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. Lonchoya
    Feb 18, 2020
    3
    Ever felt so frustrated with a game that you felt compelled to go out of your way to create a Metacritic account to give it the pathetic score you feel it deserves, and even write a detailed review of it? Well, this is me feeling and doing precisely that.

    I will breeze through the issues everyone got to know from the start and focus more on the recent announcements and events. How they    Ever felt so frustrated with a game that you felt compelled to go out of your way to create a Metacritic account to give it the pathetic score you feel it deserves, and even write a detailed review of it? Well, this is me feeling and doing precisely that.

    I will breeze through the issues everyone got to know from the start and focus more on the recent announcements and events. How they go about the story's climactic events makes no sense and the story in general is as dull as it gets; we all know Gamefreak codes like 5-year-olds, most attack animations are recycled; the game is laggy in the Wild Area even when offline and a framerate nightmare when online. We all know the games are toddler-level easy if you do not handicap yourself, but this has been the case for every Pokemon game. We all know the pokedex was cut and many jokingly said they were gonna sell the missing Pokemon back to us. Personally, I was suspicious of the lack of GTS since it made no sense to have removed such a helpful feature for completing the Pokedex. Yes, many people made ridiculous requests but I never struggled to complete my Pokedex when asking for reasonable trades, e.g. a starter for a starter. Enter $30 DLC and Pokemon Home's $16 annual suscription. Now it all fell into place and gamefrEAk (see what I did there?) showed us their true intentions.

    When Ishihara promised a "game for veterans in 2019", unfortunately, he was not referring to the content/quality of the games appealing to a more mature audience. He meant a game for older fans, yes, but older in the sense that they have their own money, and can pay more for less, which seems to be the direction the gaming industry in general is following: Release an incomplete game at full price, then sell the missing components.

    You can argue they always sold to us a full-price, third game "DLC", but at least all iterations always felt like a complete game, and you could get every pokemon just by trading. You might say, "well, you can still get the DLC mythicals via GTS", and to that I respond: good luck getting a stranger to let go of his/her mythicals/legendaries, assuming you don't receive a hacked mon.

    Having spoken about the bad stuff, there are some good things in the game. This is the most I've felt involved in a pokemon league and the battles are quite the spectacle. This shouldn't be the case for any game, but there is actually a right way to play a Pokemon game's main story. I did find enjoyment and a glimpse of difficulty by mainly sticking to 2 points:
    A) Rotating as many pokemon as I could. This allows you to remain underleveled and also to familiarize yourself with the newest Pokemon.
    B) Avoid help from NPC/Rivals. You always have enough money to rely on your own Potions, anyway.

    The music is also some of the best in the franchise, my favorites being Marnie's theme and Gym Leader match theme. Character design is pleasant, too, they're really going the Waif-I mean, FIRE Emblem route in these last games, if you know what I mean. But that's basically it for the good stuff.

    As to what frustrated me so much that I had to write this review? Dyna/Gigantamax raids have an absurd, artificial and cheap difficulty to them if you're playing solo. Most NPCs are just terrible and if you lose, it's because of them. Even in this game's cut dex, Gamefreak has a repertoire of 400 strong, and what do they give to the NPCs to use? Magikarp. Pikachu. Clefairy. Or single-stage Pokemon, but rarely a fully-evolved one such as Salazzle. Adding to the frustration, their online, like mentioned before, is horrendous, so it can't really count as a soluton to this. It's even a meme at this point the fact that most Pokemon players play on their own, you'd think Gamefreak would have allowed for better Pokemon to be used by the NPCs, for us sad, friendless souls. Or make a good online experience, but I guess that's too much work. There's also a fixed amount of damage you can inflict on a Dynamax Pokemon before it places its shields up, what's up with that?

    In no way is this game worth $60. I have been a Pokemon fan since 1998, and this has been the first time I did not do a day-1 purchase, and rightly so. If you must have this game, do what I did and get it on sale or pre-owned. Bought it at 3DS price ($42), because that's what it barely reaches to be: a better-looking, yet content-lacking, 3DS game.    … Expand
  2. TreeckoRate
    Feb 28, 2020
    3
    Good gameplay and pokemons, but textures like a **** and... WHERE THE NATIONAL POKEDEX, why over 450 pokemons are DiE where treecko, other really good pokemons MANY moves are disable too :/
  3. DoomGuy64
    Mar 24, 2020
    3
    The game is fine. It’s pokemon. It’s exactly the game we all love to play. But to hear the cut Pokemon from the roster just to put them in a season pass... that sucks. And for those reasons I’m out. Extremely disappointing Nintendo.
  4. SenpaiJake
    May 16, 2020
    3
    Pokemon Sword/Shield are relatively disappointing entries to the much beloved series. Skipping the Sun/Moon generation, I was eager to get into a new Pokemon adventure, especially since my last one with Let's Go: Pikachu was extremely short lived. However, to no one's surprise, Shield just did not live up to any expectations.

    The amount of the hype and people forcing them selves to    Pokemon Sword/Shield are relatively disappointing entries to the much beloved series. Skipping the Sun/Moon generation, I was eager to get into a new Pokemon adventure, especially since my last one with Let's Go: Pikachu was extremely short lived. However, to no one's surprise, Shield just did not live up to any expectations.

    The amount of the hype and people forcing them selves to support the game contributed to the distaste for the titles for sure, but I'm letting the game(s) do the talking. With my experience in this game, I can sum it up in a list format.

    1) There was no challenge. Every step of the game was very, very, *very* easy. I couldn't recall a single challenge in the story mode or anywhere else besides a few battles in the optional Battle Tower. The only challenge in this game was the extremely bipolar catch rates; the amount of balls I had to use to catch many level 20 or below pokemon in red health boggled my mind. I never had an experience like that in any Pokemon title prior, and it was extremely annoying to me to have such a weird and random problem like this happen.

    2) The story sucks - because it kinda isn't finished. Pokemon stories are never the pinnacle of writing, but they're usually good or at least fun. And that's because a evil team is usually involved causing you to become a hero, save the day, etc. The "evil team" doesn't necessarily exist in Sn/Sh, rather it's a weird group of fan boys and girls that follow around one of the side characters. The game doesn't really tell any story and barely shares any history of the region of Galar with the player until the endgame. And even then, they scramble all over to make it seem coherent and make sense, but ultimately it does not.

    3) The music isn't good. Pokemon music always slaps hard, and the Sn/Sh soundtrack - while not inherently bad - isn't that good. A lot of songs are in a jazz fusion mix for most towns, but they never sound like cohesive ensembles of music, but rather loose and fragmented instruments just blaring together. The music direction is so outlandish and extreme in most cases that it stands out from the game majorly.

    4) This game is very mediocre in gameplay. Same battle format, catching format, with the only extension to keep playing being shiny farming or building competitive teams for multiplayer. They add Dynamaxing, but it doesn't really function as well as Megas, as it acts as just a free one-shot or "take the tide of battle guaranteed" card. I'm not a fan of it.

    In it's defense, however, and the thing that actually made me get the game is the art style. I loved the previews I saw for the game's regions. The country side, the brick n mortar towns, the wild. The art*style* is very excellent, but it too is hampered by Gamefreak's lack of ambition for anything besides releasing on Holiday schedule. The overall graphics of this game are the worst. Trees are mostly 2d textures, models have extreme popup distance that is very noticeable, a lot of the lands half way in the game lose all detail and become completely plain. There is no excuse for the graphics.

    And the biggest offender this game has, by far, is the length. Routes in Pokemon usually range from medium to long between towns, with plenty of random caverns or alternate paths to explore. The Galar region must be extremely small, because walking it takes usually less than 1 minute for the player to walk between towns. The Wild Area is the only thing left harboring the spirit of the old routes, and I love it for that. The actual routes in this game are empty, plain, uninspired, and extremely short with no reason to ever traverse back to them and no optional areas to explore.

