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. HombreLombre
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    I've enjoyed the game yes it has flaws but is no way near as bad as some reviews have made out . Its a classic Pokémon adventure with a few twists if you like pokemon you'll enjoy this game.
  2. MarioFan91
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    I don't get all the vitriol surrounding Sword and Shield. The whole National Dex thing caused a bit of a stir long before release, and a lot of Pokémon have been wiped out of the slate. But, the reasons are understandable, as these Pokémon games are massive in terms of scope.

    Pokémon Sword and Shield bring you to the Galar region, which is based on the UK. There you get three new    I don't get all the vitriol surrounding Sword and Shield. The whole National Dex thing caused a bit of a stir long before release, and a lot of Pokémon have been wiped out of the slate. But, the reasons are understandable, as these Pokémon games are massive in terms of scope.

    Pokémon Sword and Shield bring you to the Galar region, which is based on the UK. There you get three new starters, Grookey (the grass type chimp), Scorbunny (a fire type rabbit), and Sobble (the water type lizard). I chose Scorbunny in both games, largely because of his usefulness in the first gym battle, which focuses on grass Pokémon.

    Now. before the whiny fanboys go after me and say I'm getting paid to write good reviews of this game, let me just say this. Do they have their flaws - like inconsistent graphics and a lack of voice acting? Yes. Am I disappointed that some of my favorite Pokémon from the first generation like Squirtle and Bulbasaur have been wiped from the slate? Absolutely. But flaws aside, they're still a lot of fun to play. It's still the Pokémon that's been beloved for years, and flaws aside, I still recommend them.    … Expand
  3. Meris
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    This game has some technical issues and the decision to not port every Pokemon into the game is sad, but aside from these issues, the game is quite fun.
    It has several interesting fights in the last quarter of the game and the new Pokemon designs are quite fun.
    It is miles above ORAS, Sun/Moon and UltraSun/UltraMoon. This Gen are a step in the right direction and I hope a possible third    This game has some technical issues and the decision to not port every Pokemon into the game is sad, but aside from these issues, the game is quite fun.
    It has several interesting fights in the last quarter of the game and the new Pokemon designs are quite fun.
    It is miles above ORAS, Sun/Moon and UltraSun/UltraMoon. This Gen are a step in the right direction and I hope a possible third game remake from B/W fixes the technical issues.    … Expand
  4. BoomBa35
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    One of the better pokemon Games I have played. This game does have flaws with it (Such as the missing pokemon that have been around since ever), but if you are willing to forgo those pokemon that are gone, it is one of the better pokemon games I have played. I would bump it up one more point if every single pokemon was in the game.
  5. Thatcriticguy
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    I'm sick of all the whiners that do nothing but complain. I'm thoroughly enjoying this game and the multiplayer and other new things give me plenty to do. My wife loves it as well. Too many gripers whining about end game like its world of frickin' Warcraft.
  6. Starfree
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    This game a lot of issues, but IMO the positives outway them all. This feels like a Pokémon game I know and love. The atmosphere is great the characters are great, and the graphics are pretty good.MAX RAID BATTLES ARE AWESOME!!! However with the story it’s clear that this is an unfinished game. Their is a lack of story content compared to past Pokémon titles, and the last 2 gyms aren’tThis game a lot of issues, but IMO the positives outway them all. This feels like a Pokémon game I know and love. The atmosphere is great the characters are great, and the graphics are pretty good.MAX RAID BATTLES ARE AWESOME!!! However with the story it’s clear that this is an unfinished game. Their is a lack of story content compared to past Pokémon titles, and the last 2 gyms aren’t even gym challenges, the 7th gym is literally a hallway. But the game is still super fun… Expand
  7. Rukimaru
    Nov 20, 2019
    8
    Mejorable pero tiene sus cosas que disfrutar, historia muy lineal, se hecha en falta mas trasfondo.
  8. SayoNightclaw
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    most of the negative reviews are people just mad that they cut most of the national dex. they would have to eventually. thats how it is when you have so many pokemon. While the game is by no means a perfect game, its actually pretty fun. graphically its beautiful. a lot of the new designs are clever and i love the way they do the gyms this game. Some issues i personally have is the framemost of the negative reviews are people just mad that they cut most of the national dex. they would have to eventually. thats how it is when you have so many pokemon. While the game is by no means a perfect game, its actually pretty fun. graphically its beautiful. a lot of the new designs are clever and i love the way they do the gyms this game. Some issues i personally have is the frame rate drop that only occurs when youre online and connected to the net and the fact that you need a password to connect with a friend for trading. other than that its an amazing game worth at least a try. don't listen to the haters or review bombers… Expand
  9. IgnaKun
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Me parece una de las mejores entregas de la saga, sinceramente: su historia quizá no está a la altura de B&W por ejemplo, o del lore de ciertas generaciones o momentos de pasadas entregas, pero sin duda entra entre las mejores.

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

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

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

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

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

    En sí, he vuelto a ser un niño y a disfrutar de Pokémon como cuando era pequeño. Un saludo.    … Expand
  10. Knoxxin
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    It's an incredibly fun game that is very engaging. I enjoyed traveling the wild area (though I do wish it was bigger) and the new Pokemon are incredibly fun. This is the best gym challenge in the series and all the gym leaders are fun and charming, each with a notable personality.
  11. jojobbb
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    This game has its pros and cons, most likely, this game is rushed I agree. But it's a decent game and I don't mind forms or z moves are removed for dynamax maybe the devs just like the game to be less complicated for the new fans. The other negative reviews rating below 5 has probably not played the game with weak excuses and not properly giving details on why the game was bad. The gameThis game has its pros and cons, most likely, this game is rushed I agree. But it's a decent game and I don't mind forms or z moves are removed for dynamax maybe the devs just like the game to be less complicated for the new fans. The other negative reviews rating below 5 has probably not played the game with weak excuses and not properly giving details on why the game was bad. The game has a terrible resolution, needs work on the animation system because that has issues into the game, the colors are great because it's very bright showing us a brand new region of pokemon and finally, I'd say the post game was a bit eh. The villains don't impress me and repeats their "well, well, well" it gets old fast and not a neat catch phrase. Other than that, the game has a neat storyline with good characters. 7.5.… Expand
  12. ToughFluffs
    Nov 24, 2019
    8
    Let me be frank here: I made an account specifically to review this game, just because I know the hate this game is getting. I agree and disagree with various criticisms, and I'm gonna try to hit as much as I can here. Let's start with cons, as it never hurts to touch on the bad before getting to the good.

    Cons: -Pokemon creativity You've already heard this one. I don't consider    Let me be frank here: I made an account specifically to review this game, just because I know the hate this game is getting. I agree and disagree with various criticisms, and I'm gonna try to hit as much as I can here. Let's start with cons, as it never hurts to touch on the bad before getting to the good.

    Cons:

    -Pokemon creativity
    You've already heard this one. I don't consider this a big con though. We've been getting less new Pokemon with each new generation. Naturally, when you've made well over 600 pokemon, there become less and less things to model them after. I think in some senses, there should be less focus on trying to continually make new pokemon, and shift more towards a focus on new and innovative gameplay (which they did do! We'll talk about that later though). I think we have enough pokemon. We're good fellas.

    -Story
    I'm not gonna spoil anything here, but the main story IS rather short and doesn't contain a lot of depth. With previous games, you had these huge, dramatic stories that you were pretty deeply involved in throughout most of the game, between gyms and traveling. This definitely didn't feel like it was on the same level as many previous gens, particularly if you look at the stories in gens 4 and 5 (Which I personally think were some of the most fleshed out narratives of almost any pokemon games).

    -Postgame
    Hopefully they add more to this. Given we're in the age of digital download and cloud storage, it's much easier to add new things to games and push it out to the entire audience at once, and I assume this may be the plan with SwSh, however that wasn't really as much the case with Sun/Moon, which also had the same access. Given it is a full-fledged console game though, I feel there may be more incentive to do so, and that could definitely raise this score to a 9 if that were the case.

    Any other cons I had were minor gripes, ones that I don't personally believe need their own section. On that note, time to launch into the pros.

    Pros:

    Gameplay:
    This game felt...GOOD. Movement was smooth, it has all the staples that you expect from pokemon. You know what you expect going into a pokemon game, and you got it. The dynamaxing/gigantamaxing mechanic is fun, although it does feel a little pointless/less useful compared to past mechanics like Mega-evolution. The removal of HMs a few gens ago is still in place and I'm super glad, as it no longer forces you to have one useless HM slave pokemon in your party.
    I'm also a huge fan of the ability to open your pc boxes pretty much anywhere. Small quality of life thing, but it can make a big difference for those of us who are more...forgetful, to put it nicely.

    Environment:
    This game is gorgeous. It manages to pull off the free-roam 3d environment while not taking away from the feeling of playing a pokemon game. A few of the camera angles in the more linear segments can be a little wonky, but you have to ability to move the camera in the larger, central free roam area, and I had no issues with it there. It's also a lovely little touch that you can see the pokemon. There's less running through grass praying you find the one pokemon you want in a wild encounter, which cuts down on some of the grindiness in previous games. It also seems to run pretty much fine. I very rarely ever experienced frame drops (I did get a few in battles, but rarely on the overworld).

    -New features
    Pokemon camps are GREAT. Seems like an improved version of pokemon ami from gen 6. It's lovely to be able to play around with your party, and the food making system is very reminiscent of the poffin machines from gen 4. It's a fun little minigame and a good way to kill time or play with people online. I think this category is lacking slightly, but I'll talk a little bit more about this when I wrap things up.

    -Music
    The ambient music in this is already fantastic, and while I wouldn't say this is by any means as good as the soundtrack we got in gens 3 or 4, it's got some hot tunes in it. Particularly the Gym leader theme, where you can hear the crowd chanting, adds an extra level of immersion that truly helps bring things together.

    Wrap up time!
    Yeah, the game isn't perfect. It's lacking in multiple areas, but the way I see it, this was a test-run from Nintendo. A way of saying "We know this is what you want, but it's also new territory for us." For what it is, it's wonderful. It's still pokemon, and you're still gonna get a fun pokemon experience out of it.
    I think the one big issue with it, that keeps it at an 8 for me, is definitely the lack of postgame content currently, and in general for the past few generations. I've played every generation so far, but 4 will always stick out because of the ability to keep playing for hundreds of hours after the main story ended with contests, the underground, secret bases, and etc. keeping the game interesting.
    With all that said, still a good game, and I had a lot of fun with it.    … Expand
  13. Chozo94
    Nov 25, 2019
    8
    Sword and Shield - Hate or Love?

    What makes a Game a good Game? Do graphic matter? We should all ask ourselfs what do we expect from certain products. Think back to the good old time of the N64 or PS1. How do these games look today? Well, still pretty good tbh - but thats mostly nostalgia. Links Awakening (GB) was a pretty good Game aswell. Was it because of the graphics? Most    Sword and Shield - Hate or Love?

    What makes a Game a good Game? Do graphic matter?

    We should all ask ourselfs what do we expect from certain products. Think back to the good old time of the N64 or PS1. How do these games look today? Well, still pretty good tbh - but thats mostly nostalgia. Links Awakening (GB) was a pretty good Game aswell. Was it because of the graphics? Most certainly not.

