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. HappyTorchic255
    Jan 3, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not a 'great' game but it's also not a bad game. Yes, it sucks that 455 Pokémon are removed from the game (including one of my favorite Pokemon Blaziken) and some animations are honestly bad (like Dubwool using headbutt with its feet). The wild area and Max raid battles are some of my favorite features of this game. Plus this generation introduces in my opinion many great Pokemon's (Dragapult and Cursola are two of my new favorites). The games are flawed, but still fun. So I think 6-7/10 are the most fair and deserving scores this game can get.… Expand
  2. Rebel20
    Dec 20, 2019
    7
    Un juego que ilusionaba por su salto de generación y las posibilidades que está podría ofrecer, hay conceptos innovadores que no concretan un elemento sólido en la experiencia general.
  3. harry_j_harry
    Dec 22, 2019
    7
    The story and difficulty of the game felt non existent. The lack of every Pokémon is lazy. But this is a decent Pokémon experience with a bunch of cool Pokémon design's.
  4. DarthNexus
    Dec 24, 2019
    7
    The Story - 5/10

    The story begins simple enough. You live in a small town called Postwick, in the far southern end of the Galar region. Galar is based on western Europe, and plays that up rather well, as Euro slang such as ‘telly,’ ‘cuppa,’ ‘shut yer gob,’ etc, are frequently seen throughout the game. Your mother is even named ‘Mum!’ You’re quickly introduced to Hop, your rival for the    The Story - 5/10

    The story begins simple enough. You live in a small town called Postwick, in the far southern end of the Galar region. Galar is based on western Europe, and plays that up rather well, as Euro slang such as ‘telly,’ ‘cuppa,’ ‘shut yer gob,’ etc, are frequently seen throughout the game. Your mother is even named ‘Mum!’ You’re quickly introduced to Hop, your rival for the campaign, and you will get annoyed with him faster than Hau from Sun and Moon. His brother, Champion Leon, provides you with your starter (The grass-type monkey Grookey, the water-type gecko Sobble, and the fire-type rabbit Scorbunny). He tasks you with taking on the Gym Challenge, and hopefully one day to face him in a battle (The writing heavily plays up his ‘undefeated’ status). You travel with Hop around the region, collecting Badges, meeting NPCs, and capturing Pokemon. I will refrain from going into specifics to avoid spoilers, but you gain a few new rivals and meet Team Yell along the way.

    Overall, the writing is kind of odd. I felt like I was a side character to the main plot, while the NPCs figured out each of the major driving plot details, and my character was just along for the ride. The end of the story was interesting to me. I will say this much, I was not expecting what happened to happen. The story itself was alright, fit well with the theme of the region, but did not stand out as ‘great’ to me. My play time of the story, including the post-Champion battle story, clocked in at about 25 hours.

    The Gameplay - 6/10

    The core gameplay of catching Pokemon and battling with them has not changed much in the last 20 years. Heck, it took almost 15 years for them to add a new Pokemon type to the series (Fairy-type was added in X and Y in 2013, previous to that the last new types were Dark and Steel introduced in Gold and Silver in 1999) Notable cut features are Mega Evolutions (introduced in X and Y in 2013), and Z-Moves (Sun/Moon, 2017) in favor of the new Dynamax ability, allowing you to grow one of your Pokemon into a giant Kaiju-sized powerhouse temporarily, gaining strength and increased health to combat your opponent. Dynamax does not last until the end of the battle, rather ending after a few turns. In addition, it can only be done in certain places (you're given a minor cutscene at the beginning of a battle if Dynamax is available).

    Dynamax feels like a nerf of Mega Evolution, and personally, I don’t like it. Mega Evolution certain pokemon changing types, or giving them a different passive Ability, on top of changing their appearance. The fact it only lasts for three turns presents a new dynamic of when to use this power spike over the course of a battle. In the context of the story, most times I used it was at the end of a battle where Dynamax was allowed, to help seal victory.

    New Pokemon Designs - 7/10

    91 new Pokemon were added to the game. While not all of the designs look great, a good portion of them look pretty well done. One Pokemon in particular, Alcremie, has 63 different forms. Which one your Milcery evolves into is determined by its held item and how quickly you spin in a given direction. Overall, the designs of the new Pokemon (and the Galarian variants on existing pokemon) mostly fit the theme of the region, and those that don’t do not look out of place in the Pokemon world.

    Quality of Life Changes - 9/10

    Continuing the quality of life changes from the previous games carry over, including seeing if an attack will be super effective (provided you’ve got the pokemon registered in the pokedex), and the Bottle Caps from Sun and Moon return. New to Sword and Shield are the Mints, which will allow you to change what stats are affected by the Pokemon's nature, as well as removing the cap on using vitamins to fully train your Pokemon's stats. These small changes help to open up competitive play to more people! Some other changes are the Name Rater and Move Relearner are present in every Pokemon Center, and you are now allowed to nickname a Pokemon you got in a trade, provided they do not already have a nickname.

    Overall - 7/10

    Pokemon Sword and Shield bring a lot of new ideas to the table, while removing a few things that worked in the past. As for a product that stands on its own, it's ok! Not terrible, but not great. Yes, the controversy surrounding Dexit and some of the graphics bring the score down a bit, but overall it's still a decent entry into the Pokemon franchise, even if it's not the greatest (That honor to me still goes to HeartGold and SoulSilver). The new Pokemon designs are above average, the story feels like it was rushed in order to get the game out on time, leading to a short campaign, the characters you interact with regularly are overly annoying (Looking at you, Hop), and the new gameplay elements do not deliver compelling gameplay compared to previous titles.    … Expand
  5. Wildrover
    Dec 28, 2019
    7
    This game is fun going through the story portion, but fails in online play.

    Joining raids and trading pokemon are a real pain. There is no in game chat to set up trades and surprise trade is a gamble.

    I still enjoy the game for what it is, but it could be better.
  6. Insight_Sami
    Jan 4, 2020
    7
    I like pokemon shield,but it lag.
    Bruhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
    I love pokemon!!!!
    I don't know what i can write.
  7. Hanneymax
    Jan 4, 2020
    7
    There are enough very good Pokémon to make the game fun and although once completed there isn’t much to do, if you rate this below a 6 you are dim
  8. random_person89
    Jan 7, 2020
    7
    For a Pokemon game it's pretty mediocre, it had it's moments when it was fun and sometimes when it's not. The game is not worth $60. It feels rushed compared to other Pokemon games. Some of the Pokemon this generation where pretty cool and interesting. This generation had some of the best music in the series and some good characters. But the characters interact with you too much and thereFor a Pokemon game it's pretty mediocre, it had it's moments when it was fun and sometimes when it's not. The game is not worth $60. It feels rushed compared to other Pokemon games. Some of the Pokemon this generation where pretty cool and interesting. This generation had some of the best music in the series and some good characters. But the characters interact with you too much and there isn't really much of a story. Some of the most suspenseful moments are over when you arrive there. Some of the areas are too small and the textures are some objects are well... not good. Some of the areas look amazing and some just look lazy. They put so much work into some area's but some just look lazy. Also the battle animation with the Pokemon don't really look that good. They don't even move for some of them, some Pokemon have work put into them and some don't. They have done battle animations in the past but why can't they do that now. We can expect these things from game freak but they don't really seem to care about Pokemon.… Expand
  9. Robertinho123
    Jun 20, 2020
    7
    I really enjoy the base game, but there's very little postgame, raiding is okay, but honestly the online system is so crap that 5 star pokemon are almost impossible to catch.

    When some of the mechanics are so broken, it's hard to give it more than a 7. If they fix the online, I'll bump it to 8, but I doubt that'll happen.
  10. noleme
    Jan 28, 2020
    7
    I had a lot of fun playing this pokemon game. Being able to see the pokemon in the grass is a great addition as I can choose the encounters instead of random annoying encounters. Because of this, this is the first pokemon game where I actually wanted to catch them all. The exp share takes away the annoying grinding and encourages you to try new low level pokemon you catch in your party. InI had a lot of fun playing this pokemon game. Being able to see the pokemon in the grass is a great addition as I can choose the encounters instead of random annoying encounters. Because of this, this is the first pokemon game where I actually wanted to catch them all. The exp share takes away the annoying grinding and encourages you to try new low level pokemon you catch in your party. In prior games I would just use a couple strong pokemon as I did not want to grind to level up additional pokemon. There was not an hours long tutorial or as much hand holding as ultra sun had. The gyms being arenas like a sports competition made them feel exciting.

    Dynamaxing pokemon is nothing special. The z-moves from ultra sun are better and provide more strategy in battles. The story in the game is dumb and uninteresting. Especially the team baddies which are just obnoxious fans of an opposing gym challenger and provide no real challenge. Previous games baddies like team magma from ruby were actually interesting and had motivation. The game had no good puzzles to get through. The story advances illogically as if they forgot about it. The wild area was not as fun and interesting as I thought it would be. You can't even catch all the pokemon in it until you beat all the gyms. It is so annoying encountering a pokemon and realizing it is too high a level for you to catch.

    As a casual fan who had no idea the national dex even existed until the outrage from a very vocal minority, I enjoyed this game; Although pokemon can and should be much more than this.    … Expand
  11. Maxtron
    Feb 12, 2020
    7
    A good game but it falls in some parts like in the main game it seems that is unfinished an the climax appears from non-where; the graphics are not the same quality as the other games from the console. But at the end is fun, I would recommend it? Only if you are a big Pokémon fan.
  12. Nitroade24
    Jul 17, 2020
    7
    It felt a bit empty but overall it was enjoyable as a game. Nothing to write home about.
  13. MonkdemMan
    Feb 20, 2020
    7
    Ok gamefreak didn't really push the boat out too far and kinda played it safe. Fanboys giving it a zero need to get a life. This is a game made for all ages and all level of "fans" not the obsessive angry weirdos. Its exactly what I expected from a pokemon game. Travel a decent looking world catch all the pokemon take on gyms ect. I like the graphics not every game needs high detail theOk gamefreak didn't really push the boat out too far and kinda played it safe. Fanboys giving it a zero need to get a life. This is a game made for all ages and all level of "fans" not the obsessive angry weirdos. Its exactly what I expected from a pokemon game. Travel a decent looking world catch all the pokemon take on gyms ect. I like the graphics not every game needs high detail the art work works. The sounds is more of the same and can't say I'm a fan of the music.
    I had a good time with pokemon shield it's an innocent piece of my childhood bought to a colourful great map. It's not a perfect masterpiece but should we really expect that from a game that is made for ages 3 and upwards. I can enjoy it and so can my kids.... when I eventually have some    … Expand
  14. Enterkiou
    Feb 25, 2020
    7
    No es un mal juego, claramente no merece una cero. Lamentablemente no es lo que los fans de pokemon esperaban del juego. No tiene mucho avance en relación a otras entregas de la franquicia, salvo el área salvaje. Cuenta con limitaciones técnicas inexplicables para la época, como texturas mediocres y Pop-In, lo cual no concuerda con lo que uno espera de un triple A. Sin embargo, esNo es un mal juego, claramente no merece una cero. Lamentablemente no es lo que los fans de pokemon esperaban del juego. No tiene mucho avance en relación a otras entregas de la franquicia, salvo el área salvaje. Cuenta con limitaciones técnicas inexplicables para la época, como texturas mediocres y Pop-In, lo cual no concuerda con lo que uno espera de un triple A. Sin embargo, es principalmente más bueno que malo, dado que mantiene la jugabilidad adictiva de otras entregas, y respecto a eso, la jugabilidad siempre debiese tener más peso en un videojuego. Pasarás horas y horas de entretenimiento con este juego, siempre y cuando seas capaz de dejar de un lado sus notorios defectos.… Expand
  15. TheFanOfFans
    Mar 11, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So I thought that this game was pretty cool, but has many flaws. First off, the national dex doesn't bother me. It can be a game breaker if you want to use your favorite Pokemon. However I like using the new ones the most, and to anyone on the fence about the game because of this. I say get it and just try some new Pokemon, you might find a new favorite! Now the game is slow paced. The main characters will stop you over, and over. This is definitely a damper on the experience as a whole as when you want to go somewhere you are almost guaranteed to be stopped by a character. The graphics are nice when in towns and on the routes. Nothing crazy, but sometimes the towns actually look great. But in the Wild Area stuff goes downhill. The graphics aren't too great. The tree's look very strange and pokemon pop in and out (though this is an issue with the whole game). In the Wild Area you can do these Dynamax pokemon battles. These I am a bit mixed on. Once you beat the game most if not all raids are 5 stars. This means they put up their shield multiple times. The shields in my opinion aren't very good. A Dynamax pokemon deals 2 bars, while regular does 1. If there is 1 bar, a dynmax pokemon wastes it's attack and still only does one. This wouldn't be an issue except it wastes 1 of your 3 turns in as a Dynamax. Also the CPU players aren't to great. I'll get to the online after this but just know that you get the same pool of CPU Pokemon and it can feel really bad when one just keeps using stat boosters. Now the online (at least for me) is very hit or miss. Sometimes when I try to trade it takes a while to connect, other times it's almost instant. It definitely works more then it doesn't, but that's just something to keep in mind. The gameplay is great, it's just pokemon. The gyms this time are the best they have ever been, definitely a highlight. After you beat the game you can make tournaments with the gym leaders and that is constantly fun. Now there isn't much of a story in this game. Basically Leon and Sonia get most of the action and just tell you about all the crazy stuff that happened. Towards the end stuff starts picking up and you fight one of the Legendary Pokemon. The scaling of him was very weird though. His size seemed to change a lot. Overall I don't mind the lack of story, it would have been nice though and if you want one this game will not deliver. The difficulty is a bit too easy, but I've come to expect that with Pokemon at this point. I might have left some things out, but overall, it's a fun experience that has it's faults. Get it at a discount because $60 is a bit to much.… Expand
  16. JancoBH
    Jun 1, 2020
    7
    Este juego es bueno, no el mejor pero si es bueno y disfrutable, lo malo es que mejora al tener switch online.

