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. Mon0chromicorn
    Nov 26, 2019
    9
    Review bombers tears taste great!

    I grew up during the birth of pokemon it was all the rage innemementary school, so naturally I had the Gameboy game, toys, and cards and all that. I wouldn't say I'm a die-hard fan but I keep the pokemon franchise near and dear to my heart because of its nastalgia. I've maybe owned 5 games that were released on hand held and beat one of them to the    Review bombers tears taste great!

    I grew up during the birth of pokemon it was all the rage innemementary school, so naturally I had the Gameboy game, toys, and cards and all that. I wouldn't say I'm a die-hard fan but I keep the pokemon franchise near and dear to my heart because of its nastalgia. I've maybe owned 5 games that were released on hand held and beat one of them to the fullest and that was pokemon pearl.

    I picked up shield so I can play it on my switch lite. I must say it is one of the best pokemon games I've played I'm completely hooked. The only complaint is some of the animations for a few attacks are very lacking, I think they couldve improved it on that. I give the game a 9.5.

    Don't let the review bombing Gen z babies sway you away. It's a great, fun solid game in the pokemon franchise.    … Expand
  2. GreenMenace
    Nov 26, 2019
    9
    This game is a Pokemon game, through and through, for better or for worse. I have beaten the game and completed the pokedex. I'll soon check out competitive play because the online play looks promising. I've really enjoyed playing the game.

    Pros Quality of life changes Incredible Customization The Galar Region The Wild Area Cons The story is too short The protagonist is far    This game is a Pokemon game, through and through, for better or for worse. I have beaten the game and completed the pokedex. I'll soon check out competitive play because the online play looks promising. I've really enjoyed playing the game.

    Pros
    Quality of life changes
    Incredible Customization
    The Galar Region
    The Wild Area

    Cons
    The story is too short
    The protagonist is far from likable
    Little innovation
    Missing Pokemon

    I believe that Pokemon Sword and Shield are a step in the right direction, but the game needs a lot more innovation. I thought this game was going to make more changes to the Pokemon formula.
    Traditionally, a lot of people stop playing the game because they've caught all the Pokemon and they've beaten the story. Then they're charged more money to do it again in a different region. If the game shook things up a bit more, in just about any area, then I believe that the games would be even more fun than they are. It gets a bit tiresome to see the standard "battler, breeder, scientist" stereotypes with every character.

    I loved the setting of the Galar region. The theme of Pokemon Sword and Shield were done very well. I enjoyed the new Pokemon. I was happy with the wild area. I wanted to be able to move more freely around it, but the introduction of a wild area is a great start.

    You can access Pokemon from just about anywhere and you get a permanent escape rope. The game is easy, but I wouldn't say it's because of the quality of life improvements. If it bothers players, there is nothing stopping them from choosing to not use them. The customization for the trainer is pretty crazy. I'd never imagined a Pokemon game would enable a player to choose so many unique looks. To be honest, I believe they went overboard on that because I'd rather have improvements to the story than character customization. My primary interest in Pokemon games will always be the Pokemon.

    I found myself rooting against my avatar. I didn't like the vague expressions of wonder it made at everything. The other characters had a reason why they wanted to become Pokemon champion. It felt like my trainer became a Pokemon trainer on a whim. If there is one thing about any pokemon story I'd want to do away with, it'd be the beginning. I understand they want to connect with a lot of people, but I do want a protagonist with a personality. A silent Pokemon trainer is not nearly as cool as a silent Link.

    With the elimination of Pokemon from their games, I will hold Gamefreak to a higher standard. If there are less Pokemon, I want better graphics and a better story. The story in Pokemon Sword and Shield wasn't bad, and I enjoyed Team Yell, but there wasn't enough of it. The graphics in this game are better than any Pokemon game I've played.

    I am glad I purchased this game and I would recommend it because I feel that there is enough content in the game to entertain anyone that loves Pokemon. It's also a game that is very friendly to players who are new to the franchise.    … Expand
  3. Trajliner
    Nov 26, 2019
    0
    Game is really easy even someone who dont understan how it works can finish it without any problems.
    You should focus more on older people do not expect this is only for 6 old kids.I as 2-3 old kid finished a lot of games on SEGA without saves bcs they didnt exist back then.How game looks i dont care.
    Game is not evolving at all its really easy to change it upgrade combat system !!!.    Game is really easy even someone who dont understan how it works can finish it without any problems.
    You should focus more on older people do not expect this is only for 6 old kids.I as 2-3 old kid finished a lot of games on SEGA without saves bcs they didnt exist back then.How game looks i dont care.
    Game is not evolving at all its really easy to change it upgrade combat system !!!. New pokemon names and look is ridiculous. 0/10 Its better play yellow crystal then this.
    People who crating this game doesnt care bsc name Pokemon will sell this game anyway.......    … Expand
  4. Irondruid8991
    Nov 26, 2019
    1
    It has Pokémon in it. That's about the only good thing. Lack luster and boring game with some quality of life upgrades.
  5. pzlxqy
    Nov 26, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This series died. This game brings me nothing but despair. So many critics are lying, Game freak is lying, and even some fans are lying to themselves!… Expand
  6. PrunusTR
    Nov 26, 2019
    2
    20 years later, it is still the same game. After playing this game, my thought is that the main pokemon games should not be developed by Gamefreak anymore. New pokemons are well designed. However, hundreds of pokemons from previous games are cut out. Transfering pokemons from previous games is a game mechanic that makes pokemon game a pokemon game. Although cutting out all the pokemons20 years later, it is still the same game. After playing this game, my thought is that the main pokemon games should not be developed by Gamefreak anymore. New pokemons are well designed. However, hundreds of pokemons from previous games are cut out. Transfering pokemons from previous games is a game mechanic that makes pokemon game a pokemon game. Although cutting out all the pokemons reduced the work of developers, there is no progress in animations. The animations in this game belong to the last decade. Moreover, there is still no voice acting. That is ridiculous. I bought this game to experience a main pokemon game on a big screen TV but probably this is the last time since I do not believe gamefreak will improve the game no matter how many generations or game consoles change. This game is definitely not a 2019 game, and it should cost no more than 30 dollars.… Expand
  7. Sakoondomla
    Nov 26, 2019
    2
    A total let down. I had such high hopes for this game and I bought both versions, but the 20 hours of gameplay (across both titles) and totally subpar endgame make me want to cry.

    When are we going to het a truly open world immersive pokemon game on the level with BoTW? I desperately want to be wandering through open world forest in an expansive setting seeking my prized caterpie using my    A total let down. I had such high hopes for this game and I bought both versions, but the 20 hours of gameplay (across both titles) and totally subpar endgame make me want to cry.

    When are we going to het a truly open world immersive pokemon game on the level with BoTW? I desperately want to be wandering through open world forest in an expansive setting seeking my prized caterpie using my pokeball plus to rain pokeballs down on creatures.    … Expand
  8. ZeoN
    Nov 26, 2019
    8
    Puntos positivos:

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

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

    Puntos negativos:

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

    Observaciones Personales:

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

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

    Valoración:

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

    NOTA ➡️ 88/100

    Es el mejor juego de la franquicia Pokémon desde el salto al 3D. No llega al sobresaliente porque sus fallos se ven, pero lo recomiendo mucho para los amantes de la saga y también al nuevo público. Es una muy buena entrega.    … Expand
  9. FireSonic
    Nov 25, 2019
    8
    i highly recommend this, as This game is amazing, the wild area may be one of the best new features to this game. Dynamaxing is fun and is also a great addition. the graphics are better than what people give credit for, though some of the tree textures in the wild area are bad, when connected to the internet, the wild area really drops in frames at times, and the online could use somei highly recommend this, as This game is amazing, the wild area may be one of the best new features to this game. Dynamaxing is fun and is also a great addition. the graphics are better than what people give credit for, though some of the tree textures in the wild area are bad, when connected to the internet, the wild area really drops in frames at times, and the online could use some serious work, which is why i give this game an 8/10 over a 9/10 or 10/10, along with the story being a bit lacking.… Expand
  10. GarrMoose
    Nov 25, 2019
    5
    The move onto the Switch brought forth much for this series and while it has delivered a totally new Pokemon experience the many lackluster aspects of the game hold it back from being the truly excellent game it easily could have been. I guess I will go and break down the good and then the bad points of the game. *=Key Points

    Pros: -The game looks better than it ever has graphically. -The    The move onto the Switch brought forth much for this series and while it has delivered a totally new Pokemon experience the many lackluster aspects of the game hold it back from being the truly excellent game it easily could have been. I guess I will go and break down the good and then the bad points of the game. *=Key Points

    Pros:
    -The game looks better than it ever has graphically. -The gym system overhaul brought a breath of fresh air to the series and played well into the main story.*

    -The new Pokemon designs for the most part felt very inspired and I overall enjoyed them.

    -Seeing Pokemon in the overworld really changed up the Pokemon experience and having them also appear in random encounters kept part of the classic feel. The large, open explorable Wild area is the best example of this.

    -Handholding was slightly reduced in the sense of forced tutorials.

    -A great deal of things were made more convenient like the introduction of nature changing mints, easier ev training, egg move transferring and using your pc almost anywhere. This makes things like preparing Pokemon for competitive play far less time consuming.*

    -Dynamax raids offer a fun new way to catch special Pokemon.

    -3D character designs themselves look better than ever.

    Cons:
    -More than 50% of Pokemon models were excluded from this game. You are limited to a regional dex of 400 and around 30 more models are within the code.**

    -Mega evolutions and z moves were cut and replaced with the lackluster dynamax feature, essentially a 3 turn long combo of both concepts but far less enjoyable and meta shifting in a way I and many others find unideal.*

    -While graphically the best of the series the game still lacks polish in many areas. Models still bear a good amount of pixelation which I expected a departure from moving onto the Switch and many even lack detailed textures to a great extent. You would expect after having had to cut back on so much Pokemon content that the studio would have been able to at least deliver the level of smooth clean looking textures one would expect from a 2019 AAA Switch title.*

    -Story playthrough difficulty was immensely lowered, partially due to an exp share system that you are no longer able to turn off and then due to opponents having weak team builds and/or movesets or just a lower number of Pokemon on their team to take on your full team. Veteran players or even those who want some more difficulty out of their playthrough will not find it in this game.*

    -Lacking postgame content compared to most Pokemon titles.

