame and redo a full run. This is what I've done withNow now let met ask a question to all the people who review bombed this game. How many of you guys and girls actually caught EVERY SINGLE POKEMON in the game !? And don't freaking lie about it. I play Pokemon to have fun, make a decent team, get through the gyms, battle the league (or in this case the ''playoffs''), and then play the Endgame and redo a full run. This is what I've done with all the previous Pokemon games (except Emerald, but let's be honest Emerald was a special one) and this is what I will keep on doing with the futur games. Now I don't get the hate this game gets at all. People are crying about the game getting easier. Yes, I will admit that some points of the game were indeed made easier, like:
    -EXP SHARE
    -RIVAL BATTLES (Since X and Y I think, you always get the type advantage)
    -FINDING YOUR WAY IN THE GAME

    But then people are crying about how the battles are waaaayyyyy too easy. Did you people already play Pokemon prior to Diamond and Pearl? Games were always made to be somehow easy! Hell the game's been telling you what Pokemon your opponent will be using since the Green, Red, Blue and Yellow era. And somehow people find the way to cry because the battling is ''too easy'' the only thing Gamefreak did was to remove the endless, and I got to admit sometime annoying and boring, grind you had to do on wild pokemons. If you are not happy with the games go refund it. People are saying that the graphics are ''dull''. I do think that the graphics of Sw&Sh are amazing. Pokemon has always used cartoon styled graphics, and I don't think that this will change down the road.

    Overall, I loved Shield a lot, hell even way better than Sun and Moon and US/UM. Once I'm done with the endgame, I'm gonna do another playthorugh with another starter and a new team, just like I've been doing for the past 20 years.    … Expand
  48. ZeoN
    Nov 26, 2019
    8
    Puntos positivos:

    - La Banda Sonora es la mejor de la franquicia - Los combates por turnos han alcanzado la excelencia jugable - Las nuevas animaciones están muy bien hechas - La variedad de nuevas criaturas es muy sorprendente - Los estadios son un acierto - La ambientación está muy lograda - El diseño de las ciudades y pueblos es magnífico - El competitivo está muy mejorado al    Puntos positivos:

    - La Banda Sonora es la mejor de la franquicia
    - Los combates por turnos han alcanzado la excelencia jugable
    - Las nuevas animaciones están muy bien hechas
    - La variedad de nuevas criaturas es muy sorprendente
    - Los estadios son un acierto
    - La ambientación está muy lograda
    - El diseño de las ciudades y pueblos es magnífico
    - El competitivo está muy mejorado al igual que la crianza
    - Los personajes tienen historias propias y están muy caracterizados y desarrollados
    - Mucho carisma en los personajes secundarios
    - La Liga Pokémon es la mejor de la franquicia
    - Los líderes de gimnasio tienen el mejor desarrollo argumental de la saga junto a la 5° Gen
    - La mecánica Dynamax y Gigamax está muy lograda
    - El Área Silvestre sienta las bases del prometedor futuro de Pokémon
    - El diseño estructural de la región es bastante decente
    - La variedad de Poke Balls introducidas en el juego se agradece

    Puntos negativos:

    - El Área Silvestre aunque es buena y la idea funciona estupendamente, le falta por mejorar en varios aspectos en futuras en entregas
    - Algunas rutas clásicas son algo lineales
    - ¿Dónde están las cuevas Game Freak?
    - Caídas de FPS puntuales en el Área Silvestre
    - Animaciones mejorables en algunos ataques y personajes
    - La historia principal empieza algo tarde
    - El juego se hace demasiado fácil en algunos puntos debido al exceso de nivel que puedes llevar por estar mucho tiempo en el Área. Eso hay que equilibrarlo de alguna forma.