    Dentro de poco habrá un DLC que complementará el videojuego y lo hará mejorar mucho, lo malo es tener que pagar 30$ usd por ese contenido.

    También hace falta algunos Pokémon. hola
  17. Faxi
    May 23, 2020
    7
    Pokemon Sword & Shield introduces us to the galar region, with a bunch of new but also returning pokemon from the past games in the series. While the national dex isn't a thing in Pokemon Sword & Shield, the game is still a great pokemon game.

    While the game has a lot of different elements compared to the other pokemon games in the series. It was still fun exploring the Galar region,    Pokemon Sword & Shield introduces us to the galar region, with a bunch of new but also returning pokemon from the past games in the series. While the national dex isn't a thing in Pokemon Sword & Shield, the game is still a great pokemon game.

    While the game has a lot of different elements compared to the other pokemon games in the series. It was still fun exploring the Galar region, and leveling up and evolving one's pokemons.

    The game was far too easy, and the gyms didn't really offer any challenge whatsoever. The game did offer a more open area also known as the ''Wild Area'' with many different pokemon, one could catch.
    While also even your rival isn't even challenging at all, just makes the game far more easy and not challenging at all.

    Other than the easy gym challenges the game offers, there is no elite four, but instead ''Semi-Finals'' which felt like beating the gym challenges all over again.

    The game doesn't even offer a interesting story, but rather an awkward story about your rival and his constant craving beating you.

    Though, even with the small disappointments the game has, the game was still quite fun to play through.

    With the 2 ekspansions releasing later this year, hopefully we will get a lot more of great content.    … Expand
  18. BrunoMacielS
    Apr 29, 2020
    7
    I really had a very high expectation for this pokemon. Unfortunately it is a good game but not what I expected.
  19. Baximi
    May 3, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Es ist ein gutes Spiel, aber eines der schlechtesten seiner Reihe. Die Story lässt wieder einmal zu wünschen übrig und Dynamax ist meiner Meinung auch nicht sonderlich interessant. Die meisten neuen Pokémon sind sogar in Ordnung, aber ein paar waren wie immer unnötig. Dennoch hatte ich mit dem Spiel eine Menge Spaß.… Expand
  20. pinkdino1
    Jun 19, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. for the first main Pokemon title for a big system, the game is very mhe.

    the new pokemon are good, with a lot of ones i like.
    but the story is very underwhelming. every time it starts to get interesting, the someone tells you not to worry about it and just go to the next gym.

    it also doesn't help the final boss is a guy so worried about something that won't affect the region for almost 1000 years, that he can't wait one day for the champion to do something then come help him with his plan.

    the gimic of this game, dinamaxing, also isn't as fun as i thought it would be. yes its neat to encounter large wild pokemon, but outside battling the gym leaders, the tournament, and maybe 3-4 random times, the gimic isn't used. its a water down mega evolution mixed with Z-moves.
    (even worse is both Charizard and Gengar have new forms dispight already having megas)

    its a good simple game, but not much more then that. (this review is not counting DLC)    … Expand
  21. jona000100
    Jun 21, 2020
    7
    el juego es decente pero pudo hacerse mejor las graficas en algunos puntos en estan bien en otros no las animaciones pocas son buenas y reusan demasiado contenido de sol y luna pero en general es disfrutable y tiene el mejor competitivo de la saga en mi humilde opinion
  22. Danielife
    Jun 22, 2020
    7
    This game is fun, the story is good, even though I didn't like the end. Every character has their own personality. GF always gets better with characters, story and OST in new games. New Pokémon are very cute, they all are very caracteristic. BUT, this game has lots of problems that distract you from the good points. Of course, graphics and animation, those are very bad, and they can'tThis game is fun, the story is good, even though I didn't like the end. Every character has their own personality. GF always gets better with characters, story and OST in new games. New Pokémon are very cute, they all are very caracteristic. BUT, this game has lots of problems that distract you from the good points. Of course, graphics and animation, those are very bad, and they can't justify the choose of Dex Cut... I honestly don't really care about that, but the Cut was done so GF could improve graphics and animations, which has not been done. There are also problems with how they hand backgrounds... for example, there are 2 battles with a character on 2 different bridges, but only 1 of that has the bridge background. So I think this game was done in 1 year, without lots of quality checks. The online wasn't clearly test, because it's terrible. And this is a big problem for a game with a poor post game.… Expand
  23. KeybladeHero_05
    Jun 29, 2023
    7
    This game is okay. The only thing I'm going to talk about are the absence of voice acting to some parts of the game. It felt really weird during my first playthrough and I'm sure that I'll feel the same after going through my second attempt.

    The raids however is amazing and honestly, that's the only redeeming thing this game has. A good way to grind via EXP Candies because shared EXP is    This game is okay. The only thing I'm going to talk about are the absence of voice acting to some parts of the game. It felt really weird during my first playthrough and I'm sure that I'll feel the same after going through my second attempt.

    The raids however is amazing and honestly, that's the only redeeming thing this game has. A good way to grind via EXP Candies because shared EXP is a nightmare. If you're playing it for the first time and you don't have any time for grinding, go do the raid den as much as possible.    … Expand
  24. Arturos
    Jul 1, 2020
    7
    Fun game to play with friend a family, if you are a big pokemon fan but it.
  25. DantiDurum
    Jul 20, 2020
    7
    Esta nueva edición de Pokémon nos ha traído cosas muy buenas como la música, los diseños de las criaturas, los mejorados gimnasios y una mayor facilidad para introducirse al mundo del competitivo. A su vez, estas cosas buenas vienen acompañadas de otras horribles como los gráficos, que son bastante flojos para una Switch; algunas animaciones y texturas o incluso la historia del propioEsta nueva edición de Pokémon nos ha traído cosas muy buenas como la música, los diseños de las criaturas, los mejorados gimnasios y una mayor facilidad para introducirse al mundo del competitivo. A su vez, estas cosas buenas vienen acompañadas de otras horribles como los gráficos, que son bastante flojos para una Switch; algunas animaciones y texturas o incluso la historia del propio juego, la cual no tiene consistencia.… Expand
  26. emilyratesgames
    Nov 20, 2020
    7
    Score: 7
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  27. anxotheboss
    Jul 21, 2020
    7
    Pkmn Shield and Sword are not bad games, they're pretty acceptable Pkmn games, but the problem is that we've been playing the same type of games for two decades. Pkmn needs a big change as Zelda has done with Botw. And Nintendo Switch is the perfect platform for this change. I seriously ask Game Freak and The Pkmn Company to try something new with this franchise. In addition, I think thisPkmn Shield and Sword are not bad games, they're pretty acceptable Pkmn games, but the problem is that we've been playing the same type of games for two decades. Pkmn needs a big change as Zelda has done with Botw. And Nintendo Switch is the perfect platform for this change. I seriously ask Game Freak and The Pkmn Company to try something new with this franchise. In addition, I think this game could be very better in technical aspects, it looks like a 3ds game with HD resolution, while there are other games on Switch like Mario Odyssey, Zelda BOTW, Mario+Rabbids or Doom that look amazing.… Expand
  28. LucarioSmash246
    Sep 1, 2020
    7
    Lets get this out of the way: I get why people might not like the fact that not all the Pokemon are in the game but that alone doesn't make it terrible. There is still enough mons to play with and alternate between. As for the graphics, I do agree that some of the textures aren't great but there are some good or great ones too like the caves, cities, and forests. The main characters haveLets get this out of the way: I get why people might not like the fact that not all the Pokemon are in the game but that alone doesn't make it terrible. There is still enough mons to play with and alternate between. As for the graphics, I do agree that some of the textures aren't great but there are some good or great ones too like the caves, cities, and forests. The main characters have great arcs and personality and Gym leaders are interesting to listen to and aren't only standing at the end of the gym like some of the other games do while also having personality. All the pokemon designs are either fantastic or just okay and the pokemon animations are either really awesome or bland. I like the activities you can do in the game like the Max Raids and the timed bicycle runs. The Wild area is a great idea though it really needs to be expanded upon(i don't mean size of the area). The only things that i'm not a big fan of is the Y-comm ,though I do like the idea of what it is and it just doesn't update very well, and having a little more people in the bigger cites as well as being able to look at more in said cities. Overall, I think Sword and Shield are good games but not fantastic games and believe they can do better. I don't think they are bad games since they still work and play well. They just aren't groundbreaking games.… Expand
  29. carlosplays
    Nov 6, 2021
    7
    Pokemon games follow a standard formula and this one was no different. I was surprised how easy the game was though...despite not being quite familiar with the new Pokemon after skipping generations it was still a breeze and the game felt a little on the shorter side. Still it wasn't bad at all. It's definitely not a bad game to spend a week or two with if you grind through. I kept puttingPokemon games follow a standard formula and this one was no different. I was surprised how easy the game was though...despite not being quite familiar with the new Pokemon after skipping generations it was still a breeze and the game felt a little on the shorter side. Still it wasn't bad at all. It's definitely not a bad game to spend a week or two with if you grind through. I kept putting it down and then forcing myself to finish it and then I finally did without too much fanfare.… Expand
  30. Jose-Colon
    Oct 3, 2020
    7
    Es un juego hermoso gráficamente comparado con los anteriores. Me encantaron los nuevos pokemon y las nuevas dinámicas dinamax, pero el juego tiene muchos errores y la historia es pésima, llega el momento dónde piensa que la historia no tiene importancia, parece cómo si hubiera cortado la historia para sacar el juego antes de tiempo. Con la expansión de armadura arreglan un poco algunasEs un juego hermoso gráficamente comparado con los anteriores. Me encantaron los nuevos pokemon y las nuevas dinámicas dinamax, pero el juego tiene muchos errores y la historia es pésima, llega el momento dónde piensa que la historia no tiene importancia, parece cómo si hubiera cortado la historia para sacar el juego antes de tiempo. Con la expansión de armadura arreglan un poco algunas cosas, pero esa mala historia daño el juego.… Expand
  31. Parco8
    Mar 5, 2022
    7
    This is a great Pokémon game. I don't care about the missing Pokémon. The bad critics are only caused because of the bad answer Game Freak gave about the Dex cut. It is a thing they would have done someday. The story is linear, a sufficiency without any problems. Designs and musics are perfect, those are things Game Freak never made a mistake about. Besides that, the short time theThis is a great Pokémon game. I don't care about the missing Pokémon. The bad critics are only caused because of the bad answer Game Freak gave about the Dex cut. It is a thing they would have done someday. The story is linear, a sufficiency without any problems. Designs and musics are perfect, those are things Game Freak never made a mistake about. Besides that, the short time the developers have for making these games are the main reason why it shows big criticisims. At the end of the game it slowly loses originality like they didn't have enough time to think exciting challenges to put at the end. Single player endgame's kind of absent, too. It can't be less then a 7 for me by the way.… Expand
  32. Shadowsky101
    Jan 22, 2021
    7
    It‘s a fun game. It‘s Pokemon! But technical it‘s not the best. Gamefreak needed one Year more for this game. 7/10 is decent.
  33. ND-Bringer
    Nov 11, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokemon Sword and Shield is perhaps the most controversial game of Generation 8. I remember hating this game during my first play through back in high school. With its overpriced DLC and its lackluster post game content. But while taking a look back before the release of Scarlet and Violet, some positive memories came flooding back to me.

