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. Mordgesr
    Jul 21, 2020
    6
    This is my first game in the Pokémon series, so I cannot compare it with the previous installments. For a beginner, this is a good game that allows you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of adventure that was in the old anime series.
  2. Darkmagician13
    Jul 22, 2020
    6
    As a massive pokemon fan this surely has been the most disappointing main game yet. The fact that game freak is making us pay extra to "catch them all" the lazy animation and some lazy graphics too. Also the story and plot are really boring and the villain has to be the less memorable of them all.
    On the other hand, the game has a beautiful soundtrack and the multiplayer raids it's    As a massive pokemon fan this surely has been the most disappointing main game yet. The fact that game freak is making us pay extra to "catch them all" the lazy animation and some lazy graphics too. Also the story and plot are really boring and the villain has to be the less memorable of them all.
    On the other hand, the game has a beautiful soundtrack and the multiplayer raids it's something that really is appreciated.
    The champion is actually great, with some charisma and it's actually pretty hard to beat unlike other champions before.
    Overall it's a mesh game, not to bad but not too good.    … Expand
  3. Luts1224
    Nov 30, 2020
    6
    A really basic RPG. Nothing special about it. A few fun moments. Poor graphics. Poor story.
  4. ShaddowMaann
    Aug 3, 2020
    6
    I think there is alot of negative reviews here the game isn't bad but its not amazing its a pokemon game with open world which is pretty cool but battles are too easy
  5. Cormacd69
    Mar 7, 2021
    6
    It’s easy to hate on the game because of the graphics, however even if the graphics were better, would this be a memorable experience? In what is in my opinion are worst the worst games to date, Pokemon must wake up and realise it needs to take a leaf out of it’s book and evolve. From a boring world and open area with next to no little grooves and hidden areas to explore, to the theIt’s easy to hate on the game because of the graphics, however even if the graphics were better, would this be a memorable experience? In what is in my opinion are worst the worst games to date, Pokemon must wake up and realise it needs to take a leaf out of it’s book and evolve. From a boring world and open area with next to no little grooves and hidden areas to explore, to the the abysmal and uninteresting story, these games are a hugely disappointing and lazy entry in the franchise. The open area seeks to be something intriguing but instead is a mess, where Pokemon only roam wild when you are close enough for them to pop in, the first encounters may amaze you but it grows old very fast. The DLC adds more to the wild area idea and is definitely a more polished and likeable wild area(s). However these games have let themselves down hugely nonetheless.… Expand
  6. Crisener
    Sep 9, 2020
    6
    Pokemon formula has been proving to be timeless for many generations of consoles. Here we are, at the brink of a new decade, with Pokemon being the highest-grossing media franchise of all time, and yet it seems like for a good and polished game we will have to wait another few years.
    Every part of the game feels like it's unpolished in some way, the story is predictable and not    Pokemon formula has been proving to be timeless for many generations of consoles. Here we are, at the brink of a new decade, with Pokemon being the highest-grossing media franchise of all time, and yet it seems like for a good and polished game we will have to wait another few years.
    Every part of the game feels like it's unpolished in some way, the story is predictable and not interesting in the slightest and there are many additions which feel unnecessary, and the resources put to make them appear in the game could have been directed to making graphics look better or making multiplayer work intuitively.
    If you haven't played any Pokemon game for some time, go and grab this one (the best option being resale), as it still is a fun game. The Pokemon mechanics still work really well in 2020, the thrill of catching new monsters and making a team is still there, and the new Pokemon designs are very well done. It's just that Pokemon deserve better and releasing a game like that considering the franchise's position is just outrageous. It may not necessarily be Game Freak's fault, maybe they've done the best they could, and it's the pressure or lack of support from Nintendo or The Pokemon Company that resulted in all of this. But something definitely needs to change.    … Expand
  7. EatMyMayo
    Jul 29, 2020
    6
    I think having a mainline Pokemon game on Switch is awesome, and overall I have had a good time with the game. I am well over 150 hours into the game and I enjoy my time shiny hunting and completing my Pokedex. However, the story for this game was atrocious...it was the most mind numbing, hand holding experience that I have ever had in gaming. At every corner I was being told to go do thisI think having a mainline Pokemon game on Switch is awesome, and overall I have had a good time with the game. I am well over 150 hours into the game and I enjoy my time shiny hunting and completing my Pokedex. However, the story for this game was atrocious...it was the most mind numbing, hand holding experience that I have ever had in gaming. At every corner I was being told to go do this or go do that, and I was given little freedom to explore and do the game at my own pace. Hop is also super annoying to the point where I would dread going into new towns or going into gym challenges. Besides the story the game is pretty good in my opinion and I hope that GameFreak can pull their act together and make a really great game in the next couple of years.… Expand
  8. hector_bcn98
    Oct 31, 2022
    6
    +
    Fórmula Pokemon, funciona y divierte.
    Muchísimos pokemons a ser capturados y criados. Las áreas silvestres pueden suponer un reto, ya que hay pokemons de todos los niveles. - Gráficamente es para echarse a llorar, de lo peor de la consola. Es para despedir a cada uno de los trabajadores de Game Freaks y otorgarles el premio al vago del año. Inadmisible en un AAA. 0 interés en    +
    Fórmula Pokemon, funciona y divierte.
    Muchísimos pokemons a ser capturados y criados.
    Las áreas silvestres pueden suponer un reto, ya que hay pokemons de todos los niveles.

    -
    Gráficamente es para echarse a llorar, de lo peor de la consola. Es para despedir a cada uno de los trabajadores de Game Freaks y otorgarles el premio al vago del año. Inadmisible en un AAA.
    0 interés en completar la pokédex invirtiendo una descomunal cantidad de horas en conseguir todos los pokemons para que la recompensa sea nula.
    Las incursiones no funcionan y suponen una pérdida de tiempo inmensa.
    La franquicia pide a gritos una revolución. La habrá? No lo creo.    … Expand
  9. fed_up_nerd
    Dec 21, 2020
    6
    Expected way more, it was enjoyable but the mechanics and game design has not changed in two decades.
  10. Firekirb74
    Feb 19, 2022
    6
    Is this game the best PKMN game? Absolutely not. The story isn't that great, the game's map design is pretty terrible, and the game is rather easy overall. I don't mind the lack of the National Dex, but the graphics should definitely be better. There are also not many QoL features in this game. But, this is one of the best games for competitive battling, the characters are all great, theIs this game the best PKMN game? Absolutely not. The story isn't that great, the game's map design is pretty terrible, and the game is rather easy overall. I don't mind the lack of the National Dex, but the graphics should definitely be better. There are also not many QoL features in this game. But, this is one of the best games for competitive battling, the characters are all great, the Wild Area is super fun and enjoyable, and the music is bopping. I don't think this is the best thing in the world, but it certainly does not deserve this much hate.
    Gameplay: great 8/10
    Charm: 6/10
    Graphics: 4/10
    Sound: 9/10
    Other: 5/10
    Total Score: 6/10    … Expand
  11. nowhy
    May 6, 2021
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The "plot" gets forgotten about halfway through the game, and when you're reminded that there's supposed to be a story, the champion tells you to mind your own business and keep getting gym badges. Then when the story gets decent, they tell you that Eternatus was awakened! Who or what is Eternatus? They don't tell you, and it's an insta-catch. This was a rushed game and it shows.… Expand
  12. Herbalmouse1305
    May 29, 2022
    6
    this is a pokemon game

    plain and simple, if that statement does not appeal to you, please god dont buy this game. luckily it does appeal to me, and i mustered quite a bit of fun out of this. not enough to get the dlc tho. Btw dexit is fine, it was inevitable. their excuse kinda sucked, as this game doesnt look too good, but with PLA and Sc/Vi it looks like the smaller scope is    this is a pokemon game

    plain and simple, if that statement does not appeal to you, please god dont buy this game.
    luckily it does appeal to me, and i mustered quite a bit of fun out of this. not enough to get the dlc tho.
    Btw
    dexit is fine, it was inevitable. their excuse kinda sucked, as this game doesnt look too good, but with PLA and Sc/Vi it looks like the smaller scope is starting to pay off    … Expand
  13. Christian_TV
    Apr 15, 2023
    6
    This game it's just what you expect from Game Freak.Nothing more,nothing less
  14. xSpOokie
    Dec 1, 2022
    6
    stop listening to this critics , the game is great , the graphics are a bit poor but the game is a lot of fun and the story is good , not the better , anyways the generation is so good have some pokemons who are so cool , people nowadays in nintendo always try to make something to give a game a poor rating , they want everything in a game , the cons in this game are the legendarys and thestop listening to this critics , the game is great , the graphics are a bit poor but the game is a lot of fun and the story is good , not the better , anyways the generation is so good have some pokemons who are so cool , people nowadays in nintendo always try to make something to give a game a poor rating , they want everything in a game , the cons in this game are the legendarys and the fact that the game is to easy , but yes if you're a pokemon fan YOU SHOULD buy this game! [UPDATE] after 2 years i replayed the game , after playing brilliant diamond and arceus to , for the record i love arceus 9/10 , after replaying the game , i can tell the game isnt that good , than i first writed , not talking about graphics , but talking about performance itself , a lot of fps drops , and when you connect to wifi to do raids , very laggy servers , the first time i didnt pay to much attention on the story but after replaying i have to say that the story is not that good , you get very confused even if you pay to much attention + is boring and one more thing that is extremely anoying is the fact that you constantly battling with your rival who btw is to much annoying , changing from 9/10 to a 6/10 , the only thing who is preventing me from putting red score is the pokedex , the pokedex was the reason who made me replay the game because the first time i played it i didnt use any of the new pokemons from this gen , and other thing that is preventing me to put score 5/10 is the world building , citys and the wild area + the gym leaders are well designed , concluding i dont change my opinion about the game , if you like pokemon i recommend you buying this game , because after all its still a pokemon game , the mechanics , the thing of training them and the gameplay itself is what can get you through the game and make you have fun , because is still pokemon and the essence is there , so yes if you are a pokemon fan you should buy this , its gonna get you those 25 hours of fun .… Expand
  15. baja_dan
    Oct 27, 2022
    6
    A solid entry in the franchise mixed with a few new ideas. I enjoyed the online play and battling my friends from across the world. The new "open" areas were interesting, but felt like they could have benefitted from some more polish. I noticed some frame-rate issues and a few bugs during my 200hr playthrough. I've been a fan of the series since the red/blue/yellow days, but I stoppedA solid entry in the franchise mixed with a few new ideas. I enjoyed the online play and battling my friends from across the world. The new "open" areas were interesting, but felt like they could have benefitted from some more polish. I noticed some frame-rate issues and a few bugs during my 200hr playthrough. I've been a fan of the series since the red/blue/yellow days, but I stopped playing the series during the DS run due to fatigue and how the Pokemon Company hadn't really strayed from it's basic formula. I think that helped me view this entry with a fresher set of eyes overall.… Expand
  16. Luky1996
    Nov 30, 2022
    6
    Tecnicamente arretrato rispetto ai giochi contemporanei, comunque gradevole da giocare.
    I nuovi Pokémon sono molto belli e accattivanti.
  17. Cer2xrafa
    Aug 7, 2023
    6
    De los juegos que más he jugado en la switch, pero fue por una época de cuarentena, haciendo intercambios y combates onine continuamente, por ello, creo que es una experiencia remplazable, y no recomendaría jugar teniendo otros juegos mejores dentro la misma saga
  18. MasterGubbers
    Jul 11, 2023
    6
    Shield certainly has several flaws, but it also brings many new interesting Pokemon into the series. The biggest flaw is that you can blast through the game with seemingly no challenge, as it is easy to level up your Pokemon to level 60 before beatiflng the first couple of gyms. This ruins most of the game, but the Wild Area and new Pokemon make the game better.
  19. fnenamg
    Sep 8, 2023
    6
    Considering it's a product of Game Freak, it's somewhat acceptable.
  20. 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
  21. Arcayon
    Jan 10, 2020
    5
    This game is a pokemon game. So most people are going to enjoy it. I regrettably bought it because it was a pokemon game, but I've still had fun with it. That being said, this is likely the worst pokemon game ever released by Game Freak. They lied multiple times to consumers about their decisions in order to take advantage of their loyal fanbase. The business tactics are alone areThis game is a pokemon game. So most people are going to enjoy it. I regrettably bought it because it was a pokemon game, but I've still had fun with it. That being said, this is likely the worst pokemon game ever released by Game Freak. They lied multiple times to consumers about their decisions in order to take advantage of their loyal fanbase. The business tactics are alone are shameful. The game itself is not polished or finished. You'll need to pay an additional 30$ to get a finished game via DLC around a year from now.