    Observaciones Personales:

    - Bastante interesante la trama, aunque empiece tarde, está a la altura.
    - El Post Game está bien, pero podrían haberlo estirado un poco más, daba para ello
    - Me alegra el cariño que le han dado al competitivo
    - Paul es el mejor rival de la franquicia

    - Y Lionnel de los mejores campeones. El carisma de ambos es enorme

    Valoración:

    Banda Sonora ➡️ 100/100
    Jugabilidad ➡️ 100/100
    Apartado técnico ➡️ 75/100
    Apartado artístico ➡️ 90/100
    Historia ➡️ 80/100
    Online ➡️ 80/100. Muy trabajado pero la conex va mal a veces

    NOTA ➡️ 88/100

    Es el mejor juego de la franquicia Pokémon desde el salto al 3D. No llega al sobresaliente porque sus fallos se ven, pero lo recomiendo mucho para los amantes de la saga y también al nuevo público. Es una muy buena entrega.    … Expand
  49. Ryzacus
    Nov 28, 2019
    8
    Time played at review: 55 hours

    PRE LAUNCH: Going into this generation of Pokemon a lot of people were sceptical. A number of leaks had told us that "There's badge requirements to catch Pokemon of a certain level", "The exp share is automatic and none removable" and the classic "The national dex is no more". This had a lot of people including myself worried that Gamefreak was taking    Time played at review: 55 hours

    PRE LAUNCH:

    Going into this generation of Pokemon a lot of people were sceptical. A number of leaks had told us that "There's badge requirements to catch Pokemon of a certain level", "The exp share is automatic and none removable" and the classic "The national dex is no more". This had a lot of people including myself worried that Gamefreak was taking a step in the wrong direction especially for such a jump in hardware.

    Is this the case? Not really. These things all worried me and after not liking Sun & Moon I expected very little. I was surprised to find that Generation 8 of Pokemon was acctually one of my favourites.

    OVERVIEW:

    - New Pokemon: 8/10 While no generation of Pokemon can seem to scratch that of Generation 1 - 4, the Galar region is home to some of the coolest new Pokemon in years. Strong starters and a good number of unique but fitting Pokemon designs were implemented in these games. Some personal favourites were Dragapault and Toxtricity.

    One thing I really appreciate that some people didn't like was that there are only 3 Legendary Pokemon in the Galar region. This is good as it makes the few more memorable unlike previous games where having far to many was starting to cause me to care & remember them far less.

    - Story: 7/10
    The story is straight to the point and typical for a Pokemon game. You are a trainer, go get the 8 gym badges and try to beat the champion while also stopping a legendary Pokemon from making the world go **** up. The charectars are great. You have 3 other main trainers you encounter throughout the game this time and also 2 professors. I enjoyed each of them and the paths they all took by the end.

    - Towns and Locations: 6/10
    While the Galar region does a good job of portraying the UK, its also the games weakest point. Some areas such as Glimwood tangle & Stow on side were nice but over all I found a lot the towns to be quite empty and was in and out of some of them whilst exploring everything in 20mins in some cases. The wild area was a great addition and is where you will spend most of your time searching for Pokemon. Hopefully this is fully implemented into the entire region in future games.

    PROBLEMS ADDRESSED:

    The exp share feels balanced and doesn't over train Pokemon you aren't using improving upon the past few ganes. This was a pleasant surprise as previous games were far too easy with this feature. The ability to turn it off isnt there but this feels right and will probably be the standard for all future installments.

    The lack of national dex is unfortunate but didn't ruin the experience for me. More would have been nice but again this is not as bad as people like to go on about and as far as I'm aware was down to cuts made to compensate for problems during development.

    Catching over leveled Pokemon is also somthing that never bothered me as In other games they just wouldn't obey you anyway so again this is just another complaint the internet jumped on.

    One problem I had is the lack of Pokemon bank at launch. This is to be added early 2020 but is a problem for completion in the meantime. This and the trading features are very behind the time. You can only random trade or trade using a pin. You cannot request or offer Pokemon on a market like system to find and offer what you need or what.

    Another feature I disliked is the fixed camera angles in certain routes and towns. This feels outdated and needs to be change in future installments for a full controllable camera like in the wild area. This also added to towns feeling 2d and shallow.

    The wild area while online is laggy and ugly to look at. Again this needs to be improved by adding more interaction and options. The switches online in general isnt great and is probably the cause of charectar models lagging.

    IMPROVMENTS:

    Some long over due improvements were implemented in these games such as the ability to use your PC on the go. This made swapping my party, catching & breeding so much easier and It will surely be the norm from now on.

    Another great addition is the inclusion of 'Nature Mints' which can be earned post game to change natures of Pokemon. This is great for people playing comp online or with friends.