    A Good Game is a Good Game (or not) judged by everyone individually. Its combined by the feelings you get by playing, no matter if the graphic is good, RPG elements are on top, the combat ist perfect or whatever (I mean cmon, there are people who say OOT is a bad game).

    Now to Sword

    I now completed the Main Story and became the Champ. i pretty much "rushed" thru the game, I never was the biggest fan of "gotta catch em´ all" heck, i never finished a Pokedex. It took me around 16 hours to become the Champ. Now there is a bunch of Post Game. So time investment is pretty good!

    The Graphics
    Oh man the Graphics. How does it look? Pretty good. Its not a AAA titel and im glad about that. How do Nintendo Games look in general? Not really realistic, every (ok almost every) Game has a set and fitting artstyle. And it doesnt matter if the Trees are 4K UHD Trees with seasonal change and individual Leafs. Important is, if at all fits together and looks good, and yes, Pokemon Sword/Shield looks good. Its, as i said, not something u´d need a RTX 2080TI for, but it still looks good.

    Story
    Well, it is a pokemon game after all. I did not expect the biggest plot twist of all time or a Rival who has a personality that keep me awake at night (to be fair, Hop has no Character at all). You start as a small Kid from a small town to become the Champ. Thats basiclly it. There happens a buncha stuff with the dynamaxing at the Legendarys, the big CEO and so on, but the Story is nothing really to talk about. Doesnt sound that fun eh? I still had alot of fun. I dont play Pokemon for the story, i play it for the Pokemon.

    National Dex/ Pokedex

    Oh boi. The national dex. All the pokemon that are not in the Game. For me, i could not care less. You have over 400 Pokemon to choose from, and to be honest with yourself you will only use 3 of them because u dont need more. I have no idea, why this is such a big deal. Its not Pokemon Gold, Emerald, Pearl or Black, its Pokemon Sword/Shield. Its a individual Game with its own rules. Nothing to hate about.

    Difficulty

    Is it a hard game? No. Did my whole team ever fainted and i had to retry anything? No. Why is that you ask? Is it too easy? It is not too easy. And it is maybe because the target group for pokemon are 12 year olds. I am 25. I have played almost every Pokemon game. Of course Pokemon is not a Dark Souls! Its a game designed for kids. Why should it be hard?

    Well, i had lots and lots of fun with pokemon Sword. Im not done yet, still gotta do alot of postgame or Shinyhunt. Would i recommend it? Hell yes, i would.

    Note: English is not my native language, im sorry if this is kinda hard to read. :)    … Expand
  14. TimFunk
    Nov 27, 2019
    8
    Best pokemon game in years, fixed my Marrige which has been failing since X and Y came out
  15. Larsofmars
    Nov 28, 2019
    8
    My first Pokemon game in a while. The game not having all of the pokemon doesn't really bother me. The game is fun, but it does have problems.
  16. justino901
    Dec 3, 2019
    8
    Pokemon Sword and shield are both really good games.
    They have the best graphics that I've ever seen inside any pokemon game.
    The battles have a good UI and are the same as all the other pokemon games. but the game is not all perfect just as every single game out there pokemon sword and shield are pretty easy to level up the pokemon and the exp share just make exp appear out of nowhere    Pokemon Sword and shield are both really good games.
    They have the best graphics that I've ever seen inside any pokemon game.
    The battles have a good UI and are the same as all the other pokemon games.
    but the game is not all perfect just as every single game out there
    pokemon sword and shield are pretty easy to level up the pokemon and the exp share just make exp appear out of nowhere as the pokemon you are using without any other pokemon in your team will get the same XP as when you defeat or catch a pokemon with a full team of 5 other pokemon.
    The story is really good compared to the previous games in the past as you can slightly edit what some other character is going to say at a certain moment. It integrates the game mechanics perfectly inside the game. The Pokemon camp isn't as easy as one might think as well as getting close to your pokemon might be tough at first as they mostly want to play with the other pokemon instead of talk with you.
    In all this game is great even with the descent which honestly I think was necessary with all the imbalances that pokemon online battles always have now as it kept on being the same pokemon all the time at tournament or random online battles as well and this is with my favorite none-legendary and potentially legendary ( I don't check Pokedex's online in order to not spoil myself from discovering all the new pokemon or new forms of pokemon) being cut from the game which is Torterra and Lugia. Hopefully, you'll give the game a fair trial without having your expectation too high or the game being just dead for you because of the review bomb    … Expand
  17. well_in_town
    Dec 4, 2019
    8
    This game is SOOO FUNNN! Its the best pokemon game I had ever played. But it have a lot of problems and can be better than it is unfortunately.
  18. Militos
    Dec 8, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A ideia de ter um jogo de Pokémon em mundo aberto (na série principal) é algo sem procedentes. Uma gameplay mais leve, que facilita o treinamento de pokémons, além de novos artifícios para aumentá-los de nível mais rapidamente são muito bem vindos. Porém, alguns detalhes não podem deixar de serem vistos, como a possibilidade real de ter inserido todos os pokémons e a queda de frames quando conectado a internet na Wild Area. E claro, uma história ingame um pouco mais fraca em relação aos títulos anteriores. Posto isso, uma nota 8 é mais do que justa.… Expand
  19. BaldFrog
    Dec 8, 2019
    8
    I would say decent pokemon game, not as bad as ppl make it to seem like, but decent. It can be that my 8 is only from the reson that its pokemon and the core of pokemon is fun.

    Also pokemons that i mostly cared was in the game so i dont have anything to say, but if thay would keep every pokemon every time in the game, the memory ussge would get really big and it would not make sence in    I would say decent pokemon game, not as bad as ppl make it to seem like, but decent. It can be that my 8 is only from the reson that its pokemon and the core of pokemon is fun.


    Also pokemons that i mostly cared was in the game so i dont have anything to say, but if thay would keep every pokemon every time in the game, the memory ussge would get really big and it would not make sence in natural perspective, like why there would be a animal from shout america in europe, daam nature ripping off    … Expand
  20. GreyKompot
    Dec 9, 2019
    8
    First of all I'm a zoomer who has played all the pokemon games except gen 1/let's go (played the gen 3 remakes). -Gen 1 on the gameboy is bad and broken, that's a fact-. My top favourite 3 games are pokemon or/as ,pokemon fire red/leaf green and heart gold /soul silver ,which from what i know most of the community agrees on. (Played pokemon shield on the switch lite, 55hrs*)
    Ok, and now    First of all I'm a zoomer who has played all the pokemon games except gen 1/let's go (played the gen 3 remakes). -Gen 1 on the gameboy is bad and broken, that's a fact-. My top favourite 3 games are pokemon or/as ,pokemon fire red/leaf green and heart gold /soul silver ,which from what i know most of the community agrees on. (Played pokemon shield on the switch lite, 55hrs*)
    Ok, and now that we are done with the introductions.
    Let's get on with the review. Pokemon shield does not deserve the low score it has from the users, it is by far top 3 in my opinion. Beating out the gen 3 remakes , and is edging the gen 2 remakes. I think the game solidly deserves an 8.5/10.
    The game is a step up from gen 7, in gameplay, gyms/trails and gym leaders. Not so the story
    Let's address some of the complaints:

    Graphics: I heard a ton of people hating on the graphics and "old reused animations". Not only are they blatantly wrong, but some of the rumours are just ridiculous, it's like they haven't played the games.
    The game by far looks the best out of the series, with new and improved animations (just watch it on YouTube or something if you don't believe), tbh i loved every single tweak they added and welcomed any change in the animations.
    One complaint would be, everything gets a bit pixelated if you stand like 10m/~33ft from it. It wasn't a big deal for me personally, but i see why people might be frustrated.

    Music: One of the best part of the game, you have some classical Scottish bagpipes, some funky groovy edm and a mix of rock. And it features by far the best gym leader/champion theme. The rival theme is ok but still doesn't beat the best one (the or/as one).

    Story:I'm not gonna spoil it ,but just rank it 7/10. (Took me 26hrs of casual play to finish up till champion.)

    The national dex: I'm gonna be real with you, my favourite pokemons didn't appear in this generation. But we need to move on. Personally I'm a fan of competitive. And i think removing some pokemon (like landorus) can spice up the competition. I will miss the pokemon I love, but I will grow to love new ones.

    Now if you will excuse me i have to get back to catchin' em a--, some of them.


    Btw created an account just to make this review. English is not my first language so i hope I made a satisfactory review.    … Expand
  21. secretpotatoe
    Dec 18, 2019
    8
    Absolutely nothing wrong with this game! Its everything Pokemon has been and continues to be. Sure, there are some animations that are reused from previous games but that doesn't effect game play and the experience you will get by following the story and adventuring the wild.
  22. OWOdude
    Dec 23, 2019
    8
    I just like it. ok let me explain the gyms were good, the story was meh but who plays Pokemon for the story. the pokemon were alright. but completing the pokedex is now easier. I had a copy of Alpha Sapphire and I was so close to completeing the pokedex but then I lost it. I think 400 Is enouth. so yeah 8/10
  23. Plibige
    Dec 27, 2019
    8
    Honestly I was expecting a hell of a lot worse. The way people were going on I genuinely thought i would give up on it after a day. Look it's not breath of the wild, and it's not a huge step away from what we have seen in the past. But it's a great game, and I'd imagine any kid would love it if it was their first pokemon game
  24. AV_Lazy
    Dec 31, 2019
    8
    Overall I thought the game was good. It's fun, the wild area is awesome, as a Brit I loved how they changed some of the language and made characters say phrases from England, the Pokemon made were really cool design and origin wise (with a few exceptions of course), the returning Pokemon are diverse and well picked, the soundtrack is amazing and some characters (especially Hop) are writtenOverall I thought the game was good. It's fun, the wild area is awesome, as a Brit I loved how they changed some of the language and made characters say phrases from England, the Pokemon made were really cool design and origin wise (with a few exceptions of course), the returning Pokemon are diverse and well picked, the soundtrack is amazing and some characters (especially Hop) are written really well. The game is actually one of my favourite Pokemon games out there but I do have a few issues with it. The max raid battles are fun but your teammates are really useless the large majority of the time unless you connect with people online, the graphics and animations aren't that consistent with some being breathtaking and some looking like a 12 year old with animation software and half an hour to kill made them, the story is poorly paced towards the end and the game is extremely easy with the EXP share always being on and EXP candies being common to get however this does mean that it is easier to have a team with more that 6 Pokemon and grinding is put to a minimum.