    And with more critical eye, I can tribute the moments I did really enjoy all those years ago. Because when you take a moment to ignore the overpriced DLC, as a stand alone game, it's actually quite enjoyable. Let's take look into one of Game Freak's ultimate mixed bags.

    The game starts off with you and your best friend Hop obtaining your Galarian Starters from the Champion himself, Leon. Who decides to endorse your Gym Challenge, hoping to meet worthy opponents in the future. The Gym Leader challenge has returned, now paired with a "Sporting Event" theme. With Galar's design heavily based off of Great Britain, it makes sense to throw the country's love for sports in the mix.

    And while not every Gym Battle is a winner, hearing that roar from the stadium took me back to the days I watched Ash Ketchum compete in the Pokemon League. The closest games to create that effect were the Pokemon Stadium games and it's great to play a core-series game that creates the same effect.

    And to add to the flavor, trainers can now Dynamax their Pokemon and transform them into giants. Increasing their HP drastically and giving them the ability to use powerful new Max Moves to crush opponents into dust. Some Pokemon even have the ability to change their form and Gigantamax, allowing them to use powerful signature Max Moves and show off a Kaiju inspired appearance.

    The only thing standing in the way of my enjoyment is the story. Which isn't as bad and yet somehow just as bad as I remember in multiple portions of the game. Problem number one, Hop, the Master of None.

    While not as pathetic as the X and Y rivals, Hop doesn't build a decent Pokemon team until the post game. And is entire character can be summed up as unfocused. He's really positive like Hau but also pretty bland like most of the Gender-Swap Rivals. And at the end of the post game when he decides to become a Professor, I'm simply confused. Enter the Pokemon Hall of Shame on your right.

    Whenever the story annoyed me, I went to to explore the wild area. A large world designed for those who love to capture Pokemon. At the surface it's really fun to explore. You get to find rare items, high leveled monsters, gorgeous lakes to surf on...it's everything you would want out of long Pokemon level. Hiking through this open world is incredibly relaxing, it's a grand mechanic that several Switch games are aiming for these days. It doesn't feel like you're exploring Galar anymore, it feels like you're exploring the world of Pokemon itself.

    Their's one fatal problem with this set up, some Pokemon are exclusive to the wild area. Making Pokedex completion an eyesore since some Pokemon will only appear once per week...half of the time. I'm not joking when I say it took me two real life weeks to build my original ultimate Pokemon team, because certain members couldn't be found in the wild area yet.

    It's not that there are no decent Pokemon to capture in the main game routes, but it's really annoying that the game will only allow certain Pokemon of the week to appear. It's bad enough that Gamefreak had to remove several Pokemon and moves in order to make room for this new content. But it's outright scummy to make some of those rejected Pokemon obtainable through overpriced DLC.

    And as for the adventure itself, it's still enjoyable. Rising from the ranks of the Gym Challenge tournament aiming to dethrone Leon. But the game gets unbelievably easy after the fifth gym. Version exclusives mean nothing to me, Rock Types and Ice Types are not difficult to defeat.

    The villains of this game are a huge let down as well. With Chairman Rose being a weak twist villain with a pathetic Steel-Type Team to match. His plan is to use the Legendary Pokemon as an energy source, he just needed a master trainer to control it. And while Leon did say he would comply and battle Eternatus after the tournament, the Chairman proceeds without him, due to his inability to wait one day.

    And then theirs Sordward and Shielbert...who are perhaps the most annoying villains in the entire Pokémon franchise. They have all the most annoying quirks. Ex Machina fleeing powers, an army of evil NPCs, boring Pokemon teams. And if you want the new staple legendary Pokemon on your team, you have to complete a post game challenge where Sonia mentions her new assistant, who has no name.

    So in conclusion, the game gets annoying half way through. It reminds a lot of Skylanders Trap Team. A game with really fun new gameplay mechanics, a predictable story, overpriced extra content, and a bunch fun boss battles mixed in with pathetic ones.    … Expand
  34. grimreapersims
    Nov 1, 2021
    7
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  35. ChristianBentro
    Oct 20, 2021
    7
    Is a great looking game compared to 3DS titles. Falls short on the story but makes up for it in the environment. I would have liked to have seen more animations, seemed as though they used upscaled 3DS models. The DLC was very good and added some much needed story elements.
  36. sunny_rip
    Feb 5, 2022
    7
    Pokémon Sword and Shield are alright games in the series, I feel like they deserve more credit, but as time goes on, I'm more willing to point out it's flaws.

    Pros: -Really high quality batch of new Pokémon. -Stunning looking towns and cities. -(With the DLC) you get a lot of content and ways to play online. -Competitive Battling is incredibly accessible and easy to get into. -Cool    Pokémon Sword and Shield are alright games in the series, I feel like they deserve more credit, but as time goes on, I'm more willing to point out it's flaws.

    Pros:
    -Really high quality batch of new Pokémon.
    -Stunning looking towns and cities.
    -(With the DLC) you get a lot of content and ways to play online.
    -Competitive Battling is incredibly accessible and easy to get into.
    -Cool characters with some really nice designs.
    -Dynamax and Gigantamax are fun.
    -Z Moves are removed.

    Cons:
    -Wild Area graphics can look kinda rough sometimes
    -The story isn't that good.
    -Some evolution methods are incredibly annoying.
    -If you don't get the DLC, then there isn't much to do in the post game.
    -Removes Mega Evolution.
    -Some Pokémon are very hard to obtain.    … Expand
  37. PokeMaester
    Nov 22, 2021
    7
    I absolutely love this remake, opening the game gave me goosebumps and playing it gives me flashbacks of playing this game with groups of friends in high school. So many fond memories. However I only have 1 real complaint which took away quite a bit of my personal rating which are the flash animations that pokemon make during an attack even when animations are shut off. Normally theseI absolutely love this remake, opening the game gave me goosebumps and playing it gives me flashbacks of playing this game with groups of friends in high school. So many fond memories. However I only have 1 real complaint which took away quite a bit of my personal rating which are the flash animations that pokemon make during an attack even when animations are shut off. Normally these flashes do nothing to me; I can't say the same for others. But for me, if I'm in a Team Galactic fight the flashes can trigger seizure auras. I remember pokemon would blink in the DS version; in this one the moves make brilliant tiny flashes. I quickly took some medication before it got serious, but it would be very nice to be able to shut the flashes off and I would give it a 10.… Expand
  38. albegres
    Feb 5, 2022
    7
    70/100
    If you're into competitive Pokémon battles, this is one of the best in the series! If you're not, this game has a boring story, even more than the previous games. Artstyle and music good as always. Story and graphic are terrible, sadly.
  39. Ventuski
    Apr 6, 2022
    7
    First Pokemon game I've played since Gold on GBC. Probably a timid entry regarding the changes they wanted to introduce in this console generation, specially after playing Legends Arceus. The main story felt short and the post game was ackward story wise. Still a enjoyable Pokemon journey.
  40. Satsoku
    Jan 8, 2023
    7
    I feel like this game gets a lot of criticism for the poor graphics more than anything else. To me personally however, the graphics are not as relevant if I'm being honest. The story was OK. The gameplay is focused around the traditional formula that fans of the series know and love by now. Even though the small issues that I had with it, this game managed to keep me busy for 200+ hours,I feel like this game gets a lot of criticism for the poor graphics more than anything else. To me personally however, the graphics are not as relevant if I'm being honest. The story was OK. The gameplay is focused around the traditional formula that fans of the series know and love by now. Even though the small issues that I had with it, this game managed to keep me busy for 200+ hours, so giving it anything less would be unfair.… Expand
  41. ZYMROD
    Nov 25, 2022
    7
    El juego prometía mucho pero al final se quedo en nada, solo fue una actualización grafica de 3DS y con arboles de PS1. Si hubiese salido con todos sus DLCs incluidos, hubiera sido mas amena la experiencia y no seria decepcionante por su escaso contenido. Las mecánicas Dynamax son entretenidas en el competitivo, siendo lo mas destacable gracias a la propia comunidad.
  42. eye-zitt
    Nov 23, 2022
    7
    The game is a little underwhelming, but overall I really appreciated my time with it and have put more hours into this game than almost any other.
  43. gian_pkr
    Dec 28, 2022
    7
    Animations model and graphic style is really good. Unfortunately this kind of gameplay starts to feel a bit old and repetitive. Performance are fine.
  44. Dyl_lionaire
    Feb 10, 2023
    7
    I know, Its a travesty that I enjoy this game but Its true, I thought the new designs were kind of meh but the best designs are some of my favourites, the trainer designs were very unique and the gym battles were a good combination of Sun and Moon trials and the original battles. I didn't really care that they didn't have all the Pokémon and the story wasn't good, but I've got a lot ofI know, Its a travesty that I enjoy this game but Its true, I thought the new designs were kind of meh but the best designs are some of my favourites, the trainer designs were very unique and the gym battles were a good combination of Sun and Moon trials and the original battles. I didn't really care that they didn't have all the Pokémon and the story wasn't good, but I've got a lot of good memories playing this game, especially doing a nuzlocke.… Expand
  45. Killerpummkin
    Aug 10, 2023
    7
    Graphically, it is a change for the better. The wilderness area is a beta, it is very underused as for the story. Compared to the rest of the Pokemon games, it seems to be lacking in some aspects. I hope they use this base well for the future.
  46. M1sfiT
    Sep 3, 2023
    7
    Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!!!!!!!!! shield
  47. Patrick95
    Nov 27, 2022
    6
    Tenemos delante una entrega algo floja de la franquicia. Pero a pesar de eso, creo que tampoco merece el hate desmesurado que recibe. El juego hace cosas mal, como la trama, la dificultad o los gráficos del área silvestre, pero hace otras muy bien como algunos personajes, el primer leve contacto con mundo abierto o su banda sonora. Al final es un juego más de Pokémon, por lo que, es divertido.
  48. WinterSoldierAM
    Mar 2, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So how is Pokemon Shield on its own? The answer is mixed to say the least. The first thing any Pokemon games exposes you to is your rival and starters. I like the design of the starters but ended up choosing Scorbunny. Your rival Hop is one of the worst rivals in the series, partially because he is so much like Hau. He is the brother of the Champion (another awful character) who just wants to be able to win. And he doesn’t. He loses over and over again throughout the game. To the point that it is annoying to even interact with him. The professor of this region isn’t present much in the story at all, instead her granddaughter is the one who follows you around and reveals plot points throughout the story. Sonia is the most likeable character in the game and has the best story of all the characters. One that shows her full growth from aspiring historian to full on Pokemon Professor. The Champion as mentioned earlier is hollow. He appears several times to simply save the day (offscreen) and when he actually interacts with you it is usually just to stroke his own ego. He is the “Unbeatable Champion”. And you will read that again, again, and again. And I say read because there is no spoken dialogue in the game, but we will get to that. The main baddie doesn’t appear until the very end when you and several leaders and other rivals come together to confront a legendary brought back to life. Team Yell follows around Marnie, another rival with limited time and development, which is more than team Yell gets. Unfortunately, Pokemon Sword and Shield have some of the worst characters in the series as well as a story with most of the interesting points being hidden as you get shuffled to the next gym(arena) to face the next leader.

    Pokemon games have never had voiceovers, however at this point dull characters backed up by zero spoken lines reflects poorly on these next-gen games. This would have been a great time to introduce voice acting to help make these characters more endearing to the player. But like many of the other woulda coulda shoulda elements of these games, a lot of it comes down to time. As for the other audio in the game many of the Pokemon cries are good and reverb throughout the open wild area as they spawn. The music tracks don’t really start to pick up until the very end of the game, but they are really good. The beats during the tournaments in the game are great fun and really push the feeling of a crowded stadium battle. The old traditional sounds from pokemon hatching to leveling up and evolving are all present and are as great as they have always been.

    Gameplay is much the same as usual, catch Pokemon, have them battle in turn-based segments and repeat. The battle animations vary widely with a handful being really cool and most others being very bland and old by this point. You travel through very small linear routes and no dungeons to get to each town some of which look much better than others, all fairly small and desolate overall. Even the final city is filled with buildings with nothing to do in them. No interesting side quests, items or dialogue. They just exist as window dressing. The Wild Area gives you an open area with a free camera to use and explore. While it is a great new element, it is pretty limited and presents many bland looking vistas and major performance drops. The weather changes are nice but some like fog and sandstorms obscure raids and Pokemon because they are so thick. The max raid battles are a new interesting element not devoid of issues of course. The rng nature of them makes trying to find a specific Pokemon an arduous task. The game saves before starting the raid off so whatever Pokemon appears in that bastion appears until the day resets or you beat it. Jumping into a raid with ai is frustrating as the ai can often have Pokemon weak to the raid boss leading to multiple faints and a loss on your part. Waiting for real people to join sometimes works and other times fails entirely. But what is worse is getting a match finally only to have your teammate earthquake and lose the match just because they have nothing better to do.