    -Routes were very linear and uninspired, wild area while fairly vast was also somewhat bland and lacking graphical polish most of all.

    -Unideal online interface. Better than Sun and Moons but still lacking in how easy it makes it to connect with others.

    -Lacking game functionality with online. The wild area is supposed to turn into a big open world experience with others when online but with online functions enabled it turns into an absolute mess of different players frozen and appearing all over different parts of the wild area everywhere you go. I also struggle to be able to connect with others for raids/etc oftentimes and have had similar troubles with local play. You often have to try several times to get it to work even in local play.

    -Forced 20 min time limit on 6v6 rule formats. The one thing I love to do most is 6v6 singles battles online and now I will have to have most of my battles cut short due to a short time limit. (most singles battles I have done take around 24 or more minutes) This almost makes the ease of preparing competitive Pokemon all for naught for players like me and 6v6 online battling is what gives many players reason to keep playing months and months after release.**

    There are probably other more minor issues and pros I have with the game but these basically sum up why I give it the rating I do. This game had everything set up for it to be a 9-10 and possibly even the best in a long running series of good games jumping off of the very limited and antiquated 3DS system but yet squandered so much of its potential with the controversial and even bizarre decisions made by its studio, Gamefreak and overall lack of polish.Despite introducing some truly great aspects to the series this game continues the trend of Pokemon’s last two generations of taking one step forward for the series and one larger step back, this time in possibly the most detrimental ways the series has ever seen.    … Expand
  11. Reviewk
    Nov 25, 2019
    3
    Pokemon as a series deserves far better than this. Content from previous games has either been cut entirely or rebranded as something new when it isn't. "Innovations" like the wild area and its free camera have been in games since the late 1990s and Pokemon is just now catching up despite even games like Fire Emblem Echoes having a free camera in its dungeons on the 3DS. Combine that withPokemon as a series deserves far better than this. Content from previous games has either been cut entirely or rebranded as something new when it isn't. "Innovations" like the wild area and its free camera have been in games since the late 1990s and Pokemon is just now catching up despite even games like Fire Emblem Echoes having a free camera in its dungeons on the 3DS. Combine that with a very low level of content, including 2 legendaries to hunt as opposed to 13 times as many in the 3DS release from half a decade ago, a battle tower with 2 modes as opposed to the 7 from a 2010 DS game, fewer pokemon than a 2006 DS game, and a measly 15 hour playtime when you don't pad it out and focus primatily on story progression, and you get a game with little to offer and will be forgotten by this time next year when the next new game is out.… Expand
  12. Starcat
    Nov 25, 2019
    9
    Just shut the freaking **** up the game is really good not the best but still good. The gym leaders are really fun mega evolution was cut but we have gigantamax now. The look of the game is really good, it's cartoony but this stile really works with pokemon. Yes, the game still has bad things for example the lack of multiple save files. (My fav pokemon was cut but I don't care because theJust shut the freaking **** up the game is really good not the best but still good. The gym leaders are really fun mega evolution was cut but we have gigantamax now. The look of the game is really good, it's cartoony but this stile really works with pokemon. Yes, the game still has bad things for example the lack of multiple save files. (My fav pokemon was cut but I don't care because the game is still really fun and I always use the new pokemons instead of the old ones.) :3 also putting bad grades to a good game is not ethical the game is not the greatest but its not as bad as some haters say.… Expand
  13. JaronReview
    Nov 25, 2019
    10
    Great Game, worth 7/10. voted 10 to boost the score up, it deserves more than 4
  14. Lady_Scribe
    Nov 25, 2019
    4
    Despite all the drama, I pre-ordered Shield and have sunk about 50 hours into it (I dawdled in the game, explored everything and caught almost all Pokémon). I'm a life-long Pokémon fan, with my first game being Pokémon Yellow, a game I played with my mum when I was 6 years old. I've played all the main series games and Pokémon has been quite an important part of my life. I am disappointedDespite all the drama, I pre-ordered Shield and have sunk about 50 hours into it (I dawdled in the game, explored everything and caught almost all Pokémon). I'm a life-long Pokémon fan, with my first game being Pokémon Yellow, a game I played with my mum when I was 6 years old. I've played all the main series games and Pokémon has been quite an important part of my life. I am disappointed with this latest game, even more so than Sun and Moon. Quite a few aspects of the game are slow and boring (such as forced dialogue, walk a bit, more dialogue, walk some more, etc.). The story was simply lacking depth and I was not particularly interested in it. Essentially, the main story is that the playable character collects gym badges while the true hero of the game, the Champion, did all the exciting stuff 'behind the scenes'. My character didn’t feel like the hero, she was ‘just there’.
    The whole Pokédex thing didn’t bother me, it’s not a major part of my reasoning for playing Pokémon. The designs of the new Pokémon are the best I’ve ever seen since gen III. I just wish that something like Pokémon amie, being able to pet my Pokémon had been included, rather than the slightly clumsy camping, with Pokémon sometimes struggling to interact with their toys. Camping quickly became something of a time-consuming chore rather than something to be enjoyed. Not a massive fan of the designs of the three starter Pokémon’s evolutions (with exception to Intelleon). They seemed a little lacklustre compared to previous generations. The animations of the Pokémon were about the same as the previous generations from the 3DS, just fewer Pokémon to play with.
    The designs of the settings are lovely, and as a Brit myself I could see how lovingly British culture was incorporated into the dialogue, the Pokémon and the towns and countryside. However, this is spoiled by low-res textures and lumpy rocks and hills which could have had a bit more added to them. Some of the animations of the Pokémon aren’t great (and certain scenes were nothing short of shockingly poor for a game released in 2019). The towns and cities were all small and although aesthetically beautiful, there wasn’t much to explore. The Wild Area was exciting for the first ten hours of gameplay, but after that the charm wore off. My favourite thing about the wild area is that Hop, the rather annoying character (much like Hau from Sun and Moon) wasn’t around to hound me every step of my Pokémon journey. Pokémon battles were few and far between, and there was an over-reliance on the Wild Area to compensate for that.
    I think if this game had spent a little longer in development, it would have been a truly amazing game. But this wasn’t the case, and I feel sad for those who clearly made an effort to lovingly design a game in a very small amount of time, perhaps being aware that they couldn’t put everything into it. And it really, really shows. Designs are fantastic, but the finished product feels rushed and haphazard, there’s virtually no end-game content, and the asking price of £50 is highly excessive considering that there are other games out there for the same price with much better content.
    Nintendo, GameFreak, by bringing Pokémon to the big consoles, you’re swimming with the big fish. You need to up your game if you want to get better reviews in the future. A disappointing blip on the Pokémon franchise. I hope it improves; Pokémon has gotten me through some challenges in life and it’s sad to see the franchise take a tumble. I’ve humbly learned my lesson and will not pre-order another Pokémon game again.    … Expand
  15. PentaGDVN
    Nov 25, 2019
    0
    Even removed 66% of national pokedex for better animation, the animation still full of trash and copy them from 3DS
  16. LisaRueh
    Nov 25, 2019
    9
    This is a great game - I had a lot of fun playing it and enjoyed the whole thing. It isn't a 100 % there yet and is still a bit rough around the edges but I don't regret buying or playing it. The game play is nice and works well - there are three things bothering me within the game - 1. you cannot turn off or filter all the notifications you receive on the lower left hand side for onlineThis is a great game - I had a lot of fun playing it and enjoyed the whole thing. It isn't a 100 % there yet and is still a bit rough around the edges but I don't regret buying or playing it. The game play is nice and works well - there are three things bothering me within the game - 1. you cannot turn off or filter all the notifications you receive on the lower left hand side for online playing, 2. the instructions for how cooking works are a bit too limited, 3. the limitation of implemented Pokemon (even though I don't think, that this is such a big deal).
    Otherwise I think it is a great game with a really great story, great game play and I really enjoyed that the game and the opponents you face have actual emotions and things happen, that you don't naturally expect. I also really enjoyed the graphics and the 3D world - how the Pokemon run around on the map and I can actually see them - that was great and an awesome addition.    … Expand
  17. Chozo94
    Nov 25, 2019
    8
    Sword and Shield - Hate or Love?