    The game is pretty good but I do find it unfortunate that it has probably the most toxic fandom and most toxic haters around.    … Expand
  25. BlakeJ
    Jan 6, 2020
    8
    People on here just want to complain about what the game doesn’t have. Come on; It’s Pokémon on a console!! I’ve gotten through the first three gyms and have been thoroughly enjoying it. Difficulty is not there for those who want a challenge, but that’s what competitive battling is for. I would love to see a more difficult game in the future, but for now, Shield quenches the thirst for aPeople on here just want to complain about what the game doesn’t have. Come on; It’s Pokémon on a console!! I’ve gotten through the first three gyms and have been thoroughly enjoying it. Difficulty is not there for those who want a challenge, but that’s what competitive battling is for. I would love to see a more difficult game in the future, but for now, Shield quenches the thirst for a Pokémon game on a console.… Expand
  26. jfranklin
    Jan 21, 2020
    8
    This game really gets overly hated on for silly reasons. People care way too much about what they are missing, like the "National Dex," and a really solid Pokemon game that is just as addicting and fun as other entries in the series. The world feels alive, the characters have more depth than I'm used to in pokemon games... I think the rampant negativity is just caused from unrealisticThis game really gets overly hated on for silly reasons. People care way too much about what they are missing, like the "National Dex," and a really solid Pokemon game that is just as addicting and fun as other entries in the series. The world feels alive, the characters have more depth than I'm used to in pokemon games... I think the rampant negativity is just caused from unrealistic expectations.

    Pokemon Sword and Shield is a great time, and more or less exactly what you expect when you get a pokemon game, with small updates to make things more connected. It's no Breath of the Wild, but that doesn't mean it's not still a very solid game.    … Expand
  27. Flikkie72
    Jan 23, 2020
    8
    What a bunch of crybabies! The game is great, though the post-game story is a bit too brief for my liking and there are a couple too many goofs/exploitable features in it.
  28. nickalleye
    Jan 30, 2020
    8
    First things first: when I play a pokemon game I only use the new gen creatures. That means I don't care about the national dex. People need to stop being so conservative. As for the game itself, it has its fair share of issues (hello always-on exp. share), but it's ultimately a fine game. The designs are pretty cool. Playing it to this day, taking me longer than most cause I want to tryFirst things first: when I play a pokemon game I only use the new gen creatures. That means I don't care about the national dex. People need to stop being so conservative. As for the game itself, it has its fair share of issues (hello always-on exp. share), but it's ultimately a fine game. The designs are pretty cool. Playing it to this day, taking me longer than most cause I want to try all the new monsters.… Expand
  29. Hashirama
    Jun 14, 2020
    8
    Pros: Wild area is where you'll spend most of your time in.

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

    DLC looks promising

    Cons:

    Pokémon number reduced
    Battling does not compare with colloseum/XD
    Hop follows you everywhere
    Game feels small once finished
  30. Sin-Dre
    Mar 17, 2020
    8
    game play is amazing. i loved playing the game but i think the game would be better if there was voice acting. the story was good. it could been better with voice acting.
  31. Kingjavabean
    Mar 19, 2020
    8
    I really enjoyed this game.
    I love how simple everything was in this new gen of Pokémon.
    I’ve been playing the series for 16 years or so, and this was a refreshing game to play.
    No getting lost, no trying to figure out puzzles.
    It’s a nice simple easy game that is nice to play casually in a beautiful world.
  32. MutantDJ123
    Mar 25, 2020
    8
    Smooth graphics and nice story with the exception of the lack of national dex this is a great game.
  33. rowdyfennekin12
    Apr 17, 2020
    8
    Pokemon Shield is totally worth it. It brings a refreshing taste to the series and the new Pokemon are totally adorable and cute. It`s really worth the buy!
  34. yangfanhong
    Mar 29, 2023
    8
    Yeah i know this game is not good enough for a series with such sale numbers, but at least i had fun.
  35. bluefighter45
    May 14, 2020
    8
    I have sunk over 400 hours into both Sword and Shield because of how fun it can be to run around the wild area and hunt for shiny pokemon. In the beginning, the story is a little slow but after the 3rd gym, you're going places. There really isn't much post-game content but because of the online, Raids, and shiny hunting, there is so much to do. With DLC on the way and more pokemon beingI have sunk over 400 hours into both Sword and Shield because of how fun it can be to run around the wild area and hunt for shiny pokemon. In the beginning, the story is a little slow but after the 3rd gym, you're going places. There really isn't much post-game content but because of the online, Raids, and shiny hunting, there is so much to do. With DLC on the way and more pokemon being added you can't really complain about lack of content and the Dex cut. The pokemon are not locked behind an in-game paywall, you can have them transferred up or trade with a friend to get the pokemon. Those pokemon, however, can only be caught in the DLC areas. If you think it's a scam to buy the DLC, think of it this way, they could have re-released Sword and Shield with the DLC included but that would have been another $60. If anything, Gamefreak is doing us a favor and giving us remake content for half the price. So thank you GameFreak for everything you have done for the Pokemon community.… Expand
  36. HugoTreminio
    Jun 19, 2020
    8
    It was a pretty good game, I can see why people dislike it, but in my opinion it was pretty entertaining. Wasn't very fond of the story or the characters and I think the Wild Area could look better (especially during sand storms), but overall a very complete game.
  37. Brans812
    Jun 21, 2020
    8
    Pokemon SW/SH is great in innovation, with the wild area, Pokemon have introduced a excelent and very fun experience when is about catching pokemon, maybe we´re missing the national pokedex, but in fact, is something that you forget when you´re enjoying the adventure. Althought the fact of seeing Pokemon appearing of no-where is something that kills the immersion, is something that shouldPokemon SW/SH is great in innovation, with the wild area, Pokemon have introduced a excelent and very fun experience when is about catching pokemon, maybe we´re missing the national pokedex, but in fact, is something that you forget when you´re enjoying the adventure. Althought the fact of seeing Pokemon appearing of no-where is something that kills the immersion, is something that should be improved in next titles. In my opinion this titles are a good begining for the franchise on home consoles. Probably not the best titles, but are fun and they have a lot of innovation that should be enjoyed.… Expand
  38. Potatonian
    Jul 11, 2020
    8
    When the trailers and announcements first started appearing rumoring the absence of a national Pokédex and the inclusion of only 400 of the 809+ Pokemon (now 893+), I didn't have the urge to buy it like I did for all other main line pokemon games. Especially with the exclusion of Mega evolution, and the poor cutscene animations, the game had needed much to be desirable. Despite gamefreaksWhen the trailers and announcements first started appearing rumoring the absence of a national Pokédex and the inclusion of only 400 of the 809+ Pokemon (now 893+), I didn't have the urge to buy it like I did for all other main line pokemon games. Especially with the exclusion of Mega evolution, and the poor cutscene animations, the game had needed much to be desirable. Despite gamefreaks promise of there being completely new pokemon animations and cutscene animations, they were still clearly present with many pokemon animations appearing as far back as 2 generations prior. This however I believe is not really that perplexing despite the developers' promises as old assets are often used in newer games naturally to save time, resources and production cost which should instead be used to improve upon other parts of a game.

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

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

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

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

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

    Overall, the absence of key battle mechanics from the past two generations including the absence of many many moves and pokemon definitely knocks off a few points from my rating of the game, as does some poor animations and clear laziness in some parts of the game's development. However, this game is great like any other mainline pokemon game, it has all the mechanics and quirks befitting its status as being part of one of the most illustrious, and important series of games to ever exist. I believe it is a great addition to gamefreak's collection and also an important learning curve for gamefreak. Despite how well-received the game wasn't, I personally still believe that it excelled in many ways and performed better than many of its predecessors in some aspects, and will be remembered as an important game for how great it was and how bad it was.    … Expand
  39. Lapi002
    Dec 28, 2021
    8
    Pokemon Shield was my first console game and the reason why I wanted to have the Switch Lite, the Zacian edition, and the Zamazenta. Generally, Pokemon games come with a demo to see how good it is.
    The game isnt bad as haters describe it and there were so many videos criticizing it for the same reasons: the graphics. Viejo, if you want a game with better graphics, buy a PC and go.
    The    Pokemon Shield was my first console game and the reason why I wanted to have the Switch Lite, the Zacian edition, and the Zamazenta. Generally, Pokemon games come with a demo to see how good it is.
    The game isnt bad as haters describe it and there were so many videos criticizing it for the same reasons: the graphics. Viejo, if you want a game with better graphics, buy a PC and go.
    The story could have been a bit more careful, quite lazy and the DLC does not help either. However, it does raise the mark a bit in some scenes with adult connotations.