    Pokemon are missing. The designs of new starters is really bad. Gyms are great, but there is a huge lack of story missing and I feel like I'm not doing much other than going from town to town beating gyms. The lack of the GTS is a killer if you are a collector. Wonder trade is still there but requires a nintendo online subscription of 5$ per month. In order to transfer your pokemon from previous generations, you need to have a pokemon box which costs money. Pokemon must then be transferred from their legacy storage pokemon box to pokemon home which is an additional fee.

    This game is all about additional fees and reminds me of an EA games business model. Tons of microtransactions to enjoy the base game. The base game is not a finished product. But hey no matter what, Pokemon is always gonna be fun.    … Expand
  22. Guy_McDude
    Jan 10, 2020
    5
    Very little inventive features. Frame rate issues and a clunky online sticker system. The worst aspect is arguably the narrative that says nothing and does nothing but trot out the franchise cliches without charm. It feels like the game is a labor of begrudging obligation.
  23. jsharkey621
    Aug 13, 2020
    5
    Simply put, Pokemon Sword and Shield can best be described as phoned in games that take one step forward and 3 steps back for the Pokemon series.

    The Bad: When Gamefreak said they were cutting down the number of available of Pokemon in the game in order to improve the models and animations I was hopeful that we would finally get a main game that had animation quality equal to or    Simply put, Pokemon Sword and Shield can best be described as phoned in games that take one step forward and 3 steps back for the Pokemon series.

    The Bad: When Gamefreak said they were cutting down the number of available of Pokemon in the game in order to improve the models and animations I was hopeful that we would finally get a main game that had animation quality equal to or surpassing games like Battle Revolution (a Wii game from 2006). Instead we get terrible animations where barring signature moves, most Pokemon have a single unique animation or just hop in place to attack and which one they use seems incredibly arbitrary and can lead to comically awful results like pokemon doing a kicking animation for a charging or punching attack and just hopping in place for kicking attacks. In addition, many of the idle animations seem lifeless. In a game that’s main gameplay loop revolves around battles, this is unacceptably bad. Another aspect where this game fails is the content. The routes in this game are incredibly short and linear compared to previous generations and offer no ability or incentive to explore since there are no optional routes and only one item that allows you to explore additional areas that is used in 1 route you can backtrack to. There’s also almost no endgame since the only things you unlock after the endgame are stupidly rare gigantamax raids and the Battle Tower. There are no new routes or optional legendaries to explore/find. Compounding this, all of the towns are small and offer no fun activities to do outside of checking out new clothing options in towns that have boutiques. There are only two “mini-quests” in the game that both occur in the same town. Where are series staples like the safari zone, arcades, and contests? As is you basically just go from town to town to complete the main story and then have nothing to do but grind out max raid battles and the Battle Tower. Finally, why did they remove QoL features like super training for easy EV training? Instead you have to put your Pokemon on jobs in your PC and then can’t use them until the job is done.

    Finally, the online features are abysmal. Playing online in the Wild Area makes your game lag like crazy. They also removed the ability for you to search for online trades based on what you want and then see what others want in turn or vice versa, and instead force you to post a public trade offer and hope that whoever decides to take your offer has what you want... when there’s no in-game chat so you can say what you want. Finally, they didn’t put a refresh button for event cards so half the time you try to join someone else’s raids you discover they already have a full party or started the raid already.

    The Good: I like a lot of the designs for this gen (which is admittedly entirely subjective). I love new mons like Appletun and Corviknight. Also, certain QoL features like being able to transfer egg moves between breeding partners are really convenient. Finally, the Wild Area is a (small, unpolished) step in the right direction for what the series can hopefully become.    … Expand
  24. 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
  25. Tabamon97
    Jul 31, 2020
    5
    I just feel like the developers were lazy. The game progression feels dumbed down to the max. streets being blocked by grunts that well for no apparent reason. Pokemon ruby was at least forcing you to use special moves in order to block progress until the gym leader was defeated. The plot does not make much sense. The supposed villain is again, dumbed down and without any personalityI just feel like the developers were lazy. The game progression feels dumbed down to the max. streets being blocked by grunts that well for no apparent reason. Pokemon ruby was at least forcing you to use special moves in order to block progress until the gym leader was defeated. The plot does not make much sense. The supposed villain is again, dumbed down and without any personality traits or clear end-goal like team magma and aqua were, and I am not even comparing this game to the best pokemon games ever made. Ruby and Saphire have their flaws, but not as big as this one. From the same people that have Zelda on their console, this is just a joke. Graphics were lazy, character development was extra lazy. The combat is almost the good old "find a good pokemon against a certain type and spam their move". I kind of wish they were a bit braver with this.… Expand
  26. koolaidman486
    Nov 18, 2019
    5
    Honestly, Sword and Shield aren't HORRIBLE. They're perfectly fine games.
    However, they aren't real steps forwards for the series.
    The Good: - A lot of the music is quite good - The character models look quite nice - More condensed areas look good, if not a massive improvement over the Sun and Moon games - There's more good than bad with the new Pokemon. Almost all of them either are    Honestly, Sword and Shield aren't HORRIBLE. They're perfectly fine games.
    However, they aren't real steps forwards for the series.
    The Good:
    - A lot of the music is quite good
    - The character models look quite nice
    - More condensed areas look good, if not a massive improvement over the Sun and Moon games
    - There's more good than bad with the new Pokemon. Almost all of them either are nice looking, or good in battle
    The Bad:
    - REALLY bad overworld animations
    - The scaling of the Pokemon is also all sorts of messed up (really big Pokemon are comically small in a lot of cases)
    - The Wild Area looks outright bad and unpolished
    - Bad Route design, they're overly condensed and straightforward
    - No real dungeons
    - About 60% of the old Pokemon are just not in the game, and there's no new models or animations to compensate for that, and GameFreak outright lied several times about the reason for the cut.
    - Really bad frame rate drops, despite the fact that graphics of this mediocrity should be running at 60 FPS
    - Bad overall polish, the game isn't super buggy, but it's clearly not out of beta in various places yet.

    Overall:
    Wait for a deep sale, or just play one of the OG DS games instead    … Expand
  27. Lone_Wolf_Sones
    Feb 2, 2020
    5
    Where to start with Sword and Shield. Are they bad games? No. Are they great games? No. So what are they then? Well they strangely find themselves sitting in the middle. Considering these were to be the first console mainline installments in the series? Expectations were understandably high.

    That is not to say that there aren't any redeemable aspects about these titles. However for    Where to start with Sword and Shield. Are they bad games? No. Are they great games? No. So what are they then? Well they strangely find themselves sitting in the middle. Considering these were to be the first console mainline installments in the series? Expectations were understandably high.

    That is not to say that there aren't any redeemable aspects about these titles. However for every step forward? It feels like one step was taken back. First we have to talk about the cuts to the national dex as well as the move pool. Game Freak said this was in an effort to deliver high quality animations. Unfortunately, we do not really have "high quality animations" here.

    The Wild area is easily the biggest new addition and it is a positive step forward. However this is tempered by the fact that you will find high level pokemon early on. You can't catch them. This would have been somewhat tolerable if you could catch them but couldn't use them in battle due to the level restrictions that have been in place since the series' inception. Also a bummer is that while online the frame rate tanks and trainers you come across can't be interacted with.

    The games also have a shocking lack of visual polish across the board. There are some glaringly low resolution and muddy textures. The cities and towns feel like window dressing and facades. Many doors can't be entered. Interior's of buildings have been copied and pasted with the same layout in each.

    Dynamax and Gigantamax battles feel like gimmicks. They add very little to the meta and feel like nothing more than damage sponges even if you exploit elemental advantage. I would rather the time spent on these have been spent on creating more new pokemon or getting more of the roster in there.

    The new pokemon we did get are generally cool. Regional variants though again I could do without in favor of more new ones or more of the proper national dex.

    Now we come to the really scummy part. They revealed DLC where many of the cut pokemon will be added back in for $30. They said there would be a "Free" update. But many people fail to consider this isn't really free. We also have been given the news of Pokemon Home and that it will cost $16 for a year. Also placed behind Pokemon Home is the GTS system that has been carved out from the previous games.

    IF you want to transfer from pokemon Bank which itself already costs $5 a year? You need Pokemon Home which is another $16 for a year. This is on top of paying for Switch online at $20 for a year. That means you will have spent $41 on subscriptions alone just to transfer/trade and battle online. And if you want the DLC which most fans are probably going to want as there are yet new legendaries in there, that's another $30. That's $71 total on top of the $60 for the base game where you already were paying $20 more up front being a switch title vs. a 3DS title.

    This kind of excessive monetization of Pokemon is my greatest fear come true.
    (copied from my review of Pokemon Sword)    … Expand
  28. Frenish
    Nov 18, 2019
    5
    Finished the shield under 25 hours, now I’m playing sword. The game is pretty underwhelming. The design of the Pokémon are underwhelming as well. I got a eve evolved it into sylveon and got it to lvl 60 while everyone one else was 20-35 Including gyms, so pretty easy. The feature of dynamaxing is also lame.
  29. zasham
    Feb 2, 2020
    5
    For me the biggest negative thing about the new Pokémon games are the difficulty. They are likely the MOST easiest/casual Pokémon ever. No puzzles, no real dungeons, experience points for all Pokémon, exchange Pokémon directly without going to the center, way too easy trainers ect. ect. ect. There are so many flaws in difficulty, it seriously hurts!
    If those were the first games in the    For me the biggest negative thing about the new Pokémon games are the difficulty. They are likely the MOST easiest/casual Pokémon ever. No puzzles, no real dungeons, experience points for all Pokémon, exchange Pokémon directly without going to the center, way too easy trainers ect. ect. ect. There are so many flaws in difficulty, it seriously hurts!
    If those were the first games in the whole series, Pokémon wouldn't have been such a big success as it is today. Hope they learn the next time! If not, it will be my last one forever.    … Expand
  30. Spagbonara
    Dec 16, 2019
    5
    This is as barebones as Pokemon gets. I like Raid battles and dynamaxing, but the bad online and story even for pokemon standards drag this experience down. The gameplay at it's core is nothing new for pokemon with slightly better visuals than Sun and Moon. Speaking of the visuals, I think it looks good in towns and routes but the Wild Area just looks ugly. In my experience, it took 70This is as barebones as Pokemon gets. I like Raid battles and dynamaxing, but the bad online and story even for pokemon standards drag this experience down. The gameplay at it's core is nothing new for pokemon with slightly better visuals than Sun and Moon. Speaking of the visuals, I think it looks good in towns and routes but the Wild Area just looks ugly. In my experience, it took 70 hours to do everything there is in the game including finishing the Pokedex and beating the postgame. If this pokemon game had everything in Sun and Moon and these extra stuff on top, It would have been an easy 8 or 9 from me, But as it stands, it's a game you play through once and sell. If you like pokemon, you'll like this game but don't expect anything more.… Expand
  31. LunarD3ATH
    Dec 30, 2021
    5
    Shills making reviews now? These are FAR from the best Pokemon games ever made. In fact, they're low-tier and average *at best* but even that feels like it's giving Game Freak too much credit.

    Let's ignore the lies about needing more time to spend on animation and the drama of cutting out the national Pokedex and, worse than that, going a step further and making it impossible to get    Shills making reviews now? These are FAR from the best Pokemon games ever made. In fact, they're low-tier and average *at best* but even that feels like it's giving Game Freak too much credit.

    Let's ignore the lies about needing more time to spend on animation and the drama of cutting out the national Pokedex and, worse than that, going a step further and making it impossible to get those Pokemon in-game AT ALL. Let's ignore that these games can be ugly in the wild areas and that your Pokemon don't follow you anymore, because the games are actually quite beautiful on the linear routes despite some pop-in. Let's ignore the technical issues.

    As long-time Pokemon fans, many of us have grown to expect some level of both quality and muck. Old, cool mechanics are tossed in the bin to make each game feel "special" and new features are added to differentiate the new ones from the old. Gen 3 and 4 had their own variation on contests that were great, for example, whereas Gen 6 had things like the Battle Maison and introduced Mega Evolutions. The latter of which was scrapped almost completely (may return someday, but they are not present in Gen 8).

    These games are still fun, but if you've ever played a Pokemon game before you WILL notice the untapped potential. These games were rushed out for no discernible reason, cutting a large portion of content and leading to very linear, bland route designs with no opportunities to explore (all of that exploration is thrown into the wild areas, which are not that interesting to explore beyond just seeing how it changes when you go from area to area). Many new Pokemon designs are very cool and I think they did a fantastic job with the regional forms they added, like Ponyta and Zigzagoon. A few shiny designs are quite interesting now that palette swaps are mostly a thing of the past, such as shiny Galarian Zigzagoon, but many are also quite boring and don't fit that well with their base form shinies, like Gigantamax Centiskorch.