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

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

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

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

    Now to Sword

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

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

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

    National Dex/ Pokedex

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

    Difficulty

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

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

    Note: English is not my native language, im sorry if this is kinda hard to read. :)    … Expand
  18. Djarjb
    Nov 24, 2019
    4
    Has the makings of a good game. The environments are awesome and the "gym challenge" adds a great tournament air the game. Pokemon on the overworld makes the environments feel alive. But game is far to easy with only one battle in the whole game keeping me on my toes. Furthermore the new mechanics of dynamaxing and camping are gimmicky and add very little to the game. Also I suggest neverHas the makings of a good game. The environments are awesome and the "gym challenge" adds a great tournament air the game. Pokemon on the overworld makes the environments feel alive. But game is far to easy with only one battle in the whole game keeping me on my toes. Furthermore the new mechanics of dynamaxing and camping are gimmicky and add very little to the game. Also I suggest never using half the items from Max raids if you ever want to have even a modicum difficulty. Plays like a tutorial the wholeway though the game. The greatest sin in this game is the fact that it feels like a tech demo. It shows of what the switch is capable of but does little else. The Story is bland and short. The post games is a joke that can be completed in under an hour. There are no vastly explorable area or even side quests. It's feels small and compact yet somehow empty. I was prepared to like this game and enjoyed my first three hours but it disappointed. It pains me to see such a potentially entertaining entry in the series so poorly executed.All in all would not recommend. Go play fire emblem three houses instead.… Expand
  19. Lttrev
    Nov 24, 2019
    1
    Played and finished game with around 200 pokemon caught out of the 400. By far worst Pokemon game in the main series. Seemed rushed and expected more from a handheld to console leap.
  20. Edgex10
    Nov 24, 2019
    1
    Falta de contenido deberian de haber puesto muchos mas pokemon, una estafa total
  21. verload
    Nov 24, 2019
    2
    The only good thing about this corridor game is the soundtrack and the pokémon designs. So many interesting chracters used for nothing.
  22. rucus
    Nov 24, 2019
    10
    by far the best Pokémon game to be released so far. been playing for about 34 hours and just got to the 6th gym. defiantly a long game and I have yet to get bored. its a most buy for anyone that is a Pokémon fan.
  23. Geeksgoboom
    Nov 24, 2019
    5
    Loving this game, best one yet. Super smooth controls with no issues, in handheld mode I haven't noticed any lag or glitches. Enjoying the new pokemon, it's not the hardest game for a 33 year old but hey it's for KIDS!!
  24. Dragonfire14
    Nov 24, 2019
    3
    Right off the bat I will say that strictly judging Pokemon Shield as a video game it is a much higher score, I would score it about a 6.5/10. Pokemon as a concept for a video game works very well, and any studio would be hard pressed to make a game in the series that is both a let down and not fun. The problem is when you judge it compared to the other games in it's series. Pokemon ShieldRight off the bat I will say that strictly judging Pokemon Shield as a video game it is a much higher score, I would score it about a 6.5/10. Pokemon as a concept for a video game works very well, and any studio would be hard pressed to make a game in the series that is both a let down and not fun. The problem is when you judge it compared to the other games in it's series. Pokemon Shield is a terrible Pokemon game.

    Starting off I won't go into the whole dexxit situation, but I will say that it did not help the game at all removing the national dex. Gamefreak (GF) did not give the players something in return for the cut Pokemon, and it just leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

    The visuals in this game are really nothing special. The animations are simple with moves applying slight movement to each Pokemon's model, such as turning the Pokemon 180 degrees then shaking them. Each Pokemon does have about 1 signature move that they are fully animated for, but there isn't nearly enough. The environments are bland for the most part, with the Wild Area being barren and just plain ugly. Random weather effects will appear in the Wild Area, but the environment will see no change visually besides a lens filter. The Pokemon look fine, but again are nothing special. Trainers by far have the best animations they have had in the series and look great, but they really are not the focus of the game.

    The story is almost non-existent besides your journey to becoming champion. Characters exist only to point you in the direction of the next gym, and the vast amount of gym leaders offer nothing to the overall story. Your rivals are all uninteresting, Hop being an unbearably outlet for the tutorial, Marnie barely having a personality even though she has a massive fan club, and Bede being an ass for the sake of being an ass. The game will constantly force you out of anything interesting telling you to focus on gyms, but then will force you into a situation that your character really knows nothing about in the last hour. The post game isn't much better as it just introduces 2 **** that have an evil plan to do nothing with. Also with the lack of voice acting the cutscenes feel very awkward. There is even a scene with someone singing, but the audio is silent and is one of the most off putting things I've encountered in a game.

    The gameplay is typical Pokemon with nothing really new added. Dynamaxing is a very boring gimmick that just gives your Pokemon more HP and let's them use Z-Moves. What is worse about it is that Gigantamaxing the straight up better version of Dynamaxing is lock to certain Pokemon. I don't mean that only certain species can use Gigantamax, but rather only specific Pokemon can use it. So for example that Corviknight you raised from lvl 3 and recently got to lvl 100, will never be able to Gigantamax since you didn't catch it from the raid. Gigantamax just makes catching Pokemon worthless unless you get them in the raid. On top of that finishing all the content in the game doesn't take long. You can beat the story, post game, and finish the Pokedex easily within a week, so unless you are a avid shiny hunter or PvP player the game isn't going to last you long. The difficulty of the game is a big factor in why it is so short. You can go through the entire game without grinding and for the most part you will be over leveled. I entered the champion battle with a lvl 75 Corviknight and a lvl 80 Tyranitar and just destroyed Leon. After that I went through the post game only using those 2 while raising other Pokemon to evolve for the Pokedex with no issue. The only battle that I had trouble with was the last battle with Hop in the post game, and that was because I only had 2 Pokemon and they had type disadvantage. I still managed to win using the massive amount of Max Revives the game gives you. The game also treats you like you need your hand held for the entirety of the game. Need to go next door to the hotel, why not follow me there so you know where it is. Need to go back to this town that you were already, I can take you there now. It is also a big factor into the fact that this game features no puzzles at all. It treats you like you are unable to think for yourself, and that it needs to do all the heavy lifting for you. Camping is nothing special and to be honest I used it once for this review.

    What is unfortunate is that this game could of been amazing. GF could of put a lot more effort and passion into it and it would have been an entirely different experience. There are some quality of life improvements in the game, and the music is amazing! The feel of the gyms also is something I didn't expect to love. They really hype you up for those battles, and I loved it. If GF didn't cut any corners Pokemon Shield would of been the best in the series I have no doubts, but with all the negatives and flaws it has it comes out as one of the worst.    … Expand
  25. ToughFluffs
    Nov 24, 2019
    8
    Let me be frank here: I made an account specifically to review this game, just because I know the hate this game is getting. I agree and disagree with various criticisms, and I'm gonna try to hit as much as I can here. Let's start with cons, as it never hurts to touch on the bad before getting to the good.

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

    Cons:

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

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

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

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

    Pros:

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

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

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

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

    Wrap up time!
    Yeah, the game isn't perfect. It's lacking in multiple areas, but the way I see it, this was a test-run from Nintendo. A way of saying "We know this is what you want, but it's also new territory for us." For what it is, it's wonderful. It's still pokemon, and you're still gonna get a fun pokemon experience out of it.
    I think the one big issue with it, that keeps it at an 8 for me, is definitely the lack of postgame content currently, and in general for the past few generations. I've played every generation so far, but 4 will always stick out because of the ability to keep playing for hundreds of hours after the main story ended with contests, the underground, secret bases, and etc. keeping the game interesting.
    With all that said, still a good game, and I had a lot of fun with it.    … Expand
  26. Digi
    Nov 24, 2019
    7
    This game is a well made, beautiful looking pokemon game. However huge flaws include the lack of a hard mode, that veterans have been awaiting for decades. Finally the story was quite lacking compared to previous games.
  27. 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
  28. BassClef94
    Nov 24, 2019
    3
    It’s clear to see why this game gets so many poor reviews- the story is atrocious first of all. The plot is nearly nonexistent, the characters are terribly developed, and the dialogue is so bad I stopped trying to read it about halfway through. The “evil” team isn’t evil at all, just annoying, and the villain doesn’t even seem that villainous. He’s no Giovanni, Archie/Maxie, Ghetsis, etc.It’s clear to see why this game gets so many poor reviews- the story is atrocious first of all. The plot is nearly nonexistent, the characters are terribly developed, and the dialogue is so bad I stopped trying to read it about halfway through. The “evil” team isn’t evil at all, just annoying, and the villain doesn’t even seem that villainous. He’s no Giovanni, Archie/Maxie, Ghetsis, etc. The story isn’t there. If this were any other game besides Pokémon it would be the worst game in history. Next is the graphics and wow were they hit or miss. Some beautiful moments, some terrible moments. The human models are basically lifeless except for one or two facial expressions, but luckily the Pokémon kind of make up for that. The whole world does in fact look like something from 1 or 2 console generations back like we all feared and there are so many graphical/frame rate issues it distracts from what little story there is. But despite all of that, I had FUN playing the game and I guess that’s all that matters. Pokémon battling is addicting and that’s all this game really aims for- addicting battling. It’s terrible to look at but it’s still fun to play. Now do I feel a strong urge to play it again like I often do with other Pokémon games? No. I will take several months off before I even think about trying to main story again. Gamefreak created a fun game packaged into a terribly created world. Let’s all hope they’ll eventually get it right.… Expand
  29. 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
  30. Speedie
    Nov 24, 2019
    7
    If you're looking to compare this game to the rest of the Pokemon series, don't bother. Game Freak is taking their world famous series in a different direction, and as a life long Pokemon fan, I'm not upset at all. There are new introductions to the series between battle functions and main quest direction that keep things interesting at all times. There is of course room for improvement,If you're looking to compare this game to the rest of the Pokemon series, don't bother. Game Freak is taking their world famous series in a different direction, and as a life long Pokemon fan, I'm not upset at all. There are new introductions to the series between battle functions and main quest direction that keep things interesting at all times. There is of course room for improvement, as with any video game produced, but it's plenty of fun, and a welcome introduction to my lineup of Pokemon game cases.