    My grade will actually be a 7, but it goes up one more point due to the fact that it was my first game on this beautiful console. I understand the point of the subject of the graphics, I am not going to get like the stupid haters, but I think that with the early release of Legends Pokemon Arceus, everything can change.    … Expand
  40. BillyBobJr
    Aug 3, 2020
    8
    I personally find Sword and Shield fine games in the series. Let's get the elephant out of the room, Dexit, a reference to Brexit, is the slang term given to how Game Freak cut out a large amount of pokemon from older games in SWSH. I'm not really going to get into this, as 1) people's main problems with Dexit were how Game Freak handled it, not exactly with Dexit itself in concept, and 2)I personally find Sword and Shield fine games in the series. Let's get the elephant out of the room, Dexit, a reference to Brexit, is the slang term given to how Game Freak cut out a large amount of pokemon from older games in SWSH. I'm not really going to get into this, as 1) people's main problems with Dexit were how Game Freak handled it, not exactly with Dexit itself in concept, and 2) explaining all the finer details would take forever. All you need to know is a large part of the National Dex was removed from the game, with a promise that some would be brought back later in DLC. Into the actual game, the graphics themselves are pleasant, they're nice to look at, and some attack animations and new pokemon are gorgeous, though there are occasional moments where they felt somewhat lackluster, given this was on a home console, yet looked a lot like the original handheld games. The battle system is the same it always has been, but without the old Mega-Evolutions and Z-moves of previous games, being replaced by the new Dynamax mechanic allowing you to make your pokemon increase in size drastically, with their health being doubled (so long as you've given them enough special candies) and their moves being powered up into "Max" attacks for 3 turns, or until the pokemon is defeated or switched out. There are also "Dynamax raids" where in the Wild Area, a place I'll get back to later, you're able to engage in battles against permanently Dynamaxed pokemon with up to 3 friends or AI trainers, these are incredibly fun early on, giving great rewards and potentially letting you catch a pokemon with great moves or stats, the problem however is the later you get in the game, the harder Dynamax battles get, and eventually it gets to the point where many raids are basically impossible to do with just AI trainers, thanks to a combination of the Dynamax pokemon having colossal HP bars with multiple shields that require several hits to break, the fact your teammate's are completely random, meaning you might end up with a group of water and flying types against an electric type, the AI of the trainers being absolutely horrendous, and the fact that if 4 of your teams pokemon are KO'd, which is very likely to happen given that AI trainers can't dynamax and are fairly weak, or 10 turns pass, you automatically fail the raid, which can be incredibly infuriating. On the positive side, the Wild Area is a taste of the open world fans have wanted from Pokemon since the game's inception. In the Wild Area, you're able to walk around a large open area with pokemon and raid spots appearing in certain parts of the area, this gives you a colossal amount of Pokemon, both old and new, to use early on. One problem however is that the Wild Area is separated into different sections, each of which have different levels of their pokemon, this is fine, but the problem is that the game will not let you catch pokemon of too high a level until you finish a certain amount of gyms, which is very infuriating given the game won't tell you if a pokemon is too high level until you're already in the fight, effectively just wasting your time. Moving onto the story, this is probably the game's weakest aspect. There really isn't much of a story until the last hour of the game, and even then it's a pretty poor one, you don't really have an enemy team either, just the little Team Yell, which aren't even that dangerous, as all they want to do is help a trainer they especially like. At the very least, the game's characters almost let you pretend the story isn't horrendous. Characters like Marnie, Bede, and Hop are very likeable, with Hop being the only rival since like GSC to actually change somewhat during the story, and these characters make me enjoy the game's fairly constant breaks for dialogue and random chitchat. One of the game's greatest aspects in my opinion is it's soundtrack. Dear god it's great, one of, if not my favorite OST of any pokemon game, with songs like Marnie's Theme, the Battle Tower, and the Gym Leader theme being personal favorites. I feel the game's strongest aspect is it's replayability, which I'd attribute to how many pokemon you have access to, fairly ironic given Dexit. In many pokemon games, most of the pokemon you're really interested are locked until mid to late game, sometimes even being after the champion, SWSH doesn't really have that problem. You're given such a variety of pokemon to choose from early game, even with the level cap, that most playthroughs will have very different teams. All in all, while I most likely wouldn't call SWSH the best pokemon game in the series, I'd probably say it is one of the better ones, with most people's complaints not having to do with the game itself, but with Game Freak and their odd PR decisions.… Expand
  41. GinoBuonvino300
    Aug 7, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is amazing, it has a great Lore (who thinks that is too fast to finish, please, read the dialogue)
    -the story isn't that bad, although it doesn't have side quests or too many events, but the few events are epic
    -is a pokemon game with a mental change of the "main" rival (Hop), as opposed to previous games such as Lets Go ... Marnie who fights against injustices towards her city and her brother, as well as gym leader, makes you empathize with the character understanding him ...
    Beed takes on the role of the "bad" rival as were the rivals of the GS and Red and Blue games, which intrigues the player into wanting to defeat him (although the rival will still remain of his opinion, with a few small changes from time to time)
    -the music sector is one of the best ever created
    -the technical sector, unfortunately, is not uniform (just think of the animation of Zacian and Zamazenta in the post-league, but, also looking at the positive sides, of Zacian and Zamazenta against Eternatus)
    -the wild areas are, unfortunately, scarce in content, but the dynamax raids to do with friends make you have fun (moreover those of the dlc are much more detailed and more beautiful)    … Expand
  42. Cizer
    Aug 29, 2020
    8
    Firstly, the game isn't that bad how internet says. Yes the game has bad things but that doesn't mean all the game is such a trash. I want caegorize the things for how people critizies. 1-The lore
    The lore is really to short, but better than xy. The strytellimg part is jus great with the darke
  43. Zumbie101
    May 7, 2022
    8
    Enjoyable game, wild area is fun and the locations look nice and varied. I do find the story gets a but rushed and nonsensical however its pokemon so not exactly playing it for the story.
  44. DaHomeaSimpzon
    Oct 28, 2020
    8
    Before I stated my thoughts on the game, I don't condone review bombing as they may have never played it before. The reason why I am making this is because the review bombing of the game on Metcritic just bothered everyone. I want to let you know I had played the game (Yes, I had both versions) and let me tell you the designs of the characters and the new Pokemon are great. If there thingsBefore I stated my thoughts on the game, I don't condone review bombing as they may have never played it before. The reason why I am making this is because the review bombing of the game on Metcritic just bothered everyone. I want to let you know I had played the game (Yes, I had both versions) and let me tell you the designs of the characters and the new Pokemon are great. If there things that Game Freak needs improve on is the National Dex (which they already did with the DLCs), the graphics, the storyline and other issues. Maybe an update would be perfect to improve the games. Even though I am bothered with the price of the game and the DLCs, it still hadn't stop me from liking Pokemon. Even though the games had some bad moments, Game Freak was trying their best as they can.… Expand
  45. opnyx
    Jan 16, 2021
    8
    I loved playing this game. The story is great in my opinion. All the competition background is awesome, there's a lot of customizations features for your character, and the battles in arenas are epic.
    But I was disappointed with the graphics, which look quite poor for a Switch game, and also by the basic Pokémon animations.
    Very nice experience though.
  46. HelisBig
    Apr 26, 2021
    8
    This game is shorter than reviews would say. Maybe 17-22 hours for the main game and the docs maybe 6-10 hours.

    There are quite a few good wow moments when you first have a max raid battle. The largest thing I wish it had more of was attitude in the trainers. . Trainers tend to blur together because they are all quite unforgettable. The gym leaders need more unique styling ego and    This game is shorter than reviews would say. Maybe 17-22 hours for the main game and the docs maybe 6-10 hours.

    There are quite a few good wow moments when you first have a max raid battle. The largest thing I wish it had more of was attitude in the trainers. . Trainers tend to blur together because they are all quite unforgettable. The gym leaders need more unique styling ego and attitude and so do your rivals. I think anybody who wants a relaxed turn based rpg will find something to like.    … Expand
  47. daxypoo2
    Feb 9, 2021
    8
    While pokemon shield is absolutely not perfect it was an amazing game, the plot was good enough, the new pokemon are great, the galar region feels alive and big. Now one thing i like but also hate is the pokemon cut, it makes sense to cut some pokemon now that we have 898 pokemon (including dlc) and it also forces the people who would just trade in older pokemon to use new pokemon... but iWhile pokemon shield is absolutely not perfect it was an amazing game, the plot was good enough, the new pokemon are great, the galar region feels alive and big. Now one thing i like but also hate is the pokemon cut, it makes sense to cut some pokemon now that we have 898 pokemon (including dlc) and it also forces the people who would just trade in older pokemon to use new pokemon... but i just wish that they had cut less pokemon or let us trade in certain pokemon because some of my favourite pokemon were unobtainable until the dlc.… Expand
  48. FireZD
    Jan 3, 2022
    8
    I think the main issues have already been talked about, it's a relatively basic Pokemon game with an ok but not fleshed out gimmick. It doesn't have enough Pokemon featured in the game and the story is meh. But it is a very good game for newcomers to the series, the combat is polished and is overall a great game by itself. The issue comes when it's the same game as the past few entrees.I think the main issues have already been talked about, it's a relatively basic Pokemon game with an ok but not fleshed out gimmick. It doesn't have enough Pokemon featured in the game and the story is meh. But it is a very good game for newcomers to the series, the combat is polished and is overall a great game by itself. The issue comes when it's the same game as the past few entrees. Hopefully, the next game builds upon flawless gameplay groundwork and works towards something new.… Expand
  49. Ardho
    Jul 27, 2022
    8
    its an okay game...........................................................
  50. Skyplayer1507
    Sep 3, 2021
    8
    very good..................................................................
  51. leo961
    Nov 20, 2021
    8
    Best competitive era for Pokemon. Dynamax is probably the most strategic introduction made since B/W era. The ranked battle system keeps you on the screen for hours and the changing of the rules month by month gives the game a longer lifetime.
    Dynamax Adventure is the same.
    The game reports graphics issues, especially in the textures. The single player mode can be perceived as too easy,    Best competitive era for Pokemon. Dynamax is probably the most strategic introduction made since B/W era. The ranked battle system keeps you on the screen for hours and the changing of the rules month by month gives the game a longer lifetime.
    Dynamax Adventure is the same.
    The game reports graphics issues, especially in the textures. The single player mode can be perceived as too easy, especially by the oldest players.
    The true key values which makes this game one of the most funny even 2 years after is the online mode in dynamic adv. and battlespot.    … Expand
  52. Balearikus
    Nov 22, 2021
    8
    A very ambitious game in its project not executed in the best way.

    With a beautiful style, which seems to be an anime, and a completely 3d world with many details, we began this adventure in galar, we began this adventure very easily that for me I enjoyed it visually to the fullest, the story was something simple but very happy comment my adventure with scorbunny and I could easily move    A very ambitious game in its project not executed in the best way.

    With a beautiful style, which seems to be an anime, and a completely 3d world with many details, we began this adventure in galar, we began this adventure very easily that for me I enjoyed it visually to the fullest, the story was something simple but very happy comment my adventure with scorbunny and I could easily move forward without problems, when I got to the wild area I found one of my greatest joys in a pokemon game, and I enjoyed a lot and let the wild area be enjoyed, although to see it enjoyed in real time online with the other players and interacting would have been perfect. The team yell is a joke in bad taste as antagonists, and the game completely misses no serious enemies in the game or that events or adventures happen missing the great and beautiful recreated map. Also with errors such as the pokedex or things that are too recycled, but the game is nice and good to play, but its difficulty leaves something more to be desired.