    But I guess those are small complaints. Really it's just the fact that you're bound to see less to praise the game for and ultimately feel disappointed. In older games there was usually enough to make up for the older content being cut, some new gimmick that at least made things interesting. Now, not so much. Unless you really like making curry in the game, which I can't imagine why you would, there's not much going on.

    It's a good game, it's just not a very good Pokemon game. You'll have fun with it if you really try and give it a shot, but you're going to feel ripped off for full price, especially with the cost of the DLC being a whopping $30 extra, and even after the DLC there are still many of your old favorites that won't be available in the game at all. And from now on you'll have to get used to checking compatibility lists to determine if you can build your team the way you want with your favorite Pokemon because no game will ever include all of the old Pokemon, even though the models have been ready since the start of Gen 6.

    Seriously, what's the point of future-proofing models if you're just not going to use them?    … Expand
  32. riverkev95
    Jun 17, 2020
    5
    Es un juego con muchas ideas interesantes pero ejecutadas de una forma cuestionable.
    Muchas decisiones del juego son polémicas y definitivamente se nota que le hicieron muchas horas de desarrollo para obtener una experiencia decente.
    El juego brilla por sus mecánicas clásicas, accesibilidad a nuevos miembros y curiosas innovaciones, pero falla terriblemente en quitar cosas de    Es un juego con muchas ideas interesantes pero ejecutadas de una forma cuestionable.
    Muchas decisiones del juego son polémicas y definitivamente se nota que le hicieron muchas horas de desarrollo para obtener una experiencia decente.

    El juego brilla por sus mecánicas clásicas, accesibilidad a nuevos miembros y curiosas innovaciones, pero falla terriblemente en quitar cosas de generaciones anteriores que ya estaban muy bien recibidas por los jugadores.
    Un gran error fue recortar casi la mitad de los pokémon y carecer de un post-Game decente. Este contenido faltante se venderá en un pase de expansión de $30.00 que contendrá más de 200 pokémon y el post-game que le hizo falta, aún así no se completará la pokedex nacional.

    En conclusión, Pokémon Sword/Shield no es un pésimo juego, pero está lejos de ser un buen juego. Es un juego entretenido, pero mediocre. Los más fanáticos, aquellos que compraban ambas versiones desembolsarán mucho dinero ya que pasarán de gastar $80.00 a $180.00 ya que el pase de expansión es ligeramente diferente para cada juego y se vende de esa manera.    … Expand
  33. jljosue
    Nov 28, 2022
    5
    The game promised a lot but in the end it came to nothing, it was just a graphical update of the 3DS trees and very poorly used ideas, with a very mediocre story. It would have been nice if the base game included DLCs for a more optimal experience, as the sparse content didn't show the game's potential. I really disliked Dynamax's mechanics, as the flow of the battles are slow, and theThe game promised a lot but in the end it came to nothing, it was just a graphical update of the 3DS trees and very poorly used ideas, with a very mediocre story. It would have been nice if the base game included DLCs for a more optimal experience, as the sparse content didn't show the game's potential. I really disliked Dynamax's mechanics, as the flow of the battles are slow, and the animations tiresome.… Expand
  34. dash383535
    Jun 23, 2020
    5
    #DashReviews

    The Pokémon series has finally come to home consoles after two decades of handheld mainline games. With expectations high for what the series can do with this new powerful hardware, will it be able to live up to these expectations or will fall flat on its face compared to the less powerful 3DS versions of the game? The story in Pokémon Sword and Shield is pretty generic    #DashReviews

    The Pokémon series has finally come to home consoles after two decades of handheld mainline games. With expectations high for what the series can do with this new powerful hardware, will it be able to live up to these expectations or will fall flat on its face compared to the less powerful 3DS versions of the game?

    The story in Pokémon Sword and Shield is pretty generic when it comes to the standard Pokémon adventure. Nothing really deviates you from going to the gyms, getting the badge, rinse and repeat. The story has a villain and a bit more going on besides the standard of trying to become the ultimate Pokémon trainer but it strangely set up near the end of the game. This makes for a story with super-fast pacing that has almost nothing interesting happening through most of its run time. The pacing is so fast and rushed, that the box art legendary plot is saved for the post-game. The story is easily one of the most boring aspects of this game which is a shame since titles like Pokémon Black and White had more going on and those are $30 DS games.

    Gameplay-wise, this is a Pokémon game through and through. It’s the standard turn-based RPG everyone has been playing for years. There a few new gimmicks like Dynamaxing, a way for your Pokémon to turn into kaiju monsters. There one open area in the game with a free-roaming camera. The game treats this as a big deal but consoles games have had free moving cameras since the N64 days. The best new mode in the game is Co-Op raid battles since you will be working with your friends to catch powerful Pokémon. These few new modes and gimmicks are also at the expense of half of the Pokémon roster being cut. Even with the fun of raid battles, it not enough to make these games stand out as next-gen titles. They are painfully average games in the series that are super easy to boot. If you love Pokémon games, they're passable but I feel like these games need more innovation for being console games in 2019.

    This is the least polished Nintendo I have ever played. Framerates dropping drastically every time you go into the open area, models pop in constantly, and it graphically looks like Pokémon Sun and Moon unscaled to HD. Animations are so stilled to the point that everyone moves like a robot and no one blinks. The soundtrack is my personal favorite of the series but the amazing songs don’t make up for this game's wealth of technical problems.

    Pokémon Sword and Shield are passable games in the franchise that will either please fans that want more of the same or anger others that wanted these games to have a new life on a home console. They don’t do enough to innovate this stale franchise and don’t even bother to give this generic game the polish it should have. I would wait for a discount or skip these games entirely. Hopefully, the next installments in this franchise give fans what they truly deserve.

    Pros:
    +It’s the Same Old Pokémon
    +Great Soundtrack

    Cons:
    -Boring Story
    -No Innovation in the Gameplay
    -Technical Mess
    -Cut Roster for Little Change    … Expand
  35. jorgeben292110
    Nov 16, 2019
    5
    Es un "buen" juego si ignoras ciertos apartados (gráficos, etc), lo mismo con la otra versión, sin embargo es cuestionable el hecho de haber eliminado de forma masiva la mayoría de Pokémon, también megaevoluciones , etc. No es lo que esperaba, espero que la próxima entrega sea mucho mejor que esta.
  36. UniversalReview
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Pokémon Sword/Shield are fun, fresh, new Pokémon experiences. You can catch nearly one-hundred new creatures, explore never before seen towns and cities, and interact with a colourful cast of new characters. However, the same can be said for every new Pokémon generation in the history of the franchise, and for perhaps the first time ever, the cuts and flaws really start to bring thePokémon Sword/Shield are fun, fresh, new Pokémon experiences. You can catch nearly one-hundred new creatures, explore never before seen towns and cities, and interact with a colourful cast of new characters. However, the same can be said for every new Pokémon generation in the history of the franchise, and for perhaps the first time ever, the cuts and flaws really start to bring the experience down.

    Through two decades of handheld releases with the same formula, the question was always there: “what if?” What could Pokémon look like, what could the series achieve, if finally freed from limited handheld hardware and brought onto modern home consoles?

    As it turns out, the answer is more of the same. And that is exactly the problem.

    Sword/Shield are a graphical upgrade from their 3DS predecessors, yet still look mediocre for their hardware. They offer plenty of new features, at the expense of everything new introduced the previous generation. They promise a new experience, yet have less content than DS and Gameboy Advance games released 10-15+ years ago. All the boxes are ticked, but that doesn’t account for everything that is missing.

    It could be argued that Sword/Shield are a product of Gamefreak’s shifting design philosophy. Since 2013’s X and Y, franchise leaders have made it clear that accessibility is a priority. Case in point, 2014’s ORAS famously removed Pokémon Emerald’s Battle Frontier because “kids would get frustrated with the difficulty”, completely disregarding the millions who grew up with the games regardless.

    This mentality is overwhelmingly present in every aspect of Sword/Shield, to the extent of actively removing player-choice in many situations. Sword/Shield are arguably the most linear games in the franchise: outside the Wild Area, you’ll mostly be moving from A to B, with a noticeable lack of traditional “dungeons”, various inaccessible areas and major plot points happening off screen. Even worse, the EXP-Share is no longer optional. To many, it was a major factor in X/Y & Sun/Moon being far easier than previous instalments, resulting in the player often being comically over-levelled in major battles, and here its removal limits player choice for simply no good reason. By focusing on simplicity and linearity, everything suffers, producing easier and shorter experiences that feel less like RPG adventures and more like a guided tour.

    But now comes the main event: Dexit. Pokémon’s largest ever controversy, and for good reason: you are finally unable to “Catch ‘Em All”. Roughly 500 creatures simply cannot be transferred into Sword/Shield. Disregarding the ethics of forcing players to use a (likely paid) service to store Pokémon that might be in a future game, improved graphics and animations were specifically cited as the main reason for this decision. Sadly, that explanation simply doesn’t hold true. Sword/Shield look mediocre for their hardware, in many cases lacking simple details such as battle backgrounds, decent textures or proper attack animations. Furthermore, many animations and models are outright reused, and while the jury is still out on whether Gamefreak lied about using “new models”, it’s indisputable that a AAA title in 2019 shouldn’t look this poor, especially if visuals are used to justify shortcomings elsewhere.

    However, perhaps Sword/Shield are expansive enough to justify the cut content? Sadly, this isn’t the case either. At a moderate pace, Sword/Shield are roughly 15-20 hour games, average for the franchise, and offer significantly less post-game content compared to many previous instalments. Sword/Shield cost $20 more than previous Pokémon experiences: console prices for console games, but nothing about the story, formula, length or breadth of content reflects that. New features like the Wild Area, Dynamax and Pokémon Camp are fun, but every new Pokémon game in history has brought new features to the table, and nothing about Sword/Shield particularly screams bigger or better.

    Sword/Shield are undoubtedly fun games. Pokémon’s core formula is one that works. But to many, they are also indicative of a stagnation that has plagued the franchise over the past five or so years. Sword/Shield are on a home console, but downgrade the graphics and they would be indistinguishable from any 3DS Pokémon release. Even with Sword/Shield being the series’ fourth consecutive yearly releases, they can expect to sell 10-15 million copies, so there really is no incentive to give the franchise the “Breath of the Wild” moment it deserves. But in 2019, on the most powerful hardware yet, the bare minimum simply isn’t good enough anymore.