    The pokemon animations and models are surprisingly crisp, so much so I found myself liking the look of certain Pokemon I never thought much of in previous games.

    CONCLUSION:

    These game are very good and without the internet's pre launch **** storm I'd say the reviews would be as good as previous titles. I can see these game selling upward of 12 Million by January 2020 and deservingly so. With 200 more pokemon or so and more going on in towns, this game would be brilliant, but Game freak really need to take a big leap with the next generations to keep up with the advancments of other Nintendo titles. Definitely in my top 5 Pokemon games though and am looking forward to future installments in the series.    … Expand
  50. 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.
  51. Yourebiasedasfk
    Nov 16, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is a solid pokemon game. The people complaining are just spoiled brats. The game doesn't have everything we expected but its fun. 8/10… Expand
  52. RGriffin
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    La verdad, esperaba menos y me gusto, necesita cambios pues si y mejoras también, pero eso no quita todo lo que te entrega
  53. 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
  54. 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.
  55. Ernest_Figueroa
    Feb 2, 2020
    8
    Gran juego de pokemon, grandes sorpresas al nivel jugable, el apartado visual es de un pokemon Ultra moon reescalado. En portátil se ve muy bien, La manera en que se desarrolla el juego es muy ágil y casi no es necesario levear mucho más de lo que leveas de camino al destino.
    No es nuevo que copien animaciones en la saga y no me molesta armar un nuevo equipo para esta entrega, el juego es    Gran juego de pokemon, grandes sorpresas al nivel jugable, el apartado visual es de un pokemon Ultra moon reescalado. En portátil se ve muy bien, La manera en que se desarrolla el juego es muy ágil y casi no es necesario levear mucho más de lo que leveas de camino al destino.
    No es nuevo que copien animaciones en la saga y no me molesta armar un nuevo equipo para esta entrega, el juego es muy bueno, pero no es bueno gráficamente para los lanzamientos que tenemos en switch. Tiene unos momentos en la narrativa que no me esperaba. Depresión y otras instancias que le dan peso a la carrera de entrenador que las anteriores entregas no lo hacían tan bien como este. Subestime a los oponentes y tuve que tomarme el juego en serio como en los pokémon rojo y esmeralda y de ese estilo donde si que tenias que tener estrategia y un poco de suerte para vencer. El vicio en pokémon ha vuelto señores. Luego de 200 horas, siento que el juego pudo ser mucho más, falto mejorar las texturas y el frame rate cuando pones el online en la zona salvaje, por lo demás, bien, pudieron hacerlo mejor y más épico pero veo mucha flojera por parte de gamefreak.    … Expand
  56. FireSonic
    Nov 25, 2019
    8
    i highly recommend this, as This game is amazing, the wild area may be one of the best new features to this game. Dynamaxing is fun and is also a great addition. the graphics are better than what people give credit for, though some of the tree textures in the wild area are bad, when connected to the internet, the wild area really drops in frames at times, and the online could use somei highly recommend this, as This game is amazing, the wild area may be one of the best new features to this game. Dynamaxing is fun and is also a great addition. the graphics are better than what people give credit for, though some of the tree textures in the wild area are bad, when connected to the internet, the wild area really drops in frames at times, and the online could use some serious work, which is why i give this game an 8/10 over a 9/10 or 10/10, along with the story being a bit lacking.… Expand
  57. Chrono_S