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

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

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

    In conclusion, this generation is very fun, without a doubt. If compared to the rest of the Pokemon games, sure, it's towards the bottom of the list. As a standalone Switch game though, it truly is a great experience! If you can will yourself to simply get excited about a new video game, and jump into it with a positive, or even neutral mindset, you truly will enjoy yourself. The game is worth a full play through, and deserves praise for the things it does well.    … Expand
  31. BIGBenY
    Nov 24, 2019
    0
    This game is uninspired and boring. It's the same thing for 20 years now or something. Try something new. The graphics are poor. Pokemon aren't even all in the game and the new Mons are quite ugly/boring, though the last thing is a matter of taste for everybody individually.
    Try something new GameFreak. Don't give us the same warmed up **** stew every time and with some new irrelevant    This game is uninspired and boring. It's the same thing for 20 years now or something. Try something new. The graphics are poor. Pokemon aren't even all in the game and the new Mons are quite ugly/boring, though the last thing is a matter of taste for everybody individually.
    Try something new GameFreak. Don't give us the same warmed up **** stew every time and with some new irrelevant bull**** features, but with few good features or even less features that became a standard.
    Step aside if you can't do it because you are too lazy.    … Expand
  32. sarapastra
    Nov 23, 2019
    0
    i really wanna know why critics give this awful game 80 points. Game design bad, art is bad, gameplay is bad, mechanics is bad and what really makes me mad they have money what are they doing with that much money.
  33. Syy
    Nov 23, 2019
    10
    This game is GREAT. The controls are great, the movement is GLORIOUS, and the graphics are GORGEOUS, sure, I don’t like that they cut down on Pokémon but if you don’t care about that and like new Pokémon, then this game is for you. The story is great, the sound track is great, and it’s a great way to jump into the Pokémon franchise.
  34. Kamarr
    Nov 23, 2019
    4
    Hot trash! Cause it's a Pokemon game it's gonna sell regardless of it being bad or great. There are many things wrong with this. 1 being Gamefreak being lazy and it shows. Copy paste trees lack luster Pokedex more than half of the Dex has been cut to bring in hot garbage Pokemon feels like a lot of the older games meant nothing. This is the best franchise in the WORLD and it doesn't showHot trash! Cause it's a Pokemon game it's gonna sell regardless of it being bad or great. There are many things wrong with this. 1 being Gamefreak being lazy and it shows. Copy paste trees lack luster Pokedex more than half of the Dex has been cut to bring in hot garbage Pokemon feels like a lot of the older games meant nothing. This is the best franchise in the WORLD and it doesn't show period. No real end game beyond online battling and Battle Tower and a tournament mode which is very dull. I'd give this a 0 but I feel they deserve a 4 cause at least the wild area and such was pretty legit beyond the copy paste tree's and water that looks like tar. Another thing to add is the fact that the Online capabilities of this game is trash and no GTS? like give me a break.… Expand
  35. PredatorPlus
    Nov 23, 2019
    7
    Gráficamente es un cambio a favor. El área silvestre se trata de una beta, está muy desaprovechada. En cuanto la historia me ha parecido pésima y post-game de tan solo 3 horas. En 70 horas me he pasado el juego al completo, historia y pokedex con la ayuda de únicamente de los exclusivos. En comparación con el resto de juegos de pokemon me parece que se queda corto en algunos aspectos.Gráficamente es un cambio a favor. El área silvestre se trata de una beta, está muy desaprovechada. En cuanto la historia me ha parecido pésima y post-game de tan solo 3 horas. En 70 horas me he pasado el juego al completo, historia y pokedex con la ayuda de únicamente de los exclusivos. En comparación con el resto de juegos de pokemon me parece que se queda corto en algunos aspectos. Espero que esta base la utilicen bien para el futuro.… Expand
  36. PontoCom
    Nov 23, 2019
    9
    ninety percent of the people who rated this game badly certainly did not play, because this game is a very good and addictive masterpiece
  37. Cpreacy
    Nov 23, 2019
    10
    Game is amazing all the low scores are from cry babies because there was no national dex besides that this game is incredible and the best one in the series. Definitely a must buy if you are a Pokémon fan
  38. MaidHikari
    Nov 23, 2019
    10
    Love it. Not the best Pokemon game but deffo not the worst etheir not bad for there first try at a home console game.
  39. Ishrod24
    Nov 23, 2019
    0
    Wow some of these Pokémon are a joke. I’m not sure where game freak is going anymore. Male better harder games or lose the support of millions. This is why I still play Gen 1-4. Before they went soft and ridiculous.
  40. InsaneSeishiro
    Nov 23, 2019
    3
    While they are certainly not the worst games in the series at the current point in time, they are the worst Pokemon games, relative to their launch by a landslide.

    Constant framerateissues, outdated graphics, lackluster animations and Gamefreaks blatent lies about redoing all those things(I still don't understand why they lied about it, if they just said that they were using the same    While they are certainly not the worst games in the series at the current point in time, they are the worst Pokemon games, relative to their launch by a landslide.

    Constant framerateissues, outdated graphics, lackluster animations and Gamefreaks blatent lies about redoing all those things(I still don't understand why they lied about it, if they just said that they were using the same models, which they did, and threw in all the pokemon as always, nobody would have cared. Mane of the missing pokemon are even on the disc! with models!!!).

    Music is great and I like many of the new design, but the overarching story is rather bland, way weaker than in ORAS and SM. Really sad too see storytelling take such a step back in the game.

    This is also the easiest pokemon game, which is not bad in of itself, but it is so easy that it ends up beeing boring several times. One of the biggest story encounters is literally unusable, even with skipping the entire wildlands and several trainerencounters, I ended up beeing overleveld for most gyms, since the gymleaders have pokemon on lower levels than the wild pokemon in their surrounding area and the game fullheals your entire team between several encounters anyway(During "the thing" that replaced the elite 4, I got healed between every 2 fights. Even if I wasn't, most of their pokemon went down in 1-2 hits, without ever getting a single attack off.

    If you really crave a pokemongame, this will still do the trick, it still gives you that positive feedback loop of discovering new pokemon, catching them and evolving them, but overall, I would recommend playing USUM instead.    … Expand
  41. MikeRose87
    Nov 22, 2019
    5
    These are my thoughts with the pros and cons I found for this game after a full playthrough with hours of wild area, raids and such over 34 hours.

    Pros I like the new Pokemon: One of my better liked generations of new Pokemon designs. The starters are all equally as good and the story behind the legendaries is solid. Wild area is an excellent idea: This is what I was hoping for in a    These are my thoughts with the pros and cons I found for this game after a full playthrough with hours of wild area, raids and such over 34 hours.

    Pros

    I like the new Pokemon: One of my better liked generations of new Pokemon designs. The starters are all equally as good and the story behind the legendaries is solid.

    Wild area is an excellent idea: This is what I was hoping for in a console Pokemon game and I feel like it was executed quite nicely. Not perfect but a good start. A super wide area with different sections, dynamic weather conditions that affect where and when Pokemnon would spawn. Also have them at all levels available but limit what you can catch to your current gym badges to avoid getting too op early on as well as to motivate you to carry on the quest in hopes to finally be able to catch that certain Pokemon who was beyond your reach.

    Gyms are pretty well done for the most part: I enjoyed the gym challenges quite much (except a couple of really lazy ones). A good change of pace from just battling a few trainers before getting to the leader. Plus the stadium showdown against the leader shows the scale of the battle as well as the fantastic music especially when they Dymanax/Gigantamax.

    Cons

    Presentation sucks: For a console game this just looks bad. Bad textures, pop ins right in your face, and poor animations (aside signature moves). Also, why dont we have voice acting in 2019?

    Story sucks: Team Yell is by far the worst antagonist team in the game. Nothing much other than to go and do the Gym Challenge to face the Champion who keeps boasting on how unbeatable he is which gets really old and corny as well as segments which should feel more epic are rushed with no substance.

    Dungeons suck: Caves, hideouts, forests etc. used to be bigger, leaving room for exploration and resembled a maze of sorts where you need to find your way out or go through multiple floors to finally reach your destination. Now they are pretty much a straight road with a few patches of grass and a couple of trainers.

    Towns/Cities suck: Whats the point of showing you an overview of a huge city leading to believe that there is much to it just for the playable area to be as big as Pallet Town?

    Rival sucks: I cant stand a "rival" that is just so nice, friendly and with such corny lines througout the game. Even complimenting you during a match when you land super effective hits and such. We need rivals to be a-holes again to really push you to want to destroy them every time you meet like Gen 1 and 2.

    From easy to braindead mode: I get the intention of aliviating some of the more tedius aspects of the game but all this together makes it so easy/convinient that there is no challenge whatsoever. You just go through the motions of the game until you beat it. Things like XP Share that cant be disabled, Box Management everywhere, no HM's, Flying Taxi, Remembering/Forgetting Moves, Changing Names, Seeing if your move is effective or not before selecting it etc.

    No National Dex: Bla bla bla, we heard this a thousand times but needs to be mentioned, whatever...

    Dynamax battling is dumb: There is no depth to Dynamax since there is just one standard move for each typing that all Pokemon use (aside Gigantamax exclusive moves) Ok, two for some. Whoop dee doo...

    Verdict

    If you want a Pokemon game to do Pokemon stuff then you will most likely have fun with this despite it's shortcomings. But if you were hoping for the first console Pokemon game to take the already great core and expand it to add true substance, challenge, and depth. This aint it chief.    … Expand
  42. DoctorZack
    Nov 22, 2019
    3
    Absolute disaster.