    This Pokemon entry is a very basic, mediocrely fun, bad sounding and overall "bleh" looking game. With the addition of the two expansions in June and then Fall, the overall experience will hopeful improve (because we'll finally have more Pokemon to obtain). But even then, relying on paid DLC to make your $60 game redeemable is unacceptable. This game was fun at very small spurts, but is an overall major disappointment.    … Expand
  5. Victorbalbo
    Jun 21, 2022
    3
    Basicamente um jogo de DS mas com preço de jogo AAA pra console. Mesma mecânica de sempre, gráficos muito fracos pra um jogo de console e toda a “vantagem” do mundo aberto se resumo a uma área nem tão grande assim.
  6. NathanBWrites
    May 8, 2020
    3
    Terrible low effort game. Disgusting graphics in the majority of scenarios with an abundance of rehashed and lazy animations around every corner. Over half the Pokemon removed with little to nothing gained from the removal of these Pokemon. Somehow, I enjoyed the game for the first few hours until it became clear how rushed and lacking the devs were about half-way into the game. ShouldTerrible low effort game. Disgusting graphics in the majority of scenarios with an abundance of rehashed and lazy animations around every corner. Over half the Pokemon removed with little to nothing gained from the removal of these Pokemon. Somehow, I enjoyed the game for the first few hours until it became clear how rushed and lacking the devs were about half-way into the game. Should never have been released in the state it was in.… Expand
  7. TwinJacks
    Jul 6, 2020
    3
    I've been playing Pokemon since 2004. I've played every main series game since the GBA era and this is my least favorite Pokemon game of all time. Honestly, I bought this game because our gamestop was closing down and it was on sale. I plan to buy the DLC but rn, I'm just waiting for the next generation.
  8. Black_S
    Feb 28, 2022
    3
    Not acceptable. Many bugs, lies, DLCs etc.
    It is 3DS like game at switch for full price.
    Gamefreak is burned.
  9. joshuee
    Aug 26, 2020
    3
    pessimo in tutta la sua interezza (breve interezza)
    Post game nullo, tecnica pre 2010 e difficoltà inesistente... Zero chicche e solo corridoi
  10. pikminpro20
    Sep 13, 2020
    3
    Its a pokemon game...but not really I've played almost all of the other pokemon game and this one has significantly less content than them even though its a $60 console game. Even the wild area isnt actually very big (I explored the whole place in less than an hour) and the routes are incredibly linear to the point of even caves being a straight path. For reference in the original redIts a pokemon game...but not really I've played almost all of the other pokemon game and this one has significantly less content than them even though its a $60 console game. Even the wild area isnt actually very big (I explored the whole place in less than an hour) and the routes are incredibly linear to the point of even caves being a straight path. For reference in the original red and blue the first cave was 3 floors this game doesnt even have a multi layer cave. i dont really mind the dex cut but the game literally look like an upscaled 3ds game 90 percent of the time (That ten percent of the time is the camping minigame) the graphics could have been good just look at rescue team and poken tournament dx. One of the towns is just a gym and a pokemon center and the other ones arent really much better. The game really just feels rushed and thats about all there is to say about it.… Expand
  11. prakx9
    Nov 26, 2020
    3
    Un pokemon malo,corto, con unos gráficos feos y con un rendimiento malo también. Han quitado pokémon's para meterlos en el dlc (que es contenido recortado).
  12. GingerLoves
    Oct 25, 2020
    3
    It is the same box standard pokemon game as pokemon Red and Blue. The visuals have been updated (In some regards only slightly,) The basic gameplay loop is the same. The plot is non-existant, the online is quite disappointing. There are even frame rate drops at times. It seems like Gamefreak do not have enough staff to make a competent and satisfying game in the strict timetable theyIt is the same box standard pokemon game as pokemon Red and Blue. The visuals have been updated (In some regards only slightly,) The basic gameplay loop is the same. The plot is non-existant, the online is quite disappointing. There are even frame rate drops at times. It seems like Gamefreak do not have enough staff to make a competent and satisfying game in the strict timetable they have to uphold. If you own any pokemon games, you will have played this game before.… Expand
  13. honchkrow_lover
    Dec 14, 2020
    3
    very lazy and mediocre game , for a triple A game it feels like a half assed $20 indie game
  14. rst1
    Jan 5, 2021
    3
    It is a pretty bad game, but not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. It had some genuinely good features such as the wild area, and the DLC wasn't bad either as gamefreak has clearly shown some improvement such as using render distance on the three galarian birds, and the raid battles were pretty cool despite how utterly broken dynamax is. But now that I am done talking about the goodIt is a pretty bad game, but not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. It had some genuinely good features such as the wild area, and the DLC wasn't bad either as gamefreak has clearly shown some improvement such as using render distance on the three galarian birds, and the raid battles were pretty cool despite how utterly broken dynamax is. But now that I am done talking about the good parts, let's move on to the bad. Allow me to start with the elephant in the room, and say that the dex cut was a dumb decision, and it was unforgivable. Despite the flaws in past gens, the fact that as long as I got to play as my favorite pokemon feraligatr, it wasn't really a problem for me all that much. But now that this switch title has been released, and I still don't get to battle with my favorite pokemon, and many others such as ampharos even with the DLC patch makes the experience pretty unforgivable. The game was so souless, and boring that even game critics such as IGN said that pokemon sword, and shield was one of gamefreaks more souless games. Also, lets talk about the lack of difficulty. By the time I got to the first gym I was easily 10 levels above everyone with a genuinely good team build. I wish the game would stop holding my hand, and let me roam around. I wish the game was more challenging. Believe it or not, not all kids want their hand held, and not all kids want an easy game. Challenge is what makes a game fun, and memorable. Challenge in video game teaches kids to perservere. Sure a childs attention span might be low, but there persistence is high. How do I know this you ask? It's because I was once a child myself. Also, we need to address the poor map design. It was so linear, and it was such a point A to point B experience even with the wild area. Going to one gym to the next, getting my hand held, damn near unable to explore anywhere else, and the pointless roadblocks created a janky, and restrictive experience.

    Overall, the game is piss poor, but definitely not as bad as others say it is, and I have high hopes for the next title.    … Expand
  15. thilg881
    Apr 4, 2021
    3
    1) The Good:
    - It's a pokemon game after all, if you liked the previous games, at some degree you will like this one too;
    - The soundtrack is great; - The pokemon design. 2) The Bad; - No challenge at all; - Too many exp items; - Too short; - No side quests; - No option to turn off the exp. share item; - Too linear and no exploration at all; - Unfinished graphics - The    1) The Good:
    - It's a pokemon game after all, if you liked the previous games, at some degree you will like this one too;
    - The soundtrack is great;
    - The pokemon design.

    2) The Bad;
    - No challenge at all;
    - Too many exp items;
    - Too short;
    - No side quests;
    - No option to turn off the exp. share item;
    - Too linear and no exploration at all;
    - Unfinished graphics - The Nintendo Switch could do A LOT better;
    - Poorly animated moves;
    - No National Pokedex;
    - Not dubbed;
    - The Wild Area is bland;
    - Graphics pop in;
    - An expensive game for what is delivered.    … Expand
  16. 7thru7
    Aug 4, 2021
    3
    This game has significantly less depth than essentially every other Pokémon game. There are fewer Pokémon (while being on a more advanced system), less of a story, especially the post-game, and fewer animations for some reason. There are 10 routes and the gym battles and process feel so gutted. The world feels small which is inexcusable for a well-developed franchise making use of a newerThis game has significantly less depth than essentially every other Pokémon game. There are fewer Pokémon (while being on a more advanced system), less of a story, especially the post-game, and fewer animations for some reason. There are 10 routes and the gym battles and process feel so gutted. The world feels small which is inexcusable for a well-developed franchise making use of a newer and more powerful system. For many people, hearing about the national dex's removal is not much of a talking point, but to me when they removed so many Pokémon and then had the audacity to add DLC Pokémon shows to me there was no care put into this game for the community. Perhaps one can find a modicum of entertainment for a short period of time playing this game, but ask yourself is it really worth all that is happening to the franchise? I personally feel as though this is true beginning of the end for Pokémon. "So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay." - Robert Frost… Expand
  17. Third_Era
    Aug 25, 2022
    3
    This game is great if you are into competitive play; however, as a single player game it is absolutely dreadful. There is no challenge - the cave "systems" are literally a straight line - to keep the player engaged. At no point did I lose or even come close to thinking I could lose. It's crazy to think that the GBA games were better designed than a home console release 20 years later. IfThis game is great if you are into competitive play; however, as a single player game it is absolutely dreadful. There is no challenge - the cave "systems" are literally a straight line - to keep the player engaged. At no point did I lose or even come close to thinking I could lose. It's crazy to think that the GBA games were better designed than a home console release 20 years later. If this game didn't have Pokemon on the cover it would have been a commercial flop.… Expand
  18. HammerSeven
    Jun 27, 2022
    3
    Pokemon Shield isn't an awful game. There is some fun parts of the story, and the graphics aren't *that* bad. The pokemon franchise will always be fun in my opinion because the formula at heart is good, catch rare pokemon, complete your pokedex, battle other people ECT. However, in my opinion where the game really falls apart is in the difficulty, the game has no challenge and all thePokemon Shield isn't an awful game. There is some fun parts of the story, and the graphics aren't *that* bad. The pokemon franchise will always be fun in my opinion because the formula at heart is good, catch rare pokemon, complete your pokedex, battle other people ECT. However, in my opinion where the game really falls apart is in the difficulty, the game has no challenge and all the starters are way too overpowered. It makes it no fun to play, and it has no challenge.

    It also is the exact same as other pokemon games. I wish they would change the gameplay a little bit, make it open world or make fun puzzles or dungeons. Their really isn't anything different in this game then from the last... Also the animations are lazy, and they removed some pokemon from the national dex... So your favorite pokemon might not be there. Honestly, the only reason I would buy it is if I didn't already have a traditional pokemon game. 3/10.    … Expand
  19. Fireyoshi779
    Jan 25, 2022
    3
    Sword and shield is in my opinion a big downgrade to gen 7 like for example,the graphics are just a slightly better than gen 7's graphics but are almost the same despite one is being on the switch with almost ps4 level hardware,it only has 400 pokemon while gen 7 has 700 and getting somethings are harder a berry you want is so complicated if your trying to get a berry you want with theseSword and shield is in my opinion a big downgrade to gen 7 like for example,the graphics are just a slightly better than gen 7's graphics but are almost the same despite one is being on the switch with almost ps4 level hardware,it only has 400 pokemon while gen 7 has 700 and getting somethings are harder a berry you want is so complicated if your trying to get a berry you want with these berry trees while in gen 7,you could just grow a bunch of what berry you want.And because pokemon games come out every year and get the least care out of the other nintendo mascots,you'll end up with a rushed mess,… Expand
  20. HildaSimp5
    Jan 4, 2022
    3
    I was very excited for these games. I never cared one tiny bit about the National Dex or really any of its controversies. Playing these games, i did enjoy them, but thats the end of it. Ive tried to replay them, but each time i lost interest. Galar is immensly boring. I adore exploring the amazing routes of this franchise, but here, they are like linear corridors. The Wild Area is big, butI was very excited for these games. I never cared one tiny bit about the National Dex or really any of its controversies. Playing these games, i did enjoy them, but thats the end of it. Ive tried to replay them, but each time i lost interest. Galar is immensly boring. I adore exploring the amazing routes of this franchise, but here, they are like linear corridors. The Wild Area is big, but empty, lacking anything at all too do. Dynamax and Gigantamax got old fast and the weak story barely exists. I don`t need a complex story, but this was poor. Ill say that the design for the characters and Pokèmon where fantastic, the best since Gen V imo. Lost of new Pokèmon became my favorite and Nessa and Sonia are high quality waifus. None of this saves this game though. Its not close to being worth the money. They felt rushed, underdeveloped, lacking pretty everything i love about the series. From what ive heard, the best content in these games are in the DLC, but there is no way i am paying for what i belive should have been in the base games.
    The series has been on a steady decline for me since XY, but with these games, they have hit rock bottom for me and i feel like i am done with this franchise.
    Pokèmon SwSh manages to stand out as the most dissapointing games i have played in this franchise.    … Expand
  21. julietfes
    Apr 14, 2022
    3
    A rushed, lazy, boring mess. There is almost no reason to buy this game, there is nothing fun about it. I love Pokemon but this game just makes me sad.
  22. BritainButNot
    Oct 6, 2022
    3
    Having bought nearly every pokemon game (including spin offs, ) since coliseum, I was extremely excited to try out sword and shield. However, the game was probably my biggest disappointment on the Switch yet.