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    The game isn't the best Pokémon game of all time or anything. The graphics and animation are bad for a switch game but definitely a step up from USUM and step down from LGPE. But battle animations are fairly nice. From the enjoyment side of things, it's a very enjoyable game and for the longest period of time, enjoyment mattered the most for pokemon games. Yes whole dex isn't there butThe game isn't the best Pokémon game of all time or anything. The graphics and animation are bad for a switch game but definitely a step up from USUM and step down from LGPE. But battle animations are fairly nice. From the enjoyment side of things, it's a very enjoyable game and for the longest period of time, enjoyment mattered the most for pokemon games. Yes whole dex isn't there but still I think you will end up enjoying other things more this game offers. Issues are undeniable yet it is enjoyable with whatever it has. Giving it a light 8 because that's the best it gets.… Expand
  58. 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.
  59. Pizzachu
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    Time Played: 23 hours so far
    Since everyone already knows the hot takes for these games, I’m gonna gloss over them pretty quick. -Dex Cut. 100% didn’t notice it. Never felt like there were a lack of monsters, and was able to build several fun teams with Pokémon I have and haven’t used before. -Graphics. While not BOTW or Death Stranding levels, they’re by far and away the best looking    Time Played: 23 hours so far
    Since everyone already knows the hot takes for these games, I’m gonna gloss over them pretty quick. -Dex Cut. 100% didn’t notice it. Never felt like there were a lack of monsters, and was able to build several fun teams with Pokémon I have and haven’t used before. -Graphics. While not BOTW or Death Stranding levels, they’re by far and away the best looking Pokémon games to date. That said, pop in range is definitely on the short side, and certain camera angles are a bit too wide, blurring detail in some areas. Probably the weakest part of the game imo. -Performance. Overall game ran well. Only hitching I had was in wild area while connected to internet, probably from spawning so many player models at once. Battles are flawless, even in doubles and max raids, which was my biggest gripe since the jump to 3D. -Story. It’s a Pokémon game. Not sure why people expect Witcher 3 levels of story. Had more plot than gens 1-3 combined. Serves its purpose, wasn’t god awful but wasn’t great. I did enjoy the focus on having the gyms made into sporting events. Finished in just under 19 hours with minimal distractions and didn’t feel over leveled, champion fight actually threw me for a loop. Pretty on par with most other games. -General (very random and unorganized) thoughts. With another year or so in the oven this game could’ve been a 10. Not saying they’re unfinished, they very much are finished games. No game breaking bugs or glitches, no selling the second half as dlc, no season/battle pass games as a service bs. I really enjoyed the addition of the wild area, looking forward to how that evolves for the next games. I thought the new Pokémon were all very well done, with interesting designs and types. Customization is magnificent, best we’ve ever seen. Changes made to competitive are brilliant and make online battling viable for near everyone, not just those with 100’s of hours to spend breeding. Pokémon models are very similar to previous games but clearly different imo. Much more detail in textures and attack animations, with new signature moves looking really nice. Availability of fully evolved Pokémon that can be caught is incredible (Gengar, Flygon, eveelutions come to mind) without having to jump through annoying hoops to get them. To me, they just feel like modern Pokémon games. Are they perfect? No. Would I prefer the entire dex be in the game? Yes. Do I think GF needs more time with the hardware and engine to create the games everyone expected? Absolutely. Am I having a ton of fun with the games right now? 100%. Rating an 8 because despite the lack of certain features, meh graphics and basic story, I’m still really enjoying this game, and think that I’ve gotten plenty of value for my money with plenty more to come. It’s given me most everything I want from a Pokémon game while improving in area that I believe mattered most.    … Expand
  60. 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.
  61. Soldier_Owl
    Aug 18, 2020
    8
    I like this game. The new pokemon are cool and the galar forms are nice. Go on Nintendo.
  62. Luahanseng
    Aug 12, 2020
    8
    best pokemon game yet. story though is still the same as all pokemon titles, average and forgetable
  63. Diesel6401
    Dec 17, 2019
    8
    HONEST REVIEW:

    The game is good, but not great. Lot's of positives, but some mistakes. The story is good, however there is one particular part that had an interesting twist that I hope they would have elaborated on but they didn't. The introduction to the ability to access your storage box without the need of PC is fantastic feature. The build-in experience share is nice bonus, however    HONEST REVIEW:

    The game is good, but not great. Lot's of positives, but some mistakes. The story is good, however there is one particular part that had an interesting twist that I hope they would have elaborated on but they didn't. The introduction to the ability to access your storage box without the need of PC is fantastic feature. The build-in experience share is nice bonus, however I wish there was a option to be able to cycle it on/off. I think that's a feature hardcore fans would have in enjoyed. The open area is simply beautiful. At first it seems overwhelming, but soon you'll find it's not as large as you once thought. The weather mix and raid battles are an added surprise and Gen 8 is a much welcomed upgrade over the stale Gen 7. There's a few misses, the after game content is very short, the open area really bogs down when connected to the internet and a major frustration is when you don't want to the be connected to the internet in-game it essentially puts your entire switch into a suspended airplane mode, meaning games in the background will not update if you are playing this game offline. It really is a mind-boggling issue and extremely frustrating.

    Ultimately if you are Pokemon it's a must play. However it's not as great as we would have hoped for the first mainstay Pokemon game to hit the switch. I think the solution is for TPC is to make the main-series every other year. I think the push to have a main game yearly is beginning to have a negative impact on the games. Mixing in "Let's Go" remakes of past games could possible fill the gap giving added time to put the mainstay games on a 2 year cycle. It's good, but it could have been great.    … Expand
  64. 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
  65. Kacek1996
    Nov 28, 2019
    8
    I did take a few days off from finishing the game and writing this review to rethink it as well as I could.

    First thing first, I know that the opinions on this game will be different and kind of random, but mine will be written without thinking about others, just my experience with Pokemon Shield. It is bad that Game Freak lied about some things (looking at the list...), but overall    I did take a few days off from finishing the game and writing this review to rethink it as well as I could.

    First thing first, I know that the opinions on this game will be different and kind of random, but mine will be written without thinking about others, just my experience with Pokemon Shield.

    It is bad that Game Freak lied about some things (looking at the list...), but overall I did enjoy this game a lot.

    Starting with bad things:
    - For me it's truly sad that they added questions like "are you ready to battle me?" before nearly every rival fight and some more. I liked these challenges of unexpected battles, but now if I thought "nah, mate", I backed a little to heal, and then fought the fight,
    - Plot and script was kind of lame, but what should we expect from the child game...,
    - I dislike that baddies/villains apologize for their crimes,
    - The one and only f*****g tree model,
    - Post game/legendary quest was kind of lame, but Hop was reclaimed there in my eyes.

    Now some good things:
    + Gyms (especially Water, Ice, Dark and Dragon type gyms). Water and ice types were just like in the old days, puzzle mixed with battles (MARVELOUS). Also, I liked dark and dragon gyms, since they were pure fights only,
    + I like designs of so many new pokemons from gen 8 (Dragapult, Corviknight, Inteleon, Appletun, Hatterene, Centiskorch were in my team),
    + Wild area is a cool concept,
    + I like this game for giving us overworld and random encounters.

    Some things I want to address:
    a) dynamax in gym battles and league was a 'meh' mechanic for me (I played without it). I'm using it only in wild in raid battles,
    b) About the controversial national dex, I was kind of sad that some of my favs were cut, but damn... I expected them to give us a game with less than half of all pokemons xD
    c) Starters are too humanoid for me, but overall Inteleon won a place in my team.

    I'm planing to finish my pokedex and do some shiny hunting/breeding for the pokemons I do like a lot. Also, Nessa, Allister and Raihan as well as Shield (girl protagonist) have a really cool designs.    … Expand
  66. Shimmeywill
    Mar 10, 2020
    8
    While the plot was lacklustre, the visuals are fun and the character customization is solid. A decent time waster.
  67. 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
  68. tigermetals
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    TLDR: I've played every Pokemon game so far (except x & y) and this is my favorite one and a step in the right direction for the games. Unlike most of these reviewers, I actually played this game. 8 badges in.

    Pros: New Wild Area gives you access to a whole bunch of pokemon and challenges (optional) upfront in addition to the traditional routes. Quality of Life improvements all over.    TLDR: I've played every Pokemon game so far (except x & y) and this is my favorite one and a step in the right direction for the games. Unlike most of these reviewers, I actually played this game. 8 badges in.

    Pros: New Wild Area gives you access to a whole bunch of pokemon and challenges (optional) upfront in addition to the traditional routes. Quality of Life improvements all over. Raid battles give you excellent rewards. Not grindy. More pokemon available in the main game than ever before. More of the pokemon you want earlier.

    Cons: The game needs voice acting! I would like to see a bigger wild zone with more challenges and options and content.

    Overall: It's a lot of fun and a step in the right direction for the series, I hope they continue in this direction and branch it out further.

    People say the game is easy but remember you can also turn battle style to "set" instead of "switch". and sell your potions and healing items.    … Expand
  69. Link645
    Mar 14, 2020
    8
    this is hard review because this was my first Pokemon game and i thought that it was great when i was younger i loved playing the card game but when i played shield most of my favorites were Pokemon were gone at times i was fairly repetitive but that is Pokemon the games franchise in one word but has good mechanics for younger players but not my type of level.
  70. Burdo24
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    Good game, not one of the best pokemon out there but one very entertaining with beautiful visuals
  71. hieroglyphs91
    Nov 16, 2019
    8
    No me parece un juego de 10, pero en cuanto a lo que es el juego en sí, para mi es un 8.