    When your visuals are rivalled by a Wii spinoffs from 2006, you offer less content than DS releases from 2009, and players have less freedom than in your Gameboy debut, that’s a sign things need to improve.    … Expand
  37. denisferro
    Nov 16, 2021
    5
    Nada nesse jogo funcionou direito...
    Acredito que as únicas coisas de positivo são as batalhas (inclusive online) que ficaram ótimas, a wild area que dá um gostinho de mundo semi-aberto e a trilha sonora que é ESPETACULAR.
    De resto, é tudo muito fraco... História contada de forma totalmente horrível... Após a metade é percebe-se que é tudo rushado.. Graficamente tem hora que é bonito    Nada nesse jogo funcionou direito...
    Acredito que as únicas coisas de positivo são as batalhas (inclusive online) que ficaram ótimas, a wild area que dá um gostinho de mundo semi-aberto e a trilha sonora que é ESPETACULAR.
    De resto, é tudo muito fraco...
    História contada de forma totalmente horrível... Após a metade é percebe-se que é tudo rushado..
    Graficamente tem hora que é bonito até, e tem hora que é simplesmente terrível...
    Um game que tinha um enorme potencial e acabou sendo um total fracasso em termo de qualidade...    … Expand
  38. hknyrbkn
    May 8, 2021
    5
    As per the generation of newly introduced Pokemon I love this game. The rest, meh. The DLCs, disaster...
  39. souma2312
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Yo sinceramente si que soy nintendero pero tampoco es que sea fanboy de la compañia y hay que decir sus verdades aunque la desarrollada es gamefreak y este juego no tiene la mas minima justificacion los puntos malos mas notorios son: Las animaciones por dios que un juego del 2019 salga con unas animaciones tan flojas si que daria bastante vergüenza,otra cosa las texturas en el mapa que seYo sinceramente si que soy nintendero pero tampoco es que sea fanboy de la compañia y hay que decir sus verdades aunque la desarrollada es gamefreak y este juego no tiene la mas minima justificacion los puntos malos mas notorios son: Las animaciones por dios que un juego del 2019 salga con unas animaciones tan flojas si que daria bastante vergüenza,otra cosa las texturas en el mapa que se podria decirce que es mundo abierto se nota que no pusieron nada de optimizacion y por eso las texturas van tan mal y otro punto la pokedex nacional sinceramente me parece tambien algo muy flojo de su parte viniendo de un juego de switch que no quieran metar a todos los pokemon ni si quiera es tan complicado porque tienen los modelos anteriores de 3ds que si algunos es reutilizados aca asi que no hay justificacion para esto,quizas lo unico bueno que tenga serian los diseños de los nuevos pokemon y ahora es mas facil jugar al multijugador competitivo y otra cosa que recalcar es que el juego tiene una duracion sumamente corta siendo el juego mas corto de la saga sinceramente se nota que no le hecharon ganas al juego y es una pena porque sino el juego sin duda hubiera sido un exito pero ni modo solamente la gente que quiere tirar su dinero ala basura lo comprara sin duda.… Expand
  40. Lighty
    Nov 19, 2019
    5
    Too easy, Game Freak lied so much about it, poor graphic and FPS performance, rushed, boring characters, no personality and charm, too much cut content (moves, Pokémon, etc.), boring gameplay, and some minor issues. Wild Area is good though.
  41. ilikechikin
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    IGN is trippin, pokemon sword & shield are easily the 2nd worst games in the series after sun/moon. As someone who has played every game since red in 1999, the mainline games have become somewhat stale over the past few iterations. Sword/shield are literally just HD 3ds games that Nintendo is selling for $60 and that's kind of disappointing to me. I still give it a 5 because well, it'sIGN is trippin, pokemon sword & shield are easily the 2nd worst games in the series after sun/moon. As someone who has played every game since red in 1999, the mainline games have become somewhat stale over the past few iterations. Sword/shield are literally just HD 3ds games that Nintendo is selling for $60 and that's kind of disappointing to me. I still give it a 5 because well, it's Pokemon and it's still decent for a Pokemon game but it is super underwhelming for being the first mainline game on the switch console. Super short story too btw, completed in 12 hours even with a couple hours of messing around in the wild area. Oh, and #GameFreakLied.… Expand
  42. Dagatansky
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    I'm gonna be very honest here, this game is not finished at all! The game isn't bad, but it's not good either. I am about 8 hours in and honestly have no desire to finish it. I have been a Pokemon fan since I was 7 when Gen 1 came out, and this is the most disappointing entry ever in the Pokemon series. The models don't look bad, but not great either, just reused 3DS models. The battleI'm gonna be very honest here, this game is not finished at all! The game isn't bad, but it's not good either. I am about 8 hours in and honestly have no desire to finish it. I have been a Pokemon fan since I was 7 when Gen 1 came out, and this is the most disappointing entry ever in the Pokemon series. The models don't look bad, but not great either, just reused 3DS models. The battle animations are boring and lazy. A lot of the new Pokemon designs are uninteresting, I do like some of them, but a good chunk of them are just bland. I do like some of the new character designs though, but Dynamax is dumb. Just another gimmick to be abandoned next generation. I was really hoping that Mega Evolution would stick around, but it got ditched just like every other gimmick. The always on EXP Share makes the game way to easy, I have blown through all 3 gyms I have fought so far. Absolutely destroying the Dynamax Pokemon the leaders use. The new Wild Area is very lackluster as well. We deserve much better than this game that feels more like an unfinished spin-off, especially from the largest media franchise to ever exist. The Pokemon Company and Game Freak are squandering this series and I honestly have no intentions of playing the next games, especially if this continues. These games are marketed towards kids eventhough the core audience is between the ages of 18 and 30, we want a challenging game. Very disappointing entry, could've been so much better than it is.… Expand
  43. goiky
    Jan 22, 2020
    5
    Not one of the best pokemon games, but definitely utilizes its platform well. The story is absolutely horrendous, with being horribly paced, bad motivations for almost every character except for Hop, and humor that's forceful and unfunny. The gameplay though is pretty good. The cutting of the National Dex was a genius move, especially when considering how tedious it would be to complete aNot one of the best pokemon games, but definitely utilizes its platform well. The story is absolutely horrendous, with being horribly paced, bad motivations for almost every character except for Hop, and humor that's forceful and unfunny. The gameplay though is pretty good. The cutting of the National Dex was a genius move, especially when considering how tedious it would be to complete a dex otherwise, given the expansive world that they have. The mechanics that this game introduce (the wild area and raids) are the best to be seen in any pokemon game, because it's on a switch. However, I had 0 difficulty the entire game. I mean, it's a pokemon game, it's gonna be fun, but this one was incredibly easy, and that's coming from someone who had difficulty with sun and moon. Still, people who are calling this game the worst are nitpicking and biased.… Expand
  44. Squishydew
    Nov 19, 2019
    5
    Pokemon sword & shield show everything thats wrong with mainline pokemon games.

    Every generation it becomes more obvious that gamefreak puts in minimal effort with lacking animations, graphics, and this time a story that is outright annoying, being delivered by CONTINUOUS npc interuption. Even worse, at times the npcs run off to experience the real story while you just do a    Pokemon sword & shield show everything thats wrong with mainline pokemon games.

    Every generation it becomes more obvious that gamefreak puts in minimal effort with lacking animations, graphics, and this time a story that is outright annoying, being delivered by CONTINUOUS npc interuption.

    Even worse, at times the npcs run off to experience the real story while you just do a meaningless task.
    On top of the Dex cut, subpar online functionality and FPS drops, these games feel rushed and uninspired.

    There are redeeming qualities - Like overworld pokemon are amazing and miles better than random encounters, but its sort of ruined by the extremely obvious pop-in issues the game has.

    The leap to console should've been amazing, sadly its below average at best.

    This is a €20 game being sold for €60    … Expand
  45. Strewth
    Dec 6, 2019
    5
    1. Your character choices are 6 different shades of child
    2. Incomplete Pokedex (gotta catch em all?)
    3. Laughably lazy battle animations that look like they're from gen 1(tail whip im looking at you) 4. Shockingly rough graphics 5. Shoehorned online features 6. Suuuuuper casual easy difficulty 7. Lame uninteresting story (gotta be the best yada yada yada) 8. Score for the most part    1. Your character choices are 6 different shades of child
    2. Incomplete Pokedex (gotta catch em all?)
    3. Laughably lazy battle animations that look like they're from gen 1(tail whip im looking at you)
    4. Shockingly rough graphics
    5. Shoehorned online features
    6. Suuuuuper casual easy difficulty
    7. Lame uninteresting story (gotta be the best yada yada yada)
    8. Score for the most part is great except for a few battle songs that sound like the composer was on crack and speed (sounds like 3 different songs being played over each other at times)

    That's 8 reasons why Death Stranding is a better investment.    … Expand
  46. Antares_87
    Jun 23, 2020
    5
    No National pokedex , No Party. Besides this game haven't a long story , only 15 hours of campaing, I'm sorry gamefreak but this is a Shame
  47. Grijandor
    Dec 10, 2019
    5
    Es un juego con muchas carencias, la primera la nula dificultad, el juego te invita a explorar el área silvestre que está metida con calzador en medio del juego y que a nada que estés un rato recomiendo volverás a la historia principal con muchos niveles por encima de los rivales que te encuentres. La historia del juego también es bastante plana, no incita a la rejugabilidad. El online, enEs un juego con muchas carencias, la primera la nula dificultad, el juego te invita a explorar el área silvestre que está metida con calzador en medio del juego y que a nada que estés un rato recomiendo volverás a la historia principal con muchos niveles por encima de los rivales que te encuentres. La historia del juego también es bastante plana, no incita a la rejugabilidad. El online, en el que se ha hecho bastante énfasis es digno del año 2001, la interacción con otros jugadores no pasa de verlos corretear por el área silvestre. Por otra parte el único interés en el que se ha hecho mejoras reales que es el competitivo, se ve roto gracias al dynamax, el cual además, está poco trabajado limitando los ataques a prácticamente uno por tipo, lo mismo que las incursiones, muy buena idea esta última pero vista una, vistas todas. Si bien el número de Pokémon recortado es suficiente para disfrutar el juego habría sido imposible meter el resto coherentemente, serían casi el doble en un área silvestre demasiado pequeña y poco variada. Aún así el juego de las arregla para ser divertido como cualquier otro juego de Pokémon, pero mucho menos memorable que otros juegos de la saga. Muchas ideas buenas que no se han sabido llevar a cabo que tal vez culminen en un juego próximo bien hecho de verdad que realmente esté a la altura del salto generacional y de lo que Nintendo switch es capaz.… Expand
  48. Skizor
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    I have already cleared everything including postgame. This is going to be a spoiler free review, i will only focus on the positive and negative aspects and what needs to be improved.

    Positives: *Some areas in this game look absolutely gorgeous, like the towns Ballonlea and Circhester. *Most of the new Pokemon look pretty good. *IVs and EVs, and by extension Competitive battling,    I have already cleared everything including postgame. This is going to be a spoiler free review, i will only focus on the positive and negative aspects and what needs to be improved.

    Positives:

    *Some areas in this game look absolutely gorgeous, like the towns Ballonlea and Circhester.
    *Most of the new Pokemon look pretty good.
    *IVs and EVs, and by extension Competitive battling, are more accessible than ever.
    *You can change your Pokemon's Nature with Mints.
    *Pokemon Camp, with new features, such as said Currydex.
    *New "Open-World" Wild Area for encountering higher level Pokemon.
    *Most in-depth trainer customization to date.
    *Move Tutor/Remover/Name Raters are now in every Pokemon Center.
    *You can access PC almost anywhere.

    Negatives:

    *Hundreds of Pokemon were cut from the game, such as previous Starters, Legendary Pokemon, and many others.
    *100+ Moves were cut, the most notable being Return/Frustration, Pursuit, and Hidden Power. Signature moves of certain Pokemon were also cut, even though the Pokemon themselves are in the game, like Vespiquen's Heal Order and Woobat's Heart Stamp.
    *There are multiple examples of the game feeling rushed or unfinished, like how the "Corviknight Taxi" Fast-Travel system doesn't have an animation and is just a screen fade, every NPC walking on rails, time stopping when you climb a ladder, and the entire Wild Area feeling empty, with low-resolution textures, pop-ins, and broken shadows.
    *Any battles that are not major battles, such as Wild Battles and most Trainer Battles, have the same generic backgrounds. When you are outside, the battle always takes place on a dirt road with grass, trees, and mountains in the background, and when inside a building, the battle uses a generic white void for a background.
    *Post-Game Content is confirmed to be very short, less than 2 hours to complete, similar to X&Y. It's basically just "catch Box Legendary, go to Battle Tower."
    *Most Pokemon Moves, and the Pokemon themselves, have had no noticeable improvements made to their models or animations. Everything that isn't brand new is recycled, and even some of the brand new stuff, like Hop, uses recycled animation, from Hau.
    *Riding a Bike forces you to wear an ugly biking outfit instead of your custom clothes.
    *Most of the "Story" takes place off screen, and only really makes an appearance near the end of the game. The "Story" itself is also lackluster, in that it's incredibly short and forgettable.
    *The EXP Share is mandatory, and cannot be turned off. This makes the game very easy.
    *Strange changes that don't make much sense logically, like how the sound control settings are locked behind a Key Item you get from a random NPC in Motostoke City.

    Summary:

    IMO this is the most disappointing Pokémon game i played, since i had high expectations about this game being on a console like Switch.
    They really need to add all Pokémon back in the game since there is nothing here to justify the cut of so many Pokémon.
    GameFreak need to hire more devs so they can polish and finish this games better.    … Expand
  49. LuckyAbsol
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Your average pokemon game that'll probably be fun for the casual fan. The story is below par compared to past pokemon games, suffering from clear pacing issues towards the end. The graphics were only slightly better while some of the animations are also lacking. Clear pop ins and low resolutions textures litter the game while severals bugs are also present. For example, the battleYour average pokemon game that'll probably be fun for the casual fan. The story is below par compared to past pokemon games, suffering from clear pacing issues towards the end. The graphics were only slightly better while some of the animations are also lacking. Clear pop ins and low resolutions textures litter the game while severals bugs are also present. For example, the battle backgrounds not always matching up with battle. The quality of life changes were very welcomed but the EXP Share was still too strong and could not be turned off. On a more personal level, I believe Shield has the better exclusives.