    Graphics 9/10
    Music 9/10
    Gameplay 8/10
    Duration 7/10
    History 7/10
    Difficulty 6/10    … Expand
  53. TatuTatu
    Dec 6, 2021
    8
    The gane is pretty good for casual players and if you want a hard game, this game is not for you, some points at the story are not the best and the pokedex cut is a little bit sad, but some other things like music and character design are amazing here and overall the game is fun, and the dialog is not as annoying as people say, even is less annoying that it is in black and white.
  54. Pitohui9441
    Jan 3, 2022
    8
    It has potential. It has so many interesting things about it that make it stand out as a video game, and you kinda of have to consider the innovation here compared to previous pokemon games. Unfortunately, it feels like there wasn't a full commitment to the innovation, and one really has to spend extra for the DLC to fully realize the update. The story itself is too easy and there are noIt has potential. It has so many interesting things about it that make it stand out as a video game, and you kinda of have to consider the innovation here compared to previous pokemon games. Unfortunately, it feels like there wasn't a full commitment to the innovation, and one really has to spend extra for the DLC to fully realize the update. The story itself is too easy and there are no puzzles. Also, because of the collaboration aspect, it's extremely easy to level up, so out with the traditional grind. This game really illuminates the downside of eliminating things that may have once been seen as "frustrating" in previous games, but in actuality, elevate the game. Like not being able to progress to new towns without teaching a compatible pokemon a special move to solve a puzzle (now there are air taxis that take you everywhere). You are now constantly given the ability to quickly go back and revive your team at any time, and your rival will do it for you in many places after every single battle, so you don't even have to strategize before entering a dungeon (they give you an escape rope, but like, why?). While on the surface these can be seen as improvements, they essentially de-mature the game to something that is entirely non-strategic. I am someone, like many others, who has played the pokemon series their entire life, and there are many games that I play for weeks to beat, if i beat them at all before getting tired of it. This game, I beat in 5-6 days including the post-game. So while there are many things that I appreciate about this game, there wasn't quite enough, and I feel that we lost puzzles and strategy to pretty outfits and repetitive collab battles.
    -I do want to add that they do get some points for the Gym Leader Character design. I really loved them all and thought they were all unique and endearing. Except Chairman Rose looks IDENTICAL to Seneca Crane (look it up if you don't know who I'm talking about.    … Expand
  55. shw079
    Feb 4, 2022
    8
    It is an good Pokemon game. Nevertheless, the plot is non-existent, battles are way too easy, and the expansion pack is a rip off (expensive but only few new content).
  56. LauritsAM
    Feb 19, 2022
    8
    I kinda love this game! :)
    Over all my experience with this game was fantastic
    for what we got, Im actually satisfied.
    The DLC add up was a new fresh update the game was in hunger for, when the post-game was weak
  57. AprilLondon
    Feb 28, 2022
    8
    Too bad only for the plot, for the rest I liked it. a classic pokemon title that satisfied me, excellent raids. Beautiful and well crafted DLC
  58. kennydog
    Mar 22, 2022
    8
    Another nice addition to the Pokémon game series. Sure, It's kinda short, and the story is godawful, but I liked most of the new Pokémon designs, the gym battles were super exciting, and the wild areas were decent. Overall, it was better than I expected and I liked exploring Galar with my favourite Galarian Pokémon.
  59. Imanello777
    Oct 1, 2022
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Game is totally ok but its a little bit too easy, like the trainer battles and the fight against leon. Also its bad that you cant get legendarys (suicune and more) a second time in the crown tundra.… Expand
  60. Unnypops
    Nov 20, 2022
    8
    The hate for these games is unjustified. These games aren’t perfect but they’re fun.
    The graphics do not bother average players. A good chunk of people have been hating on every single Pokémon game since X and Y for no real reason. They have no idea what they actually want. They just like to complain.. so do yourself a favor and ignore most of these negative reviews. Shield is fun,    The hate for these games is unjustified. These games aren’t perfect but they’re fun.
    The graphics do not bother average players. A good chunk of people have been hating on every single Pokémon game since X and Y for no real reason. They have no idea what they actually want. They just like to complain.. so do yourself a favor and ignore most of these negative reviews. Shield is fun, especially with the DLC.    … Expand
  61. BorisThe_Spider
    Nov 21, 2022
    8
    I'm not here to complai about National Dex and other things. I'm here just to score the experience of one person that stopped playing main Pokémon games since 2003. It was overall fun, to me this game represents to discover lots of new Pokémon. And the wild area was also a good experiment to prove new and more free ways of gameplay. The main issues of playing this title was the drop of FPSI'm not here to complai about National Dex and other things. I'm here just to score the experience of one person that stopped playing main Pokémon games since 2003. It was overall fun, to me this game represents to discover lots of new Pokémon. And the wild area was also a good experiment to prove new and more free ways of gameplay. The main issues of playing this title was the drop of FPS and the boring and linear difficulty of it.… Expand
  62. empowell
    Jan 17, 2023
    8
    This game was fun and a good escape. I thought the graphics were great and this was the nicest looking Pokemon game on the Switch.
  63. PotatoePink
    Jan 31, 2023
    8
    A very good Pokémon game. Not much after scarlet and violet released but still worth playing if you like Pokémon games.
  64. Gaaaferraz
    Feb 10, 2023
    8
    Um ótimo jogo, com grandes novas adições ao mundo de pokemon. Vou separar aqui em pontos negativos e positivos:
    Positivos
    - Gameplay
    - Novos pokemons
    - Tematica
    - Mapa
    - DLC
    - Amigos
    - Estadios
    Negativos
    - Puzzles e misterios
    - Historia
  65. Lugizz
    Apr 2, 2023
    8
    The game is enjoyable even after my 5 playthrough i still find things i didn't see before.
  66. drseven
    Jun 30, 2023
    8
    Fun and addictive game that preserves the essence of the Pokemon saga. the attempt to implement a more open area is a bit mediocre. As a negative point, the caves are very uninspired. The implementation of raids can extend the life of the game ideal for play with your friends.
  67. Reciter5613
    Dec 27, 2019
    7
    I've played through it and didn't feel the hate and disappointment like most have. I guess they were expecting something groundbreaking when getting a new game on the latest system. I rent my games and I thought it was OK to try but not great enough to keep.

    The usual formula of the series is still here as to be expected. I wish they would make a more new unexpected story but whatever.    I've played through it and didn't feel the hate and disappointment like most have. I guess they were expecting something groundbreaking when getting a new game on the latest system. I rent my games and I thought it was OK to try but not great enough to keep.

    The usual formula of the series is still here as to be expected. I wish they would make a more new unexpected story but whatever.

    Graphics seem OK since I don't expect them to focus deeply on them. I'm not gonna be like them whining about the tree textures so long as it's not getting in the way of the game.

    Some are angry for not having the national Pokedex keeping them from getting all Pokemon in the game. I mean there are some I wish were in this but it was not a deal-breaker for me.

    The Dynamax system is awesome! Of course, I'm not into having to capture or breed ones for Gigantamax forms. I have a Butterfree and Drednaw that I've trained the whole time and it's sad I can't have them get their Gigantamax forms.

    Online features needed work though. I mean I don't know why they don't let you pick what specific Pokemon you want in online trade and only let you do the random surprise trades.

    The Max raids were great but hard to find other players for the hard ones. They should have it so the notifications pop up faster so players can find other player's raids to enter. I mean at least have a refresh option.

    All in all, Sword and Shield is nice but not groundbreaking. Hopefully, they improve on this in the name game and get less controversy against them.    … Expand
  68. kems
    Oct 29, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Historia 5
    Historia sencilla, predecible, sin mayor complejidad. Después de la 6ta medalla se vuelve excesivamente acelerada, muy probablemente por los tiempos de desarrollo. Mediocre inclusive para lo que se espera de un Pokémon.
    Desarrollo 8
    El desarrollo del juego es bueno, sin muchos altibajos. El momento más débil es justamente la parte final, donde más debía relucir, quitándole mérito a un avance con un buen ritmo la mayor parte del juego. El cambio en los gimnasios es bastante positivo, el torneo que reemplazó el Alto Mando pudo haber sido bueno, pero fue muy soso.
    Personajes 9
    Cada personaje secundario que acompaña la historia tiene su carisma, personalidad y desarrollo armonioso Lo más débil son los personajes principales y el team Yell, que podría no estar y de hecho mejoraría.
    Diseños 8
    En cuanto a personajes, nuevamente son sobresalientes sus diseños, todos menos los protagonistas. En cuánto a los nuevos Pokémon, son los mejores en mucho tiempo, ya sea por su apariencia final o por el concepto que está detrás de éstos, teniendo en su gran mayoría una gran armonía; son muy pocos los casos donde haya un pokemon genérico o con un concepto débil detrás. El diseño del mapa es pobre, donde al salir de la Wild Area, las rutas son básicamente pasillos que conectan a la próxima ciudad.
    Gameplay 9
    Los cambios en gameplay que apuntan a modernizar mecánicas que ya hace tiempo se sentían antiguas es bienvenida. El fin de los encuentros aleatorios, el wild area, los raids (que pudieron ser más difíciles, pero es una buena adición), la mayor accesibilidad para la crianza. El core gameplay se mantiene igual que siempre, pero sigue siendo efectivo y cuenta con agregados atractivos.
    Duración 9
    El juego es tan largo como quieras que sea, pudiendo ser bastante extenso si te gusta explorar y ser completista al 100% o cazar shinies y criar Pokémon perfectos. A pesar de ello, luego de cierto punto se hace evidente que tuvieron que lanzar el juego antes de terminar todo lo que tenían planeado.
    Postgame 3
    Patético. Únicamente en su evento final hay algo bueno. Terminado ese pésimo postgame, existe un frente de batalla que pese a ser simplón, se agradece su adición.
    Gráficos 5
    Las gráficas de los Pokémon y los personajes está bastante bien, pero desentona con el pésimo apartado gráfico y texturas del resto de los elementos, principalmente el wild área donde algunas texturas a plena vista recuerdan los tiempos del N64.
    Música 9
    Banda sonora bastante cumplidora. Algunos temas a veces se sienten genéricos o fuera de lugae, pero en general cumplen bien, con buenos temas y buena implementación de éstos. Sin estar al nivel de otras IP donde es realmente sobresaliente, cumple en totalidad su cometido.
    Sonido 6
    En contraste con unos temas que acompañan bien al juego, se encuentra el tema sonoro, donde la mayor deficiencia es la falta de voice acting. Mientras el juego era portátil, jamás se sentía necesario contar con uno, pero al dar el salto a una consola de sobremesa, pide a gritos el haber tenido. Desde que inicias el juego, la intro que intenta ser épica, se cae sola al ver un estadio repleto con el presidente Rose anunciando a gritos lo que nos encontraremos, mientras mueve la boca sin emitir sonido.
    Performance 2
    Todo el apartado técnico es lo más deficiente del juego, se vio en la parte gráfica y sonora, pero también en ciertos tiempos de carga, como en el online. Si intentas hacer algo online, lo más recomendable es quedarse parado esperando a conectar. porque el framedrop es severo, especialmente en el wild área. Incluso si no te interesa el online, el pop up es increíble. Los personajes, los árboles y los Pokémon, prácticamente te saltan en la cara, más aún si vas en bicicleta. Faltó tiempo de otimización.
    Multijugador 9
    El multiplayer y el online es un aspecto muy fuerte en Pokémon, de lo más positivo y da para jugar cientas y cientas de horas. Queda al debe la falta de personalización al no poder buscar intercambios y depender de la suerte del jugador que te encuentres o tener que coordinarte con alguien mediante otro medio previamente.

    Valoración final 7
    La experiencia se nota muy recortada, pero a la vez es disfrutable. Finalmente la sensación que deja es agridulce, siendo el mejor de la saga en muchos aspectos y el más deficiente en otros muchos. Queda la sensación de ser una oportunidad desaprovechada, donde teniendo el cuidado que se merecía, pudo haber sido de los mejores de la franquicia.
    Finalmente, siendo fan de Pokémon hace más de 20 años, debo decir que una vez más me atrapó sin soltarme, pero queda claro que el enfoque es sacar el juego más recortado posible que permita ser funcional para continuar exprimiento la franquicia al menor costo.    … Expand
  69. Kyo_Bogard
    Jan 16, 2020
    7
    Demasiado fácil.

    Es un regreso a la fórmula. Pokémon de toda la vida con las suficientes novedades como para que no se sienta el mismo juego de siempre. Los nuevos Gimnasios Pokémon hacen que no sea tan repetitivo. Por otra parte, el área silvestre, aún siendo una gran idea, le falta por pulir ya que tiene grandes bajadas de framerate, sobre todo conectado a internet. En cuanto a la    Demasiado fácil.