    Me gustan los gráficos, me gusta el concepto de juego y me gustan las innovaciones que han hecho (Area Silvestre, Dinamax...). No entiendo tantos 0... Puede tener cosas que no te gusten, pero ni mucho menos tener un 0. Metacritic debería tomar cartas en el asunto, porque si no este sistema de    No me parece un juego de 10, pero en cuanto a lo que es el juego en sí, para mi es un 8.

    Me gustan los gráficos, me gusta el concepto de juego y me gustan las innovaciones que han hecho (Area Silvestre, Dinamax...).

    No entiendo tantos 0... Puede tener cosas que no te gusten, pero ni mucho menos tener un 0. Metacritic debería tomar cartas en el asunto, porque si no este sistema de votación no tiene sentido.    … Expand
  72. RIELTURO
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    It's a pokemon game. It doesn't deserve all the negative scores given. I understand a lot of people are dissapointed in the removal of certain pokemons but that doesn't make it necessary a bad game. The graphics are not an huge upgrade but it doesn't look bad either for a switch game .

    If you're a fan of pokemon and want a casual adventure here it is. It's not a really hard game compare    It's a pokemon game. It doesn't deserve all the negative scores given. I understand a lot of people are dissapointed in the removal of certain pokemons but that doesn't make it necessary a bad game. The graphics are not an huge upgrade but it doesn't look bad either for a switch game .

    If you're a fan of pokemon and want a casual adventure here it is. It's not a really hard game compare to some past entries.    … Expand
  73. Reiseken
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Estava dubtant de si posar un 7 o un 8 al pokemon escudo, però me animat amb el 8. Sé que encara no seria el moment de posar una nota a un joc que acaba de sortir, però els inicis d'aquesta aventura m'han semblat força correctesi podem dir que hi ha alguna sorpreseta que especialment a mi m'ha agradat. Un inici una mica diferent de l habitual que tot i que és en el fons el mateix de sempreEstava dubtant de si posar un 7 o un 8 al pokemon escudo, però me animat amb el 8. Sé que encara no seria el moment de posar una nota a un joc que acaba de sortir, però els inicis d'aquesta aventura m'han semblat força correctesi podem dir que hi ha alguna sorpreseta que especialment a mi m'ha agradat. Un inici una mica diferent de l habitual que tot i que és en el fons el mateix de sempre te la seva personalitat.