    I must also add that the soundtrack was very forgettable this time around which is strange for a pokemon game, the postgame is also extremely short with it only being about 1-2 hours long. The battle tower makes a return but it's been stripped down to it's bare bones.    … Expand
  50. BrownKnight
    Jul 15, 2021
    5
    This game is just a disappointment, I'm genuinely sad this is the direction Pokémon is going. This game had so much potential on a much more powerful consolle but it's all wasted. The cause can be summed up just with one concept: laziness. Most of the things they put in was rushed, half-finished, it looks like they don't even care anymore. This game should cost 30 $ AT BEST, it's surelyThis game is just a disappointment, I'm genuinely sad this is the direction Pokémon is going. This game had so much potential on a much more powerful consolle but it's all wasted. The cause can be summed up just with one concept: laziness. Most of the things they put in was rushed, half-finished, it looks like they don't even care anymore. This game should cost 30 $ AT BEST, it's surely not worth 60. Too bad, if they go on like this the franchise is doomed.… Expand
  51. Metacritic90
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    While the gameplay was enjoyable and has a fresh concept in an open world, there were way too many flaws in the game to give it a good score,first of all, the game was way too easy and fast compared to other game, completed it within the first 24 hour of the game, but not only that the full party exp share makes it so easy to get pass anything without much grinding which let's you clearWhile the gameplay was enjoyable and has a fresh concept in an open world, there were way too many flaws in the game to give it a good score,first of all, the game was way too easy and fast compared to other game, completed it within the first 24 hour of the game, but not only that the full party exp share makes it so easy to get pass anything without much grinding which let's you clear the game even faster than Mostyn oteer game not to mention u can switch out pc pokemon at anytime anyplace, the part where you can't catch overleved pokemon is also annoying, if you can't cathc it why even bother making them. Available in the open world in the first place?? The story is very mediocre just like most games didn't expected much from it, and the animation is just bad in a lot of ways, the fog, the background, how when you climb ladders the game freeze feels way too lazy from gamefreak.I like the dynamax system it was fun and refreshing but why make it an only gym battle thing and you can't use it in the wild, that's kinda pointless after a while when u beat the game and can't use it outside. But my biggest problem is the dexit, sure I understand cutting out some of the pokemon so that we can try out new ones but why on earth cut off all the starter lines and legendary which are the icon pokemon for the past games in 2 decades??? I can't Even trade off my starters that I breed for so long to get shiny perfect Iv into the new games whats the point? This game feels way t o rushed just so they can make a new generation and get the TV series ongoing and the merch to sell better too, I hope the next game gets a better improvement and maybe even include more than 600 pokemon's and let the fans be happy with it, anyways since I'm finished with this game Im probably going to resell it, my hopes weren't high on this game yet after playing it I was still kinda disappointed with it. It was enjoyable at best but I Would rather play the old games that has more challenge to it… Expand
  52. Gus42
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    This game is clearly neither a 10 nor a 0 and I'd even say it could be great without all of the clear issues which are the result of a rushed launch. And while I feel that this level of hate is pretty necessary I also believe that it's pretty unacceptable for pokemon (literally the biggest franchise in the world) to cut corners and release a sub par entry to the series with the excuseThis game is clearly neither a 10 nor a 0 and I'd even say it could be great without all of the clear issues which are the result of a rushed launch. And while I feel that this level of hate is pretty necessary I also believe that it's pretty unacceptable for pokemon (literally the biggest franchise in the world) to cut corners and release a sub par entry to the series with the excuse that it's not manageable for them especially as the price has been increased to that of all other big AAA titles.… Expand
  53. slothvan95
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Pokémon Shield is your average run off the mill Pokemon adventure. The characters are charming, the new creature designs are wonderful, and the adventure itself is lackluster. It is not that these games are bad games, they’re just not great games, and they certainly do not live up to their own potential. Routes are nothing more than a straight line without diverging paths or things toPokémon Shield is your average run off the mill Pokemon adventure. The characters are charming, the new creature designs are wonderful, and the adventure itself is lackluster. It is not that these games are bad games, they’re just not great games, and they certainly do not live up to their own potential. Routes are nothing more than a straight line without diverging paths or things to discover. The wild area is empty, and bland. The towns lack any sort of side quests, or personality of their own. Sure, these games will always scratch that new Pokémon itch, but gosh darn if it wouldn’t be wonderful to see these games live up to what they could ultimately be.… Expand
  54. josephfry4
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    While I think any longtime fan can find SOME enjoyment in this game, the minimal improvements made to the Pokemon experience are not enough to overshadow the cut content and the general lack of polish. More than half of the total Pokemon are missing and the visuals and animations are underwhelming at best--especially in outdoor sections. The postgame is practically non-existent. The gameWhile I think any longtime fan can find SOME enjoyment in this game, the minimal improvements made to the Pokemon experience are not enough to overshadow the cut content and the general lack of polish. More than half of the total Pokemon are missing and the visuals and animations are underwhelming at best--especially in outdoor sections. The postgame is practically non-existent. The game does make some quality of life improvements, especially so in menus and in battle. Some of these changes seem like no brainers, so I'm glad to see them implimented. However, the EXP share is now forced, only making the game more of a breeze. In the end, it's a more streamlined version of a soulless Pokemon game, obviously rushed and obviously missing a lot of passion. At its base, it's at least as fun as X and Y. But even then, that was a 3DS game that still has more content than this Nintendo Switch game on hardware as powerful as a home console. It just shows how outdated the design philosophy is at Gamefreak. This game is a heartless cashgrab. Do yourself a favor and avoid it.… Expand
  55. maxspin
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    I have just played this game for 5 hours and all I can say is that the rumors were right. Graphics are lackluster (to not say bad) for a Switch game, animations are not detailed like Nintendo promised, routes are boring and most are just straight lines, national dex is nowhere to be seen (I was expecting this but whatever), and tons of other small issues that end up causing a snowballI have just played this game for 5 hours and all I can say is that the rumors were right. Graphics are lackluster (to not say bad) for a Switch game, animations are not detailed like Nintendo promised, routes are boring and most are just straight lines, national dex is nowhere to be seen (I was expecting this but whatever), and tons of other small issues that end up causing a snowball effect. I really did expect it to be a bit better, but as a long time fan, I'm just disappointed.… Expand
  56. Listerine
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ok look, it’s not bad. It’s not great either, which is unfortunately what I was expecting from the first console game. Big pluses: I really like the pokemon designs. They were creative and refreshing. Which makes it all the more sad to realize that the rest of the game wasn’t made with the same care. Minor plus: some QOL improvements. Big minuses: the game looks...sloppy. Animations seem to be thrown away without a care. Also, the hand holding is just ridiculous. Hop is probably the worst rival we’ve ever had and the game is incredibly linear with no exploration in the non-wild area (also disappointing). Some of the towns feel like straight up Potemkin villages, it’s eerie. The difficulty curve is nonexistent and I’ve already beat much of the main content. I probably won’t keep playing this much, since from what I’ve heard, the post game isn’t fleshed out either.

    I was debating giving this a lower score just because of unmet expectations, but it’s honestly not bad per se. It’s a solid 5/10. Half of all games are better and half are worse. Given that video games are fun, that’s good! Given that it’s Pokemon, that’s atrocious. Very disappointed. Also I love Flapple.    … Expand
  57. FruitJuicer
    Nov 16, 2019
    5
    !!WARNING!! I HAVE TERRIBLE GRAMMAR I'M DOING MY BEST

    So pokemon sword/shield I wasn't going to buy this game cause of all the lies that came from the pokemon company, gamefreak, creatures inc and Nintendo. Now why do I blame all of them cause they all have hands on the pokemon license and they know how big it is, so why they decided to not put there time and effort in one of there    !!WARNING!! I HAVE TERRIBLE GRAMMAR I'M DOING MY BEST

    So pokemon sword/shield I wasn't going to buy this game cause of all the lies that came from the pokemon company, gamefreak, creatures inc and Nintendo. Now why do I blame all of them cause they all have hands on the pokemon license and they know how big it is, so why they decided to not put there time and effort in one of there biggest IPs, unfortunately I don't know. What I do know is the game is a below average game and doesn't deserve to be sold at 60 bucks. From low resolution textures to frame drops and most agregious the pokemon count has been decreased dramatically and the pokemon models are still the old models from PokemonX/Y. These models aren't even scaled properly. In pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee all the pokemon were to scale is Sword/Shield they aren't, also you might make the argument that there were just 150 in let's go but there isn't alot of pokemon in Sword/Shield. (I don't know the exact number o haven't beaten the game yet but I know its below half the pokedex) Now the game is fun for what it is I like the wild area idea but it isn't implemented, dinamaxing (I know I didn't spell that right) is a cool idea but Megas were better and you can use then in any battle. It is better then Sun/Moon but that's not saying much. There is alot of dialog but it wasnt as bad as Sun/Moon. The bike just sucks we have all these cool creatures and we can't us them to sure and why do we need to have on that ugly bike suit... its ugly as @#$%. Customizing your character is nice and fun you get a good variety of clothes and makeup up. Its still limited but its better and going into the right direction. They need to stop making making digimonmons and start making pokemonmons. The pokemon in Sword/Shield are okay but I found out that all the pokemon or alot of newer pokemon are humanoids and when you try to picture them in there environment... well you can't... atleast I cant and I now that's probably just me but I feel like they could he better. Gyms are fun but nothing special they were advertising that each game had had different gym leaders that's cool but the gym gimmicks are the same just diffrent color. For example: they showed off the ghost and fighting gyms and said they were exclusive to one of the games but what they didn't say is they were going to copy and paste the mini game you do before you fight the gym leader. The music is shallow and limited beside the gym leader track (witch they play when you fight any gym leader) witch is pretty cool all the music is stock or just boring. The game isn't difficult but I will say please for the love of mewtwo stop forcing us to use the XP share god let us turn it off or have a different difficultly setting please. In conclusion this game is blow average and isn't worth 60 or 40, this is a 20 dollars game. I am enjoying my time with this game but if you are going to charge 60 bucks a game and with the highest grossing game franchise in the world you guys can do better. But I know they won't they don't car about the license or the fans they just want to appease the casual. So that includes my thoughts I know I'm missing some this but you get the picture right? Well enjoy and have a nice day.    … Expand
  58. Josepain
    Nov 16, 2019
    5
    Me parecio algo muy repetitivo,lo cual lo hace aburrido,todavia que quitan mas de la mitad de los pokemon's
  59. CupidStunt
    Nov 17, 2019
    5
    I am not review bombing this game like some publications are accusing people of, just giving an objective opinion.

    Firstly what I like. The new Pokemon designs look like they could fit in well with the original Pokemon. The battles are as good as ever and I like being able to switch Pokemon in and out when ever you want. Also the British themed setting. Now what I do not like. The    I am not review bombing this game like some publications are accusing people of, just giving an objective opinion.

    Firstly what I like. The new Pokemon designs look like they could fit in well with the original Pokemon. The battles are as good as ever and I like being able to switch Pokemon in and out when ever you want. Also the British themed setting.

    Now what I do not like. The game is exceptionally low budget and feels unfinished. This is inexcusable from a £90billion franchise. So much has been taken out. The Pokedex is less than half and no older Mon will ne transferrable from older games. The GTS has been removed making trading for the Pokemon you want so much more difficult. The graphics are pretty bad in places and the battle animations are poor. Game Frwak definitely lied about the games being more completely animated. The lack of voice acting is just jarring. It is criminal that the games now are not on par with the anime, with the silly Pokemon speak and full character acting. This is 2019 and the games should now feel like a fully interactive anime. Take note from games like Ni No Kuni. There are games that sell a tiny portion of what these do with full voice acting just brimming with character. Also the music is an exceptionally bad midi-soundtrack. Really it is ear melting bad, as are the Pokrmon sound effects. Worst of all is the difficulty. Why is there still mongers mode to prepare people for playing online. A lot of Pokemon fans are older now, and the complete lack of challenge is frankly insulting for us. also the story is probably the worst yet. This is a rushed mess of a game and Nintendo should be ashamed to have taken so much and given so little. Even the Woldcarea is a bland and ugly place. This looks like it was made for the 3DS and then ported badly. Easily the worst mainline entry with little new to add. Dynamaxing is nowhere near as interesting competitively as mega evolutions were    … Expand
  60. TeaCrusader
    Nov 17, 2019
    5
    It’s an amazing game with beautiful graphics and a world which has a lot of depth. I’m still playing the game, and I’m meeting up with friends soon to fight some dynamax bosses, cook some great curries, play with each other’s Pokemon at Pokemon camp and battle. Overall, I love all of the elements of the game, especially the story and how the gyms work. They really feel real. Seriously, IIt’s an amazing game with beautiful graphics and a world which has a lot of depth. I’m still playing the game, and I’m meeting up with friends soon to fight some dynamax bosses, cook some great curries, play with each other’s Pokemon at Pokemon camp and battle. Overall, I love all of the elements of the game, especially the story and how the gyms work. They really feel real. Seriously, I can’t state enough how great this game is. I’d definitely recommend getting it.… Expand
  61. yukidalemania
    Nov 17, 2019
    5
    Un verdadero y emocionante juego. Esos que lo critican con un 0 ni siquiera lo han jugado. Seamos honestos.
  62. oPROJECTMAYHEMo
    Nov 18, 2019
    5
    This is a non Biased and fair review from someone who is not overly emotionally attached.