    Es un regreso a la fórmula. Pokémon de toda la vida con las suficientes novedades como para que no se sienta el mismo juego de siempre. Los nuevos Gimnasios Pokémon hacen que no sea tan repetitivo.
    Por otra parte, el área silvestre, aún siendo una gran idea, le falta por pulir ya que tiene grandes bajadas de framerate, sobre todo conectado a internet.
    En cuanto a la nueva generación, aún siendo muy fan de las 2 primeras generaciones, no me ha resultado tan mala. No creo que el hecho de no tener a todos los Pokémon existentes sea un punto negativo.    … Expand
  70. Pookytookybaby
    Nov 18, 2019
    7
    I had a lot of fun with the game. I was a little shocked at the lack of graphics and textures, especially in the wild area. Zelda botw and Mario Odyssey set a standard for this generation Nintendo games. This game is not great in that department. I have a lot to say about this game, but not here. Was wanting more out of a console Pokemon game.
  71. BlooperTanooki
    Mar 20, 2020
    7
    It's without a doubt a step backwards from what seasoned Pokémon fans were accustomed, especially with games like Platinum, HGSS and Black an White 2 existing. However, the games do give a fun time, a nice roster of new Pokémon, good characters and incredible music. It's a shame nothing blends together nicely either. It's like a sandwich made of a lot of nice things: Nutella, Jam, Cheese,It's without a doubt a step backwards from what seasoned Pokémon fans were accustomed, especially with games like Platinum, HGSS and Black an White 2 existing. However, the games do give a fun time, a nice roster of new Pokémon, good characters and incredible music. It's a shame nothing blends together nicely either. It's like a sandwich made of a lot of nice things: Nutella, Jam, Cheese, but they don't taste good in the final thing.… Expand
  72. Alvz9
    Jul 20, 2020
    7
    Este juego no es la revolución que todos estábamos esperando. Es bien continuista respecto a las entregas de 3DS; más allá del apartado gráfico, me refiero principalmente a la parte jugable. Creo que el tema de "no agregar todos los pokémones de la pokedex" resta ganas de jugarlo tras terminar la historia principal, y el hecho de que los DLCs añadan más pokémons no soluciona el problemaEste juego no es la revolución que todos estábamos esperando. Es bien continuista respecto a las entregas de 3DS; más allá del apartado gráfico, me refiero principalmente a la parte jugable. Creo que el tema de "no agregar todos los pokémones de la pokedex" resta ganas de jugarlo tras terminar la historia principal, y el hecho de que los DLCs añadan más pokémons no soluciona el problema inicial (de hecho, vuelve grave que se tenga que pagar nuevamente para agregar nuevos pokémons). Espero que la próxima entrega de la franquicia logre posicionar una narrativa más profunda, un nivel gráfico que exprima la potencia de Nintendo Switch, y todos los pokémon.… Expand
  73. DeadSmack
    May 17, 2023
    7
    Can't get the hate on this series. The games are GREAT, the online events were great also. The new regional forms are... meh, i don't like the idea of regional forms, but that's me. The story is not that great at all, but it's entertaining at least. Gameplay is fine, the pokedex are great, and the dlc's add the diversity much needed in the game. While they are not the best games of theCan't get the hate on this series. The games are GREAT, the online events were great also. The new regional forms are... meh, i don't like the idea of regional forms, but that's me. The story is not that great at all, but it's entertaining at least. Gameplay is fine, the pokedex are great, and the dlc's add the diversity much needed in the game. While they are not the best games of the series, or in general, great addition to the franchise.… Expand
  74. Digi
    Nov 24, 2019
    7
    This game is a well made, beautiful looking pokemon game. However huge flaws include the lack of a hard mode, that veterans have been awaiting for decades. Finally the story was quite lacking compared to previous games.
  75. BrightAbyss
    Oct 19, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not a ton of new things added and the national dex being cut is a huge con. I am aware of the dlc's coming out later and think that this is a better format than dropping pretty much the same game with a new cover, but the complete lack of a postgame makes waiting for these dlc's difficult. I can't help but feel these games were rushed, and that the creators just needed a little bit more time to make these games perfect. I did enjoy the atmosphere of the gym battles, and I thought most of the new pokemon added had great models, but there are really only 2 new legendaries currently in the postgame, and the battle tower is a joke. Overall, the story isn't terrible, but it's not great either. Team Yell, the newest evil team in the galar region, is by far the worst team to ever be introduced in the pokemon franchise. They play almost no part in the story and have no real purpose. In the end, I do think that this is a step in the right direction for pokemon if they can take these criticisms into account for the next games, as I believe the switch will have a longer lifespan than the traditional handhelds pokemon releases on. Hopefully the upcoming generations won't need to be rushed onto a new console, because I truly believe that we could be in for a treat if the developers are given proper time to make these games great.… Expand
  76. Dsros96
    Jun 3, 2020
    7
    Probably one of the best Pokémon games ever graphics wise. I'm not giving it perfect score because of the Pokedex cut, the lack of postgame, the Mega evolutions being forgotten and the incursions (they are uninteresting). But besides that, this game is amazing. Also version exclusives are a thing from the past and some online functions should be for free but anyway, overall a very good game.
  77. PredatorPlus
    Nov 23, 2019
    7
    Gráficamente es un cambio a favor. El área silvestre se trata de una beta, está muy desaprovechada. En cuanto la historia me ha parecido pésima y post-game de tan solo 3 horas. En 70 horas me he pasado el juego al completo, historia y pokedex con la ayuda de únicamente de los exclusivos. En comparación con el resto de juegos de pokemon me parece que se queda corto en algunos aspectos.Gráficamente es un cambio a favor. El área silvestre se trata de una beta, está muy desaprovechada. En cuanto la historia me ha parecido pésima y post-game de tan solo 3 horas. En 70 horas me he pasado el juego al completo, historia y pokedex con la ayuda de únicamente de los exclusivos. En comparación con el resto de juegos de pokemon me parece que se queda corto en algunos aspectos. Espero que esta base la utilicen bien para el futuro.… Expand
  78. kaelmato
    Dec 1, 2019
    7
    First off, I really wanted to give the game a 7,5 but since that isn't an option I leaned more heavily on the 7 side.

    So lets get the good things out of the way first. The gameplay is fun. The new raid system is suprisingly fun (when it actually works). The wild area is actually a neat idea. The entry for competitive battling has been streamlined a great deal, which is great for people    First off, I really wanted to give the game a 7,5 but since that isn't an option I leaned more heavily on the 7 side.

    So lets get the good things out of the way first. The gameplay is fun. The new raid system is suprisingly fun (when it actually works). The wild area is actually a neat idea. The entry for competitive battling has been streamlined a great deal, which is great for people like me who don't have all day to breed and ev train those perfect pokemon. The music is really good and I absolutely love most of the new designs.

    So why a 7? This game has... Issues. a lot of them.

    I'm not going to touch on the graphics issues as this game in my opinion has passable graphics for a switch game. They're not great, but they're not horrible, it's a switch game.

    So lets start actually with missing features: Over half of the entire national dex have been cut from the game, and while I can live with this decision, I know a lot of others cant.
    The GTS has also been cut, this allowed people to easily trade pokemon around the world without the hassle of going to online forums looking for trades. In fact the online features of the game have been turned to an absolute nightmare. You go online, and you see bunch of people... doing stuff, but there's absolutely no way to interact with any of them in any way. Jacob is searching for a double battle? Well too bad, I can't join him. Nessie wants to trade? Well good luck with that. The only relevant information that shows up is people seeking for raids and even those rarely show up, and when they do show up, the joining window has most likely passed already.

    Moving on,

    The story in this game is actually so bad it would've been better if there wasn't one. Now pokemon games have never had that good stories going on (With the exception of black and white), but this one was especially bad. The lack of any kind of decent post game (with the exception of copy-paste battle tower and version legendary catch) doesn't really help either.

    This game is also incredibly easy, but this has been a trend for years so I cant really pin it on this games faults.

    And last but not least, the fps in wild area when connected to the internet tanks hard. I'm not just talking about few frames here, for instance when you're breeding in the wild area, sometimes it's lagging so bad that when your egg starts to hatch, your character stops in their tracks a few SECONDS before the text box "oh" pops up.

    In conclusion, the game is OK, not great, but it's not bad either. It is actually super fun to play and battling online still feels mostly the same, however the game is plagued with crippling issues that may or may not hinder your enjoyment of the game.    … Expand
  79. Kashmoney
    Apr 17, 2020
    7
    Intro: (note, this review comes from a long time casual player)
    After playing through the game fully now, I can say Pokemon Sword and Shield are still very decent pokemon games and still deserve around a 6 or 7 out of 10 for me. While there are still issues with the games that could use some rework, I still had a very good time playing through the Galar region.
    The Good: Let's start    Intro: (note, this review comes from a long time casual player)
    After playing through the game fully now, I can say Pokemon Sword and Shield are still very decent pokemon games and still deserve around a 6 or 7 out of 10 for me. While there are still issues with the games that could use some rework, I still had a very good time playing through the Galar region.

    The Good:
    Let's start off with the good, the game has a great look pretty good. Yes, the wild areas could be better, but the cities/towns, gyms, and pokemon look pretty solid. The gyms in this game, while easy, felt the closest I believe to the anime. Battles are fought in large coliseums and it's pretty **** cool to see your player battle through the game's leaders and feel like your actually part of the game. Also, in my opinion, this region has some of the most likable new pokemon hands down. All of them felt unique and are some nice additions to the world of pokemon. Character customization is back and it's nothing too amazing, but it's nice that they are still on this trend of being included in the games. The characters in this game are also really great for the most part. Many main characters have a unique personality or cool design to them and it's a really nice crowd of people (my personal favorite is Melony if you know what I mean ;3). Also, this is a very unpopular opinion, but I really like Dynamaxing. Having your pokemon grow to the size of Godzilla and blow up your opponent is really fun and feels like it can give everyone a chance to shine like with z-moves. And while it's not as cool as Megas, I welcome this new way of battling,

    The Meh:
    While the wild area is a really cool idea and is fun, it looks a bit bland. Some areas look like it wasn't properly textured and does look like some old grass stains were left on there (and no, the trees are not the best, but it's a **** tree so who cares). The game also suffers a bit with the National Dex issue. While I personally did not feel affected in my gameplay of the lack of the National Dex, I do still wish they would have allowed players to transfer their Pokemon into the new games with not dex entry like in USUM. 400 pokemon are still a lot however and what's here is a pretty solid roster of mons.

    The bad:
    The game really lacks in the number of dungeons and possible wild areas. There have been many times in the story I wished that there were some dungeons to fight through or more wild areas then what we have. The game's evil team, Team Yell, is also the worst in the WHOLE series. Being nothing but some punks who could have been more was a huge letdown. I felt that there was so much more the team could have done, but they didn't do **** which sucks. This game also suffers from poor post-game. Like X and Y, this game has a lack of post-game and doesn't offer much. I feel once the DLC comes out this could change, but still, it's not great at all.

    Overall:
    This game is fun like other pokemon games. It does need a lot of work, but it's not as bad as some people were putting this game out to be (but hey we all have our opinions). Also with the new DLC coming out, I feel this game might be a start to how pokemon "definitive titles" will play out so here's to hope everything turns out great.    … Expand
  80. Speedie
    Nov 24, 2019
    7
    If you're looking to compare this game to the rest of the Pokemon series, don't bother. Game Freak is taking their world famous series in a different direction, and as a life long Pokemon fan, I'm not upset at all. There are new introductions to the series between battle functions and main quest direction that keep things interesting at all times. There is of course room for improvement,If you're looking to compare this game to the rest of the Pokemon series, don't bother. Game Freak is taking their world famous series in a different direction, and as a life long Pokemon fan, I'm not upset at all. There are new introductions to the series between battle functions and main quest direction that keep things interesting at all times. There is of course room for improvement, as with any video game produced, but it's plenty of fun, and a welcome introduction to my lineup of Pokemon game cases.