    The post-game is not long, however the story is much more enjoyable and introduces raid battles in case you have been waiting to do them. You revisit some gyms and fight a new threat that makes a lot of sense. It resolves in a fairly benign and unsatisfying way, but it is a lot more interesting to see the characters develop some compared to the main story. The battle tower is as you would expect from the series, fight several battles with your teams at preset levels for BP that can be used to buy items.

    Ultimately, Pokemon sword and Shield are games that display just how stuck in the past Game Freak is and how the development schedule for Pokemon games keeps them from ever innovating unlike newer jrpgs. Pokemon has the potential for so much more, and it is a shame that this is the best we will get for the foreseeable future.    … Expand
  49. death12123
    Jan 11, 2020
    6
    The game is still Pokemon and fun but the lack of content and with how easy this is, just wait for a used copy at the bargain bin. Full price isn't worth it. Especially with how easy this game is. You can beat it in a day if you wanted to. The amount of FPS drops this game has is also eye hurting. Down to as low as 10FPS. The performance alone is what hurts the game most for me and hopingThe game is still Pokemon and fun but the lack of content and with how easy this is, just wait for a used copy at the bargain bin. Full price isn't worth it. Especially with how easy this game is. You can beat it in a day if you wanted to. The amount of FPS drops this game has is also eye hurting. Down to as low as 10FPS. The performance alone is what hurts the game most for me and hoping a "Switch Pro" would fix that issue. You can still enjoy and like a game but you can also still give full criticism.

    Some good things on the other hand are the raids are actually cool and it's still at the end of the day Pokemon as usual. The soundtrack is great and the character models are better than ever. However why add those models and not add them as available clothes to wear? The customization in the game is pretty barebones and NPC outfit parts should easily be available.    … Expand
  50. Prequarantine
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    This game is not the game for long-standing Pokemon fans that was promised last year. Few of the new features are new. This should have been a game similar in scope to other Nintendo franchise on the Switch, but it really isn't. Ultimately, this is just another Pokemon game. Hopefully next year the game will be improved, as this release feels half baked.

    The positives: +A minimum    This game is not the game for long-standing Pokemon fans that was promised last year. Few of the new features are new. This should have been a game similar in scope to other Nintendo franchise on the Switch, but it really isn't. Ultimately, this is just another Pokemon game. Hopefully next year the game will be improved, as this release feels half baked.

    The positives:
    +A minimum of 20 hours of new adventure
    +New Pokemon
    +Raids
    +Overworld Pokemon!
    +Game is Pokemon and includes many Pokemon you have always loved
    +Breeding made even more approachable, allowing more people to dip into the competition
    +Game will likely maintain the majority of its sale price for at least a year
    +Dynamax adds an interesting fusion of megas and z moves

    The negatives:
    -Overworld Pokemon are currently not capable of being shiny
    -Half of all Pokemon removed, including many days favorites like Greninja, Dragonite, and Metagross. Even Arceus is removed.
    -Roughly 150 moves removed. Most of these are irrelevant, but there are some very notable removals that threaten the balance and encourage rain teams more than ever, which were very strong already.
    -the endgame is essentially just the battle tower and raids. Something larger would have been nice.
    -GTS REMOVED
    -Game feels incredibly unpolished, including many bugs
    -no ability to set difficulty of game or turn off experience share, or turn off the forced healing given at ever corner. Game is incredibly easy as a result. You will find yourself bored.
    -Very few routes
    -No real dungeons
    -The removal of megas and z moves. Megas were incredible because they turned awkward Pokemon into powerhouses, fixing many of their flaws and making them finally usable. Gigantamax essentially reset this important progress.

    Overall, this game is fun for the 20 hours it lasts, but for its price and console, it really leaves you wanting a lot more. The game as a whole feels half baked. 6/10.    … Expand
  51. hoznex
    Sep 13, 2020
    6
    It is not a bad game, but far from the best.
    We are not on the 90’s anymore so we don’t hace any hardware restrictions to cut the pokedex, there are so many unpolished places and the ones that look awesome you can barely interact with it. The difference between male and female customization is abysmal and it leaves you with less replaying value when you choose to play as the male    It is not a bad game, but far from the best.
    We are not on the 90’s anymore so we don’t hace any hardware restrictions to cut the pokedex, there are so many unpolished places and the ones that look awesome you can barely interact with it. The difference between male and female customization is abysmal and it leaves you with less replaying value when you choose to play as the male character. Not being able to rematch the gym leaders when they have all theese enormous gyms created is a huge miss too.    … Expand
  52. gooblaster
    Nov 20, 2019
    6
    Does a lot of stuff really well,but what it doesn't do well, it does terribly. A one step forward, three steps back kind of game.
  53. dislexicpotato
    May 6, 2020
    6
    Pokemon Sword & Shield are by far the weakest mainline Pokemon games in years, just a bit of context:

    Gamefreak lied to the fanbase, claiming that they needed to remove over HALF of the Pokemon in order to ‘improve animations’ when in reality the animations are ripped right from the 3DS games. The annual releases are killing this franchise nevermind the mediocre graphics, laughable    Pokemon Sword & Shield are by far the weakest mainline Pokemon games in years, just a bit of context:

    Gamefreak lied to the fanbase, claiming that they needed to remove over HALF of the Pokemon in order to ‘improve animations’ when in reality the animations are ripped right from the 3DS games. The annual releases are killing this franchise nevermind the mediocre graphics, laughable animations, noticeable pop in, EXP share being mandatory making the games even easier than usual when the Pokemon games are already too easy, the game also only takes 15 hours to beat and has practically 0 post game. Do not support Gamefreak with these half assed efforts. They even removed Aipom wtf???    … Expand
  54. julianym89
    Nov 20, 2019
    6
    Nueva entrega, en general continuista, con algunas nuevas mecánicas, dirección artística muy buena (inspirada en UK) aunque motor gráfico rozando lo mediocre. Las animaciones en combates han avanzado poco.
    Mantiene el encanto y sigue siendo adictivo.
  55. mashedtatter
    Nov 18, 2019
    6
    I originally posted a review giving Shield a perfect 10, mostly to offset the review bombing of angry former fanboys who haven't even played the game and believe bogus reviews. But that doesn't really help out in the end, so this is going to be a very honest review.

    I like this game. I don't LOVE it. But it's not bad. If I had to rank this generation against the rest, I can say it's at    I originally posted a review giving Shield a perfect 10, mostly to offset the review bombing of angry former fanboys who haven't even played the game and believe bogus reviews. But that doesn't really help out in the end, so this is going to be a very honest review.

    I like this game. I don't LOVE it. But it's not bad. If I had to rank this generation against the rest, I can say it's at least better than every Pokemon game that isn't Heart Gold/Soul Silver, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, or Black/White/2.

    I don't really miss any of the old Pokemon, and even though I having a Living Pokedex on my copy of Ultra Sun, I don't mind not being able to bring them all over to this game. That said, I get why people are upset, but also think they're blowing it out of proportion. Anyone with half a brain would realize they couldn't just keep throwing the same 800+ Pokemon into each game forever. You call it "laziness", I call it realizing a lot of the Pokedex is useless filler.

    The story thus far (I've only gotten up to fourth gym as of this review, currently 15 hours in and I'm taking my time exploring the wild area) isn't really much to write home about, sure. But you don't REALLY play these games for story, do you? I don't. I play to catch cute creatures.

    The music is some of the best Masuda had done yet. All the battle themes just might end up being my favorites of the whole series.

    The graphics/art are much improved over the last gen, though I will always miss the sprite art.

    Overall, I'd say this game is worth your time if you're not horribly attached to old Pokemon and don't mind that a bunch of moves were cut as well. It's not bad. It's just not great either. Middle of the road, I guess.    … Expand
  56. RahmenX
    Nov 21, 2019
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. May contain very minor spoilers.

    Cons:

    -Very easy, and gym leaders have only like 3 pokemons, that are also low level. Untill lategame where they get higher level and have more pokemons. Still MEGA easy, mainly because of EXP share that you can't turn off.

    -I've played for many hours postgame and so far I've filled half my pokedex with pokemons caught in this one same area. All you have to do is run around aimlessly and wait for the right conditions for certain pokemon to spawn.

    -Dynamax pokemon fights in the Wild Area are essentially identical. No matter which pokemon you are facing you do the same thing. And you can only do so much damage before they enter a protection phase. Which then repeats once more. So it really doesn't matter how much stronger you are cuz you will hit this damage cap and trigger the break point for the protection phase anyways.

    --Using support abilities and poison moves in the Wild Area Dynamax fights are essentially pointless due to the protection phase and damage cap.

    ---High level Dynamax Fights can feel cheap. With a full NPC team it's pointless cuz they will get killed off 4 times, and thereby you lose the fight. Same thing happens if you are strong and playing with lower level players. No matter how strong YOU are, if you are the only one not getting one-shotted/not doing any damage you will most likely lose the fight because of damage cap and protection phase.

    -Graphics are kinda 3DS'y and can definitely be improved ALOT. This is not even close to the Pokemon remake.

    -Abyssmal animations compared to MY expectations. And I have low standards here. Some attacks are awesomely animated, but other times the pokemon just jumps up and down.

    -NPCs and pokemons pop in to existence only when you get real close.

    -No compelling postgame whatsoever. Nothing more entertaining to explore and everything siphoned down to running around in the hub, AKA the Wild Area.

    -No real "bad guy"? I felt like the entire plot was all around people misunderstanding eachother and they all actually wanted the best for everyone.

    -Doing stuff with other random players is MEGA ANNOYING. You have to through a list of people wanting to trade or fight, BUT if they have cancelled/finished their request their announcement is STILL THERE and when you click it you get an error message. This happens ALOT cuz there is no "UPDATE LIST" BUTTON. It happens automatically when certain conditions are met. (Restarting game / finish a dynamax fight with other players etc). My god, man, come on Game Freak.

    Pros:

    +It was quite enjoyable to play through the game. Even though you got interrupted every 5seconds of walking through it cuz some story event or npc wanted to interact with you.

    +Not too many tutorials, you could skip alot by choosing you already knew the thing.

    +The Wild Area made it possible to get your pokemon team set up really early.

    +Plenty of accessible TMs and TR's(one-time use TM's) to choose from so you could hook your pokemons up while playing through the story.

    +Each gym had, in addition to the fighting, different tasks to complete. They where really fun.

    +You could see pokemons walking around. But you didn't get one following you, nor being able to mount one, like in the Pokemon remake.

    To reach this conclusion I spent about 50hrs in the game.    … Expand
  57. HellsaintED
    Jan 20, 2021
    6
    After seeing the evolution of other Nintendo franchises in the Switch like "Mario Odyssey" and "Breath of the Wild", it is just lame to see Pokemon receive little to no evolution at all, it is a 3DS game with a Switch price tag.
  58. coolwali
    Jun 23, 2020
    6
    A game that takes several steps forward with features that really bring Pokemon onto the home console experience.....but takes several steps back in the process. The overly linear nature, the inconsistent story and a lack of postgame do little to justify the hefty price tag
  59. Comradely
    May 14, 2020
    6
    I think a lot of the criticisms are harsh. I don't *really* think it's any easier than the older games. The Pokemon series has always had a problem with difficulty. I don't think the map is any smaller or lacking in 'exploration', I think the simplicity of the route design and the camera (in caverns and caves) is just deceptive and makes you feel like a path is more linear and lessI think a lot of the criticisms are harsh. I don't *really* think it's any easier than the older games. The Pokemon series has always had a problem with difficulty. I don't think the map is any smaller or lacking in 'exploration', I think the simplicity of the route design and the camera (in caverns and caves) is just deceptive and makes you feel like a path is more linear and less convoluted than the caves and routes in the previous games. And I don't think the designs of the new Pokemon are the worst we've ever seen.