    It maintains a basic level of competency with a new idea or two, but that's literally the only thing going for it. Everything else isn't just "bad" its genuinely a painful experience.
  43. ToasterRoaster
    Nov 22, 2019
    9
    This game feels incredible. All the subtle animation and UI changes look and feel amazing, compared to SuMo. The wild area is expansive and can at points feel overwhelming, but is overall worth exploring with neat items scattered around. There's also an odd, playful charm with the cooking mechanic, as it works well and feels rewarding. Battling also feels good. The amount of availableThis game feels incredible. All the subtle animation and UI changes look and feel amazing, compared to SuMo. The wild area is expansive and can at points feel overwhelming, but is overall worth exploring with neat items scattered around. There's also an odd, playful charm with the cooking mechanic, as it works well and feels rewarding. Battling also feels good. The amount of available Pokémon is ironically almost overwhelming once you get to the wild area.
    It's fun and worth a buy. Don't listen to the current average metacritic score. The Pokémon being gone is really not a huge deal and is barely noticeable. The game finds it's own charm and fun. Try it before you review bombing it.    … Expand
  44. BobeoFunnelcake
    Nov 21, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It’s a solid Pokémon game, and is the first to bring back the enjoyment I felt playing black and white for the first time. Animations leave things to be desired, but what it lacks in animations it makes up for in new Pokémon designs. The wild area makes leveling up much easier, as opposed to grinding in previous games. Dynamaxing Pokémon is certainly an interesting mechanic, though I’m disappointed that mega evolutions were removed, as that felt like a new constant game mechanic. It’s a perfectly fine Pokémon game, however I hoped that gen 8 would’ve done more with the series, but if you like Pokémon games, I’d say give it a shot.… Expand
  45. 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
  46. nGrangetto
    Nov 22, 2019
    9
    Gran juego. Me gusta mucho la región, los nuevos pokemons. En si los graficos no son la gran cosa, pero son muy lindos. La musica es más que interesante, y la historia si bien es corta, a mí me resulto interesante. La opción de poder interactuar con amigos en incursiones es muy buena, abré camino a que esto continue mejorando para las proximas entregas. Lo unico que NO me gusta tanto es elGran juego. Me gusta mucho la región, los nuevos pokemons. En si los graficos no son la gran cosa, pero son muy lindos. La musica es más que interesante, y la historia si bien es corta, a mí me resulto interesante. La opción de poder interactuar con amigos en incursiones es muy buena, abré camino a que esto continue mejorando para las proximas entregas. Lo unico que NO me gusta tanto es el tema Dinamax/Gigantamax, pero es algo personal, no creo que sea determinante para calificar el juego como mejor o peor. En fin, quienes gusten de Pokemon van a encontrar un nuevo mundo para explorar y conocer, y nuevos pokemones más que interesantes.… Expand
  47. 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
  48. macboybr
    Nov 22, 2019
    5
    So, I've been playing the game for 30 hours so far, and with both main and post-game finished, here's my sincere opinion, as a long term Pokémon fan.

    This game has some great ideas, but almost all of then are poorly executed by GameFreak. I know GF has a background history of being most of a creative company, and not the most technical among all of Nintendo's elite studios. Back    So, I've been playing the game for 30 hours so far, and with both main and post-game finished, here's my sincere opinion, as a long term Pokémon fan.

    This game has some great ideas, but almost all of then are poorly executed by GameFreak.

    I know GF has a background history of being most of a creative company, and not the most technical among all of Nintendo's elite studios.

    Back at the 2000's Gold and Silver development, they had to outsource Satoru Iwata simply because they just could not make the games fit the Gameboy Cartridge. The game's code was so amateur and poorly made, that even they couldn't understand.

    Taking note of those historical problems with the development of Pokémon games, we know that things like having the best graphics and the best animations in comparison with some other games like Breath of the Wild should not be a thing to consider.

    But there are so bad things happening technically, that those games are really disappointing.

    Problems like framerate dropping constantly, really poor draw distance, some really bad textures that look like coming directly from a Nintendo 64 game. I've even had problems with input lag. And for an input lag problem to be noticeable on an RPG game, it's because it is really bad.

    With that problem in mind, we need to talk about "Dexit".
    GF told us that the main reason for removing a lot of pokémons from the game, was because they where remodeling everything from scratch, with brand new animations, for a propper HD game.

    While playing the games, we instantly notice that the pokémon models are clearly the same from the previous 3DS games, and a lot of the animations were reused as well, with almost no modification to them. Telling us that GF was lying and just being lazy at best.

    Changing the topic and ignoring the technical problems with the game, let's talk about the history line of the game. Aaaand... there's no story.

    It is by far, the worst plot of a Pokémon game, with almost no events to explain what is happening to this world.

    We are constantly reminded by the NPC's to just focus on the Gym challenges, and everything else is just ignored.

    During a lot of moments, something happens, and instead of our character (supposedly the protagonist of the game) go there and, you know, be the protagonist, some "adult" shows up and tells us to leave it to the grown people.

    We just go to the next gym, without even being explained about what happened back there.

    I remember having 7 badges and thinking about how they where giving me the main legendary of the game, without even involving me with the events that tell something about them (7 badges is usually when that happens on the previous games), and I was surprised that they simply didn't, and I had to basically finish the gym challenges, to even heard about a legendary pokemon in the game. (Which wasn't even the main one of the game)

    The routes are extremely linear, with no alternative paths (beyond the obvious ones), and really few trainers to encounter and battle.

    The cities, even though they look massive, they're just big corridors, with almost no exploration, and the few constructions that we can go in, are always the same model, with the same decoration, changing only the npc's inside

    And during the entire game, I had a feeling of not being really free to explore the world (A feeling that I've had previously while playing Sun and Moon). It feels like we are constantly with our hands being held by some NPC, telling us where to go, and what we should do.

    They even put some icons and texts on the terribly bad map of the game, showing where to go next.

    Exp Share, which was previously used to make training our team easily (but not too easy), evolved to the point that we can't turn off, and we have it from the beginning of the game. During all the campaign, my whole team was almost 10 levels above every npc, and despite the noticeable efforts GF made to make battles more balanced, it was too easy.

    It's not a bad game. If it was, I wouldn't have played for 30 hours straight, but it's really a bad pokémon game.

    It's the first time that I'm really disappointed to a Pokémon game to a level that I felt the need for writing a review about it, and I'm really worried about the future, and what will be the next big feature cut poorly justified by the bad innovations promised by them.    … Expand
  49. SLURM187
    Nov 22, 2019
    10
    There is not a single review in the red for this game that is valid. All these national dex cry babies realize the only power they have is leaving a low review for a game that is actually really great. If you are a Pokemon fan, you really owe it to yourself to play this game. For me, the wild area alone is fantastic. Its a great place to explore, level up, and find new Pokemon. It makes meThere is not a single review in the red for this game that is valid. All these national dex cry babies realize the only power they have is leaving a low review for a game that is actually really great. If you are a Pokemon fan, you really owe it to yourself to play this game. For me, the wild area alone is fantastic. Its a great place to explore, level up, and find new Pokemon. It makes me so happy knowing that the national dex whiners are the vocal minority, since the game has had massive sales. Keep doing what you do Game Freak. It's your vision, and it's a good one.… Expand
  50. Plopflop
    Nov 22, 2019
    3
    they tooked my favorite mons!! All of them!!!!! It plays like a normal pokemon, nothing special...well less features the the other games but i am used to that. it feels like they take my pets away and it hurts
  51. peterd07
    Nov 22, 2019
    0
    these games cost $20 more than the 3DS games but has an even shorter campaign then they did, has absolutely no end game, has less than 1/2 the pokemon even though they are literally just reused assets from said 3DS games, it's way more buggy and unpolished unlike the 3DS games, and again COST $20 MORE! its **** embarrassing. Not to mention they straight up lied about the reused assets andthese games cost $20 more than the 3DS games but has an even shorter campaign then they did, has absolutely no end game, has less than 1/2 the pokemon even though they are literally just reused assets from said 3DS games, it's way more buggy and unpolished unlike the 3DS games, and again COST $20 MORE! its **** embarrassing. Not to mention they straight up lied about the reused assets and my god the animations are extremely lazy. They have no excuse for this dumpster fire.… Expand
  52. Gjones91
    Nov 22, 2019
    4
    Very disappointing game that new game feeling wears off quick and you quickly realize how lazy the game freak team put the game together
  53. Cabi0l
    Nov 22, 2019
    1
    Bugs ohne Ende.
    Auch die Dreistigkeit nicht alle pokemon zu übernehmen. Einfach Geld macherei.
  54. supgaming
    Nov 22, 2019
    9
    It’s a good game, I really recommend for those who just want a sit down for a couple of hours and do something.
  55. xXFedericXx
    Nov 22, 2019
    0
    No regional pokedex, low framerate, bad texture, no hard mode, no dubb, some animation and same model of sun and moon. This game is very bad and game freak is lazy!
  56. thiago__vascon
    Nov 22, 2019
    10
    I really dont understand all the hate. I've played over 60 hours and just keep coming back for more. I believe it to be the best game on the series, or at least very close to it. It would be better if there were all the pokemon? Yeah, sure. But also sure the cute didn't really affect the gameplay. The graphics are good, not outstanding, but you find a lot of enchanting places in the game.I really dont understand all the hate. I've played over 60 hours and just keep coming back for more. I believe it to be the best game on the series, or at least very close to it. It would be better if there were all the pokemon? Yeah, sure. But also sure the cute didn't really affect the gameplay. The graphics are good, not outstanding, but you find a lot of enchanting places in the game. I only wish it had a bigger story, but it's just because the game is so nice i wish to keep playing more and more. Also, the wield area is definitely the best thing in the pokemon series til now, it's really fascinating and filled with all kinds of pokemon. Again, my only wish was it all was bigger, but not because it's small, but because i wish to play more and more.… Expand
  57. USRobotics
    Nov 22, 2019
    2
    In the new console generation for Nintendo, Gamefreak are not able to create a Pokemon experience based on a open world with a next-gen graphic and jrpg quests/storytelling. i'll try to list ten bad/old things and anachronistic elements in pokèmon:
    1. Locked camera, my god in 2019 a game 'fake-openwolrd' is inconceivable;
    2. Graphic has been ported from 3ds with pop-up problems,    In the new console generation for Nintendo, Gamefreak are not able to create a Pokemon experience based on a open world with a next-gen graphic and jrpg quests/storytelling. i'll try to list ten bad/old things and anachronistic elements in pokèmon:
    1. Locked camera, my god in 2019 a game 'fake-openwolrd' is inconceivable;
    2. Graphic has been ported from 3ds with pop-up problems, framerate drop, low texture and models with low polygons. Gamefreak didn't do a new graphic engine;
    3. No quests, no endgame, no jrpg activities or stoytelling.
    4. Unbalanced opponents' pokemon levels. You can get a lot of pokemon with a great gain of experience that will overlevel or your team in short time. In that condition the challange with other opponents doesn't exist.
    5. No difficulty selector. the game has been development to be easy to play for people that are 5 years old or less. If the game is too easy you can end it in a short time
    6. Bad animation for a lot of skills. GF sayd that they would have improve the skills' animations for the new game. I have seen little improves in a small part of theese.
    7. Mute dialogues.
    8. Plot concept locked since first game in 1995.
    9. Hop
    10. The online is full of problems. infinite time to find a trader for your pokemon, expecially if u know that player and u want to connect with him.    … Expand
  58. 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
  59. Cmw2605
    Nov 21, 2019
    9
    Es stimmt. Technisch ist an dem Spiel nicht alles 100 prozentig optimiert, doch mir ging es schon immer mehr um Spielfluss und Spielgefühl bei Pokémon und das bekommen Schwert und Schild besser hin als viele andere. Wenn man sich nicht dem wütenden Mob anschließt, sondern sich selbst eine unvoreingenommene Meinung von dem Spiel bildet, so glaube ich, dass man durch Spiel geht und dieseEs stimmt. Technisch ist an dem Spiel nicht alles 100 prozentig optimiert, doch mir ging es schon immer mehr um Spielfluss und Spielgefühl bei Pokémon und das bekommen Schwert und Schild besser hin als viele andere. Wenn man sich nicht dem wütenden Mob anschließt, sondern sich selbst eine unvoreingenommene Meinung von dem Spiel bildet, so glaube ich, dass man durch Spiel geht und diese Fehler einfach übersieht, denn der Fokus der Entwickler lag woanders.… Expand
  60. PapapauloIII
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    Lol, seems like no effort was put in this game. Cheap cheap cheap cheap cheap
  61. Alex214
    Nov 19, 2019
    2
    #GameFreakLied fans already put all the pokemon you haven't been able to put and also they put actual trees, not Nintendo 64 trees, fans do what gamefreak doesn't.
  62. Kemmo_ado
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    Litrally all the things that the dexers said about the game is now true 60% of the pokmeons are gone Reusing the same models and animations we’ve seen for the past 6 years