    When the game was first announced, and we were told that the National Pokedex was gone (meaning not every existing Pokemon would be in the game) I was quite upset to say the least. I had a feeling some of my favorite Pokemon would be cut, and I was correct. Looking back on it, I was an idiot. The 400 Pokemon included in the game fit so perfectly into the world, being spread out not too thin, but also not having an overwhelming variety in each area. The game feels balanced on the combat side of things due to the limit on specific Pokemon and abilities. Cutting Pokemon from the final project wasn't a split second decision of laziness, it was a decision made to ensure the world feels expansive enough without being crowded, it it works like a charm.

    The story driven content in the game isn't very deep. Not in the slightest. The sad excuse for the "Team" of this generation is something to be disappointed over for sure. The climax has very little build up at all, and a majority of the game is just the protagonist children talking about how they'll be the best trainers there ever was. The post game content is a bit better. More witty, funny, and overall entertaining, but short. I do wish there was deeper lore in the game, or really any significant lore at all to make me excited about the world, but sadly there is no hope. The one slight upside, is that some of the character development is very fun to follow, and caused a few smiles and laughs from me watching the characters change, or chose not to.

    The online features work a bit better than I expected. A bit laggy in the Wild Area sometimes, but otherwise very smooth and reliable. The servers had some issues at the start, but that has nothing to do with the actual experience I had while they were active. The new Raid addition to the game, as well as Trades and Battles are very smooth and work like a regular online game server, which is more than is usually expected from Nintendo.

    In conclusion, this generation is very fun, without a doubt. If compared to the rest of the Pokemon games, sure, it's towards the bottom of the list. As a standalone Switch game though, it truly is a great experience! If you can will yourself to simply get excited about a new video game, and jump into it with a positive, or even neutral mindset, you truly will enjoy yourself. The game is worth a full play through, and deserves praise for the things it does well.    … Expand
  81. BADxPENY
    Sep 19, 2021
    7
    I would like to give this a higher rating, But there are some parts of the game that just dont work. One is if you can only use one uniform in gym battles the whole game, what is that point in obtaining new gym suits? its is a waste of time to change into a suit you have no control over, when in the tv show they wear what ever they want!
  82. Freesteff
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    Nach 5 stunden spielzeit finde ich pokemon schild im grossen und ganzen sehr gut die grafik sehr anständig die naturzone ist riesig die sogenanntentem raids machen spass
  83. MarinoMele
    Jun 25, 2020
    7
    A good game, certainly not great, that barely scores a 7.
    Game Freak has to understand that they're not on a portable console anymore.
    The absence of half of the existing Pokèmons is a let-down, I get it, but it doesn't ruin the experience. THE REAL ISSUE HERE IS HOW BAD THIS GAME IS FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT. It's a tragedy that "Pokémon Battle Revolution", a 2006 game for the    A good game, certainly not great, that barely scores a 7.
    Game Freak has to understand that they're not on a portable console anymore.

    The absence of half of the existing Pokèmons is a let-down, I get it, but it doesn't ruin the experience.
    THE REAL ISSUE HERE IS HOW BAD THIS GAME IS FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT.
    It's a tragedy that "Pokémon Battle Revolution", a 2006 game for the Wii, looks incredibly better. Look for yourselves:
    Pokémon Sword and Shield are Nintendo 3DS games, with upscaled resolution and not-enough-upscaled textures. They tried their best to mask themselves as Switch games, but to no avail.

    To add salt on the wound, on top of the poor graphics, the most jarring aspect is that the animations are straight terrible.
    I haven't seen anything this basic since the PS2 era - even Pokémon on Game Cube had better animations (even if extremely over-the-top sometimes).

    The main campaign is pretty enjoyable but you'll reach a point where you start wondering if they ran out of time/resources. There are cities as small as a corridor...
    Not to mention that this game doesn't have the Elite Four:
    You'll re-battle some of the gym leaders instead. It's sad.

    The best aspect of these games is how well-balanced the competitive scene is. Especially double-battles that really are turn-based gems.
    It's truly a pity that COVID-19 put an end to every competition this year...

    All in all this was an overall good experience for a Pokémon game, but since it doesn't cost 40€ anymore... It was not worth the money, sadly.

    Game Freak has to understand that they're not on a portable console anymore.    … Expand
  84. amandamagliaro
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    Switch is a better console than 3DS, so I was expecting more. But anyway, I was still surprised with the game and the news in this new generation
  85. 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
  86. 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
  87. DiscoToot
    Nov 16, 2019
    7
    An honest review for the common player, bias aside. If you’ve already played through the entirety of Pokemon Sword/Shield, you had the time on your hands and that’s cool. Personally, I have not played through. I don’t doubt the most popular disdain; a considerably short story and post-game, lackluster character diversity and dynamax features. But I want to point out some review pointsAn honest review for the common player, bias aside. If you’ve already played through the entirety of Pokemon Sword/Shield, you had the time on your hands and that’s cool. Personally, I have not played through. I don’t doubt the most popular disdain; a considerably short story and post-game, lackluster character diversity and dynamax features. But I want to point out some review points you’re going to read that are more than likely the fault of bias and nostalgia. - Wild areas don’t lack the richness players claim. The wild area is a new concept. It’s not supposed to be the open field in Breath of the Wild. The mechanics of the wild areas are exciting and challenging. Seeing your wild opponent before entering battle changes how you’re gonna play the game, for the better. It makes it more fun to train, without all of the running away from Zubats so you can battle a Graveller. Much easier and fun to hunt down a Pokemon with a certain nature or ability. - Graphically, the game is just taking flight. The first true 3D Pokemon rendition since Colosseum/XD, this game fulfills the wishes those games dreamed of. While maybe underdeveloped, it’s not ugly or underhwelming. There were no textures and objects to operate from, aside from X/Y/Sun/Moon monster designs. This is the first modern rendition of Pokemon in 3D, it serves in its flashy and expressive gloat. - As for the story, I can’t speak to that. I have not completed the game. BUT. Sun and Moon earned the worst story award. If you don’t tout through the game gingerly, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Pokemon in the context of Shield/Sword is meant to be played more like the pace of a slice of life game. In summation, you will enjoy this game if you like to take your time but not if you like to play through competitively and fast. If you want a fulfilling Pokemon experience instead of a jam-packed Pomemon experience, you’ll enjoy this game.… Expand
  88. Somonoxide
    Nov 16, 2019
    7
    The wheel hasn’t been reinvented. No giant leap forward.

    However! If your a Pokemon series fan this will satisfy your itch. Wild zone has huge potential for future games. Gyms are back with fun “all be it simple” puzzles. The games still aimed at kids, it always will be.... And tbh how many people actually completed the National Dex anyway.
  89. Yauboio
    Nov 17, 2019
    7
    These games are not bad. In fact they are perfectly decent Pokémon games. In some areas there has been great improvement, in particular the menus, the ability to skip some tutorials, the concept of the wild area. However for the first console Pokémon game it's dissapointing and unimaginative. If you love Pokémon you'll have some fun with it but it could have been so much better.
  90. iMDario
    Nov 18, 2019
    7
    +good music
    +dynamax/gigantamax seems ok in competitive
    +new gyms are ok -no national dex
    -GameCube grapichs
    -0 character design
    -poor coded
  91. RandomS0lar
    Nov 18, 2019
    7
    It's an average game and although I thought what game freak did was wrong, I thought it was a pretty decent game. I'm neutral on the national dex because I feel bad for the people that got affected by this but at the same time it doesn't really affect me. I liked the new pokemon and the dark type gym but, I wasn't a fan of Hop. He seemed a little annoying and some of the facial design inIt's an average game and although I thought what game freak did was wrong, I thought it was a pretty decent game. I'm neutral on the national dex because I feel bad for the people that got affected by this but at the same time it doesn't really affect me. I liked the new pokemon and the dark type gym but, I wasn't a fan of Hop. He seemed a little annoying and some of the facial design in this game feels out of place.… Expand
  92. Akayomi
    Nov 19, 2019
    7
    Short version:
    The Good:
    - Refreshing feeling overall - Good character designs - Good looking graphics and animations (Half of the time, more on this down on the 'bad') - Wild Area is amaizing The bad: - Lazy animations on a lot of attacks (Which makes it even worse, considering some attacks have beautiful animations) - FPS drops on the Wild Area, even in Docked mode - Cutting    Short version:
    The Good:
    - Refreshing feeling overall
    - Good character designs
    - Good looking graphics and animations (Half of the time, more on this down on the 'bad')
    - Wild Area is amaizing

    The bad:
    - Lazy animations on a lot of attacks (Which makes it even worse, considering some attacks have beautiful animations)
    - FPS drops on the Wild Area, even in Docked mode
    - Cutting the National Dex to "include better animations". Animations that are not in the game.
    - General unpolished feel to the game. This game needed at least 3-6 more months of development, and it could've easily been the BEST pokemon game of all time. Instead, we get a half-baked, mediocre pokemon game.

    Overall: If you enjoyed pokemon games, you will have fun. The game lacks in a lot of aspects, but it's still an enjoyable experience. I wish GameFreak would've taken more time to polish it a bit more, or at the very least that they adress the issues on patches down the line.

    Long version:
    I'm glad I bought this.

    Yes, the game has issues (FPS drops, some animations are cheap as **** it's generally unpolished, unnecesary dexit) but the game really ISN'T as bad as leakers and naysayers would have you believe. It pisses me off because if they had a few more months (say, 3 months, like Animal Crossing) this game could have been the BEST pokemon game ever. Instead, we get a half-assed mediocre game, but with enough fun stuff that it guarantees a huge profit for GameFreak, therefore they will not learn, and will continue to half-ass games, most likely. That's pretty sad.
    Also, anyone saying "the game is short!!! you can beat it in 8 hours!!" is full of **** I haven't even finished the main story and check it: 26hs and ticking. And I haven't even started doing max raids or anything endgame like that.
    The XP share turned on all the time is a pain in the ass, and we SHOULD have an option to turn it off.
    The difficulty is... very low. You can just mash A and you will probably win most fights. That being said, difficulty does spike in a few battles here and there. But most of the time it's very easy.

    Is this game perfect? No, not at all. Is it bad? Not really. It's average, or mediocre, whatever word you prefer to use. But it's fun. If you walk into the game wanting to hate it, you'll nitpick and hate every part of it. If you walk into the game wishing to have fun... well, you'll have tons of fun.

    Whether or not this game is worth 60$ is up to you to decide. For me, it should be 40$ and not a cent more. But I still bent over and paid full price. Even tho I reckon it shouldn't be full price, I personally am having lots of fun, and that makes it worth my time and money.    … Expand
  93. Krakuan
    Nov 19, 2019
    7
    Its by no means perfect but the game is fun to play. The new pokemon look cool and i particularly like the look of Dragapult and toxitricity. I'm a bit bummed about the fact that i can't bring in Regus ( my swampert from my emerald game) but it's honestly a minor annoyance for me as i tend to use a team of new gen pokemon anyway and only bringing in one or two old favourites from previousIts by no means perfect but the game is fun to play. The new pokemon look cool and i particularly like the look of Dragapult and toxitricity. I'm a bit bummed about the fact that i can't bring in Regus ( my swampert from my emerald game) but it's honestly a minor annoyance for me as i tend to use a team of new gen pokemon anyway and only bringing in one or two old favourites from previous gen games.