    However, the lack of story is there and very disappointing. Pokemon games have never had strong stories or narratives, but the way that your engagement of the mythos with the region is constantly usurped by supporting characters and you're told to (and restricted to) focus on the next gym challenge is such a weird and bad decision...    … Expand
  60. jimmercise
    Nov 21, 2019
    6
    Extremely mediocre game. It starts well but quickly becomes tedious. The end is a real drag with no elite 4. It's just the same dudes you've already thrashed with crappy teams, plus one actual champion fight at the end.

    zzzzz.
  61. MrCrowley
    Nov 22, 2019
    6
    While it doesn't deserve the hate it's gotten, this Pokemon installment is somehow both satisfying and disappointing at the same time. On one hand, we have some interesting new Pokemon designs, fun Gigantamax raids, very refreshing gym mechanics, and a fairly beautiful region. On the other hand, we have lazy Pokemon designs, dated and rushed graphics, an extremely simplistic storyline thatWhile it doesn't deserve the hate it's gotten, this Pokemon installment is somehow both satisfying and disappointing at the same time. On one hand, we have some interesting new Pokemon designs, fun Gigantamax raids, very refreshing gym mechanics, and a fairly beautiful region. On the other hand, we have lazy Pokemon designs, dated and rushed graphics, an extremely simplistic storyline that even a child could predict, and a Dynamax mechanic during some battles that barely does anything in my opinion. Therefore, while I had fun playing it, I would only recommend this installment to true fans of the franchise that can look past all of the issues.… Expand
  62. JadedSince91
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    I was very conflicted about the new Pokemon game and while it didn't completely win me over, I also didn't let the hate cloud my judgement about this new installment. Is it the best Pokemon yet? Far from it. Is it enjoyable fun? Definitely!

    Let's start with the negatives. The characters in this game (mainly Hop, Leon, Sonia) are extremely annoying. Hop never shuts up about how great    I was very conflicted about the new Pokemon game and while it didn't completely win me over, I also didn't let the hate cloud my judgement about this new installment. Is it the best Pokemon yet? Far from it. Is it enjoyable fun? Definitely!

    Let's start with the negatives. The characters in this game (mainly Hop, Leon, Sonia) are extremely annoying. Hop never shuts up about how great this adventure is and how he will be the next champion while he is a pathetic opponent. He is Hau 2 basically. His brother, Leon, is presented as the unbeatable champion of the region and the "all around" cool guy, but he is just a lame guy with a terrible fashion style. Sonia is just stopping you to share irrelevant information all the time. They are just annoying.

    The animations are sometimes really basic. There are a few flashed our moves (mostly the recently added or new moves), but the older ones (like Double Kick) are just sad to look at. The graphics are alright in my opinion, but this is largely due to the better camera movement in cutscenes and battles. What is a huge negative for me is the battle backgrounds. I encountered several indoor fights where the background was just a generic grey area (like another dimension) which is truly pathetic from Gamefreak. They clearly rushed the product for the Christmas season.

    I read many people complain about the difficulty, but I think it is fine. I played with "set" ruleset and didn't grind my team and some of the fights were challenging without using items - although never lost a single battle in the end. It is important to remember this game is for everyone so if you are 14+ and want a challenge then don't grind, use set rule, don't use items, and change your team frequently. You can also do Mono type challenges, whatever. I had some really tense moments and I'm 28 and played all Pokemon games in the past.

    Ultimately I had fun so far playing the game. The new Pokemon are fun, the world is interesting and the gym challenges are a welcome change (especially the Fire challenge, that was quite fun). Obviously the game could have been much much better if the development was not rushed, but people giving 1s and 2s to the game? Come on!    … Expand
  63. Herowill
    Nov 18, 2019
    6
    Gentlemen, you have talked a lot about the game. Your rating should not be 3.3 how it is valued in metacritical, however, the game should not cost $ 60 either.

    In my opinion, I give it a 6.8, Gamefreak should check and fans who defend the indefensible too, as well as those who are not obedient to it (hate). The franchise is not on the right track, Pokémon played from Red and Blue and it    Gentlemen, you have talked a lot about the game. Your rating should not be 3.3 how it is valued in metacritical, however, the game should not cost $ 60 either.

    In my opinion, I give it a 6.8, Gamefreak should check and fans who defend the indefensible too, as well as those who are not obedient to it (hate). The franchise is not on the right track, Pokémon played from Red and Blue and it is worth it.

    The comparison is made taking into account the console where it runs and this game does not take even 60% of the benefits of Nintendo Switch. You just have to see Zelda.    … Expand
  64. GrungeHamster
    Feb 16, 2020
    6
    The game does scratch the itch for capturing and battling fun, colorful monsters. However the game feels lackluster in a number of departments.

    The game admittedly does get some things right, things such as accessing all monsters from anywhere in the game world except for battles. Creating battle ready teams is easier than ever. Though some changes are a little strange. The Escape Rope,    The game does scratch the itch for capturing and battling fun, colorful monsters. However the game feels lackluster in a number of departments.

    The game admittedly does get some things right, things such as accessing all monsters from anywhere in the game world except for battles. Creating battle ready teams is easier than ever. Though some changes are a little strange. The Escape Rope, a dungeon escaping item is no longer limited to being a purchase item and has unlimited uses. This would normally be a good thing, however there are no dungeons in the game and no puzzles.

    This leads to the next issue that the game is fairly hand-holdy. You can explore the 'Wild Area' which allows for real defeat and failure. Outside of this however the game feels and plays like a theme park.

    The story isn't very engaging, while this may not be the primary reason one plays these games it needs to be said that the game doesn't seem to have a clear idea of what it wants the player to focus on. Without any spoilers, the game wants you to focus on your journey through the land, all while hinting at some corporate issue go on in the background. Characters will tell you to pay it no mind, then 20 minutes later interrupt your adventure to have you pay attention to the very thing they just told you to ignore.

    Finally, graphics are fairly off here. The game feels and looks like it was mashed together by several different teams and studios, and we see that is the case in the end credits. Some visuals are very clean and clear, while others are muddy, bland and polygon-like. The final icing on the cake is the fact that you can literally see a mouse cursor in the end credits as the editor was working on their computer to edit the sequence.

    It's an okay and playable game, but it is not out of this world. If you want more of the same or are a returning fan, you will likely enjoy it. If you were hoping for something to blow your mind, look elsewhere.    … Expand
  65. DeltaHaven
    Oct 20, 2020
    6
    one of the most bland Pokemon games yet. Finished the main campaign in less than 18 hours, and other than completing the Pokedex (what is left of it in this generation), I had little to no reason to keep playing this game. The raid battles are a slog, the Battle Tower is boring, the Online is even worse than S&M Festival Plaza and makes the game lag in the Wild Area and the Wild Area looksone of the most bland Pokemon games yet. Finished the main campaign in less than 18 hours, and other than completing the Pokedex (what is left of it in this generation), I had little to no reason to keep playing this game. The raid battles are a slog, the Battle Tower is boring, the Online is even worse than S&M Festival Plaza and makes the game lag in the Wild Area and the Wild Area looks like a badly executed concept that was added last minute.
    Buy this game on sale. Maybe buy the $30 DLC if you like it.    … Expand
  66. Zoomzeta
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    While I don't believe there is anything wrong with the game, I do feel it is rather in several areas given how far RPGs have gone prior to Gamefreak making the jump to consoles. Overall, I have hope this merely the first step for something better.
  67. Kevin12
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    El juego es más de lo mismo en torno al pokemon de toda la vida, con mejoras gráficas evidentes. Sin embargo se nota que Game Freak no ha explotado la capacidad de la Switch especialmente en las animaciones que lucen genéricas y mediocres. El mundo es vacío y te obliga a continuar la historia lineal, y no explorar el mapa
  68. TheAmazingBot
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    The game does have its charm in the fun pokémon designs and flavortext. The gameplay has teken a step back since the 3ds days removing Z-moves an mega-evolutions to the simpler "dynamax". There are pokemon fan games out there I enjoy more than this newest entry and withe the power of the switch I was expecting a lot more. This game is great for someone who hasn't played a pokemonfame for aThe game does have its charm in the fun pokémon designs and flavortext. The gameplay has teken a step back since the 3ds days removing Z-moves an mega-evolutions to the simpler "dynamax". There are pokemon fan games out there I enjoy more than this newest entry and withe the power of the switch I was expecting a lot more. This game is great for someone who hasn't played a pokemonfame for a couple of years, but lacking for people who played the latest 3ds entries.… Expand
  69. AGGuy
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    Want more Pokémon? This is more Pokémon (except with fewer Pokémon). It's the same it's always been - stilted presentation, good music, so-so gameplay comprised of thrilling highs and frustrating lows, a mix of good additions and subtractions and bad additions and subtractions... and the story is not worth mentioning (actually even less so than in past games).

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

    It's kind of just... more Pokémon.
    Is "kind of just more Pokémon" what you're looking for? Yes? Then this is worth 30 bucks, I'd say.
    Is "kind of just more Pokémon" not what you're looking for? Then don't bother.    … Expand
  70. Andrito
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    In certain parts, grafically disrespectfull. Dishonoring nintendo switch system.
  71. R4F43LL
    Nov 16, 2019
    6
    No geral o jogo é muito bom , porém o corte da dex com a falta de qualidade gráfica acaba deixando o jogo mediano para ruim
  72. Pardner
    Nov 16, 2019
    6
    Very disappointed. While many issues have already been pointed out, there are a few major ones that few, at least from what ive seen, have pointed out.
    1. The handholding. Everyone hates hand holding, from kids to adults alike. Unfortunately, Hop, the "rival" is literally everywhere and won't let you take a few steps before he needlessly tells you what you already know. There's hand    Very disappointed. While many issues have already been pointed out, there are a few major ones that few, at least from what ive seen, have pointed out.
    1. The handholding. Everyone hates hand holding, from kids to adults alike. Unfortunately, Hop, the "rival" is literally everywhere and won't let you take a few steps before he needlessly tells you what you already know. There's hand holding everywhere. We aren't idiots. The handholding makes us feel like one, however, and it very quickly makes you hate Hop. 2. The lack of challenge. This game is incredibly easy. The EXP share is always turned on, so your Pokemon are usually overleveled. Along with that, there's zero puzzles or dungeons. The old games had plenty, and completing these made you feel accomplished. There's none of that here. Without challenge, are you truly playing am JRPG? Challenge is what makes Pokemon games fun. So no challenges or puzzles really hits hard here.
    3. Shiny locked and gigantamax locked Pokemon. Unfortunately, there are shiny locked Pokemon again. This time, it's not only legendary Pokemon, but gift Pokemon as well. Keeping shiny Pokemon locked behind events doesn't feel like you earned it. There cheap grabs. It's insulting. Not only that, but you can't just give the gigantmax trait to any Pokemon. You have to catch them. This means any Pokemon you have been with for a long time cannot gigantamax. You must replace them if you want a gigiantamax version of your Pokemon, even shiny versions. This feels cheap to me.
    4. Lack of new Pokemon animations. While Gamefreak did have to create new textures and tweaks to the wireframes, it doesn't excuse about how they lied about new animations. While the moves are wonderful to look at, the Pokemon themselves aren't wildly animated like this. It's all the same. It seems the animation budget went towards moves and not Pokemon. Now that all the moves have new animations, hopefully the Pokemon themselves will get more animated in the next games.
    5. Non Scaled Pokemon. I gripe I have is that Pokemon aren't properly sized in battle and in the campsite. Pokemon that should be massive are the size of the player. An example of this is tyranitar. Hes proper size in the overworld, but he's absolutely short in battle and the campsite. Same is true for the third legendary. Absolutely giant in cutscenes and in the overworld, but it's the size of a charizard in battle and the campsite. It makes no sense.
    6. Mediocre wild area textures. The textures in the wild area are awful compared to the rest of the game. Unfortunately, the wild area is a large part of the game, so you can't escape it. The trees look like they came from the 64 era, the grass looks like it was smothered on, the water looks a bit glossy and doesn't even have water ripple around swimming Pokemon, it's just bad.