    First off - I am a fan of Pokemon and have played the vast majority of them. (Pokemon Doesn't rule my life). I am 6 hours or so into the game and there is plenty to like and there is also plenty that could have been much better, hence my score being middle of the road. This game is far too    This is a non Biased and fair review from someone who is not overly emotionally attached.

    First off - I am a fan of Pokemon and have played the vast majority of them. (Pokemon Doesn't rule my life).

    I am 6 hours or so into the game and there is plenty to like and there is also plenty that could have been much better, hence my score being middle of the road.

    This game is far too easy. You don't have to grind or power level anything to progress through the game. I have so far only battled the random people along the way and tried to catch one of each pokemon encountered so far and I am over leveled by 8 levels.

    I really don't like being able to see the wild pokemon you encounter before the battle starts, for me half the fun was hunting in each area not knowing who you were going to encounter and the joy of finally finding the ones you wanted.

    Pokemon Shield and Pokemon Lets Go give wild access to strong and later forms of pokemon way too early in the game.

    Battling isnt difficult, at all. I started with Scorbunny and he has been the only pokemon used so far except for 1 battle.

    Forced XP share just adds to the ease of this game. I have used 1 pokemon all game so far and have a team with an average level of around 22. I miss the grind the early games offered.

    The graphics are great. I like that pokemon haven't been given voices and they still use the old retro noises.

    The characters are annoying and not very interesting. Team Yell are poorly designed make it blatantly obvious they are only there to add to the length of the game rather than being a part of the story or a side story. Some poor pokemon designs too- Who wants an ice cream pokemon or one in the shape of a tea pot?

    You have access to a bike and fishing rod without having to work for them - again, adding to the lack of difficulty.

    Gigantamax is pointless and adds absolutely nothing to the game. I am glad it is used only once every now and then in a gym battle.

    I know I have mentioned a lot i feel is wrong with this game but.... it is fun, albeit very easy.

    Would have been perfect if
    All wild encounters are hidden
    Make the game harder - Opponents have to strategy and low leveled
    Remove Gigantamax
    Add the vast majority Pokemon (far too many missing)
    Its feels empty - Whats the point of a big map if your going to leave it with not much to actually do.

    Again, my biggest gripe is this game is FAR TOO EASY and everything is just handed to you on a plate.    … Expand
  63. MysteryFruit
    Nov 18, 2019
    5
    A lot of controversies surround the release of the first main series Pokemon game for the Nintendo Switch. I have had various hours to play and complete the Pokemon Shield version of the game and grew to enjoy it. I do, however, stand disappointed as a Pokemon Fan of many years at what was cut from the game. It is a good game, but not an excellent game, with amazing features such asA lot of controversies surround the release of the first main series Pokemon game for the Nintendo Switch. I have had various hours to play and complete the Pokemon Shield version of the game and grew to enjoy it. I do, however, stand disappointed as a Pokemon Fan of many years at what was cut from the game. It is a good game, but not an excellent game, with amazing features such as over-world pokemon, challenging gym battles for new and returning players, dynamic character arcs, however as the saying goes, for every step forward Pokemon Co. takes two steps back. Half of the Pokemon were cut from the game, Mega evolution was forgotten entirely rather than built upon, gigantamaxing feels like an empty feature to fill what Mega evolutions once brought to the table. The disappointment, in my opinion, comes from a fear of what the Pokemon Co. holds for its fans, whether it will always just release mediocrity at a rushed pace to make deadlines meet, or if it will do the fans right and release what we know a company as big, wealthy and recognized as Pokemon can. For now a full-fledged Pokemon game on the switch such as Sword and Shield are acceptable and worth the play, but hopefully, the next release of Pokemon can lay to rest any doubts we have about Pokemon's future and produce the best Pokemon game of them all.… Expand
  64. Gtwoodin
    Nov 19, 2019
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokémon has been a mainstay in my life since I was 6. I’ve loved Pokémon and even battled in the world championship. I honestly loved the game. I’ve played over 24hrs and for a busy student that’s a feat. Negative:

    But I have some unavoidable problems. First off the bat not a full Pokédex. Game freak is lazy simple as that. The laziness is felt through the game and that makes me mad and disappointed. Each town feels so close to good that it sucks. We see locations that are constantly not explorable. This is laziness that needs to be fixed. Pokémon that are in the game sometimes don’t even make sense. Why is Durant in the game when mareep a literal sheep Pokémon not in a game that has a use for sheep Pokémon. Then not being able to fit all the Pokémon in the game is bs and the models look like exactly what they are, up scaled sun and moon models. The cut of moves and TR system is stupid. Team yell is the worst yet, they aren’t even evil just something in the way. If game freak thinks the gym challenge is enough for a campaign they are sorely wrong. Constant frame rate issues gets in the way too. Mega evolution was the last time a gimmick truly worked but I’m neutral on dinamaxing. Bring me more to do. If there was a second region with an updated Kalos story I would have been way happier. Pokémon camp is just bad Pokémon ammie

    Positives:
    Great npc designs, I love the gym leaders and their trainer cards. I have never caught so many Pokémon in a main story campaign I have a 150 in the box rn. Games look great, from a spectacle standpoint. I do honestly enjoy the max raid battles and it’s fun to do in that sense but in gyms it’s dumb. I love most all of the new designs. Some of my favorite were hatterne, coalossal, and duraludon. Some of these new Mons’ look great for competitive. And the music is really well composed the gym theme really gets you hyped up. Overall had fun but game freak has their work cut out to make it up to the fans and I really hope they do. Pokémon is just such a heartwarming phenomenon and deserves better than what gamefreak put into this game.

    5/10-ok not great had more fun than sun and moon but sun and moon has more to do with a real story.    … Expand
  65. 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.
  66. 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
  67. 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
  68. 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
  69. 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!!
  70. 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
  71. Truconium
    Dec 2, 2019
    5
    Firstly, let me talk about what this game does right. The rivals in this game are pretty good. Bede is a jerk like a rival should be, so it feels good when you beat him. Hop becomes a little depressed in the middle of the game and isn't just a "happy go lucky" rival throughout the entire game like other rivals have been in recent games. The evolution methods are also extremely unique!Firstly, let me talk about what this game does right. The rivals in this game are pretty good. Bede is a jerk like a rival should be, so it feels good when you beat him. Hop becomes a little depressed in the middle of the game and isn't just a "happy go lucky" rival throughout the entire game like other rivals have been in recent games. The evolution methods are also extremely unique! Gigantamaxing is a nice combination of mega evolutions, Z-moves, and dynamaxing; however, I still prefer both mega evolutions and Z-moves over G-Maxing. I like the return of character customization, I like the rotom bike because it lets you travel very quickly, the fact that evolutions were given to Galarian-form Pokémon, Pokécamp because it is cute and fun, and the fact that I can move around while in a queue for a surprise trade. And as always, the music is amazing. However, just because I like these features does not mean I had fun while playing the game. The only time I had fun was when I encountered the new Pokémon, but since I know them all now, the game is boring. One time my brother walked into my room and pointed out how bored I looked while playing the game, and that is when I realized how bad this game actually was.

    Now to start with the bad. There is no plot in the game until the very end of the game. The entire plot is "go collect your gym badges" and then it suddenly switches right before you fight Leon to "defeat Eternatus and Rose." The villain in this game is also non-existent. Team Yell isn’t evil, Piers, the leader of Team Yell, isn't evil, and Rose abruptly becomes evil at the very end of the game. Sordward and Shielbert are the most villainous people in the game, but they are both found in the post-game.

    Speaking of the post-game, it is almost non-existent. The only thing you can do after the game is to complete the Pokédex, go to the battle tower, and complete the legendary Pokémon story. There are no master trainers, no Looker missions (even though they were mediocre, but they would have been something to do), or really anything from previous games.

    The game frame drops way too frequently. It is most noticeable in the Wild Area but can also be seen outside the Wild Area. NPCs and Pokémon pop in way too close to the player to the point where it ruins the emersion and experience. The sudden climate changes in the Wild Area also ruins the emersion and experience. A nice gradual change from snowy, to rainy, to cloudy, to sunny, would have been nice instead of an abrupt change from snowy, to sunny, to a sandstorm.

    There are way too few routes in these games. There have been about 20-30 routes each entry, but this game only has 10 short and linear routes. Also, why was the GTS removed? It was essential to completing the Pokédex if you didn’t have Pokébank. Now I have to hope that I randomly gett a Sawk from a surprise trade.

    The exp share is horrendous in this game. It gives every Pokémon way too much exp to the point where you can choose to not grind at all, only use one Pokémon, and still have everyone in your party 3 levels above every trainer in the game and OHKO every Pokémon they have. Game Freak should also make the exp share optional, and have the exp share be received upon completing the first gym.

    There is too little Pokémon in the game, yet most animations and models are identical to the S/M animations and models which proves that Game Freak lied about their excuses to not include half of the Pokémon in the game. One of the more known animations is where Zacian or Zamazenta have their model turn 180° for a turning around animation. Another example is where a kid asks for a handshake from an adult and the adult pulls a handshake out of their pocket. Hello what?? That doesn't even make sense. Even if every Pokémon isn’t in the game, more of the well-designed and popular Pokémon should've been included such as the Gible line and not Pokémon that are just animals from the real world like the Purrlion and Pidove lines. In addition, the models could have been used from the Let's Go games so there could have been more Pokémon in the game.

    This is a 2019, basically 2020 game, so there also should have been voice acting in the game. Not for every line like in Fire Emblem Three Houses, but for important characters like Hop, Rose, Leon, and the gym leaders. It would've really brought the characters to life. The voice actors could've even had British accents to emphasize the fact that Sw/Sh take place in Great Britain.

    For the gym leaders, I like that there are version exclusive gym leaders and the fact that we have our first dark-type gym leader. However, the dark-type gym leader is Piers, the leader of Team Yell, which is great, but Team Yell aren't even villains like how Giovanna and Team Rocket were. Furthermore, you can't even Dynamax against Piers. I love that Raihan is a doubles fo    … Expand
  72. Cleiclei
    Dec 8, 2019
    5
    Reading so many reviews I feel I am not alone on this. It is not a 0 and definitely not a 10(delusional people). It is a 5 for me. I can say i am more disappointed than pleased with the game. The whole Dynamax feature that is getting praised does not add anything, the game feels rushed and this could have been adapted for the 3DS instead (same models used right?) Horrible textures and lackReading so many reviews I feel I am not alone on this. It is not a 0 and definitely not a 10(delusional people). It is a 5 for me. I can say i am more disappointed than pleased with the game. The whole Dynamax feature that is getting praised does not add anything, the game feels rushed and this could have been adapted for the 3DS instead (same models used right?) Horrible textures and lack of dimension specifically to the pokemon's face is a killer to this game. I am hoping the next main game in the series can take on visual like Mario Odyssey/ Pokemon Colosseum.… Expand
  73. NooodleLegs
    Dec 8, 2019
    5
    Was really disappointed in this game. Finished the game and was heartbroken how this is all GameFreak had to offer. The story was awful and the animations being unbearable. Really felt that they substituted magnitude and size of the pokemon more than the quality of the game itself. First game I have ever returned for something else.
  74. CasualGames
    Dec 8, 2019
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Honestly, this game is just too 50/50 to really have a definitive opinion on it. There are several things done really well, making it a step up. And then there are things that are so bad, they take the games several steps back. It’s too many strange ups and downs to call it a decidedly good or bad game. Here are just some examples.

    Graphics - There are moments when this game is visually stunning. Just take one look at the cities from afar, and they are breathtaking. The gym battles are clearly where the developers were putting all those “high fidelity animations.” You really feel like you’re watching a real sports match. But outside these areas, these games look like a student who turned in a paper without spellchecking it. Pop-in is laughable, and it looks like something a game development student would turn in. Textures are really uninspired and too old-school to be “hip.”

    Story - I think the game really tried to shake things up with the story at the beginning. I had high hopes for it, but the further you progress, the more of a let-down it becomes. There were so many missed opportunities for good story, and you could see it. These are some of the most expressive characters we’ve seen, but we don’t get a chance to see their stories because we keep getting shoehorned into moving through the gym challenge. I really wanted to be some of the other characters in this because they seemed to be having more interesting adventures than my character was.