    One of my gripes was that the graphics look like the belong on 3DS or GC. While this isn't the most important thing in a game, it seems shameless considering its 1st party peers at    Having bought nearly every pokemon game (including spin offs, ) since coliseum, I was extremely excited to try out sword and shield. However, the game was probably my biggest disappointment on the Switch yet.

    One of my gripes was that the graphics look like the belong on 3DS or GC. While this isn't the most important thing in a game, it seems shameless considering its 1st party peers at Nintendo include visually stunning titles like Mario Odyssey and TLoZ: Breath of the Wild.

    Besides that, the presentation and story are at best bland and lazy. While there is the skeleton of a good game, it mostly felt cheap to me.    … Expand
  23. Cloud_cipher
    Nov 29, 2022
    3
    I have only played sheild for 20 hours but I wish I only played 0 for the waste of time this was.
  24. Bluelion32
    Feb 8, 2023
    3
    Doesn't have sword dog.
    The problems of these games have been stated many times, so I won't go over them again.
  25. Cotroneo
    Nov 20, 2019
    2
    If you consider this game a successor to the spin-off, cashgrab, waste-of-resources 'Let's Go' games, you'll still be disappointed.

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

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

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

    I named Sobble Blastoise, btw.    … Expand
  26. p1menta
    May 5, 2020
    2
    do you wanna pay full price to play the same f ucking game from 30 years ago but with a (kinda) new look?
    will we ever play a trully new and modern and fun pokemon game? how cant they make a botw-kind game with pokemon?
    is it that difficult to make something fun for a change? free world, a different plot that you don't f ucking have to rock-paper-scissor your way trhough stupid gym    do you wanna pay full price to play the same f ucking game from 30 years ago but with a (kinda) new look?
    will we ever play a trully new and modern and fun pokemon game? how cant they make a botw-kind game with pokemon?
    is it that difficult to make something fun for a change? free world, a different plot that you don't f ucking have to rock-paper-scissor your way trhough stupid gym fights?? damn, this game is absolutely boring.
    here's one point for the vibes on the first gigantamax experience (wich also becomes boring sooner than you'd expect) and one other point for the kind of cute models of some pokemons, but it's not worth at all.
    go play pokemon go, its free and way more fun    … Expand
  27. gabrielpina4
    Nov 16, 2019
    2
    Just played 5 hrs of pokemon shield and i can honestly say this the worst pokemon in the entire series i alittle pissed i spent my money on the double pack :( will be returning the game today. Hopefully bestbuy will take it back and refund me the full price graphically it looks like n64 definitely no generational leap the story is not great there's no voice acting houses inside doesn'tJust played 5 hrs of pokemon shield and i can honestly say this the worst pokemon in the entire series i alittle pissed i spent my money on the double pack :( will be returning the game today. Hopefully bestbuy will take it back and refund me the full price graphically it looks like n64 definitely no generational leap the story is not great there's no voice acting houses inside doesn't match the outside in one house it looks like 4 people living there yet only one bedroom???? Everyone has a mom but no dad?? Where the dad?? There's just so many thing wrong that it would take me forever to list everything but will be making a YouTube video on this soon!!… Expand
  28. greentauros
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    So my co-worker got this for me as a birthday present, otherwise I would not be playing it right now, nor would I have bought it in the future.

    The graphics are sub-par for a Switch, how come animations from Pokemon Stadium that had a smaller dev team look better than this games? How come Colosseum and Gale of Darkness look better than this game graphically when it came out on a system    So my co-worker got this for me as a birthday present, otherwise I would not be playing it right now, nor would I have bought it in the future.

    The graphics are sub-par for a Switch, how come animations from Pokemon Stadium that had a smaller dev team look better than this games? How come Colosseum and Gale of Darkness look better than this game graphically when it came out on a system that isn't as powerful? Just got to the 2nd badge and while some of the new pokemon are pretty adorable everything else about this game has left a bad taste in my mouth. It feels to me like they just slap a new paint of coat on it and should either hire more people to help make the game better, or instead take a break from the yearly release cycle.

    They also removed many things like TMs, one of which is "return". The attack power is based on how much your Pokemon likes you, and it feels like a slap in your face when a move like this is removed. Wasn't part of the point in pokemon to grow alongside your pokemon and treat them like a pet?

    Don't get me wrong, the game still shows a lot of promise of what could have been, but when you have other titles like BoTW which was originally a Wii U game, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and even more impressive ports like The Witcher 3. It's just depressing that this is the best they could come up with. Gamefreak if you're reading this please hire more staff or take a year off. Maybe even get rid of Masuda. Older pokemon titles use to have more adventure, even if they were graphically lacking, maybe some of that was childhood and maybe some of that is the lack of care that they seem to put into these new pokemon titles. It's been downhill since Pokemon X and Y came out, which part of that was them needing new models made in 3D for the 3DS and was understandable.. But after that, it's all felt lacking, especially when Black and White 2 were the pinnacle of pokemon games before then (Talking about mainline games and not remakes like HGSS which were spectacular.)    … Expand
  29. FoolPhilosopher
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Lets talk beyond the obvious dexit controversy. This pokemon game highlights that Gamefreak does not think that the gaming demographic that wants challenge, variety, and quality is worth pursuing. The graphics are bland, the game refuses to let you be alone to breathe/explore for a moment, the difficulty is nonexistent even for a pokemon game, which are already traditionally pretty easy.Lets talk beyond the obvious dexit controversy. This pokemon game highlights that Gamefreak does not think that the gaming demographic that wants challenge, variety, and quality is worth pursuing. The graphics are bland, the game refuses to let you be alone to breathe/explore for a moment, the difficulty is nonexistent even for a pokemon game, which are already traditionally pretty easy. Make no mistake, this is Gamefreak phoning it in. There are so many game devs out there pouring their heart into their projects, and they are much more worthy of your time than this hacked out half-hearted garbage.… Expand
  30. Federx
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    the wild area is actually pretty cute, but everything else is a huge downgrade (camp vs pokemon amie, pokejobs vs pokepelago etc), and the latter half of the game feels rushed and unfinished.
  31. NILord
    Nov 17, 2019
    2
    No national desk, bad optimization, random glitches, where are all the movements? Bad animations. Maybe worth pokemon so far.
  32. darulor13
    Jul 13, 2020
    2
    Such a bad game, they are just milking the Pokemon franchise, it feels like a game from 1998. It is the same Pokemon game recipe done over and over again. The performance is awful if you turn on Online play. Online Max Raid won't work 90% of the time, it gives an error when you try to connect as a guest, they didn't fix this after almost one year. You don't have voice overs in 2020, can'tSuch a bad game, they are just milking the Pokemon franchise, it feels like a game from 1998. It is the same Pokemon game recipe done over and over again. The performance is awful if you turn on Online play. Online Max Raid won't work 90% of the time, it gives an error when you try to connect as a guest, they didn't fix this after almost one year. You don't have voice overs in 2020, can't skip cutscenes, they have such **** ass long animations and you can't skip them (even though I selected from options to skip cutscenes I had to watch them all - it was a pain since most characters are very annoying especially your rival Hop - God I would just like to punch him it his stupid face) and when you finish the game it forces you to watch the stupid credits (annoying music of course). If you are a huge Pokemon game you can get it but you shouldn't expect anything new or good excepting a new Pokedex.… Expand
  33. seiji092
    Jun 7, 2020
    2
    I feel this game was rushed and it seems like this was supposed to be a 3DS game release to a console. I mean, even 15yo games from GC have better animations than this game. Nintendo still refuses to give voice acting a chance for an RPG game, and for the most gameplay, you just keep pushing a button over the dialogues. Leon does all by himself in comparison to old games where you wouldI feel this game was rushed and it seems like this was supposed to be a 3DS game release to a console. I mean, even 15yo games from GC have better animations than this game. Nintendo still refuses to give voice acting a chance for an RPG game, and for the most gameplay, you just keep pushing a button over the dialogues. Leon does all by himself in comparison to old games where you would raid Team Rocket's hideout by yourself, meaning you probably won't feel challenged at all to explore as it doesn't give you reward for doing so.… Expand
  34. Aleph_0
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    The quality of this game REALLY does not justify the cuts that have been made. Graphics are severely dated with some awful resolutions and clipping. The world is so linear it feels like a hallway with a cutscene every few steps. The endgame is nonexistent. The battle animations are taken straight from the old games. And honestly, the new Pokémon designs are some of the worst I’ve everThe quality of this game REALLY does not justify the cuts that have been made. Graphics are severely dated with some awful resolutions and clipping. The world is so linear it feels like a hallway with a cutscene every few steps. The endgame is nonexistent. The battle animations are taken straight from the old games. And honestly, the new Pokémon designs are some of the worst I’ve ever seen. Most of them look like a couple overlapping shapes with a painted on face. GameFreak really phoned it in on this one. Time to give Pokémon to someone else.… Expand
  35. WorriedDenizen
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    From my Sword review:

    Sword and Shield is a shameless, rushed cashgrab. These games are easily one of the biggest disappointments in 2019, and one of the worst JRPGs in recent years, and perhaps one of the worst switch games thus far. The positives of SwSh are few, but they're there. For one, the moveset availability is a lot better since while it sucks to have the good attacks go    From my Sword review:

    Sword and Shield is a shameless, rushed cashgrab.
    These games are easily one of the biggest disappointments in 2019, and one of the worst JRPGs in recent years, and perhaps one of the worst switch games thus far.