    All in all, Pokemon Sword (and shield) is a mediocre Pokemon game. It feels like this should have come out on the 3ds. It just isn't as good as it should have been. I mean, it's a decent game, but it's not a great game. Hopefully with the reported longer development time for future titles, we can get the Pokemon game that truly earns the title of #1.    … Expand
  73. ZonnedX1
    Nov 16, 2019
    6
    It's not bad, but they could have done more. My feelings on this game are mixed. It's a Pokemon game it has almost everything you would expect from a Pokemon game. However the GTS system and the national dex are both missing and these were things I loved playing with in past entries. You have to endure an almost hour and a half tutorial before you can even start the game but once youIt's not bad, but they could have done more. My feelings on this game are mixed. It's a Pokemon game it has almost everything you would expect from a Pokemon game. However the GTS system and the national dex are both missing and these were things I loved playing with in past entries. You have to endure an almost hour and a half tutorial before you can even start the game but once you finally free yourself the game picks up a bit. I like the new Pokemon and the wild area is an interesting addition. However the game has no real story to speak of the villainous team in this game is something of a joke. This kind of makes me sad because I was expecting at least a generic save the world story. It hits most of the check marks that will make a casual fan enjoy it. There are Pokemon to catch, places to explore, gym battles to win but it's not really a step up from what we had on 3DS aside from the visuals. I would argue it's a step back because the improved visuals don't make up for lacking the GTS and national dex. Though despite the visuals being improved they do not look like the best the Switch can do I have seen better in Breath of the Wild. I have mixed feelings on this game part of me likes it because it's a Pokemon game but the other half just feels there was a lot of lost potential here. Overall I recommend this for casual Pokemon fans who liked the Let's Go games but I think the more dedicated players will be a bit disappointed with so much missing.… Expand
  74. Flarec
    Nov 18, 2019
    6
    Pokemon.... Es esto enserio? Este juego, es un buen pokemon y nadie lo va a negar, sigue usando la misma formula de toda la vida..... Esto, es un efecto fifa ya no tengo que decir mas que espero que los proximos pokemon lo hagan com tiempo.... Es un salto grafico de lo mas pobre para venir de 3ds, el juego es lindo y detallista en algunos sectores pero esto.... No lo compensa vamos, podianPokemon.... Es esto enserio? Este juego, es un buen pokemon y nadie lo va a negar, sigue usando la misma formula de toda la vida..... Esto, es un efecto fifa ya no tengo que decir mas que espero que los proximos pokemon lo hagan com tiempo.... Es un salto grafico de lo mas pobre para venir de 3ds, el juego es lindo y detallista en algunos sectores pero esto.... No lo compensa vamos, podian hacerlo mucho mejor... Mas que todo es tan cerrado y no se diga la zonas para silvestres.....
    Para mi, me parece un insulto, que me parece un insulto? Que este juego tenga una historia tan cutre..... Alguien a visto la critica de pokemon mundo misterioso exploradores del cielo????.....
    Este titulo tiene 5.4..... Y puedo decirle que es mas injusto que la alta calificacion que tiene este juego, la historia es paraa adultos disfrazada con un humor infantil.... ES UNA DE LAS MEJORES TRAMAS DE UN VIDEOJUEGO..... Deberian hacer mas cosas asi pero no..... Tienen que atraer el publico casual, si estas leyendo esto ve a ver la critica de ese pokemon MM Si lo has jugado sabrás que tiene una trama tan superior.... Este juego puede hacer llorar si le das la oportunidad de llegar al final de la historia principal.....    … Expand
  75. Ignoritus
    Nov 18, 2019
    6
    Minor spoilers; no details.

    Pokemon Sword and Shield feel like the incomplete beta of a really good game. I mean that in both a technical and a design sense. These games are fun to play through, no doubt. But most of what's ultimately fun about these games are the basic mechanics that have made up the Pokemon franchise for 20 years. When you look at everything these games do that    Minor spoilers; no details.

    Pokemon Sword and Shield feel like the incomplete beta of a really good game.

    I mean that in both a technical and a design sense. These games are fun to play through, no doubt. But most of what's ultimately fun about these games are the basic mechanics that have made up the Pokemon franchise for 20 years. When you look at everything these games do that doesn't fall back on "being Pokemon" you're left with a very half-baked array of good ideas that feel like they weren't given the polish or thought they needed to really shine.

    First of all, the elephant in the room: these games suffer on a technical level. Badly. I honestly cannot understand the constant defenses these games have received in terms of "who cares about that" when talking about frequent and incredibly visible graphical bugs that one would expect out of a demo, not a triple A release. In my playthrough I encountered dozens of cases where the games glitched visually or just lacked in aesthetic polish. And that's only to speak of the GRAPHICAL problems. These games actively lag, especially in the Wild Area. Their framerate varies from "perfectly fine" to "genuinely unplayable" based on a lot of circumstances, including what video output I used.

    But the technical shortcomings aren't the only ways in which these games feel incomplete. The Wild Area is an incredibly promising new mechanic that makes it fun to explore and discover new Pokemon. But after the initial magic of it wears of you start to realize that it is actually rather small and that there is very little to really "explore". You can find various items lying about on the ground, and of course different patches of grass feature different Pokemon, but that's about it. The Pokemon just exist, wandering endlessly in circles and leaving you with little real interactivity besides running into them to battle if you want. You can't even experience the joy of seeing something exciting off in the distance and journeying over to discover it because the render distance is absolutely pitiful. The Wild Area is a big step in the right direction, but it would benefit greatly from Pokemon being a bit more natural rather than just all popping into existence and wandering in circles. The Wild Area is a concept that invokes our imaginations of a wide open area full of Pokemon living and waiting to be discovered, but ultimately its execution is effectively a big space with a controllable camera and the overworld Pokemon mechanics from Pokemon Let's Go. The raids featured here are similarly fun at first, but start to become very frustrating when you begin to take on higher level ones. The NPC partners you can team up with border on sabotaging you at times with ridiculous sets and terrible Pokemon choices for the raid, meaning high-tier raids are really only fun with human partners. Waiting for human partners takes a while and requires you to pay for Nintendo Switch Online.

    The Galar region is genuinely gorgeous and I commend the team on the aesthetic design. However, it's just that: a gorgeous setpiece. The game consistently places superficial barriers in your way to make sure you stay in very tight designated "play areas" which often leave you no room whatsoever to explore the environments. They're pretty backdrops but don't feel like real places because you're given no room to explore them. There is one town late in the game in which the Pokemon Center is literally the only building you can enter. Routes are similar in that despite there only being 10 of them only about 3 of the routes in the game actually feature any level of exploration or depth. Most of the routes are simply straight lines from point A to point B with no real exploration available. When you couple this with the constant interruptions for large chunks of NPC dialogue you begin to spend the entire game feeling like you're on rails.

    And the NPC dialogue interruptions really are a problem. The games feature a whole host of characters almost all of which ultimately never end up being relevant. Sonia spends the entire game trying to crack a mystery that is blatantly obvious to anyone who has seen the game's box art. Hop interrupts you in virtually every route and town yet almost never says anything of any importance to you. Bede and Marnie were the bearable rivals because they were more conservative with their interruptions, but both ultimately end up being of minimal importance in the grand scheme of things. Bede's story is entirely self-contained and Marnie's doesn't really culminate in any character growth for anyone involved. Despite the game interrupting you non-stop for exposition throughout its entire playtime, the actual plot climax comes out of the left-field with no buildup and resolves in under an hour. The rushed plotpoints don't make a lot of sense in the bigger picture and left me genuinely scratching my head trying to understand certain characters' motivations.    … Expand
  76. Reprise
    Nov 19, 2019
    6
    Pokemon Sword and Shield can only be described as a huge disappointment. Despite these games being hyped as the first 'real' Pokemon games on the Switch and the next generation in the series, Pokemon Let's Go (the sort of spinoff/Pokemon Yellow remake) released last year was actually a far more enjoyable game.

    Instead of taking the series forward, Sword and Shield take things backwards.    Pokemon Sword and Shield can only be described as a huge disappointment. Despite these games being hyped as the first 'real' Pokemon games on the Switch and the next generation in the series, Pokemon Let's Go (the sort of spinoff/Pokemon Yellow remake) released last year was actually a far more enjoyable game.

    Instead of taking the series forward, Sword and Shield take things backwards. It looks and feels like a 3DS game, but more importantly, the gameplay feels a bit stale. You experience the same story beats play out once again, the environments aren't great and catching and battling Pokemon just doesn't feel as good as it used to.

    Overall, I don't feel Pokemon Sword and Shield are bad games per se, they are reasonable adventures and I'm sure younger audiences will find them mostly enjoyable, but for those who have played Pokemon games before, will find that not only do these new games fail to take the series forward, but there are also far better Pokemon games out there.    … Expand
  77. Spington
    Nov 20, 2019
    6
    Let's just get this out of the way real quick. Pokemon Sword and Shield are NOT 0/10s. While Pokemon Sword and Shield aren't perfect, they also don't deserve that unfair rating.
    The graphics in Pokemon Shield are a hit or miss to be honest. Sometimes they look really good, and other times they look pretty shaky. But overall, I will say the game does look...nice. Not fantastic,    Let's just get this out of the way real quick. Pokemon Sword and Shield are NOT 0/10s. While Pokemon Sword and Shield aren't perfect, they also don't deserve that unfair rating.
    The graphics in Pokemon Shield are a hit or miss to be honest. Sometimes they look really good, and other times they look pretty shaky. But overall, I will say the game does look...nice. Not fantastic, just...nice. I'd give the graphics a 6/10. They aren't bad, but they aren't anything to talk about.
    As for the animations...Yeah they can be pretty bad. Some of the animations for specific attacks in a Pokemon Battle can look really good! The same goes for the Pokemon Trainers when they first send out their Pokemon. Something as simple as throwing a Pokeball was given so much character and personality. However, I will say that a lot of the Pokemon battle animations just resort to the Pokemon hopping in place while an effect plays to show an attack happening. Some of the choices are really strange too (For example, Scorbunny will run up and kick a Pokemon when using "Tackle", but will only hop in place when using "Double Kick"...? Also, the Pokemon Dubwool will use it's hind legs and kick when using the move "Headbutt"). While some moves are given actual animations, as confusing as some of them may be, most of the moves that I've seen resort to simply moving the model around and using fancy effects instead of giving us an actual animation. Not to mention the models are ripped straight from older games, instead of what GameFreak promised, which was giving us brand new models. Speaking of ripping from older games, even some animations for trainers were ripped from older games, such as Hop having some of the exact same animations as Hau (Pokemon Sun and Moon).
    I also have a complain that I haven't really seen going around before, and that's...the lack of brand new Pokemon, and the mass of older Pokemon. When there's a brand new Pokemon game, with a brand new region, people want to see the new Pokemon, catch and train them, to see how good they all are! However, the game features...a surprisingly small amount of brand new Pokemon. They do give you a good handful at the beginning, but after that it becomes rather difficult to find new Pokemon, you just keep finding the same Pokemon you've already seen before (and no, Galarian forms of old Pokemon don't count as "brand new Pokemon"). In my opinion, all the routes should have been filled with brand new Pokemon in order to support the new region, while the "Wild Area" would be filled with Pokemon from other generations for those who want to seek them out.

    Despite these negatives...I can't say it's a bad game. It's definitely a breath of fresh air from how all the other Pokemon games are handled. Participating in the gym challenge is treated more like a sort of sports league, and it's a whole celebration for new and upcoming trainers. It gives you a far greater feeling than just grabbing a Pokemon and walking up to a gym leader, for them to say "Oh, you're a trainer. Cool, let's fight, I guess." This game's gyms are handled just differently enough for them to feel nice and fresh. This also extends to the final challenges in the main story, which I will not spoil here.
    The fact that you can see all the Pokemon just walking around, doing their own thing, is really cool. I know that the "Let's Go!" games did this before Pokemon Sword and Shield, however it's still something to appreciate.
    The Galar Region is absolutely beautiful, and is easily one of my favorite regions in all of Pokemon. The land is filled with such diverse areas and it's so fun to simply just look around them.
    The ability to customize your character in this game is very diverse (for a Pokemon game) and it really does help add your own personal touch into this game. It may not be anything ground-breaking, although it is a nice addition to see included.
    Dynamaxing is also a really nice mechanic...although I will say, gym battles will often just resort to "Let's Dynamax our last Pokemon, then see who hits harder." Also, the idea is just...really dumb in my opinion. It's just the Pokemon growing bigger. I feel like they could have used a bit more creativity here.

    If you like Pokemon, you'll like this game. I only give it a 6/10 due to the negatives listed earlier, and since this doesn't feel like enough of a change from the other Pokemon games. It feels like they did the bare minimum of what they could do for a new Pokemon game. Today, we expect more from Pokemon, especially when The Legend of Zelda and Mario have games like Breath of the Wild and Odyssey. So in short...it's what you'd expect from the next Pokemon game. Changes are made, but not as much as you'd like.    … Expand
  78. SniperKnighter
    Nov 24, 2019
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let me start off by saying i'm in favor of #bringbackthenationaldex so anyone who hates opposing opinions can leave quicker.

    Now let's get started.

    My experience through Pokemon Shield did feel like a pokemon game that was a mesh of X and Y and Lets Go Pikachu and Eevee, but it seemed to be just be a spit shined version of X and Y with somehow less features of which i'll explain.