    The Pokemon - Boy, some of these were really hit or miss here. Some designs, like Thievul, Alcremie, and Corviknight were spot on. Others, like the Frankenstein-like fossils and Duraludon were just too weird. And the starters definitely left something to be desired. They were good in their first form, but I sorely regret evolving my Grookey.

    All in all, this game felt half-baked, hence the score of 5/10. Masuda is right. Kids just aren’t staying interested in Pokemon games, but Game Freak is doing themselves no favors with half-done work like this. There are some great things this game has to offer, but then it’s topped off with so many missed marks. Combined with cut content like the transferability of pokemon for the national dex, I just don’t think it’s worth $60. It may have been better as a 3DS game. I hope they come back at it with something better.    … Expand
  75. HonestCoolKid
    Dec 28, 2019
    5
    The game from a new comer to the series perspective is its a good game from a veterans perspective WTF like actually what was Game Freak smoking
  76. Fazalchaudhry
    Mar 2, 2020
    5
    Very mixed. Game has lots of flaws but the stuff it dose right are great. Main game is bone dry very short. Post game also bone dry. However the new Pokemon are great and the characters are memorable. It has some of the best gyms in any Pokemon game.
  77. Vinnyyy
    Mar 18, 2020
    5
    I've played over 200 hours of this game I got enjoyment from this game, the competitiveness of this game is great the rest is kinda **** this game was obviously rushed also the dlc should be free wait for this game to go on sale 60 bucks aint worth it
  78. A99wxy
    Jun 23, 2020
    5
    This game costs like a triple A therefore, in my opinion, as such it should be evaluated, therefore, it does not deserve a higher rating than this.

    The game is really disappointing, certainly as a fan of the saga I would have expected a better debut on a console with the capabilities of Nintendo Switch, however, this game not only does not even reach the quality of triple A games like    This game costs like a triple A therefore, in my opinion, as such it should be evaluated, therefore, it does not deserve a higher rating than this.

    The game is really disappointing, certainly as a fan of the saga I would have expected a better debut on a console with the capabilities of Nintendo Switch, however, this game not only does not even reach the quality of triple A games like Zelda, Mario Odissey, Dragon Quest 11 etc. but it has some mechanics that just don't work.

    The only reasons I didn't give a minor grade are:
    the design and the values ​​of many new pokemon introduced, really interesting (but after all this is an advantage of the whole brand not of sw / sh), the new dynamax mechanics (which is actually not so original but it works), the new metagame and the new features introduced for some time by competitive players (even if I'm not one of them).

    For the rest, however, the game really has problems everywhere. Among the problems there are:

    - the really low technical and graphic level, not in step with the times and not comparable with what a triple A should offer today (poorly detailed textures, bad animations);

    - a level design that is too linear and flat and which eliminates the exploratory component of the title.

    -a setting and a loore with interesting ideas but often left to chance and treated superficially;

    - a story that is too linear, without feelings and tension and in general told badly. There is an absence of cutscene and dubbing.

    -the total absence of valid secondary and postgame activities and missions, present in every jrpg worthy of the name.

    - an excessively low level of challenge, even lower than the previous chapters of the saga. Leveling up is too easy but not only, even completing the pokedex is now very easy (even the rarest pokemon such as Lucario and Tyranitar can be found walking through the Wild Areas).

    - the bad online system prevents you from enjoying mechanics like raids etc. without problems.

    In general, the lack of attention to detail that the game denotes is evident. It has at its base interesting ideas which, however, are left to themselves and not completed.

    I do not want to express myself about the dlc because they must be evaluated apart in my opinion, however, just because they are products separate from the base games and must be bought separately, it does not make sense to say that they solve the situation of the base games. In other words the dlc will not be able never justify the purchase of sword and shield pokemon.

    From Gamefreack I expect more on Nintendo Switch.    … Expand
  79. Snowtooth
    Mar 24, 2020
    5
    I loved this game, it was different than any of the past games. I was crazy impressed with a number of the new podex, I also loved cooking it was something I hadn't imagined seeing. Good job Game freak
  80. yagitoshi
    Jun 18, 2020
    5
    Good music, good character design, I enjoyed the new Pokemon.
    I spent 60$ for the base Game and 30$ for the Dlc's. After trying the first Dlc I'm finally going to say my opninion.
    The game it's a techical disaster. Glitches everywhere, empy spaces, no difficulty at all, level design is weak, the characters introduced in the first DLC are pretentious but void. Pokemon following you in    Good music, good character design, I enjoyed the new Pokemon.
    I spent 60$ for the base Game and 30$ for the Dlc's. After trying the first Dlc I'm finally going to say my opninion.

    The game it's a techical disaster. Glitches everywhere, empy spaces, no difficulty at all, level design is weak, the characters introduced in the first DLC are pretentious but void. Pokemon following you in the Isle Of Armor? More like you run while they desperately try to follow you. I feel nothing playing Shield, and while the first DLC introduced new - kinda - intricate areas, the experience didn't improve. 90$ wasted.    … Expand
  81. TrasteroDPablo
    May 8, 2020
    5
    5,4 Sin duda alguna el peor videojuego de la saga principal. Sacaron un juego incompleto por 60 euros y ahora quieren que paguemos 30 euros más. Casi que no hay historia, única edición que no puedes tener todos los pokemon. Me encantaron los diseños de los pokemon, buen campeón, buen malo final.
  82. VeryOaty
    Jun 2, 2020
    5
    The game is okay at best, which isn’t great. There is still some time to make the game better via dlc which will most likely help the franchise. It’s better than having a whole other game for 60 dollars than two dlc packs for 30.
  83. Daichigo
    Jun 21, 2020
    5
    Lack of an interest story, no real postgame even with the dlc, no interest explotation, very lineal, lazy game design. Still I had fun but there is nothing new here.
  84. Neku_Tennyson
    Jun 26, 2020
    5
    Pokemon Gen VIII/8 is some mixed feelings for me at its core it's a Pokemon game but doesn't really improve on anything its basically the same formula since the beginning of the franchise. The new addition is the wild area which is great but what's not great so you can't catch a pokemon that's slightly higher level then your pokemon like if your Pokemon is level 28 you can't catch a levelPokemon Gen VIII/8 is some mixed feelings for me at its core it's a Pokemon game but doesn't really improve on anything its basically the same formula since the beginning of the franchise. The new addition is the wild area which is great but what's not great so you can't catch a pokemon that's slightly higher level then your pokemon like if your Pokemon is level 28 you can't catch a level 32 Pokemon, which in my opinion is very dumb. I think The Pokemon Compay should get another company to handle the mainline Pokemon games due to Gamefreak just being done with Pokemon. Gamefreak did handle all the work but I think their workers would be super tired of doing franchise over 20+ years yes I did repeat myself but this needs to be addressed, I'm excited that they are doing DLC instead of making other versions of the Gen 8 games so maybe this a step in the right direction. Oh another thing I didn't like is we lost Megas do to lets make Pokemon gigantic so I hope that for the DLC we get Megas back… Expand
  85. Bahethoven
    Jul 2, 2020
    5
    the game is lackluster and they held back pokemon for the 2DLCS....and the one dlc that realised was bad
  86. rparzial
    Jul 3, 2020
    5
    I really wanted to enjoy this game. I ignored all the bad reviews and bought it anyway to give it a fair shake.

    BUT the game is just not a good game. It did some things well, and had some nice additions, but overall the game took 2 steps forward and 5 steps back. The magic and spirit of Pokemon is missing. The biggest complaint is how easy the game is. It's so easy, that it    I really wanted to enjoy this game. I ignored all the bad reviews and bought it anyway to give it a fair shake.

    BUT the game is just not a good game. It did some things well, and had some nice additions, but overall the game took 2 steps forward and 5 steps back. The magic and spirit of Pokemon is missing.

    The biggest complaint is how easy the game is. It's so easy, that it completely ruins any enjoyment of the game, everything seems inconsequential. From gym battles to even catching "rare" pokemon.

    Between EXP share always being on, and the EXP candies, the game is near broken. And in the DLC you get an EXP charm boosting EXP even further. I barely fight trainers or wild pokemon. Much less than you would have to in say gen 1-4, and i am 10-20 levels higher than every gym or trainer. I could EASILY be 30-50 levels higher if i grinded for even an hour on Raid battles for EXP candies. I just about 1 shot every single pokemon i face, even without type advantages.

    You CAN avoid the EXP candies, but you shouldn't have to set obstacles by omitting features of the game to get enjoyment. And without them, the EXP share is still too overpowered and can't be turned off.

    Everything down to the smallest detail is dumbed down. Gen 1-5 your rival always chose the starter that had a type advantage against you. In this game the rival chooses so YOU have a type advantage against him making it even easier. Your move selection tells you what is super effective, or not effective now. It's like they thought of every possible way to hold your hand.

    This is completely avoiding the other issues it has as well like the national dex cut, the poor performance of the game, DLC just to get all pokemon, bland story, etc.

    I could forgive ALL of that, if the game was challenging and fun. But it just isn't :(

    I can only hope they learn and make the next game better. Because the potential and possibilities are endless on the switch for pokemon. To those saying "Pokemon was always easy", sure it was easier than some other RPG's, but you still needed to grind and be smart about your pokemon/move choices. And i don't know a single person who NEVER got wiped out by a trainer at least a few times over the first few games.    … Expand
  87. Palletown
    Jul 5, 2020
    5
    Nice but not enough.
    The new adventure starts as every generation, it is impossible to contain the hype as you are in a new region, you meet new characters and so on. The problem starts with the unbalanced battles and the lack of interest to keep on playing, why? Well, basically the game rush through the main story, suddenly characters burst out of nowhere with no reason at all ( as    Nice but not enough.
    The new adventure starts as every generation, it is impossible to contain the hype as you are in a new region, you meet new characters and so on. The problem starts with the unbalanced battles and the lack of interest to keep on playing, why? Well, basically the game rush through the main story, suddenly characters burst out of nowhere with no reason at all ( as Oleanna being wicked towards you). The only character who deserves our attention, is Hop, he grows at the same time we grow and he end up being an amazing rival.
    Anyway, GF put all their efforts in this game, but still is not enough to what habitual players are looking for and how the game feels like a long demo and not a complete game. Therefore, the Galar experience turns into something boring and when you end the main story, there is nothing more to do in the game, like back in the first generation.
    In conclusion, as a huge Pokemon fan, this game is not that bad as to receive such bad critics, but somehow it fails in the main story and the experience of training your pokemon as the Exp share in this generation makes the game a complete joke    … Expand
  88. Agiru2003
    Jul 28, 2020
    5
    (I'm sorry for my bad English, but I'm Italian)

    +FOR > The new Pokémon designs are fantastic, I love almost all of them > OSTs are the best in the series > I quite liked the main characters, they're very well written (except Chairman Rose) -AGAINST > Graphics and animations are REALLY bad. It looks like a N64 game > The plot had excellent potential, but it turned out to be the usual    (I'm sorry for my bad English, but I'm Italian)

    +FOR
    > The new Pokémon designs are fantastic, I love almost all of them
    > OSTs are the best in the series
    > I quite liked the main characters, they're very well written (except Chairman Rose)

    -AGAINST
    > Graphics and animations are REALLY bad. It looks like a N64 game
    > The plot had excellent potential, but it turned out to be the usual predictable and poorly written story
    > Dexit
    > The main campaing is only 15 hours long, while older games (like HGSS or BW) lasted something like 40 hours
    > Galar is a terrible region, due to its lacking level design > This game's E A S Y. I haven't lost even once
    > They removed MegaEvolutions and Z-Moves for Dynamax, the least inspired novelty in the series
    > The online is horrible
    > If you wanna enjoy a full experience you have ti pay 300$ (Switch) + 60$ (Pokémon Sword or Shield) + 18$ (Pokémon HOME) + 30$ (DLC). More than 400$ for this bad game.    … Expand
  89. Reed_Reviews
    Oct 28, 2020
    5
    For everything this game does well, it does another thing poorly. There is now a wide-open wild area full of realistic encounters that reduce the tedium of random encounters, but every other route in the game is painfully linear and short. Combat added the new gigantimax gameplay addition to make battles bombastic, but gigantimax is not a particularly strategic core gameplay mechanic. GymFor everything this game does well, it does another thing poorly. There is now a wide-open wild area full of realistic encounters that reduce the tedium of random encounters, but every other route in the game is painfully linear and short. Combat added the new gigantimax gameplay addition to make battles bombastic, but gigantimax is not a particularly strategic core gameplay mechanic. Gym leader battles are now epic with well crafted game feel elements, but there is no Elite Four. Most of the new Pokémon are great, but many of the old Pokémon do not make an appearance. Towns take cultural inspirations from England, but there is hardly any interactivity with those towns.