    Gràficament el joc compleix sense ser capportent gràfic amb algu    … Expand
  74. 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.
  75. OnyxBolt
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Much better than I anticipated, love the online features. Only an 8 because no NatDex
  76. Maximmmm
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Love it. It's fun as always to catch and train new Pokemon. Yes, the other Generations have in my opinion better Pokemon, but its still not THAT bad.
  77. Ghostleader
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Standard Pokémon game. Graphics seems to be the same for the 3DS just a lot smoother edges. Not having the full National dex is very minor lost. The people over at game freek could of put in more effort one the story. Routes tend to be shorter then prior games and I believe that in part of them having the large wild area. It seems that everywhere they improve they take away somewhere elseStandard Pokémon game. Graphics seems to be the same for the 3DS just a lot smoother edges. Not having the full National dex is very minor lost. The people over at game freek could of put in more effort one the story. Routes tend to be shorter then prior games and I believe that in part of them having the large wild area. It seems that everywhere they improve they take away somewhere else in the game if they where able to make these additions to the game without lacking somewhere else this would be the best Pokémon to date.… Expand
  78. JustJavi
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Just another pokemon game. Quite a lot of fun and great art style. Spent nearly 10 hours before I got to the first gym and did it with a whole team of new pokemon. the game is great and very entertaining.
  79. Silverxy
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    This is a great Pokémon game even if it doesn’t have every Pokémon from past gens that sound is great the graphics are good it plays great I haven’t had a single problem with the game it’s just like all of the other Pokémon games I grow up playing just enjoy the game for what it is and not what you wish it was
  80. Ccomet2385
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    This is a great Pokemon game not the best, but it’s good.
  81. Alr_cmn
    Nov 16, 2019
    8
    It has sole flaws for sure, but it's exciting as every Pokémon Game, love it so far
  82. Riley-Jaack
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Sunk 4 hours so far, comming up on the first Gym.
    Dex doesn't bother me. Graphics are a little disappointing, however some places look the most beautifully designed i have seen in a Pokémon game.
    The mechanics are great, love chasing pokemon, the lucrative environment and addictive curry making, honestly my mouth waters. So far so good. If GF was to do anything to change the game, a WHOLE    Sunk 4 hours so far, comming up on the first Gym.
    Dex doesn't bother me. Graphics are a little disappointing, however some places look the most beautifully designed i have seen in a Pokémon game.
    The mechanics are great, love chasing pokemon, the lucrative environment and addictive curry making, honestly my mouth waters.
    So far so good. If GF was to do anything to change the game, a WHOLE Graphics overhaul to the wild areas and to the assets popping in/out would be the most game fixing.    … Expand
  83. Cohi
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    This game is not what everyone says it is. I’m 20 hours in and am enjoying myself. I did notice finding hard to build teams I enjoy, but it did force me to go outside the box and I’m genuinely happy about it. I recommend everyone trying it out I’m sure there will be advancements in the game to expand before the next mainline comes out !!
  84. MrMonster420
    Nov 16, 2019
    8
    Pokemon Shield has been one of the best experiences with a Pokemon game I have had in a long time. The DeX cut does not bother me. The graphics are good and acceptable for a Pokemon game meant to be played on a console and television. The best part about this game is the wild area! The second greatest thing about this game is the stadium battles. It's a real surreal feeling listening toPokemon Shield has been one of the best experiences with a Pokemon game I have had in a long time. The DeX cut does not bother me. The graphics are good and acceptable for a Pokemon game meant to be played on a console and television. The best part about this game is the wild area! The second greatest thing about this game is the stadium battles. It's a real surreal feeling listening to the crowd cheer when you call out moves and your Pokemon land a critical hit. It's an amazing feeling .… Expand
  85. Owiec92
    Nov 16, 2019
    8
    Don't listen the crybabies bombing this game with negative reviews. Game is really fun, looks good, and is great for new players
  86. JReiMan
    Nov 16, 2019
    8
    Some minor lags here and there (sometimes Wild Zone is horrible, maybe server based) but a good Pokemon experience is definitely there! I still have a lot of fun after 15 hours of gameplay. Got what I wanted :)
  87. joangb
    Nov 16, 2019
    8
    Con sinceridad, estos juegos no se merecen esto. Los nuevos juegos de la saga de Pokémon significan un gran salto y atrevimiento, siendo los primeros de la saga principal en llegar a Switch.
    Y como estreno en la híbrida, me parece un juego notable. Obviamente tiene sus puntos negativos, como son algún que otro gráfico en el area silvestre, la obligación de llevar el Rep. Exp., el recorte    Con sinceridad, estos juegos no se merecen esto. Los nuevos juegos de la saga de Pokémon significan un gran salto y atrevimiento, siendo los primeros de la saga principal en llegar a Switch.
    Y como estreno en la híbrida, me parece un juego notable. Obviamente tiene sus puntos negativos, como son algún que otro gráfico en el area silvestre, la obligación de llevar el Rep. Exp., el recorte en la dex; pero no es para nada el descontento que está marcando la gente. La banda sonora es muy buena, el mapa es bastante grande aunque de una falsa sensación de ser pequeño, la dificultad está siendo floja pero la sensación de exploración está siendo muy fresca. Es un juego de Pokémon en sobremesa, como todos pedíamos antes de ser tan exigentes después del recorte de la dex...    … Expand
  88. Tortela
    Nov 16, 2019
    8
    Although it has a lazy amimation, the game presents good features providing a funny adventure.
  89. Brbeeps
    Nov 16, 2019
    8
    Pokémon Sword and Shield are great games. The setting and world is charming, the UK-inspired setting is fantastic and unique, and the localisation is a lot of fun. While the full roster of Pokémon is missing, there is enough variety between new and returning Pokémon to make the game feel fresh, yet familiar at the same time. The gameplay loop has been streamlined even further than sun andPokémon Sword and Shield are great games. The setting and world is charming, the UK-inspired setting is fantastic and unique, and the localisation is a lot of fun. While the full roster of Pokémon is missing, there is enough variety between new and returning Pokémon to make the game feel fresh, yet familiar at the same time. The gameplay loop has been streamlined even further than sun and moon, making the game highly accessible to newcomers while still retaining all the hidden depth of the game for returning players looking to start building their gen 8 competitive teams. That said, I have some niggles with the game: quite a few of the Pokémon designs aren’t all that appealing to me. It’s not an ugly generation, but it’s not the best either. The game’s frame rate also suffers quite a lot in the Wild Area when you are connected to the internet, so I believe some optimisation in that areas would be a good idea for a first patch. I also really enjoy the Wild area. It’s a big step closer to the open world main line home console Pokémon game I’ve wanted since I was 13 and I think that while the concept is a bit rough around the edges, it has a lot of potential for future games. The addition of Pokémon go-style raids is also really fun, and a cute way to incorporate co-op play into the game.