    In order to make this review its necessary in my opinion to be clear that Gamefreak did in fact lie about the reasoning for taking out more than half the pokemon and from what i saw from this game i honestly can't justify why they made this move.

    That being said let me explain what i was talking about early about being somehow less features.

    #1: In the trailers for this game one of the features they advertised was customization that would be coming back with more than there was before with inclusions like makeup but that is false. There are a total of 5 boutiques in this game and unlike in X and Y the clothing does not change out each day for something new but instead sells the same small selection with small differences like color, on top of the makeup and hairstyles being rather limited. To give credit they made the trainer cards you get in every game the most customizable it's ever been with differing poses, expressions, backgrounds and a gloss pattern like a licence but that was not part of the aforementioned customization they were advertising.

    #2: They advertised the camping feature where you can play with your pokemon and a curry feature that you can make and eat with your pokemon similar to breath of the wild to an extent. I can't say that i can deny thats what was delivered but in a limited capacity. The camping feature is good to allow you to take a break on a route without wild pokemon bothering you but the play with your pokemon part has much to be desired. You have 2 options, throw a ball or have them attack a poke toy (cat toy basically), both of which get old and display subpar animations for each pokemon that sometimes are so bad they are laughable. Playing with your pokemon increases there affection however so there's that if you have the patience. The curry feature is surprisingly not bad because it heals your pokemon when you make it but doesn't replenish your moves which is fine sense the game is quite easy, however the animation for that too is laughably lacking.

    #3: They advertised that there would be a variety of pokemon in the wild area and technically there are, however you only need to explore for about 10 minutes before you've seen them all and or catched them all. To the wild areas credit it's probably the most challenging and rewarding area in the game because when you battle dynamaxed pokemon they give you powerful moves, rare candies, and EXP boosting items but that can be also a double edged blade that causes the game to be easier than it already is. Also they advertised online Dynamax raids with players online along with visiting their tents, and receiving items from them and the receiving items part is true but the online mode is an appalling joke whether that be on Nintendo's new paid for online gameplay services or game freak it makes no difference. When online you lag like in previous games but even harder, you see other players glitching around, it may take several tries to MAYBE see a single other person wanting to dynamax raid when there are 4+ players hovering over the den, and visiting other players tents works but you basically can just add your main mon to their tent and do the same 2 things you can do in your own so it's again very lacking.

    #4: The amount of times i had to stop in this game to hear a character dribble out a list of dialogue was ridiculous. The games allows you to skip tutorials but gives quantities of dialogue in exchange while seemingly babying you by always telling you where to go next when you travel via map. Your also given way to many free rare items just for doing a simple task that any trainer can accomplish. The games not as easy as X and Y but it only steps up a bit by being similar to Alpha Ruby and Omega Sapphires difficulty level.

    The plus sides to this game are your rival has the most development i've seen from any rival (he's not hard to beat but you really feel like he's gone through a journey), dynamaxing can be satisfying to use, though some pokemon don't look like pokemon there are some good looking and hard hitting ones as well, there are likable and good looking characters, it's definitely not an eyesore, and the gym challenge storyline and idea felt more like your character earned their status (it's still an easy game but it felt better story wise aside from Black and White).

    Overall it's not a bad game but me and many others expect better from the #1 franchise in the worlds mainline game.    … Expand
  79. AlenJeir
    Nov 21, 2019
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. We waited for this Game for so long and 4 years of development sounds like an awesome experiencies but. OVERSCALED and adding a pink light under the reused models the price is high. Not our fault this is GF first Game of this kind, the económic growth of the company does not translate in better games. They told this was bigger and better than it actually is.… Expand
  80. DarkGio
    Nov 22, 2019
    6
    Look,this game isn't as bad as some people say.
    However,it could be much better.
    The music,the character design and the trainer customization are great,but I just can't look past the cuts and the absurd excuses they used to justify them. The wild area is a step in the fight direction,but on the other hand many of its textures look unpolished and It also lags at times,especially    Look,this game isn't as bad as some people say.
    However,it could be much better.
    The music,the character design and the trainer customization are great,but I just can't look past the cuts and the absurd excuses they used to justify them.
    The wild area is a step in the fight direction,but on the other hand many of its textures look unpolished and It also lags at times,especially online,where frame drops are very noticeable.
    The animations are mostly reused and Pokémon and people pop in and out of existence depending on how far you are from them.
    The story is...lackluster,It had some potential,but ultimately It wasn't enjoyable.
    The game can be challenging at times (provided you don't overlevel your Pokémon with XP candies) but it's still a pretty easy game overall.
    To conclude,it's a fun experience,but once you stop and look at its flaws you can't help but wonder why Game Freak didn't use all the resources they had in order to make this a better game.    … Expand
  81. Lovio
    Nov 24, 2019
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I wish to start out by saying that I have 100% the game and clocked 111 hours. I have completed the Pokedex, I have the shiny charm, catch charm, and oval charms. I did the post-game and I have done a bit of online play as well.
    I'm going to split this review into a few parts, these are just my thoughts and might be a bit unorganized.

    Part 1: Story
    The story for the games is very par for the course for Pokemon- its enough to keep you playing. A few arcs are very interesting- like hop feeling subpar to his brother. I often found myself wishing I could interact (optionally) to get more of that from him. I also adored Marnie and Bede's arcs- while they could have used more development as well, they wrapped up nicely. Overall Team Yell opted to take a more "team skull" approach while the actual evil team was Marco Cosmos. This really confused me as the only part of the game I'd even be able to see mentions of them was in Pokejobs. I wish there was a more active role by these people and perhaps even an optional side quest about learning more. Catching Eternatus at the end was a very epic moment- but it was badly placed. I don't see why it messed up the champion match. Instead of building tension, it ruined it for me. I found myself wanting to go and beat Leon the entire time I was fighting Eternatus. The post game was also very light, running around past gyms defeating dynamax Pokemon but not being able to catch them? I get it, but it was a bit boring for me. The rare league cards were a very nice touch though, I loved the system with them where you could learn more about characters from them.

    Part 2: Pokemon/Variety
    Every review has probably touched on this, but there isn't a lot of variety in terms of Pokemon. I can count the amount of fire lines on two hands! But somehow I was able to fill a box and a half of water Pokemon. It was a very frustrating moment for me to realize how little variety there is in terms of Pokemon. Many of the 400 included are just Pokemon lines or ones of similar typing. I was disappointed by it.
    However, the new Pokemon where phenomenal! Their new animations were beautiful and they were super fun to collect! I also loved the weird, niche ways to evolve some of them (like Yamask for instance!) it was very refreshing and super fun! It reminded me of why I love Pokemon so much.

    Part 3: Graphics
    Many, many people love to gripe on the graphics. For the majority of the game (not in the wild area) they're actually completely fine. There is a lot of detail and the new shading system is beautiful! I love just how colorful everything is, the ambient light, etc.
    However the wild area has very low graphic fidelity, the trees have bad textures, the grass has apparent tiling, etc. Though these are easy to ignore due to the wild area being beautiful. Eventually it fades into the background after a while. This is NOT a deal breaker for me.

    Part 4: Mechanics
    Wild Area.
    Its a beautiful area with free roaming Pokemon and fun challenges. The balance of the wild area is perfect- you level as you move forward. Its terrifying and fun and game freak needs to add more of this! However, staying in the wild area too long makes you overpowered, as the rest of the game is not balanced for it.
    Camping.
    Extremely fun! I loved playing with my Pokemon and feeling bonded with them. I loved cooking and unlocking the balls via the curry dex. The cooking system is also very fun when you get the hang of it. I can safely say this is much more fun and interactive than amiee. I do wish I could actively play games with my Pokemon, clean them, and pet them though.
    EXP share
    I usually play with this setting on, but I dislike that the option for it to not be turned on/off was sad. I wish it was maybe hidden with an NPC in Wedgehurst, like how the earbuds are hidden.
    Earbuds
    I ADORE this feature. Turning off the background music and strolling through the wild area makes the game a nature documentary. It is beautiful and relaxing. It was a very refreshing change to the game.

    Part 5: Balance
    The game has a few balance issues- mainly late game. There are several people who grind levels and they will always be over powered- but the extent in this game was awful. Trainers on routes had Pokemon that were lower level than the wild Pokemon! There is no reason to grind- and the wild area on top of that makes for a nasty combo. I constantly found myself pushing the level cap until I hit 60.
    However, the start of the game (Milo, Nessa, and Kabu's gyms) were perfectly balanced. Their Pokemon were at the current level cap and it felt like a challenge! But near the endgame I found myself 10-20 levels above everything. It became very boring.
    This should all be scaled to the wild area, with more of that and less traditional routes.

    Part 6: Final thoughts
    I love the game, but there are some things that aren't justifiable. These games deserve so much better than what we got. Its also not fun without online.    … Expand
  82. JoshuaEric
    Oct 13, 2020
    6
    As someone who has only kind of played one other Pokemon game before this (Ruby), I went into this game basically as a new Pokemon player. After 16 hours of game play, I can confidently say that this is a GREAT game. I am having so much fun battling and catching as many Pokemon as I can.

    The game follows the same formula as previous games, at least from my little knowledge of them.    As someone who has only kind of played one other Pokemon game before this (Ruby), I went into this game basically as a new Pokemon player. After 16 hours of game play, I can confidently say that this is a GREAT game. I am having so much fun battling and catching as many Pokemon as I can.

    The game follows the same formula as previous games, at least from my little knowledge of them. Start off in a small town, follow routes, get to the next town, get badge, route, town, etc. Battling seems to be the same, aside from dyanmaxing in gyms which is super fun and makes me laugh seeing these tiny cute creatures turn into giants.

    The characters are great. I love Hop and his ambition to take his brothers spotlight, but he never seems jealous of his brother, only driven by his greatness and how to be better than him. Sonia keeps the story interesting by continuously researching the events of the past and the truth behind it.

    The game is definitely not what it could have been, however, it is exactly what it needs to be. I have not encountered anything in the game that would make me consider it to be "bad". The game is very well polished, no glitches or other hiccups that might cause frustration to the player.

    Overall, the game is FUN. I am having a blast. The backlash and enormous negativity surrounding it almost kept me from buying it, but I got it anyway and I have no regrets. If you like Pokemon and can see a game for more than just graphics, this game will be perfect for you! Looking forward to the next entry in the series.    … Expand
  83. Joblinski69420
    Nov 27, 2019
    6
    Pokemon Shield is by far, not the the greatest title released by Nintendo and Game Freak, there are other better, older titles out there, and I would honestly wait until the price drops or a big sale goes on. Pokemon Shield I've noticed, can be broken sometimes, and despite cutting the national dex. The game had its moments, with a few of the gym leaders and the champion. Nintendo andPokemon Shield is by far, not the the greatest title released by Nintendo and Game Freak, there are other better, older titles out there, and I would honestly wait until the price drops or a big sale goes on. Pokemon Shield I've noticed, can be broken sometimes, and despite cutting the national dex. The game had its moments, with a few of the gym leaders and the champion. Nintendo and G.F. did something new and different with the gyms and league, which I was impressed with, and I think they did an amazing job with Hop with how they fleshed him out as a character, and having him be your rival. Now the animation quality takes a very noticeable dip in certain part of the story, and the walking cycles of always ended awkwardly, both with people, and Pokemon in the camps. They reuse the same character models for Team Yell, passerby, and npcs, which in other games it wasn't so bad as it is in Shield. Plus i wasn't sold on the whole dynamax thing to begin with. Had they removed that feature all together, this game would've been like 5 times better in my opinion.

    In conclusion, it's not a bad game over all, I really had fun playing it, but it's certainly far from being a good, re playable game, and I wouldn't recommend you go and buy it. Wait until it becomes cheaper.    … Expand
  84. bakuboy
    Dec 11, 2019
    6
    The most disappointing thing in SWSH isn't even the graphics or national dex, Galar itself is just the most boring and mechanicswise uninspired region of all. The cities look beautiful, but they are ridiculously small and hollow, there is almost nothing to do there besides the main quest. That's why this game is just not as good as the older ones, it cuts too much content, even with goodThe most disappointing thing in SWSH isn't even the graphics or national dex, Galar itself is just the most boring and mechanicswise uninspired region of all. The cities look beautiful, but they are ridiculously small and hollow, there is almost nothing to do there besides the main quest. That's why this game is just not as good as the older ones, it cuts too much content, even with good improvements like Overworld Pokémon and Raids, it's not enough to call this game a "really good Pokémon game". It's still fun because it's Pokémon, but it is by far the most lazy installment in the franchise.… Expand
  85. CupcakePrincess
    Dec 25, 2019
    6
    I enjoy this game but I have no idea why. Well made, but totally lacking in content.
  86. mattzideaz
    Jan 1, 2020
    6
    It's not the best pokemon, and the games is a little too easy. But the wild area is good and some of the new pokemon are great. $60 is more than previous pokemon games, so 6/10 is fair. R.I.P National Dex.
  87. heypikmin
    Jan 3, 2020
    6
    Gamefreak is out of their league with this one, with games like Gold/Silver/Crystal and Black/White that pushed the consoles boundaries, they barely scrachted the surface with the Switch.