    The world is just a bunch of hallways with nothing much to do in it The story is none existing and has the same cookie cutter formula The graphics look mediocare all the way down to the N64 trees Only 81 new pokmeons    Litrally all the things that the dexers said about the game is now true 60% of the pokmeons are gone Reusing the same models and animations we’ve seen for the past 6 years

    The world is just a bunch of hallways with nothing much to do in it The story is none existing and has the same cookie cutter formula The graphics look mediocare all the way down to the N64 trees Only 81 new pokmeons and only 400 mons in the entire game And the problems keep on piling on and on and on. So much for a 60$ game. “But it said the footage is not final” now all I can do is laugh about that sentence... all in all buying a 60$ game that doesn’t have that much content is a waste of money and time as you can use said 60$ to buy other games. Not only that but buying this game would mean that you’re supporting game freak with their laziness and supporting TPC with yearly releases and getting less content.    … Expand
  63. Rolling740
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    This is still a great game even though the animations '' arn't as good ''. The battles are still fun and that is what the game is about.
  64. Cindadams1
    Nov 21, 2019
    9
    I don’t understand all the hate. I get it, Pokemon were cut, that was a mistake. The gym battles, the characters, the character development, all on point. I can’t remember the last time I walked away from a Pokémon game remembering each individual gym leader. Also, the MUSIC. Omg. The music is so good. I came into this game very skeptical, and was worried about how it wouldI don’t understand all the hate. I get it, Pokemon were cut, that was a mistake. The gym battles, the characters, the character development, all on point. I can’t remember the last time I walked away from a Pokémon game remembering each individual gym leader. Also, the MUSIC. Omg. The music is so good. I came into this game very skeptical, and was worried about how it would play out. Please please don’t listen to these upset fan boys. This game is a masterpiece, just with a few rough edges.… Expand
  65. FoxxForever
    Nov 21, 2019
    2
    The game design feels very lazy. From the graphics to the animations and all the small little details in between, I have very disappointed. Yes it is a pokemon game and yes they overall gameplay of pokemon is fun but I would rather play something else than what feels like a lazy knock off on a console that can handle much better.

    There were fps drops in grassy areas, the pop in is    The game design feels very lazy. From the graphics to the animations and all the small little details in between, I have very disappointed. Yes it is a pokemon game and yes they overall gameplay of pokemon is fun but I would rather play something else than what feels like a lazy knock off on a console that can handle much better.

    There were fps drops in grassy areas, the pop in is horrendous, even the berry trees pop in, the landscape is dull and feels lifeless. Overall the sense of exploration is stunted from these factors.

    Small details such as not being able to choose your trainers outfit when going into a gym EVEN WHEN you can buy them right outside the gym entrance is insane to me, there are only a hand full of good animations but honestly I have seen better from free to play MMO rpgs.

    This literally feels like it should be free to play, that is the quality I am experiencing.

    You’d think being on the switch they’d add touch screen support, friend lists and other quality of life additions to make at least playing with your friends enjoyable but it is annoying at best and frustrating if not the majority of the time.

    Pokemon deserves better.    … Expand
  66. nafechinde
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    only thing i would like to say is that this game and ultimately nintendo does not deserves your money, they should be punished economically.
  67. Kenmei
    Nov 21, 2019
    5
    If this game had come out on the 3DS, this would easily be considered the worst mainline Pokémon game in a very long time. The game feels like it consistently takes one step forward, then two steps back, and that's not even taking the National Dex controversy into question. Just because this is the first mainline game on the Switch, people are going to play it. And it feels like Game FreakIf this game had come out on the 3DS, this would easily be considered the worst mainline Pokémon game in a very long time. The game feels like it consistently takes one step forward, then two steps back, and that's not even taking the National Dex controversy into question. Just because this is the first mainline game on the Switch, people are going to play it. And it feels like Game Freak knew this and put out a subpar product. Even outside of the review bombing this game has received, its still underwhelming and, for whatever they do after this game, whether it be a 3rd game to these two or a new Remake, then they need to fix a lot of stuff to get back on the elite level that pokemon usually stays.… Expand
  68. pokefanboi
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    Not a bad game, definetely needs work and deserve to be release later. Not a fan of the cut but has a good storyline {not spoiling the story}, adore the graphics, love the starters and the way they tried to give the gyms a brand new style like an actual sports event. I dislike how short the league was but it wasn't too bad. I also love Dynamax, GIgantimax and the online universe into theNot a bad game, definetely needs work and deserve to be release later. Not a fan of the cut but has a good storyline {not spoiling the story}, adore the graphics, love the starters and the way they tried to give the gyms a brand new style like an actual sports event. I dislike how short the league was but it wasn't too bad. I also love Dynamax, GIgantimax and the online universe into the game. I dislike the server yeah but other than that the game is good. Needs work on the resoloutions, since I'd rate the reso a 5.… Expand
  69. jojobbb
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    This game has its pros and cons, most likely, this game is rushed I agree. But it's a decent game and I don't mind forms or z moves are removed for dynamax maybe the devs just like the game to be less complicated for the new fans. The other negative reviews rating below 5 has probably not played the game with weak excuses and not properly giving details on why the game was bad. The gameThis game has its pros and cons, most likely, this game is rushed I agree. But it's a decent game and I don't mind forms or z moves are removed for dynamax maybe the devs just like the game to be less complicated for the new fans. The other negative reviews rating below 5 has probably not played the game with weak excuses and not properly giving details on why the game was bad. The game has a terrible resolution, needs work on the animation system because that has issues into the game, the colors are great because it's very bright showing us a brand new region of pokemon and finally, I'd say the post game was a bit eh. The villains don't impress me and repeats their "well, well, well" it gets old fast and not a neat catch phrase. Other than that, the game has a neat storyline with good characters. 7.5.… Expand
  70. Tim22008
    Nov 21, 2019
    9
    Good game.
    Story isnt excited got through main story and post story in around 15h.
    But the new gym format is nice.
    The dexcut sucks but u can catch 400 Pokemon in one game - version exclusive which is nice.
    the wild area lags docked online which is kinda sad.
    The wild area is nice but kinda empty and the spawn radius of pokemon is kinda low.
    Raids are fun!
  71. Stinsav
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    Now now let met ask a question to all the people who review bombed this game. How many of you guys and girls actually caught EVERY SINGLE POKEMON in the game !? And don't freaking lie about it. I play Pokemon to have fun, make a decent team, get through the gyms, battle the league (or in this case the ''playoffs''), and then play the Endgame and redo a full run. This is what I've done withNow now let met ask a question to all the people who review bombed this game. How many of you guys and girls actually caught EVERY SINGLE POKEMON in the game !? And don't freaking lie about it. I play Pokemon to have fun, make a decent team, get through the gyms, battle the league (or in this case the ''playoffs''), and then play the Endgame and redo a full run. This is what I've done with all the previous Pokemon games (except Emerald, but let's be honest Emerald was a special one) and this is what I will keep on doing with the futur games. Now I don't get the hate this game gets at all. People are crying about the game getting easier. Yes, I will admit that some points of the game were indeed made easier, like:
    -EXP SHARE
    -RIVAL BATTLES (Since X and Y I think, you always get the type advantage)
    -FINDING YOUR WAY IN THE GAME