    The positives of SwSh are few, but they're there. For one, the moveset availability is a lot better since while it sucks to have the good attacks go back to the 1 use TM system known as TRs, at least moveset potential is still flexible.

    The new pokemon is always a good addition to the ever increasing size of the amount of pokemon that well... would have existed.

    SwSh also brings back the smug @sshole rival archetype that wasn't seen since Silver in gen 2 and it's remakes.

    Yet these are a few compared to the few of many huge downsides below:

    SwSh most common and biggest problem is the cut pokemon. You can't transfer any pokemon from previous games that aren't in the Galarian dex into the games. You have to wait for that potential cashgrab known as Pokemon Home as well. Plus you can't even inject, or even attempt to play as the missing pokemon. Only some of the ones not part of the dex are programmed in, and they're the starters and some legendaries. At least in gen 3, the missing pokemon were programmed in, and you could use gameshark to play with them.

    SwSh also removes mega evolutions, and z-moves and creates yet another gimmick which is inferior, and more broken to the 2 separately. Dynamax and Gigantamaxing are poor gimmicks which only benefit the fast, and powerful mons. What it does is it increases the hp temporarily, and turns all attacks in dyna/giga attacks which are powerful attacks that each one has a secondary effect. All status moves turn into protect. Essentially a temp hp boost with z-moves, and it doesn't take up an item slot.
    This sucks since it just means that in game, the ace mons that are giga/dyna often die in very anti-climatic means, and in competitive play, these mechanics force the other player to utilize it to stand a chance.

    Graphically, the game looks even worse than 3H. Water reflections are off, theres those infamous n64 trees, and the texturing is PS2 tier. Which is an honest to god achievement, how does a game manage to look worse than 3H on the same console. At least 3H has great gameplay, and decent story for the most part, SwSh has none of that.

    The technical aspects, and animations of SwSh is truly atrocious. The games have hideous draw distance, and random FPS drops. the game that does ZA WARUDO whenever the player fishes, or climbs a ladder. Horrible graphics in general, terrible scaling especially for mons like Wailord and Tyranitar. The animations look especially bad on a lot of attacks. The infamous double kick animation, and even the important plot cut scene with the box art legendaries when they just turn around in place.

    The GTS is also looking to be missing which is another huge downside, considering the GTS was pretty much a series staple, and to see it removed adds to the ever growing list of features GF introduces then throws out in the next gen.

    The main story is really short, you could probably finish it in 8-10 hours, and the intrusive dialogue from S/M makes a return in SwSh, meaning the biggest problem with S/M is back again in these set of games. No you cannot skip the dialogue, only the actual cutscenes.

    EXP Share is on permanently and is no longer a key item. This means that training up a low leveled will lead to your other mons being massively overleveled. Oh and for some reason sound settings are locked behind a key item which you have to get from a rather easily miss able NPC.

    The post game is once again barren, perhaps even moreso than XY. You get 2 hours worth of post game, and it's mostly just going to the other gyms and fighting dynamax mons, and then fighting the box art legendaries. That's seriously it. Oh and you can do a gimped battle tower if you really wanted to.

    The biggest crime of them all though. It has most of the flaws which I listed above, and it costs $60 USD. Yeah that's the same price as a triple A game, yet this game is basically a shovelware tier joke.

    Seriously this is supposed Pokemon's mainline series debut on a console? This is what it has to offer? Nothing but pure disappointment, and a total step backwards from a 3DS game? The GC spin offs, and Wii's Battle revolution were a better taste of what a main series pokemon game on a console could have been. But alas here we are, sitting here with quite possibly the worst set of pokemon games ever, and disappointed again after a slew of mediocre 3DS games.

    Stay away from these games, it's not worth your money at all.    … Expand
  36. thvbh
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    After "it all comes together" and "ultra changes", generation 8 adds more lies to GameFreak's pile of shame. They promise a lot, and they again fail to deliver in almost every single aspect. This time, however, the technical shortcomings, lack of polish, and shortage of ambition is covered up by a veil of scam-level dishonesty from the developers themselves and a blanket of praise fromAfter "it all comes together" and "ultra changes", generation 8 adds more lies to GameFreak's pile of shame. They promise a lot, and they again fail to deliver in almost every single aspect. This time, however, the technical shortcomings, lack of polish, and shortage of ambition is covered up by a veil of scam-level dishonesty from the developers themselves and a blanket of praise from "unbiased" game critics, whose reviews sound more like advertisements than genuine reviews.

    The decision to cut over half the existing Pokémon from the game under the pretense of filling the game with content and quality animations wouldn't be so bad if the results could be seen in the game. However, the games are just as hollow as their predecessors, if not even more. Complete lack of difficulty, constant hand-holding, horrible plot, insufferable cutscenes and barely anything to do post-game is something that seems we will have to get used to, as it's apparently the new standard from now on, and any future games will probably be evaluated with regards to the bar set this laughably low.

    Pokémon is finally dead. As an avid fan since red and blue, I say it with a heavy heart. What started six years ago, with the release of Pokémon X and Y, finally came to fruition - a game so hollow and dumbed down, that even the awful past two generations look full of content compared to it. What was once a flawed, but ultimately fun franchise with a mediocre, but really passionate team of developers behind it, finally succumbed to the disease of brand-loyalty blinded fanbase that can see no wrong in the games as long as they have the Pokemon logo stamped on. This tremendous fall in quality is entirely their fault and no one else's - this is the best time for GameFreak to implement egregious monetization schemes in their next games, as not only will they evade any criticism from game critics, but will be largely praised for it by a large group of fans, which is truly asinine.

    What's left is to hope that a team of talented developers will see the growing disenchantment with the series and decide to step in, fill the void and dethrone the corrupted king of the monster catching genre.    … Expand
  37. Basednredpilled
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Bad graphics. Bad animations. Even bad music. Extremely short. No postgame content. No national dex. Bad story. Bad characters. Permanent exp share. Do i have to continue? I gave it a 2 instead of 0 just because some of the new pokemon have good designs. Nobody should buy this game.
  38. BlockFort
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    The release of Pokemon Sword and Shield sadly confirmed all the fears I've had during the build up to it's launch. I've been a huge Pokemon fan since its inception and always dearly loved this series, however the last couple of entries have been getting progressively worse when it came to aspects such as polish, removing features, difficulty, dungeon complexity, post game and many more. MyThe release of Pokemon Sword and Shield sadly confirmed all the fears I've had during the build up to it's launch. I've been a huge Pokemon fan since its inception and always dearly loved this series, however the last couple of entries have been getting progressively worse when it came to aspects such as polish, removing features, difficulty, dungeon complexity, post game and many more. My enthusiasm when it came to Pokemon slowly faded away. But I remained hopeful. Afterall Gamefreak promised us that Generation 8 would be "for the hardcore fans". And it would be the first mainline game on a home console, a huge step for the series!

    Despite my initial optimism for these new home console entries I couldn't ignore all the glaring and obvious problems that were observable in all the pre-release material. Graphical quality not even on par with last gen console games, complete lack of care and polish in regards to animation, reusing as many outdated assets as possible; and these were just the issues that were quickly noticeable from a first glance. But the more time passed the worse things got. The removal of basic features like the national dex and the subsequent cutting of over half of all Pokemon was the straw that broke the camel's back. The following PR disaster of justifying all of this with blatant lies certainly didn't help. I could go on but you get the point.

    And now here we are and Pokemon SwSh is exactly what is looked like it was going to be; a soulless, unpolished and short mess of a game not worthy of belonging to the most successful multimedia franchise in the world. I think the Eurogamer review said it best when it used the new Dynamax mechanic as an analogy to SwSh themselves: "Pokémon Sword and Shield project a sense of scale and ambition far beyond any previous ones in the series, but to take it back to those gargantuan new Dynamax forms, the size is merely a shadow. A shallow projection, in place of the real thing."    … Expand
  39. Underrated
    Nov 26, 2019
    2
    "The lowest improving pokemon generation", thank you Gamefreak for trying to break the old thing but it turns into worst with your lazy nature. The first worst of this generation is cutting the pokemon without reasonable but with many excuse to make sure you could go comfort zone. The second worst, you committed that you will never update other patches to add cut pokemons, this so attacks"The lowest improving pokemon generation", thank you Gamefreak for trying to break the old thing but it turns into worst with your lazy nature. The first worst of this generation is cutting the pokemon without reasonable but with many excuse to make sure you could go comfort zone. The second worst, you committed that you will never update other patches to add cut pokemons, this so attacks fan hearts who believe the core of the pokemon in the concept "Catch 'em all". The worst of this generation, you complained about animation of 3DS how it poor but your ruined your mouth with lazy by using all recycled animations and while you couldn't make the scene of battle to be good. Plus the open world is the worst but I expected it to be good with patch if you read this little comment. 2 points for you made open world but it so poor. bye see you next gen.… Expand
  40. Sephsekla
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Disappointing.