    There's alot to be desired with Sword/Shield; New animations, most of the Pokédex, More postgame content and new things that Pokémon should've expanded upon, like voice acting or multiple save states.    Gamefreak is out of their league with this one, with games like Gold/Silver/Crystal and Black/White that pushed the consoles boundaries, they barely scrachted the surface with the Switch.

    There's alot to be desired with Sword/Shield; New animations, most of the Pokédex, More postgame content and new things that Pokémon should've expanded upon, like voice acting or multiple save states.

    However, this game nails alot of things, like the new Pokémon desgins, character designs, and a few other things. I thought some areas lowkey looked really cool.

    I don't hate how this game looks in general, but for a Switch game it's very inconsistent and I've seen PS2 games that look better. Now the main game

    I had alot of fun with the main game, the new Pokémon while already amazing looking are very fun to use, they brought back gyms which are still fun to go through, the Wild Area, while barren, is still interesting to explore and is a great place to train later on, the music is still amazing. This game is what I like in a Pokémon game, fun Pokémon to use with a side of challenge (There were some points in the game I had trouble with), not alot of tedious grinding, an amazing soundtrack, and good characters.

    I'm not too deep in the postgame but from what I've seen, it's not alot, which downgrades my score.

    Pokémon needs more time in the oven, this is the repercussion of being a yearly franchise, if your games released every 2 years or so for some extra content and QoL updates, nobody would mind. Gamefreak needs to get help from other to make their games better. Let's just hope that they actually listen when the Diamond/Pearl remakes inevitavely roll around.

    In conclusion: PLEASE ADD VOICE ACTING TO POKÉMON PLEASE PLEASE I BEG OF YOU GAMEFREAK    … Expand
  88. LightMicky
    Jan 12, 2020
    6
    Speravo che potesse essere un bellissimo NUOVO gioco di Pokémon, invece sembra una remaster di vecchi titoli! Sarebbe bello vedere qualcosa di nuovo!!
  89. disposable
    Jan 13, 2020
    6
    For a game following the wonderfully inventive Sun/Moon entries, Pokemon Shield is startling in its lack of ambition. The marquee feature, the wild area, feels more like a zoo than an expanse. It is absolutely arresting to recall that Pokemon and Breath of the Wild originate from the same parent company. In this day and age, it is not unreasonable to ask for freedom in our enormouslyFor a game following the wonderfully inventive Sun/Moon entries, Pokemon Shield is startling in its lack of ambition. The marquee feature, the wild area, feels more like a zoo than an expanse. It is absolutely arresting to recall that Pokemon and Breath of the Wild originate from the same parent company. In this day and age, it is not unreasonable to ask for freedom in our enormously popular well funded collectathon RPGs.

    It is frustrating to see an IP as strong as Pokemon so abused. Even through Game Freak's shallow innovation, the core gameplay loop of the most valuable IP of all time still shines. Pokemon battles are still fun, even with fewer pokemon. Still, Game Freak comes close to hamstringing battles with the Dynamax system. By Dynamaxing pokemon in certain environments, you gain exceptionally powerful pokemon for a few turns of the battle. This is a gimmick made by someone who fails to understand Pokemon's most basic complexity- the move system. Changing every move to a boilerplate (albeit strong) selection reduces the otherwise engaging battle dynamics to little more than a slap fight.

    Dynamaxed enemies in the wild area are another way in which Game Freak comes close to souring Pokemon's core loop. Five star dynamax pokemon generate shields that need to be broken down with brute force multiple times while decimating their opponents with powerful moves. This would be a compelling challenge, were it not for the incompetence of the AI trainers you're given to work with. You're frequently paired with ridiculous pokemon such as a Wobbufett that just counters or a magikarp, of all things. Making matters worse, you instantly lose the battle if four pokemon are KO'd. And of course, the Magikarp comes back after a couple turns so it may be killed again. These fights are nigh unwinnable without the aid of other players, a luxury not available to the socially inept or internet deprived. Happen to be in a car? You're not trying hard enough for the Pokemon company's standards.

    Failings aside, what Game Freak had brought to the table this entry is a graphical update. They've not done a bad job either. Gym battles held in huge soccer stadiums with screaming fans feels like the proper answer for the otherwise ludicrous notion of over the top pokemon gyms existing with mystery funding sources for ridiculous puzzle mazes. Battling in front of a huge crowd tickles the id in a way that no other Pokemon entry, save perhaps Colosseum/XD, have managed. It's an incredibly fun setting that ends up regretfully brief.

    Broadly, Pokemon shield is an entry that will hopefully be seen as the early prototype for a new kind of Pokemon game. If Game Freak accepts the feedback on their Wild Area and makes one much more expansive in the next entry, Pokemon could legitimately reach the zenith of its potential. At last, a world broad enough to truly contain and compliment the enormous Pokemon roster. For now though, this entry comes off threadbare and uninspired. A nice show piece, but not much more.    … Expand
  90. Andros777
    Jan 31, 2020
    6
    So here's the thing, even a lazy and somewhat empty version of Pokémon (oh and trust me, Game Freak have been cutting content hard from this one) is still an enjoyable experience to me. Is it as good as previous generations? In terms of story progression and characters I certainly did not mind it, yet, the endgame lacks serious content aside from Max Raid Battles. The number of legendariesSo here's the thing, even a lazy and somewhat empty version of Pokémon (oh and trust me, Game Freak have been cutting content hard from this one) is still an enjoyable experience to me. Is it as good as previous generations? In terms of story progression and characters I certainly did not mind it, yet, the endgame lacks serious content aside from Max Raid Battles. The number of legendaries to catch in this game is insanely low at a measily two per version.

    The content drought will be fixed this year as two expansions are planned. If you somehow managed to wait out on this game, go and buy it together with both expansions once they are out and you will surely find a great Pokémon game. As of right now, it is just alright.    … Expand
  91. BlockXI
    Jan 31, 2020
    6
    It's Pokémon, which I like and I do enjoy these games. But it's the worst games in the series (except for VGC). No graphical upgrade worth the name, no evolution on gameplay but a new price tag for being on console. I like it, and it's a total cash grab.
  92. Keeb999
    Jul 23, 2020
    6
    This is definitively this series' lowest point for me. It has all the things that make a Pokemon game great, but because of how rushed the game feels, a giant leap to stronger hardware just means that so many other staple positives of the series are brought down. Although it's not all doom and gloom, hardcore fans of the series and families will likely still have fun playing it,This is definitively this series' lowest point for me. It has all the things that make a Pokemon game great, but because of how rushed the game feels, a giant leap to stronger hardware just means that so many other staple positives of the series are brought down. Although it's not all doom and gloom, hardcore fans of the series and families will likely still have fun playing it, experiencing the (obviously now limited) array of wonderful out-of-this-world creatures this series is known for, a decent battle system (while I find the X&Y battle system to be definitive) and *some* fun characters like Marnie and Bede.… Expand
  93. RichSwish
    Apr 21, 2020
    6
    I don't have that much problem with the 400 pokemon, its sad and I understand why others are mad too. The main problem I think we should all be mad about is the fact that Gamefreak said the reason there are 400 pokemon is because they wanted to make other aspects of the game better. Take a look at the tree texture you are introduced to right away. That explains it. To me it doesn't feelI don't have that much problem with the 400 pokemon, its sad and I understand why others are mad too. The main problem I think we should all be mad about is the fact that Gamefreak said the reason there are 400 pokemon is because they wanted to make other aspects of the game better. Take a look at the tree texture you are introduced to right away. That explains it. To me it doesn't feel that much of a pokemon game, but it is OK. Not worth 60 dollars. Also a buggy mess at times, still OK story, and basically a below average pokemon game. If I had a problem with the National Dex issues, this review would be a 4.… Expand
  94. Italloko
    Apr 18, 2020
    6
    Without national dex, easily gyms, poor game, short map, i guess the game was making at the rush, the only good thing is pokémon 3d appearing in grass
  95. rireefrif
    Apr 19, 2020
    6
    this game is quite enjoyable, end up binge playing it for 30 hours-ish before finishing the whole "story" part. the cooking feature is actually not as dumb as i thought, it's actually kinda fun completing the dex. but other than that, it's still just an ok game, not bad, but not that good either in my opinion.
  96. Andydoo
    Apr 19, 2020
    6
    It's really not as bad as people make it out to be. Sure, it's got an underwhelming... well, everything, but it's not painfully bad in most regards.

    It's not as good as Sun and Moon or Black and White, which I believe to be the best the series has to offer, and while it has no right being any worse than these, it's not really that huge a deal compared to everything else. I hate to say    It's really not as bad as people make it out to be. Sure, it's got an underwhelming... well, everything, but it's not painfully bad in most regards.

    It's not as good as Sun and Moon or Black and White, which I believe to be the best the series has to offer, and while it has no right being any worse than these, it's not really that huge a deal compared to everything else. I hate to say that "people only hate it because it's popular", but people really bandwagonned on hating this game because most people who played this hadn't played a Pokemon game before it. It's really harmless.

    While the story is kinda bland and really, really bad, I think the characters are some of the strongest in the series. This game has some high highs when it comes to animations, but it also has some low lows. The character animations in battle and in Pokemon Camp are genuinely really charming, especially the gym leaders which are likely the most human-feeling gym leaders in the entire series.

    The battle system is the same as it's always been, and while I am against that notion of "don't fix what isn't broken" in RPGs, that doesn't mean it's not fun. Because it's fun. But it's the same fun as it was before. Dynamax offers no real difference in strategy, especially since you always know when the opponents are gonna use it and it's basically just a guaranteed win if you use it right (which, again, is very easy). But it's still Pokemon, and I still think it's great.

    My friend wasn't sure about it after he saw all the bad publicity, but once he got it he really, really liked it. He still noticed all the things that held it back, but ultimately most of it didn't matter because he was having fun. And that's sorta the same thing that happened to me. I own a copy of every game in the series (or at least one game of each pair for each generation) and I still had a grand ole' time with Pokemon Shield. Don't get me wrong, probably every bad thing people say about it is totally true and it's still an objectively bad game, but you'll have fun with it. If you like filling the Pokedex, congratulations, it's so much easier now and more fun because of that. Sure, the Dex cut is still heartbreaking and unnecessary, but if you're not someone who's got a full living Dex from other games, this really won't matter to you in the slightest past, "I wish {this Pokemon} was in this game."    … Expand
  97. Azzytap
    Apr 26, 2020
    6
    I’ll keep this short because most of what I’ll say has probably been said before.

    Graphics were not up to snuff, animations were wonky, and the removal of so many Pokémon is an insult to fans. This would have been fine if this was a fangame or spinoff but for a full on main title this is embarrassing. But otherwise it was a totally fine Pokémon game. Not great, but the new gym leaders    I’ll keep this short because most of what I’ll say has probably been said before.

    Graphics were not up to snuff, animations were wonky, and the removal of so many Pokémon is an insult to fans. This would have been fine if this was a fangame or spinoff but for a full on main title this is embarrassing. But otherwise it was a totally fine Pokémon game. Not great, but the new gym leaders are some of the best in any Pokémon game, they did try to add some new mechanics, and the story was decent.    … Expand
  98. Theuzetz
    May 6, 2020
    6
    I think this is a pretty decent game,however,considering how much the franchise has been stuck,and they are yet to innovate,and wasted an incredible opportunity to do so in this game,because it's a new gen,in a home console,they had a big shot,and missed,however,pokémon is still great either way.
  99. Yammy
    May 29, 2020
    6
    Pokemon Shield is for sure a huge dissapointment as a Pokemon game. I was able to play a lot of this and have fun doing it, but it is pretty underwhelming...
  100. Arthur26670
    Jun 24, 2020
    6
    Animações porcos e mal feitas e não tem quase nenhum desenvolvimento dos personagens além de não atribuir em nada o universo pokemon mas pelo é divertido as raids principalmente.
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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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