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

    Overall, I loved Shield a lot, hell even way better than Sun and Moon and US/UM. Once I'm done with the endgame, I'm gonna do another playthorugh with another starter and a new team, just like I've been doing for the past 20 years.    … Expand
  72. Fran0990
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    Un terrible juego. Gráfico de n64 y faltan la mitad de los pokemon. Gamefreak es el nuevo EA. Pokemon es el nuevo CoD
  73. geldshot
    Nov 21, 2019
    4
    New pokemon are great and the wild area is a sign of what we want going forward. Getting into competitive pokemon is easier than ever and that is good. Overall though the game is sorely lacking in depth so anyone looking explore the world is deeply disappointed. The online features barely work for me and the story still completely hand holds you the entire way. The world is a shallow placeNew pokemon are great and the wild area is a sign of what we want going forward. Getting into competitive pokemon is easier than ever and that is good. Overall though the game is sorely lacking in depth so anyone looking explore the world is deeply disappointed. The online features barely work for me and the story still completely hand holds you the entire way. The world is a shallow place and max raid battles are already getting old there's fun to be had but i can't help but feel frustrated at the same time.… Expand
  74. Knoxxin
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    It's an incredibly fun game that is very engaging. I enjoyed traveling the wild area (though I do wish it was bigger) and the new Pokemon are incredibly fun. This is the best gym challenge in the series and all the gym leaders are fun and charming, each with a notable personality.
  75. cobradactyl
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    Innovative for the series. All new pokemon on a grand scale. The game is simply fun to play. My daughters love it!
  76. jztigersfan23
    Nov 21, 2019
    5
    The game is fun but there is a terrible bug That makes the game force your TV into a shut off the loop if you have a certain smart TV brand. Not having the national Dex is also an issue but I bought this game to play it on my tv and I can even play it on my tv. nintendo please don't rush game freak to make these games if there are bugs like this in them. If this is how things are going toThe game is fun but there is a terrible bug That makes the game force your TV into a shut off the loop if you have a certain smart TV brand. Not having the national Dex is also an issue but I bought this game to play it on my tv and I can even play it on my tv. nintendo please don't rush game freak to make these games if there are bugs like this in them. If this is how things are going to be done I do not think I am buying the next title in the franchise. Not being a bublic catch all wild pokemon in the wild area no matter the level also is a big restriction for some people, it just doesn't want me to going to the wild area at all until I finished the game.… Expand
  77. RepentantSky2
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    An absolutely wonderful game. The story is better than most Pokemon games, the visuals are astounding and beautiful, despite people's complaints, and it's a such a joy to play. These new games are possibly the best in Pokemon history, and even if they aren't, they come close. None of the criticism and controversy, is well founded.
  78. gargom
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    Esto es absurdo, un juego a medio hacer con las texturas a 144pixeles y repitiendo exactamente lo mismo que en nintendo ds pero en switch, innovación cero. Un juego hecho con prisas y sin novedades, no pienso comprarlo, no parais de reiros de vuestros fans, game freak porfavor dejad de querer hacer dinero fácil sin esforzaros lo más mínimo.
  79. lucasts02
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    Sweet jesus, why? Spent 100 dollars on the bundle for this peace of garbage.
  80. Reaper2187
    Nov 21, 2019
    5
    Great pokemon game, could have done a few things differently but all in all I find the game really enjoyable. I have played every pokemon game since red and blue, and this did not disappoint
  81. pokemonhater
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    graphics are actually pretty good other than those trees in the wild area. team yell could be better but is okay. The dynamax raids and battles are super fun, especially with friends. I love Marnie as a character so much, she has a great story. Can't skip the credits though so 0.
  82. Nudie
    Nov 21, 2019
    2
    Lazy, lazy lazy game design, where should I start?

    This game is a 3ds game ported over to the switch with some enhanced features. The textures, battle mechanics, animations, lack of Pokémon from other generations, lack of puzzles and an extremely underwhelming story have made this game lacklustre to say the least. The game suffers from ageing in all aspects and even has been rated lower    Lazy, lazy lazy game design, where should I start?

    This game is a 3ds game ported over to the switch with some enhanced features. The textures, battle mechanics, animations, lack of Pokémon from other generations, lack of puzzles and an extremely underwhelming story have made this game lacklustre to say the least. The game suffers from ageing in all aspects and even has been rated lower than shadow of darkness, which is decades older... Unfortunately this game missed a huge opportunity to showcase what Pokémon could look like on a modern day console, for example, Zelda breath of the wild had some of the most beautiful textures in a large map we’ve ever seen in any Nintendo game, which, we were eager to see in Pokémon. This was not the case obviously, as the textures are pixelated and unbearable. The greatest thing about this game is the fact that it is still some what of a Pokémon game, but that’s not enough in this day and age, I feel like I literally purchased a. 3ds game..... I would miss this one for sure, or try and buy it for under $20...    … Expand
  83. RYSCO
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    Just say I think it's a great game. I don't usually follow pokemon games, but I think it's a very good and entertaining game. It has hooked me and I love that there are few pokemons and not the string of pokemons that there is ... is a hook... Recommended... Although I see a lot of hater that I would have to play... And many people who do not know how to value the games for their fun andJust say I think it's a great game. I don't usually follow pokemon games, but I think it's a very good and entertaining game. It has hooked me and I love that there are few pokemons and not the string of pokemons that there is ... is a hook... Recommended... Although I see a lot of hater that I would have to play... And many people who do not know how to value the games for their fun and their hours of fun that I carry few and I can say that I find a good game ... entertaining, fun and has me hooked ...… Expand
  84. Burdo24
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    Good game, not one of the best pokemon out there but one very entertaining with beautiful visuals
  85. 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.
  86. EliteLucario
    Nov 21, 2019
    5
    It's not a bad game, but it's not a great game it's just meh... Everyone has been wanting a game that feels like your a kid again playing on the GameCube and being amazed at the lemon in 3D. Unfortunately this isn't that this is borderline a HD 3ds game with the same animations.
  87. IgnaKun
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Me parece una de las mejores entregas de la saga, sinceramente: su historia quizá no está a la altura de B&W por ejemplo, o del lore de ciertas generaciones o momentos de pasadas entregas, pero sin duda entra entre las mejores.

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

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

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

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

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

    En sí, he vuelto a ser un niño y a disfrutar de Pokémon como cuando era pequeño. Un saludo.    … Expand
  88. Meemai
    Nov 21, 2019
    3
    I wanted to be excited for this. I wanted to love it, as Pokémon has always been a game franchise near and dear to me.

    But this is just all around lazy. It is certainly not the bold new step forward that establishes Pokémon´s "strong new position" on home consoles that we all hoped for. It is not even half a step in that direction. Rather, it feels like half a step backwards, even from    I wanted to be excited for this. I wanted to love it, as Pokémon has always been a game franchise near and dear to me.

    But this is just all around lazy. It is certainly not the bold new step forward that establishes Pokémon´s "strong new position" on home consoles that we all hoped for. It is not even half a step in that direction. Rather, it feels like half a step backwards, even from the 3DS titles which I already was not too fond of.
    SwSh somehow feels even more linear, simplified and handholdy than recent 3DS entries; Outside of the Wild Area, everything must be done in an exact step-by-step order. The towns that you visit are also pathetically simple in design, essentially boiling down to a couple of straight lines with very little to offer in terms of exploration. Complex dungeons, buildings and mazes are, of course, nowhere to be found either, so the Escape Rope (now a key item) is completely redundant.
    And you needn´t worry about any sudden tough battles either, as any remotely threatening opponent will make sure to ask you if you´re ready and let you prepare (not that you would need to). I´m sure Gary Oak is twitching in his grave.

    All of this, not to even mention the most glaring issues like Dexit or how the games look, sound and feel like straight up 3DS games lazily ported to the Switch. It feels like no efforts were made, right from the start, to develop these as actual high-budget 2019-worthy console releases. It feels like they were intended for a 3DS release (and even then, they would be inferior to games like SM) and just jumped ship to Switch as an afterthought.

    What I would like to see from the franchise in the future, considering the disaster that has been the 3DS era (of which I also count SwSh to be a part of), would be:

    Cut all ties with GameFreak as developers with regards to Pokémon, and let someone else handle the next project. My suggestion would be a team consisting of some key talent from the Octopath Traveler team, and a handful of cherry-picked Pokémon lovers (someone who can be for Pokémon what Christian Whitehead was for Sonic the Hedgehog).
    Ditch the entire notion of Pokémon in 3D, and aim instead to make the ultimate 2D experience, with "HD 2D" like Octopath had, and gorgeous sprite art. Pretend that the last 10 years of Pokémon never happened, and just make this next project a complete reboot. Really appeal to fans of the early games, and have mysterious legendary creatures hiding away in complex mazes on remote islands and all that. Do the "Pocket Monster: Origin" thing, where you can challenge gyms in any order, and the gym leaders pick their teams based on how many badges you already have.

    Please, #MPGA (Make Pokémon Great Again)    … Expand
  89. bernera
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    The game could be more visually neat, but bro is so much fun this wild area game even you will be hunting and raiding for a long time
  90. 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
  91. Mack_thge_Sack
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    I'm going to state my points and not my emotions, (although, i'm quite unhappy with gamefreak)

    1. People say not having every Pokemon in the game is "reasonable", why? i ask that because previous games on the DS, a solely handheld/portable system. (that I'm willing to bet has far less processing power than the switch) X and Y, OR/AS and Sun and Moon, Contained every pokemon and they are    I'm going to state my points and not my emotions, (although, i'm quite unhappy with gamefreak)

    1. People say not having every Pokemon in the game is "reasonable", why? i ask that because previous games on the DS, a solely handheld/portable system. (that I'm willing to bet has far less processing power than the switch) X and Y, OR/AS and Sun and Moon, Contained every pokemon and they are 3DS games, you're telling me that it was possible to put them all in those games but it was too much work to put them all into a CONSOLE game. i'm gonna call **** especially when there are those of us spending 120$ on both versions.