    So many Pokemon (the main point of the games) completely cut for the first time ever. Some interesting concepts that could have been great but clearly weren't given the dev time to flourish. An unfinished game that could have been the best one.
  41. hanzo82
    Jan 31, 2020
    2
    nope... not really good, it was definitely my last pokemon game. just a huge disappointment
  42. Honesthuman777
    Nov 17, 2019
    2
    Frequent frame rate drops. The game sometimes does not scale properly to fit my screen. The end game content is short relative to the previous games. The supplement for not  placing all pokemon species in the game was said to be high quality animations but the majority of the  battle animations are either reused from previous games  or seemingly minimal in that the animation basicallyFrequent frame rate drops. The game sometimes does not scale properly to fit my screen. The end game content is short relative to the previous games. The supplement for not  placing all pokemon species in the game was said to be high quality animations but the majority of the  battle animations are either reused from previous games  or seemingly minimal in that the animation basically consists of the static model being moved up and down and the opposing pokemon would  have a stamped visual that is placed on that model. The lore of the United kingdom is disrespected in this game not because it has been misrepresented but because it was hardly touched. There are countless amounts of stories that relate describe creatures that resemble gen 8 mons and somehow the pokemon are just described as an independent entity and the lore and story is never mentioned in the dex entry. The worst quality of this game is the difficulty, without a hard mode of the ability to turn off the exp share, this game feels like a let's go game and at the bottom of every move during battle the game tells you the effectiveness. In terms of difficulty this game this game is a joke relative to the previous games, not one gym leader has more than 4 pokemon.This game has two redeeming qualities, the online has become an efficient machine because all actions are placed in an efficient and accessible menu where it takes little time to find and do the thing that you want to do as quickly as possible and the wild area feels like a genuine step forward because it allows you to adjust the pace of your playthrough since you could explore and interact with aspects of the game that would normally be allowed much later in previous pokemon games. The reason this score is so low is because there are console spin offs that either have better animations, more pokemon species, more pokemon movies, a more interesting plot, or a more robust endgame.… Expand
  43. aleqhz
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    I was very eager to see Pokémon on a home console after decades of handheld version. I even rushed through all previous Gen just anticipating this one, but .. Simply put, I'm disappointed.

    There was so much potential for a great game but it turned out into a game with rehashed and up-scaled 3DS graphics, very poor animation, very bland environment and extremely short playtime (finished    I was very eager to see Pokémon on a home console after decades of handheld version. I even rushed through all previous Gen just anticipating this one, but .. Simply put, I'm disappointed.

    There was so much potential for a great game but it turned out into a game with rehashed and up-scaled 3DS graphics, very poor animation, very bland environment and extremely short playtime (finished the game in 18 hours..) saying 40~50 hours is really stretching it. I didn't even mind the cut in the Pokédex eventhough my favourites didn't make it out to Galar region, but I was at least hoping there will be more post-game content than a 1~2 hours mini-story.

    I don't believe this game deserves the high metascore, nor its price.    … Expand
  44. Harrison17
    Nov 16, 2019
    2
    Un juego incompleto, lleno de bugs y con demasiadas precariedades. Se nota que no le pusieron ningún tipo de empeñó o ganas
  45. uncledad
    Jun 22, 2020
    2
    This game was so immensely disappointing...

    I've played every Pokemon generation, I've been playing since Yellow on the GBC and have been excited for every title that comes out. This game was a failure on all fronts. From the failure of the marketing department to provide meaningful updates throughout the development process, to their handling of controversies like the Dex cuts, and    This game was so immensely disappointing...

    I've played every Pokemon generation, I've been playing since Yellow on the GBC and have been excited for every title that comes out. This game was a failure on all fronts.

    From the failure of the marketing department to provide meaningful updates throughout the development process, to their handling of controversies like the Dex cuts, and to the release dealing with full leaks. Then the game itself. The FIRST EVER Pokemon mainline title on a home-console, and it's this. Almost every single aspect of the game feels stale, uninspired, or rushed. I say almost because there are certain small things that you can tell someone put a lot of work into, only for it to be squandered by the game in it's entirety. If this game didn't have the Wild Area to lean on, it would have crashed and burned immediately. Without it there is no innovation and there is no replayability. While some of the areas of the game as I mentioned before look BEAUTIFUL, such as the Fairy city Ballonlea, they are completely shallow and soulless. Hidden behind the scenery is extremely simplistic and rudimentary level design, with most routes being straight lines, with no reason to ever return to them again. Most areas and cities are completely pointless beyond having a gym or leading to a new gym, and you'll only spend 5-10 minutes in them throughout the entire game. Towns feel like cardboard ghost towns, as most parts are either inaccessible or empty. Areas like Stow-On-Side, the Dugtrio Monument, the Ruins on Route 8, the Galar Mines, and both "forests", are ALL one-time visits. The music is great in certain areas, but in the places like the Wild Area where you spend most of your time- it isn't. The "evil" team is laughably bad, and can hardly be called evil. There is no difficulty to the game at any point, most trainer's Pokemon don't even know 4 moves and the AI is not smart enough to use those moves strategically. You WILL beat this entire game without losing a battle, there is no point where there is even a question that you could lose.

    The only thing this game has to offer is TRs, the Wild Area, and new Pokemon. The loss in quality everywhere else is very hard not to notice.

    I was actually okay with the Dex cuts when the game launched as I accepted GameFreak's reasoning and explanations. However, now seeing that GameFreak is just putting most of them back as paid content to pad out the equally uninspired DLC they're releasing I see it's just another scheme for them to profit off of Pokemon. You can say the same about using paid subscriptions for Home to bring forward your favorite Pokemon from old games.

    There is a reason this is the most profitable franchise in the world, GameFreak and Pokemon aren't stupid. It is however, a shame to see them release such an empty and lifeless game, especially for the first console title. These games really truly did have potential, but you can feel while playing that the priorities were elsewhere with shiny bells and whistles, and not behind making a solid Pokemon game.    … Expand
  46. BurningShrine
    Nov 17, 2019
    2
    I couldn't be more upset with this game, and more happy that I bought it from a second hand shop so the money didn't go to Gamefreak/Pokemon Company, because this game is a lazy, lazy excuse of a game.

    I've been playing this series as a kid, and I have to say that the offering here is poor. I'm not even talking about the lack of a national dex, I'm talking about all of the features that    I couldn't be more upset with this game, and more happy that I bought it from a second hand shop so the money didn't go to Gamefreak/Pokemon Company, because this game is a lazy, lazy excuse of a game.

    I've been playing this series as a kid, and I have to say that the offering here is poor. I'm not even talking about the lack of a national dex, I'm talking about all of the features that this game completely lacks, such as any kind of endgame.

    The game took me 8 hours in total to complete, and no part of it left me surprised, Team Yell, Marnie and ESPECIALLY Hop left me not only annoyed but physically bored out of my mind.

    This game- despite all of the casual fans giving it praise, deserves none of it. I'm in the lucky kind of category because ALL of my favourites were in this game, and still, the only enjoyment I ever had was seeing them in the camp, and that's it. It truly makes me sad to see how bad this game has gone down because I genuinely wanted the experience to be good, but it's just lazy. Plain and simple.

    Also, I have to say the ending with the two legendaries actually made me laugh because of how janky and awkward the wolves moved around.    … Expand
  47. Alex214
    Nov 19, 2019
    2
    #GameFreakLied fans already put all the pokemon you haven't been able to put and also they put actual trees, not Nintendo 64 trees, fans do what gamefreak doesn't.
  48. Mildor
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Despite the incomplete pokedex and graphical flaws, the overall experience feels empty, with a dull story, no post game and get small difficulty level. It's just sad to see how the fastest growing franchise in the world just didn't deliver.
  49. PrunusTR
    Nov 26, 2019
    2
    20 years later, it is still the same game. After playing this game, my thought is that the main pokemon games should not be developed by Gamefreak anymore. New pokemons are well designed. However, hundreds of pokemons from previous games are cut out. Transfering pokemons from previous games is a game mechanic that makes pokemon game a pokemon game. Although cutting out all the pokemons20 years later, it is still the same game. After playing this game, my thought is that the main pokemon games should not be developed by Gamefreak anymore. New pokemons are well designed. However, hundreds of pokemons from previous games are cut out. Transfering pokemons from previous games is a game mechanic that makes pokemon game a pokemon game. Although cutting out all the pokemons reduced the work of developers, there is no progress in animations. The animations in this game belong to the last decade. Moreover, there is still no voice acting. That is ridiculous. I bought this game to experience a main pokemon game on a big screen TV but probably this is the last time since I do not believe gamefreak will improve the game no matter how many generations or game consoles change. This game is definitely not a 2019 game, and it should cost no more than 30 dollars.… Expand
  50. Metagrass
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    I have also done a review for Pokemon Sword, but as both versions are more or less the same game, I've copied it here.

    This game... is not great. It's not even good. You can't imagine how much that bothers me as a 12 year Pokemon fan to say this, but I have to be honest, I regret buying these games. There is a myriad of issues with this game that give it a feeling of being rushed.    I have also done a review for Pokemon Sword, but as both versions are more or less the same game, I've copied it here.

    This game... is not great. It's not even good. You can't imagine how much that bothers me as a 12 year Pokemon fan to say this, but I have to be honest, I regret buying these games.

    There is a myriad of issues with this game that give it a feeling of being rushed. Firstly the game suffers from many graphical issues. Pokemon, trainers and objects will just pop into and out of the overworld for seemingly no reason, many battle arenas lack backgrounds and trainers will disappear and reappear from them, completely breaking my immersion. Another issue is the game is extremely short. I am already at the 5th gym and I bought it yesterday, I hope that somehow the last 3 gyms take triple the time of the first 5, but from what my friend tells me, this isn't the case. Also my friend tells me that the post game is just the battle tree from sun and moon but with no bosses. The story is extrememly basic too, it is just a carbon copy of the story from one of the other games in the series (of which I'm not going to mention as I don't want to spoil anything). If you thought they were taking a step in the right derection with Sun and Moon's story, then Sword and Shield takes two steps back. As you might expect, the game is really easy, but I don't mean as easy as some of the other games in the series, Sword and Shield is probably the easiest Pokemon game to date. Easy games aren't in themselves a bad thing, but in a strategy game like Sword and Shield, you need at least a basic level of difficulty to make it interesting. Alas, due to the forced (always active) exp share on your whole team, my entire team was so overleveled for each gym. I would just end up dyanamaxing and sweeping the entire trainer's team for each of them with no problem. I really wish you could just turn the exp share off, the game would benefit so much from this. Speaking of the gyms, the challenges for each gym are completely ridiculous. Most of them are boring and had very little effect on the gym battle itself, for example there is one where the gym leader asks you bizzare questions like what you had for breakfast, not impressed with the gyms at all. The game in general is riddled with bizzare decisions like extra volume controls being locked behind an item for some reason and not being able to pet your Pokemon anymore. I would not reccomend picking this game up.