    Collecting all the pokemon is only one aspect of pokemon and I've always maintained that its the journey and becoming champion that are the main aspects of pokemon. Personally i don't do multiplayer at all for anything so i don't really do the whole battling other people thing. Dynamax raids are a bummer in this regard but hey i can just not do them so its fine. I would have liked team yell to be a bigger threat and since i still have all my pokemon in my pokebank i have still basically almost caught them all ( still struggling with dreepy aquisition) so it doesn't really matter if i can't have them all in one game as i still have them. I do recommend getting it on special or do what i did and split the price of a sword and shield bundle with a friend or family member to reduce the cost. Graphics are a bit lackluster but honestly as someone who plays almost all his games on low quality i don't really care ( this is a personal thing) and i would have liked the option to turn shared exp so that i actually use pokemon to get them to evolve (this is actually a very good way to find out move sets and abilities about pokemon you thought sucked based on looks but turn out to be awesome when you take the time to battle with them. I would have liked some more end game content like in emerald with the battle frontier or something similar to heartgold with those race minigames and pokemon contests from emerald where you could be a coordinator. All in all its not a bad game its just missing a few minor things some some people are blowing a bit out of proportion. You can still catch all the pokemon you just can't have them all in the same region now and lets be honest that makes sense. Satoshi doesn't take all his pokemon with him when he goes to a new region ( he just takes pikachu) he leaves them in kanto. I view this the same way i just wish i could have taken my version of pikachu ( Regus) with me    … Expand
  94. Cassichu
    Nov 20, 2019
    7
    I have been a long time pokemon fan since before I can remember, and have faithfully followed the franchise through thick and thin, from Kanto to Hoenn to Alola and now to the wide open fields and idyllic landscapes of Galar. I came into this new game with certain expectations - and they were met to a certain degree, and in some areas they fell miserably short. I got a pokemon game, withI have been a long time pokemon fan since before I can remember, and have faithfully followed the franchise through thick and thin, from Kanto to Hoenn to Alola and now to the wide open fields and idyllic landscapes of Galar. I came into this new game with certain expectations - and they were met to a certain degree, and in some areas they fell miserably short. I got a pokemon game, with its beautiful world and its unique character designs, both human and pokemon; I got a promising look into the post-game competitive scene and the excitement of all the new ways to find shinies! Personally, the cut pokedex never bothered me personally - we all knew it was coming, and you would be disillusioned to say that you didn't, what with there being over 1000 unique pokemon and designs when including form variations into the mix - but I will say that the PR response by Nintendo and GameFreak has been disappointing. The game suffers not only because what it could have been, but for the excuses that were given that these features were not available.

    The game itself is solid (though the lack of a real VILLAINOUS PRESENCE really was something that I found more disappointing than I thought I would), but I will say that they are lacking in some respects. The wild area is an amazing concept, but never quite reached its full potential, the story was shallow and I found myself reminiscing about the deeper more engaging stories of generations past; the textures were rough visually in some places, and we all know about the animations.

    My score comes from a place of concern and love. This was a pokemon game - but it was nothing more. It wasn't unique and revolutionary like Pokemon Black/White's story, and it wasn't the first of its kind for the time like Pokemon Yellow/Red/Blue. Pokemon has and continues to be one of my favorite franchises, and while I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Galar thus far (~50 hrs at the time of this review), I am left with wanting more.

    More content, a deeper story, a heftier post game concerning more than just the competitive scene that will turn off plenty of casual players. I loved Sword and Shield, more than likely many of the upset fans leaving their countless reviews here - but as a fan of the franchise, I want it to be better. I want it to be more than what we've been shown and to take advantage of all the resources laid out at their feet. I hold close to my heart a dream that soon, we'll be given the pokemon game we want that gives us a new look on the franchise without wiping clean the slate that they have laid out for us in generations past, where we're given voice acting, a more high-def view of the world, and a story that carries more weight. Pokemon may be considered a child's game, but it carries with it the nostalgia and the love of generations of fans - and GF/Nintendo haven't quite found the balance where it caters to both.

    Pros:
    - Beautiful at a glance, a new take on how a pokemon game is laid out
    - Amazing new designs, human and pokemon alike
    - Small steps towards innovation in the form of the Wild Area and erasure of restrictive HM moves
    - Customization is much more varied and refreshing; finding a trainer that looks like you is a hard task
    - A genuinely enjoyable experience for a casual player, as well as old fans looking for a comfortable playthrough

    Cons:
    - Limited graphics compared to what the Switch is capable of
    - A story that lacks the weight/impact of previous titles
    - A lackluster post-game unless you're looking into getting into the competitive/shiny breeding scene
    - Where there is some innovation, there feels like there's a loss of soul that makes pokemon what it is

    Any hard core pokemon fan would be remiss to not get these games, but the $60 price tag is certainly something that hurts a game that feels like it would have been nearly the same as a $40 DS title. I would recommend the games wholeheartedly, but with the footnote that it's all what it appears on the surface: a pokemon game. Time will tell if this whole debacle will finally get through to GameFreak and Nintendo as a whole, but for now - until the next games come out - I will enjoy my foray through Galar. I hope those that give these games a chance will do the same.    … Expand
  95. BobeoFunnelcake
    Nov 21, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It’s a solid Pokémon game, and is the first to bring back the enjoyment I felt playing black and white for the first time. Animations leave things to be desired, but what it lacks in animations it makes up for in new Pokémon designs. The wild area makes leveling up much easier, as opposed to grinding in previous games. Dynamaxing Pokémon is certainly an interesting mechanic, though I’m disappointed that mega evolutions were removed, as that felt like a new constant game mechanic. It’s a perfectly fine Pokémon game, however I hoped that gen 8 would’ve done more with the series, but if you like Pokémon games, I’d say give it a shot.… Expand
  96. Keeb79
    Nov 27, 2019
    7
    OK, this game is really difficult to talk about, as it gets a lot of things right, but also a lot of things wrong. Let's start positively, though.

    Most of the things that this game does will satisfy fans, at least I think so. There's about 90 new Pokémon and most of them are great, you'll definitely get a lot of fun battles out of them, even if the game isn't all that challenging. The    OK, this game is really difficult to talk about, as it gets a lot of things right, but also a lot of things wrong. Let's start positively, though.

    Most of the things that this game does will satisfy fans, at least I think so. There's about 90 new Pokémon and most of them are great, you'll definitely get a lot of fun battles out of them, even if the game isn't all that challenging. The Gym Challenge is a fun idea, and with a little bit more exploration, would have really improved this game. There isn't a lot of outstanding points to make, but this game does most things pretty well.

    But I know why you're here. The Pokédex has been Thanos Snapped, the story is well... non-existant and most of the characters are boring and have no personality. Look, these are major flaws that do prove how rushed the game is, but if you're just a casual player looking for some Poké-fun, you will probably look past these annoyances and be able to enjoy the game for what it is. No, it's not as good as let's say, Sun & Moon, but it still holds up... decently. At least I think it does.

    You don't have to agree with me, but I think it's ok. 7/10/B-    … Expand
  97. Amytitt
    Nov 27, 2019
    7
    I can see why a lot of people dislike this game (lack of national dex, bad animations and graphics) but overall the game is fine. It’s not the greatest Pokémon game like some people say, nor is it the worst thing to ever exist like others say too. I had fun with this game which is the only thing that I want in a video game, to have fun. But I can see why some people won’t have fun in thisI can see why a lot of people dislike this game (lack of national dex, bad animations and graphics) but overall the game is fine. It’s not the greatest Pokémon game like some people say, nor is it the worst thing to ever exist like others say too. I had fun with this game which is the only thing that I want in a video game, to have fun. But I can see why some people won’t have fun in this game, like if their favorite Pokémon isn’t in the game or something like that. A lot of people say that the game was short, but to me it was ok length. It took me 28 hours in main game which isn’t much but it’s not as measly as what others say. Many others say how one of the rivals, Hop is a rip off of Hau if you spam A while their talking. Unlike Hau, Hop actually has character development and changes as a person. Hop is a bit annoying in the beginning but he gets better throughout the game. Most of the characters are good and perfectly fine. For Pokémon and their designs are fully opinionated. But to me their most good and fine with a few slip ups. Overall, the game is great for casual fans, but if you’re a hardcore fan, don’t get your hopes up.… Expand
  98. FriedMelon
    Nov 28, 2019
    7
    In my personal opinion these games are mediocre. They’re not Omega Ruby levels of awfulness but Story Wise they don’t hold a candle to Gen 5 or even mid to late game Ultra Sun and Moon. It doesn’t have Mega Evolution or Z-Moves. It does have the speed though, fastest to date. It makes do with what it has. One thing before I end this I ain’t looking for perfection, I’m looking for jawIn my personal opinion these games are mediocre. They’re not Omega Ruby levels of awfulness but Story Wise they don’t hold a candle to Gen 5 or even mid to late game Ultra Sun and Moon. It doesn’t have Mega Evolution or Z-Moves. It does have the speed though, fastest to date. It makes do with what it has. One thing before I end this I ain’t looking for perfection, I’m looking for jaw dropping experiences and that’s what the Switch has been doing back to back to back to back. Unfortunately Sword and Shield, don’t do it. Was it fun, yes, does the music slap, yes. But even if it’s fun it doesn’t mean this franchise is stuck in ’96. This game even with the wild area feels the same and as I’ve said before that’s a damn shame. 6.7/10.… Expand
  99. Rare289
    Dec 12, 2019
    7
    So, let's just get this out of the way: the story is very meh. To be frank, I haven't felt as engaged with a Pokemon story in a while, with the last time I actually enjoyed one being in Pokemon X and Y. But this go around, I feel like this is mainly do to the lackluster characters involved in the story. Not to mention that, rather than let my character get more involved in theSo, let's just get this out of the way: the story is very meh. To be frank, I haven't felt as engaged with a Pokemon story in a while, with the last time I actually enjoyed one being in Pokemon X and Y. But this go around, I feel like this is mainly do to the lackluster characters involved in the story. Not to mention that, rather than let my character get more involved in the mystery/world-ending phenomenon, it just gets pushed aside so that I can "continue my journey while the adults take care of stuff". Aside from that, what did save this game for me was the new quality of life improvements, the Wild Area, Surprise Trade and the new Pokemon from the Galar region. I love Dreepy, Grapploct and Boltund, but all the other new Pokemon are cool and unique in their own ways and in their designs. Especially since I found Sun and Moon's new pokemon to be pretty bland, Shield really did impress me with it's Pokemon. And I've put tons of hours into just exploring the Wild Area, doing Max Raids, and doing tons of surprise trades with people. And, I've got to admit, I've had fun. This is still a fun and enjoyable Pokemon game. I would say try it out before completely rejecting it, but I do hope that we can see and even better game, with an actually good story, in the next generation. Not sure if I'll write a Sword review, but it will probably be similar to this.… Expand
  100. Maucritic
    Dec 11, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Esse jogo é bem divertido dependendo do seu ponto de vista , porém , ele tem problemas gráfico-visuais em alguns pontos , os vilões são ridículos ( no caso a team Yell ) , falta de pokemons e novos pokemons sendo alguns com designes horríveis pode fazer você odiar o jogo .… 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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