    Best part of the game: the gym leader battles.
    Worst part of the game: the barebones story and heavy-handed dialogue.    … Expand
  90. sera1
    Nov 17, 2020
    5
    Pretty small step from the 3DS version, a game for a console that is capable of a game like Zelda BOTW shouldn't just be stamped off with a 3DS-Feeling game. The big cut in the Pokedex is my opinion a big mistake, compared to all the reused skins it just feels lazy. I wouldn't mind the cut if we got some new and awesome sprites for the new Pokemon, but everything here seems pretty reused.Pretty small step from the 3DS version, a game for a console that is capable of a game like Zelda BOTW shouldn't just be stamped off with a 3DS-Feeling game. The big cut in the Pokedex is my opinion a big mistake, compared to all the reused skins it just feels lazy. I wouldn't mind the cut if we got some new and awesome sprites for the new Pokemon, but everything here seems pretty reused. Another big nope from me is the lame world, the potential of the nature zone isn't used fully and the lack of content on the routes is just a disaster, boring walks and some couple of fights aren't what i call a "long time adventure". This feels also approved by the fact that EP sharing is always on, there no need to grind before gym fights. Overall its not a bad game but it has its own fight with many missing content, like who thought its a good idea to cut the GTS and put it on a phone app?? Pokemon Shield just gives me the feeling of "laziness" and "filling the market with a new entry". Gamefreak could and can do better. Also i would prefer a open world game like Borderlands, big free explorable areas. after playing this game, ike i read it in many other reviews i don't think Gamefreak is ready for a open world game like BOTW.… Expand
  91. leeaw
    Jan 8, 2021
    5
    I can best describe this game as "it's Pokemon, again!" And while Pokemon is good, this entry feels very, very tired. Yes, it has made some improvements over prior entries, the core gameplay is the same, with all of the dated mechanics therein, rushed into what's at it's core just "another one"- though it admittedly does still preserve the good parts as well. The Pokemon series hasI can best describe this game as "it's Pokemon, again!" And while Pokemon is good, this entry feels very, very tired. Yes, it has made some improvements over prior entries, the core gameplay is the same, with all of the dated mechanics therein, rushed into what's at it's core just "another one"- though it admittedly does still preserve the good parts as well. The Pokemon series has essentially survived on changing very little between entries, but with the jump to much more powerful hardware, it feels more blatant than ever. I did have a fun time with the game at launch, but several playthroughs later, the cracks are definitely showing.
    If you're craving a new Pokemon story, sure. This is just that, and it does have some delightful elements- the exploration of the wild area was fantastic the first time around, and I'm a big fan of some of the new designs- it's the same structure, and it's beginning to rust. I can only hope Game Freak sees the criticism and is overhauling the series, because without, I can only worry the magic will become lost on the public as it now is on me, but with the sales numbers they got, I question whether they truly have the motivation to.    … Expand
  92. cfc1998
    Feb 19, 2021
    5
    This is the worst Pokémon game ever. Gamefreak hited an all time low with this release. The game is to easy and the routes are just a joke, staight lines with no life and personality. The wild area was a good step forward but it feels like a missed opportunity. Lets not forget the graphics, after seeing Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild this game feels just like a Nintendo DS game thatThis is the worst Pokémon game ever. Gamefreak hited an all time low with this release. The game is to easy and the routes are just a joke, staight lines with no life and personality. The wild area was a good step forward but it feels like a missed opportunity. Lets not forget the graphics, after seeing Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild this game feels just like a Nintendo DS game that was port into the Switch. Pretty sad to see what this franchise has become.… Expand
  93. LordJazbin
    Apr 19, 2021
    5
    I think there's too much hate around them, Sword and Shield are definitely not bad games... But after Sun and Moon that was great... This is just: disappointing. In every way. And even worse than XY.

    Good part is: Pokémon designs and music. But in terms of the story is one of the worse, difficulty is really bad, game is dull...
  94. Pnwotter
    Apr 19, 2021
    5
    I have been a long-standing pokemon fan and the degredation of the series is really starting to get tiring and sad. This game is playable but hardly much fun. I spent 30 hours on it and finished all the main fame and the tiny bit of postgame content, then paid for the DLC and finished that in 10 hours. The DLC is way wayyyy more fun than anything in the main game. The DLC should not makeI have been a long-standing pokemon fan and the degredation of the series is really starting to get tiring and sad. This game is playable but hardly much fun. I spent 30 hours on it and finished all the main fame and the tiny bit of postgame content, then paid for the DLC and finished that in 10 hours. The DLC is way wayyyy more fun than anything in the main game. The DLC should not make the total game cost 90$ though. Absolutely not worth the money.

    Performance and presentation-wise there is such a mixed bag in this game- some areas are really pretty, some are and interesting and fun- but then a majority of it is poorly textured and the pop-in of the pokemon in wild areas, especially in the DLC is massive in its immersion-breaking and made me put down the game multiple times because it was so jarring. The storyline is bland and the game doesn’t stop holding your hand, it has not even 1/2 the depth and lore of earlier games like Gold/Silver or Diamond/Pearl. I found myself also uninterested in any of the lore put in this game because its breezed over so quickly and is only used as a plot device to bring you to the next gym. None of the characters are memorable and they don’t have any complexity to them.

    The raid-battles and gigantamax mechanics DID add some interesting and fun changes to battles, but not enough to save the very poorly written story and dialogue. I wanted so much more for this game and got a “meh” experience.    … Expand
  95. gameing
    Aug 16, 2021
    5
    Pros: its Pokémon
    Cons: its Pokémon
    Its a very flawed experience however it is still fun at the end of the day.
  96. GoPackGo08
    Jun 6, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I’ve been a Pokémon fan for almost a decade now, and this is the worst main line Pokémon game I have ever played. Even though this game isn’t inherently awful, I feel like the dev team should have spent a bit longer developing it. The biggest problem many have is the absence of the National Dex. This means that not every Pokémon from past games are in this game. This wouldn’t be a major problem to me, however, the lack of some Pokémon like Squirtle and Bulbasaur at launch really angered me, especially considering Charmander and it’s evolution line had a crucial role in the game. Now, Bulbasaur and Squirtle were added in the DLC, but I’ll hash my massive complaints about that later. The story in this game is incredibly weak. It uses the “create a new world” schtick like half the games before, but the villain was predictable, and it just seems stupid to me. I was ok with the way the villain Pokémon were defeated in the past but “Oh! Now two random dogs are helping us after they came from the woods where we saw them at the beginning, Wow!” Just pisses me off. Also, I laughed to hell and back when the characters Swordward and Shielbert came in, they just look SO STUPID. They have no reasons to exist in this game, other then to add a pointless postgame plot line. Now something I strongly disagree with other people about when it comes to this game is new Pokémon designs in the Galar Region. Even though it has some stinkers, Squovet, Dottler, the entire Galatians Meowth line, it also features some of the best designs in the history of the series. Yamper, Grookey, Corviknight, Copperajah, Hatterene, Runerigus, and so many more. I think the designs are amazing. With the review above, I would have given it a 7/10, and said fine. But the DLC was SO BAD, that I put it at five, and could have put it lower. This DLC is just ass. That’s it. The crown tundra was fine, but I hate Calyrex, and the music was just annoying. My real beef is with the Isle of Armor. Oh my god the isle of armor. It is the most boring, monotonous thing, I have ever played. The fact they locked this many Pokémon behind a paywall is really scummy to me, considering people already payed $60 for the game. Also, Kubrick and Urshifu look COMPLETELY DISGUSTING. I was really worried that one of them would get added into smash bros. It’s way too easy, and it would have been so much cooler if they had made it level scaling with the Pokémon in your party. I didn’t even finish Isle of armor, the first time I haven’t fully finished the story in any Pokémon game. It’s ok if you buy the game, just don’t buy the DLC.… Expand
  97. Fraxxo
    Sep 9, 2023
    5
    I think this one may be one of the worst mainline Pokémon ever created.
    Sure the game has some good concepts like the Wild Area, the camping and raids, but they are all bad executed and boring.
    The game is one of the most linear experience of the entire franchise, even more than the original Red and Green on Game Boy, and the game general design is bland, slow, uninteresting. After a few    I think this one may be one of the worst mainline Pokémon ever created.
    Sure the game has some good concepts like the Wild Area, the camping and raids, but they are all bad executed and boring.
    The game is one of the most linear experience of the entire franchise, even more than the original Red and Green on Game Boy, and the game general design is bland, slow, uninteresting. After a few hours in, there was nothing that motivated me to play the game more since all there was to know and do was throwed at the player face during the first hour and that was it. Nothing more is introduced after the first hours of gameplay, nothing. It never changes, it never tries to give you something new.
    The game is so easy, it's basically a button mashing game since your Pokémon will always be 15 or 20 levels over the average enemy.
    The only good thing about the game is that there's a decent degree of personalization, from your team of Pokémon to your character clothes, and catching 'em all is less frustrating than past games thanks to the high catch rate and how easy is to find any species.
    As for the story, it's mediocre even for the series standard: the character had potential that is just not used at all. Their only purpose is to get destroyed by the player.
    Kinda forgettable soundtrack (Idc Toby Fox made one OST, that's not gonna change the fact I don't remember 3/4 or the soundtrack), dull and lifeless art direction and the worst online interface I've ever saw in a videogame.
    Also, bad graphics, bad performance. A mess of a game...    … Expand
  98. Mark6440
    Jul 6, 2021
    5
    well it's not a secret that the game isn't to good, but its a chill game to just relax to its not that hard you can basically play the whole game without dying once and you don't have to be a pokemon expert to do so. The game is very new player friendly when in battle because it sometimes says what is super effective and what isn't. Pokémon shield isn't as good of a game as Pokémon blackwell it's not a secret that the game isn't to good, but its a chill game to just relax to its not that hard you can basically play the whole game without dying once and you don't have to be a pokemon expert to do so. The game is very new player friendly when in battle because it sometimes says what is super effective and what isn't. Pokémon shield isn't as good of a game as Pokémon black and white, but it does the job all though Pokémons can spawn right in your face when using the bike. which is annoying when you just wanna avoid them and get going in the story, i would much rather recommend Pokémon let's go Pikachua and eevee, even though they are a remaster of Pokémon Yellow.… Expand
  99. Luche
    Aug 14, 2021
    5
    Este fue el primer juego que terminé en la Switch (y será mi primera review en la web), lo adquirí junto con la consola y era de los que me incluía la compra de segunda mano, así que no tenía muchas expectativas y tras muchos años fuera del mundo de las consolas me dejó bastante frío. Me pareció excesivamente sencillo, no es que esto fuera un problema si no fuese porque no sentí que meEste fue el primer juego que terminé en la Switch (y será mi primera review en la web), lo adquirí junto con la consola y era de los que me incluía la compra de segunda mano, así que no tenía muchas expectativas y tras muchos años fuera del mundo de las consolas me dejó bastante frío. Me pareció excesivamente sencillo, no es que esto fuera un problema si no fuese porque no sentí que me plantease ningún tipo de desafío. El uso de los tipos de pokemon es casi irrelevante, no tuve que modificar mi equipo durante todo el juego salvo una vez para el gimnasio de hielo. Mi recuerdo de los pokemon de antaño no era excesivamente complejo pero si planteaba desafíos no ya en las batallas en sí, si no en ciertos momentos del juego como aquella cueva tras el primer gimnasio en el rojo/azul.
    Es destacable que hay elementos que parecen señalar un camino muy interesante para la saga (que quizás culminen en el Arceus) como el área silvestre o las pruebas de gimnasio, personalmente el Dinamax no me entusiasmó pero es otro elemento a explotar. Pero ambos elementos se sentían en una fase beta, sin explotar completamente, quizás en el caso de las pruebas de gimnasio precisamente por su escasa dificultad.

    La parte gráfica no me decepcionó tanto como he visto por aquí, personalmente el juego lo vi bonito, no soy un experto en este aspecto y pienso que no soy muy exigente pero puedo decir que me agradó.

    En conclusión, el juego me dejó un poco frío y sin interés en rejugarlo o probar las expansiones y un poco decepcionado con mi recuerdo de infancia, y desilusionado con próximas entregas. Espero que sea de alguna utilidad pese a que ya hay tropocientas críticas del juego.

    Saludos!    … Expand
  100. Bearoo
    Aug 18, 2021
    5
    Rather mixed feelings regarding Pokemon Shield and Sword. The game seems rather lazy with it's design. No new animation for battles, not all Pokemon are available and the Dynamax... not really an innovative idea. I much more prefer mega evolutions from back in the day.
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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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