    Now lets address the donphan in the room, the dex cut. Around 60% of the Pokemon were removed from this game along with a handful of moves for the reason of "improving the animations an models". The dex cut wouldn't be much of an issue for your average player, but the animations and models weren't improved at all. The models are just ported from Sun and Moon, scaled up for the Switch and there are less new animations in this game than Sun and Moon due to the lack of Z-Moves. So in short the dex was cut down for absolutely no reason. The smaller dex also limits people's options in online matches and competative, but I haven't played online yet and don't know anything about it so it wouldn't be fair for me to judge it.

    Now that I've finally gotten through the bad things I should list the good. Some of the designs of the new Pokemon are amazing. In typical James Turner (the man who designed many of the Pokemon in this game) style, they're very hit or miss. But the ones that hit, hit hard. The final evolutions of the starters in particular ooze personality, I love them all. The wild area is a great concept, though it's fairly poorly executed it is still fun to explore. The addition of overworld encounters from the Lets Go games is a great idea and makes the world feel way more alive. Sadly though, the good is outweighed by the bad in this game.

    In conclusion, I would not reccomend these games. They are definately the worst in the series and do not justify the Switch price tag. Avoid these at all costs, there are many, far better games on the switch this year, get one of those instead.    … Expand
  51. ILovePokem0n
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    So, for starters, I have played the game. Second of all, I'm a huge fan of this beautiful franchise ever since I first got into the series.
    That said, I have huge issues with these games. I'll list them:
    > The map is small and devoid of any meaningful content. Even compared to prior games like USUM or even XY, the map is with only ten routes and not a single real dungeon quite    So, for starters, I have played the game. Second of all, I'm a huge fan of this beautiful franchise ever since I first got into the series.
    That said, I have huge issues with these games. I'll list them:
    > The map is small and devoid of any meaningful content. Even compared to prior games like USUM or even XY, the map is with only ten routes and not a single real dungeon quite underwhelming and the hyped Wild Area is indeed almost embarrassing. The lack of any dungeon or anything to explore in this region is just sad.
    >The Wild area. It is just... so empty. Not much to do, not much to see, and those few structures that are scattered around have no or only little available interactions with the player. This is also the part of the game that looks quite awful with weird textures that could have been directly imported from Colosseum or even Stadium and some weird shaders like on the water textures where Pokémon barely look natural.
    >The plot. I see that GF at least tried to present us a villain that actually has some comprehensible intentions and motives, but the execution was a clear downgrade compared to the last four generations. Instead of building the story up with dialogues or battles, the game follows a simple 'From-A-to-B' scheme and in the end, only shoehorned the villain in. It's just sad because I actually liked the villain, but he was clearly 'dumbed' down a little bit to make it clear that he is evil. The intrusive and distracting interactions with the champ, your rival and Sonia didn't help the plot to become better.
    > The post-game. It's not existing. Seriously. After the short main quest, you only get to catch the cover legendary and an inferior version of previous battle towers. You could also do some raid battles and some rematches, but that's it. There is no new post-game route or city to visit, there is no expansive battle facility to explore, and overall, just feels bland and uninspired and a clear step back from previous games.
    > The difficulty. Like so many things of these games what you could and should expect from a game released on a home console, it is missing, the forced XP share isn't helping. Even without any raid battles, such as I did, you're usually at least two or three levels above your next gym leader and the NPCs don't use any tactics. There was only one battle where I had to seriously think about what to do next (Raihan), but overall, it's toddlers-levels of difficulty, just insulting even to children or young teens. USUM, even though also criticized for its lacking difficulty, at least had some difficult battles against Necrozma, the totems, Lusamine and the champ. So it's nothing that you can't expect from Pokémon.
    > Last but not least, the unjustified Dexcut. The game was already lacking so many things, and they've doubled-down on it by cutting out more than half of the Pokémon and some one hundred moves. They've tried to explain it with the hard work of upgrading to the animations and the models and while the former I'll mention later, the latter wasn't true and thus a lie told by GF to justify an unjustifiable offense against the very core of Pokémon: collecting.
    But there was also some good stuff!
    >The competitive scene has become more accessible and refreshing with some much-needed QoL improvements like nature mints.
    >Some of the animations look beautiful, although most of them have to fight with the bad quality of most textures used in the game.
    > It's still a mainline Pokémon game, it's very core is still fun, at least at the beginning.

    Overall, sadly, one of the worst and most controversial entries of the series, after my honest experience. The good and bad sides of the games must be honestly discussed without any toxicity or harassment of either side, and I hope GF will for once listen to its consumer base. There are other, far better games out there for the Switch, and they should be used as a Christmas present for children or those who stayed a child inside. But not this one, the negatives far outweigh the positives, and with honest corporate reviews gone, I tried my best to showcase the good and the bad of the game.    … Expand
  52. Cuddly1337
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Pokemon Shield (and its sister Sword) is an incredibly unpolished game. It feels like GameFreak never tested these games for bugs. These bugs are not just small unnoticeable things like in GameBoy games. Music is missing from certain battles, NPCs (without Abra) can teleport (both in the overworld and when battling some NPCs), and you can suddenly stop time by being on a ladder. There evenPokemon Shield (and its sister Sword) is an incredibly unpolished game. It feels like GameFreak never tested these games for bugs. These bugs are not just small unnoticeable things like in GameBoy games. Music is missing from certain battles, NPCs (without Abra) can teleport (both in the overworld and when battling some NPCs), and you can suddenly stop time by being on a ladder. There even is yet another save corruption glitch in these games, and it isn’t like talking to 1 NPC and surfing on specific tiles either.
    Even looking past the glitches, the main story is insultingly easy, even for children. The only places children can explore are in the wild areas and they are filled with nothing of interest (besides more examples of a lack-o-polish). Your kids might also be scared of the Camp feature since their Pokemon can do weird and unintended things. I personally also didn’t like being limited on what I could catch based on Gym Badges as I (and your kids) could easily lose out on a Pokemon they wanted to catch, and you are overleveled anyways.
    I’ll give the game some points though. While many designs are pretty sub-par, most of the new Pokemon are very well designed. And is series tradition, the music is still very good, even if it is the weakest soundtrack so far.

    Unironically, just get Let’s Go Pikachu or Let’s Go Eevee if you want to get a Pokemon game for your kid. They have more polish and are much more appealing to children.    … Expand
  53. nikospant
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    In the beginning I was so excited about the upcoming games and the first couple of trailers seemed entertaining both in designs and the future of the game. As the time passed by, I was feeling less and less excited about the game and I will try to summarize the main points after having already finished the game after only 16 hours of gameplay, as an early copy arrived yesterday.In the beginning I was so excited about the upcoming games and the first couple of trailers seemed entertaining both in designs and the future of the game. As the time passed by, I was feeling less and less excited about the game and I will try to summarize the main points after having already finished the game after only 16 hours of gameplay, as an early copy arrived yesterday.

    Longevity and replay value:
    First of all, compared to previous Pokemon games, only 16 hours of gameplay to beat the whole game seems way underwhelming, especially considering that I caught all the new pokemons that I found, explored the Wild Area and passed through it as many times as deemed possible, as long as there was something interesting to day (Hint: there wasn't much). I feel that except the online component, there isn't much replay value to the games and I don't feel the need to play them again.

    The price tag: $60 compared to a $40 a couple of years back, for less amount of content seems way overpriced in my eyes.

    Characters:
    Most of the in-game characters seem bland, not interesting and especially the rival seems... not like a rival should feel. Even the Champion seems like a naive person the least .

    Plot:
    Easy, predictable, no depth, I really wonder if someone thought through the whole story from the beginning or was creating on the way..

    Difficulty:
    It is a pokemon game, I do not expect to have actual difficulties from a game designed also for children and here is the main point, mario odyssey is also designed for children and everyone can complete the game, but it also have more content, targeted on more mature audience with an actual difficulty to complete 100% of all the game aspects. There is no such option in this pokemon game. Exp.Share gets OP and all my pokemon are overleveled, even after switching all the overleveled ones mid-game.
    On the other hand, handholding and cutscenes in every route does not make me feel and experience the map as it should be and there is always someone telling me where to go, who to speak to and how to handle every aspect of the game without me feeling responsible for the decisions made in game at any level.

    Graphics:
    Graphics don't seem like an upscale compared to previous 3ds games and for being the first mainline game in a console, I would expect something better, for example natural-moving characters or introducing pre-rendered movie scenes in times where the movement seems unnatural (e.g. when the 2 legendaries turn around when they face each other). To get it even a notch further, voice acting in a mainline console gaming doesn't seem far fetched but they didn't even cover the basics so, that is too much to expect from what they have given us.

    Controversy:
    I am not gonna use any buzzwords, I totally understand about large number of designs logistics and that doesn't hinder my ability to play the game, so all the other reasons are why I give such a low score for the game.

    All in all:
    A pokemon game is never gonna be awful, because of the successful formula they have and because of the size of the franchise, but the way the company is going, we are never gonna have a truly great Pokemon game ever again (eg. HG/SS, Platinum, Emerald, B2/W2).

    It is not a 0, but anything above a 2 would be unfair, so my score is gonna be exactly that.    … Expand
  54. ShayminFan95
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Reposting my Pokémon Sword review because this is literally the same game but with a Ponyta instead of a Farfetch'd (exaggeration, but you get the point). And I was almost tempted to reduce it to a 1 because said Ponyta should have been Fairy-type and the fact it isn't bothers me more than it should.