    Overall, I am pleased with Pokémon Shield and look forward to what gamefreak do with their inevitable Sinnoh remake.    … Expand
  90. 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
  91. 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.
  92. Jpedrovianna
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    The game is not perfect, but definitely not a bad game! I was raised playing pokemon games, since gen 2. It was a bit disappointing not having all pokemons in this game, but the game is still great. I love the new monsters, the new mechanics, the new region. I have not completed the game yet, but so far I’m having a great experience.
  93. 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
  94. 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.
  95. 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
  96. 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
  97. Skyekitty
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I want to preface this with the fact I really enjoyed this game, but this review is going to be heavily leaning towards criticisms

    First and foremost I want to point out that this is a "New Wave" Pokemon game; quite literally the closest you can get for retconning a video game series. Nintendo has changed the gameplay to suite more players and it's pretty obvious. The storyline feels like it's difficulty level has been turned all the way down, forcing you to choose between exploring and facing easier pokemon or burning through the story, which resides on the shorter side of things for pokemon. This makes sense because of the fact it appeals to larger audiences, however it ended up making the game feel a little unrewarding, which I believe other experienced players might feel. Since I've always been more of a casual player, and decide to choose pokemon based off of appearances rather than actual stats, this didn't bother me enough to actually ruin a storyline, but it does feel off for a pokemon game.

    Overall I feel like the game is short for a AAA game, and falls under the expectations set by previous generations that went above and beyond, but this game is definitely worth a play for returning players and inexperienced players. If Nintendo did one thing right, its appealing to the large majority. While a lot of people are upset about the dex (myself included) I do hope in the future they make up for it.


    Pros:
    -Older unenjoyable mechanics removed
    -Colorful graphics
    -Interesting new mechanics
    -Runs smoothly outside of wild area
    -Yamper
    -curry, curry, and more curry

    Cons:
    -Awkward story / gym flow, making the storyline feel clunky at times.
    -Online is in a very rough state*
    -Shorter mainline game play hours (compared to previous 3DS titles, similar to early DS games) -Recycled animations
    -Recycled story clichès -Feeling of dread after finding your favorite pokemon got caught after preordering.
    -Dex/move cut. -Yamper... on route 4
    -Falls in the shadows of Sun and Moon**


    *The wild area is currently very, very buggy: would love to see dynamax raids automatically queue up people going after the same 'mon, but currently you have to click on people from the "online newsfeed" consisting of stickers.

    ** There are a lot of criticisms here, and the reason why I still rated it so high, is because: in isolation, with no experience of previous pokemon, this game is amazing, very solid. All of these criticisms are simply what I hope is addressed in the next games, and solely based off of expectations from an established series    … Expand
  98. 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
  99. BreadFlavor
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    The absence of all Pokemon is disappointing to fans. But this game is fun. Even without all the Pokemon, I think it's enough to enjoy the game.
  100. papyr
    Jan 12, 2020
    8
    please. this game is amazing. not 10/10 amazing but clearly up there. yall just gonna rat it out for having the pat like 85.83% of pokemon missing like ight
Page:

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.
    Read full review
  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]
See all critic reviews »