    2. Gigantamax and Dynamax is stupid(just an opinion(but the right one)), a) mega evolution had Twice as many forms making it much more versatile and meaning more people could have their favorite pokemon become even more powerful. 48 mega evolution, 20 some odd gigantamax.
    b) Sure every pokemon can gigantamax, but, you cant gigantamax whenever wherever like with mega evolution, also having your pokemon simply become giant and lose all of its unique moves (in my opinion) is far less appealing than keeping the moveset that i designed to work a specific way, if i wanted z-moves id play more sun and moon i don't care for your knockoff "dynamax" moves
    c) the ONLY way to get gigantamax is thru luck, in max raid battles, or through possible future events, so if i want to make sure my pokemon has the proper IVs, ability, Nature and characteristic i should probably just forget gigantamax unless i wanna spend every waking moment scouring the wild area, it makes the new staple for battling extremely inaccessible and undesirable

    3) finally the lack of content is absurd, i was waiting for maybe a second wild area(maybe in that snowy region) or something maybe a new post game area like previous games but its nothing its a tiny region(maybe the smallest so far) with short poorly thought out routes, uninteresting caves, Absolutely no Victory Road. and back to the lack of mons in the game, if they didn't put time into the out world, they obviously didn't put any more time and effort into animations than they did with X/Y-US/UM, no work on the plot of the game, then where did the resources go? gamefreak has either a lot of work in updates to do or pokemon is gonna be a thing of the past and ill just keep playing my DS versions where i can keep my longtime companions.    … Expand
  92. Guandaside
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is good overall, but there are two major things that completely ruin the experience:
    1 Dexit, having removed half the dex and still trying to convince you to catch 'em all is ridiculous and is implying that you cannot actually play with the pokemon you like because the developers won' t give them to you.
    2 Nintendo Switch is a good console, it's. Capable of. Exceptional graphics and gameplay. So why does this game feel like something that came out of 2010?    … Expand
  93. SayoNightclaw
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    most of the negative reviews are people just mad that they cut most of the national dex. they would have to eventually. thats how it is when you have so many pokemon. While the game is by no means a perfect game, its actually pretty fun. graphically its beautiful. a lot of the new designs are clever and i love the way they do the gyms this game. Some issues i personally have is the framemost of the negative reviews are people just mad that they cut most of the national dex. they would have to eventually. thats how it is when you have so many pokemon. While the game is by no means a perfect game, its actually pretty fun. graphically its beautiful. a lot of the new designs are clever and i love the way they do the gyms this game. Some issues i personally have is the frame rate drop that only occurs when youre online and connected to the net and the fact that you need a password to connect with a friend for trading. other than that its an amazing game worth at least a try. don't listen to the haters or review bombers… Expand
  94. Cassichu
    Nov 20, 2019
    7
    I have been a long time pokemon fan since before I can remember, and have faithfully followed the franchise through thick and thin, from Kanto to Hoenn to Alola and now to the wide open fields and idyllic landscapes of Galar. I came into this new game with certain expectations - and they were met to a certain degree, and in some areas they fell miserably short. I got a pokemon game, withI have been a long time pokemon fan since before I can remember, and have faithfully followed the franchise through thick and thin, from Kanto to Hoenn to Alola and now to the wide open fields and idyllic landscapes of Galar. I came into this new game with certain expectations - and they were met to a certain degree, and in some areas they fell miserably short. I got a pokemon game, with its beautiful world and its unique character designs, both human and pokemon; I got a promising look into the post-game competitive scene and the excitement of all the new ways to find shinies! Personally, the cut pokedex never bothered me personally - we all knew it was coming, and you would be disillusioned to say that you didn't, what with there being over 1000 unique pokemon and designs when including form variations into the mix - but I will say that the PR response by Nintendo and GameFreak has been disappointing. The game suffers not only because what it could have been, but for the excuses that were given that these features were not available.

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

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

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

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

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

    Any hard core pokemon fan would be remiss to not get these games, but the $60 price tag is certainly something that hurts a game that feels like it would have been nearly the same as a $40 DS title. I would recommend the games wholeheartedly, but with the footnote that it's all what it appears on the surface: a pokemon game. Time will tell if this whole debacle will finally get through to GameFreak and Nintendo as a whole, but for now - until the next games come out - I will enjoy my foray through Galar. I hope those that give these games a chance will do the same.    … Expand
  95. 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.
  96. Cotroneo
    Nov 20, 2019
    2
    If you consider this game a successor to the spin-off, cashgrab, waste-of-resources 'Let's Go' games, you'll still be disappointed.

    Just remember that X/Y introduced a new Pokemon type, Megas, Online (easy to use), and 721 3D modeled Pokemon, while Sword and Shield focused on Little Town Hero and Pokemon Let's Go, and then lied about their laziness and ported models that Junichi Masuda    If you consider this game a successor to the spin-off, cashgrab, waste-of-resources 'Let's Go' games, you'll still be disappointed.

    Just remember that X/Y introduced a new Pokemon type, Megas, Online (easy to use), and 721 3D modeled Pokemon, while Sword and Shield focused on Little Town Hero and Pokemon Let's Go, and then lied about their laziness and ported models that Junichi Masuda worked his ass off for. Literally every excuse GameFreak gave for Sword and Shield can be debunked by comparing it to the technological achievement that X/Y was.

    By the way, Dynamax is basically the same as Z-Moves, where only a few Pokemon have 'unique' models, while every other one uses the same generic animation (in this case, it's just a filter with clouds above them) and you can't Dynamax anywhere other than the Gym that took LITERALLY under 10 minutes to beat entirely.

    I named Sobble Blastoise, btw.    … Expand
  97. Meheszka
    Nov 20, 2019
    8
    Great game overall. There are some minor bugs but this game feels fresh and coherent. Reading reviews I was expecting the worst but everything is perfectly fine! Haters gonna hate.
  98. KrakenOfPepsi
    Nov 20, 2019
    4
    Metacritic has a pretty small character limit on their reviews, so in order to get all of my points across I'm going to split my reviews across the Sword review, and the Shield review. This is the second part:

    - The gyms are small, and feature very standard and uninspired puzzles and mechanics. Even the GBA games were doing more interesting things than this. Also, the version exclusive    Metacritic has a pretty small character limit on their reviews, so in order to get all of my points across I'm going to split my reviews across the Sword review, and the Shield review. This is the second part:

    - The gyms are small, and feature very standard and uninspired puzzles and mechanics. Even the GBA games were doing more interesting things than this. Also, the version exclusive gym leaders have the exact same puzzle mechanics, just with a texture swap.
    - The Wild area allows you access to virtually every single Pokémon in the game, this means you barely need to revisit most areas in the game, removing any importance the area might have had. Because of this you will also spend a huge amount of time here, which in turn also means that you'll get extremely bored of this area very quickly because it's just a huge field with countless random, disconnected areas and Pokémon. I can walk for less than a minute and go from walking in and blizzard finding ice types, to a sand storm finding rock and ground types. This area completely works against the exploration elements of the game, and completely removes any value the Pokémon once had in the series. I can seriously catch something like 10-15 different final evolution Pokémon within five minutes. It’s a joke, there’s a difference between catering towards more casual audiences, and simply ruining you games overall design.
    - You can camp in virtually any area in the game, this allows you to play a mini-game which lets you cook curry, this curry generally depending on how good you are, completely heals/revives your team, as well as giving them EXP. All that is required to make a curry by the way, is a single berry. The price to purchase a berry is about a quarter of the money required to buy the worst potion in the game by the way. Do I need to explain how this is poor balancing, even for a kids game?...
    - There is no touch screen use in this game at all.
    - There are no longer HMs, period. You are able to fly and you are able to surf, these are the only interactions you can have with the environment now. In all the other games, you would gain access to the fly ability fairly late in the game, making the ability to revisit areas that once felt so far away much more satisfying and rewarding. In this game however, you get access to it very early on, and you spend almost the whole game just teleporting from place to place on the map chasing the stupid flag objective marker. This makes the games areas feel even more useless as you pretty much only need to go through them once, there is no incentive to go back, there are no new areas or secrets to access with your HMs, no new Pokémon to find, you beat the area then you never return. The real kicker is that Surf is only required to progress once in the entire game. I’m not joking. You pretty much only ever use it in the horrible Wild Area as well. So the only two ‘HMs” in the game have been made infinitely worse, and the rest are completely absent. There are virtually no real interactions with the environment anymore, and there are no additional puzzles and features either. You can’t revisit older areas and remove trees blocking your way with Cut, you can’t solve boulder puzzles with Strength, you can’t scale mountains with Rock Climb, you can’t explore under water caverns with Dive – you can’t do anything. So much interactivity and decision making has been removed with nothing given back in exchange.
    - The story is so mundane and poorly executed that at times I wondered why they even bothered writing one. The team of this game have literally no importance to the plot whatsoever, they’re pretty much a group of crappy joke characters who follow around a side character and block your path for no reason whenever the game feels like it. These team characters are usually the main antagonists of these games, who feature prominently throughout the game and have some actual impact on the story. Team Yell however don’t have any other use in the game aside from what I’ve just mentioned, and honestly barely appear. The main antagonist of the game is revealed at the very end of the story, completely irrelevant to Team Yell, who you then defeat almost immediately after having him introduced. And then he’s sent to jail off-screen, never seen again. So the main-game has no antagonist, and all you’re left with is your character’s desire to take on the gym challenges – something every other Pokémon game prior to this had while also still creating an at least decent story on the side as well. All of the side characters get barely any screen time, have barely any development or arc, have barely any identifiable or memorable traits or moments in the game and are largely forgettable. The professor of this game appears twice in the entire main-game, again, I’m not joking. This level of quality is honestly laughable.    … Expand
  99. Dreadwolf85
    Nov 20, 2019
    3
    Lazy game design. Pokemon still dont hit each other and some moves are not even animated your pokemon just bounces about like a statue abit. The game is also mind numbingly easy with nearly every encounter being a one shot to win.
  100. theangryscapula
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Ultimately a very fun and immersive Pokemon experience that is greater than the sum of its parts. The new Pokemon designs are stellar, the region is beautiful, and the music is absolutely incredible. While there is still a lot of room to expand in this franchise, and this game has a number of flaws, it's easy to overlook them and enjoy what is in my opinion the most ambitious and utterlyUltimately a very fun and immersive Pokemon experience that is greater than the sum of its parts. The new Pokemon designs are stellar, the region is beautiful, and the music is absolutely incredible. While there is still a lot of room to expand in this franchise, and this game has a number of flaws, it's easy to overlook them and enjoy what is in my opinion the most ambitious and utterly charming entry to date.… Expand
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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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