    The very low score I'm giving these games might seem like a poor attempt at review    Reposting my Pokémon Sword review because this is literally the same game but with a Ponyta instead of a Farfetch'd (exaggeration, but you get the point). And I was almost tempted to reduce it to a 1 because said Ponyta should have been Fairy-type and the fact it isn't bothers me more than it should.

    The very low score I'm giving these games might seem like a poor attempt at review bombing them, but oh no my friends, this is an actual review from someone who actually played the games and didn't receive any dirty money to say something other than the truth. Pokémon Sword and Shield are possibly the worst Pokémon games to ever be made. For a fully priced 60$ game, they have less than HALF the content of any of the 3DS Pokémon core series games and nearly no redeemable features. In fact, one of their most notable "features" is the lack of more than half of the old Pokémon (a first for a series, hurray innovation!), which means there's over 50% chance that your favorite Pokémon is not even in the code for these games. The cut in content also includes moves, some of which make absolutely no sense why they would have been left out.

    The characters are mostly bland and uninteresting and some are carbon copies of previous characters from Sun and Moon. Those that aren't usually don't have a story or personality deeper than a sheet of paper, and their constant, pointless, overly enthusiastic interruptions make it feel like the game is asking you at all times to "pretty please be excited". The environments pale in comparison to other first-party Nintendo games on the console even if some admittedly had potential. You'll eventually find yourself walking through the empty streets of London, as if the apokélypse happened the day before.

    Let's talk about models, animations, and performance, shall we? All of the Pokémon models are reused straight from the 3DS games, with some exceptions that were so slightly improved that you can't even tell the difference in practice. This wouldn't be a problem as the Pokémon community understands this is necessary to keep these games realistically doable. The problem is that the producers of the game claimed they were cutting the amount of Pokémon so they could focus on remaking the models from scratch for the Switch hardware and also improve the quality and expressiveness of animations. Oh boy, are those animations lacking in quality. The characters move in tank controls (even during cutscenes!) like we're still in 2000. Even in the overworld, expect a lot of 180 degree turns while the walking forward animation plays. This is completely unjustifiable, but not something we would even care if only GameFreak had not called attention to it and used it as an excuse for the massive cuts that will severely damage the entire series. Pokémon models are not properly scaled in battle, and instead they give us an absolutely unnecessary and lame feature of "Dynamax" in which they suddenly discovered the scale slider exists in 3D software and decided to abuse it. The game struggles to maintain a stable framerate even tho it took Breath of the Wild the "Godray & Foliage Overkill Woods" and Smash Bros. "16 Ice Climbers on Fountain of Dreams" for the same to happen. The draw distance is laughable and glaring, you are sure to direct your eyes to the nearest Berry Tree popping in.

    Difficulty-wise, the game is so easy that the biggest challenge will be not falling asleep while playing it, something that is amplified by the previously mentioned constant interruptions by NPCs. The soundtrack has a few good themes, but the rest is a cacophony of instruments desperately trying to grab your attention with inharmonious, generic and chaotic tracks. The only hype I got from this game was during the climax, which I shall not mention for spoiler reasons, where apparently they blew the entire budget and development time, and even that is an average experience when put into context with climaxes from other current games.

    If after this entire review you still think this game is worth playing, be aware of the awful glitch (that somehow passed quality assurance) which can actually delete your other game's save files from your console.
    It's so obvious that this game was rushed out in this poor state to meet unrealistic deadlines and extract as much money as possible from a blind and passive fanbase that I'm baffled by anyone who defends it.

    In conclusion, whether you are a Pokémon fan or wanting to become one, these are games you can easily skip and save some bucks. I dare to say Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee are better games than these dumpster fires. If you truly want a good Pokémon experience play the 3DS games or, even better, the DS ones.    … Expand
  55. Glyssade
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Well, nothing much to say. All the things we feared and prayed that were fixed are not. Gamefreak shows no leadership at all, these games are a big dissappointment in all aspects.
    Not only did they remove everything that we liked, but they also implemented new mechanics that are just boring and lifeless, nobody asked for this. Gamefreak has decided to not listen to fans, they will keep    Well, nothing much to say. All the things we feared and prayed that were fixed are not. Gamefreak shows no leadership at all, these games are a big dissappointment in all aspects.
    Not only did they remove everything that we liked, but they also implemented new mechanics that are just boring and lifeless, nobody asked for this. Gamefreak has decided to not listen to fans, they will keep making these games as long as people still buy them, which is kinda sad, because pokemon switch had the greatest of potentials to be one of the best games ever created.    … Expand
  56. beyak
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    The bad:
    The main story is short, and the postgame is lacking, around 25 hours if you take your time.
    The music is hit or miss most of the time. The wild area (the biggest new feature) feels incomplete and has bad textures and models for the environment. Its also not very big. The game has pop-in issues both in the wild area and in cities/routes, and has a horrible draw distance. The    The bad:
    The main story is short, and the postgame is lacking, around 25 hours if you take your time.
    The music is hit or miss most of the time.
    The wild area (the biggest new feature) feels incomplete and has bad textures and models for the environment. Its also not very big.
    The game has pop-in issues both in the wild area and in cities/routes, and has a horrible draw distance.
    The game is missing staple moves like pursuit, return and hidden power.
    Some animations in cutscenes and battles are either incredibly lacking, or amazing in some cases.
    Half of the pokemon are not coded into the game, and will be impossible to transfer (unless GameFreak changes their stance and updates).
    Mega evolution and Z-moves were removed and replaced by dynamax.
    Subjective, but some of the new pokemon are really off-putting.
    The game, as of release, has a fatal bug that can wipe your SD card.
    No following pokemon.

    The good:
    It's still pokemon, and still has the same great formula.
    The games look great, especially in cities.
    The trainer customization is the best ever.
    Some of the new pokemon and character designs are amazing.
    Competitive teambuilding is easier than ever before.

    Overall: The game could have used more time before release and had great potential. If all pokemon, moves and megas were coded in and the whole game was polished more (especially the wild area) the game could have been the best pokemon games so far. It's sad to see GameFreak pushing yearly releases for the games instead of giving them the development time needed to become truly great.    … Expand
  57. TutelarSword
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Pokemon has always been one of my favorite games, however, the design choices made by Gamefreak are rampant with this entry of the series. There are almost no routes in the game, and those that exist are linear. There is a town that is made up of a single road with the only door usable being to the Pokemon Center. There are no dungeons or caves of the sort, instead, the Wild Area tries toPokemon has always been one of my favorite games, however, the design choices made by Gamefreak are rampant with this entry of the series. There are almost no routes in the game, and those that exist are linear. There is a town that is made up of a single road with the only door usable being to the Pokemon Center. There are no dungeons or caves of the sort, instead, the Wild Area tries to fill this role, but with many issues. It has poor graphics with Pokemon being birthed from the void to populate the area, as well as trees spawning from nothing. The area is empty and feels poorly thought out compared to other Switch games like Breath of the Wild. The removal of 60% of old Pokemon and 20% of old moves, as well as megas and Z-moves is also a disgusting practice which gives an ill boding for the future of the games. Gamefreak needs to seriously reconsider their design choices and patch in the many missing features (Pokemon, moves, GTS, etc.), as well as fix the many bugs such as those breaking SD cards, freezing the game, and causing unbearable amounts of lag.

    Many reviews you see that are positive simply boil down to "The games killed my wife and kids, but at least I can catch a Pikachu again. 9.5/10" which is utterly disgusting and reeks of poor journalism or faux reviews to prop up the game for the less informed.    … Expand
  58. HonestGear
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    This is the first time that my disappointment was so great that I felt like a needed to write a review. Sword and Shield overall is bad. Like its new Dynamax mechanic, its all show and no substance.
    Let's start with the good points first since the bad ones greatly outnumber them.
    -The only good points I can think of is that the game makes it easier to change the EV and IV of your    This is the first time that my disappointment was so great that I felt like a needed to write a review. Sword and Shield overall is bad. Like its new Dynamax mechanic, its all show and no substance.
    Let's start with the good points first since the bad ones greatly outnumber them.
    -The only good points I can think of is that the game makes it easier to change the EV and IV of your pokemon. Previously invisible and tedious to control, there are now items that make it easier to make the perfect pokemon you want.
    -Greatest trainer customization so far, although that's to be expected.

    Unfortunately that's the only good thing about the games.Here's a list of its bad points
    -The game is graphically bad. It looks like a 3DS game only with a shiny coat of paint,or in this case filters and bloom, to distract you from that. Characters spin in place to turn, Pokemon float and hover endlessly, the animations are recycled from earlier games, the battle animations are lacking in all departments.
    -Characters and Pokemon suddenly pop into existence in front of you.
    -The infamous Pokemon cut debate. Pokemon were removed from the game with no intention of them being added back. They promised a higher quality models and animations for it but that is clearly not there. Models are reused exactly the same with just higher textures, the models are off-scale, a lot of characters animations are reused and battle animations dont line up properly, e.g kicking to headbutt, the model just moving up and down with no movement to attack, fire and water attacks just coming out from somewhere on the model and not lining up with their mouths or wherever the attack is supposed to come from.
    -The game is piss easy. Not that other pokemon games werent easy but they offered a challenge. It's so easy that there is no gratification from winning. It is also very short.
    -The pokemon designs are bad. Everyone has some designs they dont like but these ones just felt a whole lot of miss rather than hit. A lot of them are so overly humanoid and uninspired that they dont feel like pokemon. You cant just draw a human, replace it's head and feet and call it a pokemon. A lot of them also feel like they were made just for the purpose of a joke and a pun. In the end the majority of the new pokemon feel like they were created as a singular cartoon character for a show specifically made to be likeable instead of being designed as members of a species of animals.
    -The greatest problem is the immersion. Pokemon is a role playing game. Immersion is a great deal in these kind of games. Their goal is to make the player feel like they are part of their world. Sword and Shield problems, even some minor ones I didnt list, all come together to ruin it.
    --The new Open Area feels like a mismatch, Pokemon suddenly appear from underground even if it makes no sense for them to do that, they spin in place and their movement does not sync up with their walking animations, they hover instead of moving. Crazy weather patterns 10 steps next to each other dont make sense.
    --The overworld pauses in time when traversing the Z axis.
    --The jump to 3D wasnt kind to pokemon. The routes are so linear that they railroad you to place. From the 3D vantage point you can see whatever is up ahead removing any dungeon-like challenge. You are railroaded in place by knee-high ledges that act as barriers leaving you only to imagine what the rest of the world is like, out of the tiny path you are forced into.
    --The world is small and empty. In earlier games you could interact with a lot of stuff, books, people, tvs and more. They gave you tidbits on the story, the background or even just gossip. This made the world feel alive. Instead in this game, a lot of it is removed, which along with the small railroaded world make the world feel dead.
    --The battles feel off, as said before the pokemon are off scale and their attack animations dont line up properly. The bad animation are even shown in the new camp feature allowing you to see up close items suddenly appearing in your pokemon's hands and their movement not syncing up with their walking animation.
    --Bad textures.
    --No "dungeons".
    All of these could be insignificant on their own but combined they ruin the feeling of immersion. The world feels fake, hurriedly stitched together and bursting at the seems.

    In the end, Sword and Shield had great some great ideas but even those are not fleshed out properly. Instead of moving the games forward it even took steps back. The first home console release of Pokemon deserved better than this shoddily put together cashgrab.
    Buy something else and if you want your pokemon hit, play the old games because you are not missing anything of worth. Let's hope the developer goes back to the drawing board and stays there for quite a while.    … Expand
  59. Drakhis
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Even as a fan, this game has a lot of problems.
    - It's not possible to turn off the multi-exp
    - the game can be beautiful but sometimes it's just ugly - there is a bug that currently wipes out all your switch's data if you're using the digital version - 435 pokemons out of all pokemons - The game ends too fast - Too many moves were removed - No megas - A nearly empty post-game -    Even as a fan, this game has a lot of problems.
    - It's not possible to turn off the multi-exp
    - the game can be beautiful but sometimes it's just ugly
    - there is a bug that currently wipes out all your switch's data if you're using the digital version
    - 435 pokemons out of all pokemons
    - The game ends too fast
    - Too many moves were removed
    - No megas
    - A nearly empty post-game
    - Some cutscenes are hilarious since they're so bad
    - Many models and animations are reused
    So many problems and I'm not even saying everything.
    Just don't buy this game, seriously.
    Wait for the third version if there is one.    … Expand
  60. zuenke
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Everything has been said already. just a huge disappointment to bad people condone this sort of behavior and tell people that what a great game ( which is completely possible) that they are haters...
  61. MasudaBugBoy
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Removed Pokemon, removed features, Dreamcast-quality graphics, laughable post game and inconsistent animation. Is this the best they could do on an HD console from 2017? It's barely more impressive than Sun/Moon.
  62. Calvinsoryu
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    By far the worst and most dissapointing Pokemon game of all time.

    Remember how Game Freak announced these Games? They said: " This is not a normal Pokemon Game" and "This is something fans waited a long time for" Spoiler: Its not Game Freak cut out over the half of all Pokemon because: "They improved the character models and the animations" Too bad dataminers proved them wrong. The    By far the worst and most dissapointing Pokemon game of all time.

    Remember how Game Freak announced these Games? They said:
    " This is not a normal Pokemon Game" and "This is something fans waited a long time for" Spoiler: Its not

    Game Freak cut out over the half of all Pokemon because: "They improved the character models and the animations" Too bad dataminers proved them wrong. The character models and the animations are just copy pasted from the sun and moon games.

    Cuting over the half of all Pokemon is bad enough. But LYING about the real reason makes it even worse!

    So much about the Netaional dex.

    The game itself doesnt look good at all. It looks exactly like the 3DS games just in HD now. Theres no improvement at all.

    The big new feature of the game, the wild area is one big mess. The wheater and even the daytime changes if you switch between certain areas in the wild area itself. Pokemon spawn right infront of your face and the whole part of this game is just buggy and doesnt run on a
    constant framerate.

    There are also other issues like:

    - The story is only about 15 hours long
    -Theres no post game
    - The EXP Share is overpowerd
    - Your constant overleveld
    - You cant catch certain Pokemon if you dont own the right badge
    - Apart from the wild area, all routes are linear
    -The story is linear
    - The handholding is just as bad as it was in sun and moon

    But there are also some good things like:

    - The characters are good
    - Gym battles are back
    - Some towns have a really nice designs

    Overall is this are these the worst Pokemon games of all time. If you want to play a good Pokemon game play one of the DS or 3DS Pokemon games. These games have way more content, better and longer stories and are worth the money.    … Expand
  63. Volkthas
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Bad animation, bad graphics, low of content (shortest game of the franquicy) and the well know Pokedex cut. Unacceptable for a 60usd switch game. An involution of this IP.
  64. skido6
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Game is way too short and has very little "content" after the main story. Exemplifies all the areas recent games have received criticism such as diminished difficulty and child-like gamplay and story telling, only this time it was even more apparent given the slew of excuses and trades-offs Gamefreak made in the lead up to its release. If you don't want to waste another $80 I suggestGame is way too short and has very little "content" after the main story. Exemplifies all the areas recent games have received criticism such as diminished difficulty and child-like gamplay and story telling, only this time it was even more apparent given the slew of excuses and trades-offs Gamefreak made in the lead up to its release. If you don't want to waste another $80 I suggest cancelling your annual Pokemon subscription and waiting for the developers to get their act together.… Expand
  65. Parkai
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Game feels horrendously unfinished. The starter designs are some of the worst I’ve ever seen. The story of the game feels rushed and inconclusive, with strange plot holes that should have been noticed during development. The animations (barring a few signature moves) are horrific eyesores, with models spinning aimlessly and few dedicated animations. More than half of the Pokémon roster isGame feels horrendously unfinished. The starter designs are some of the worst I’ve ever seen. The story of the game feels rushed and inconclusive, with strange plot holes that should have been noticed during development. The animations (barring a few signature moves) are horrific eyesores, with models spinning aimlessly and few dedicated animations. More than half of the Pokémon roster is also unavailable to be transferred, which has been a series staple since the early 2000’s. However, the trainer customization and card system are very fun, and the QOL changes are excellent as well. I really wanted to enjoy this game, but it left me with an awful taste in my mouth.… Expand
  66. g33b
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Pokemon sword and shield are woefully incomplete not only compared to their predecessors but also the developer’s very own claims about this generation’s capabilities.

    The game is not only a glitch filled mess but show a lack of compassion and care for a series that goes back more than two decades. The story itself lasts 20 hours at most when focusing on completing the game and the wild    Pokemon sword and shield are woefully incomplete not only compared to their predecessors but also the developer’s very own claims about this generation’s capabilities.

    The game is not only a glitch filled mess but show a lack of compassion and care for a series that goes back more than two decades. The story itself lasts 20 hours at most when focusing on completing the game and the wild area gets stale faster than you would expect. To give this claim context, I can spend anywhere between 40-70 hours completing any of the generation 3-5 games. Oh and post game? Post game consists of being a glorified errand boy for 3 hours.

    To buy this installment is not only to say you are ok with Gamefreak's shortcomings, but it is to promote Gamefreak cutting corners in the future. To conclude, please don't buy this game as is, it is no where near worth the $60 price tag.    … Expand
  67. Vartemis
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    To see the franchise sink to lying to players and cutting out half the content is beyond disappointing. The quality drop is apparent and I will not be purchasing future titles.
  68. Gevlyn
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    This is no longer Pokemon at it's core. The brain dead easiness of these games combined with bugs and graphical disasters left and right are insulting. From a 20+ year fan and current competitive player, this has been the biggest disappointment in my gaming career. We deserve better.
  69. hisoka-kun
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Pokemon Sword and Shield are the biggest disappointment I have encountered in video games. For decades we have dreamed of a mainline Pokemon game on a home console. Leading to the release of the "Let's Go" games, we were ensured that Sword and Shield would be games for true longtime fans. Excitement rose as people prepared for a Pokemon game on Switch with updated models and animations.Pokemon Sword and Shield are the biggest disappointment I have encountered in video games. For decades we have dreamed of a mainline Pokemon game on a home console. Leading to the release of the "Let's Go" games, we were ensured that Sword and Shield would be games for true longtime fans. Excitement rose as people prepared for a Pokemon game on Switch with updated models and animations. And most importantly, people eagerly awaited to opportunity to play with all their favorite Pokemon on a new system.

    These games provide the smallest and most overdue improvements while removing many of the features that make Pokemon games special.

    The ability to use all the Pokemon you've captured and trained over the years? Removed. In fact, over half the Pokemon are unplayable in these games. This is the infamous "Dexit" issue, where GameFreak decided to remove the National Pokedex. The issue is not the lack of National Dex, but the fact that data for over half the Pokemon have been removed from these games. So not only do hundred of classic Pokemon not have Pokedex entries; they cannot even be transferred to these games. It has now been confirmed that models of Pokemon in Sword/Shield are virtually identical to the future-proofed models first created for X/Y two generations ago. There was literally no reason for Game Freak to remove ANY Pokemon, except to ensure that fans will pay for Pokemon Home in a few months.

    GameFreak's excuse for such a blatant omission was that they used the time and resources to focus on animations instead. Anyone with eyes can see that this game has graphics and animations on par with games released for N64 (see the trees in the new wild area) to Wii. The game does not look on par with other current-gen games that were released at the beginning of the Switch life cycle. While series like Zelda and Mario released the best-looking entries on the Switch, Sword/Shield look like slightly upgraded 3DS games.

    The saving grace of Sword and Shield is that they have the name Pokemon in the title. The game plays like any other Pokemon game. You catch and train Pokemon as you progress to beat eight gymleaders and become the Pokemon champion. Some of the new Pokemon designs are pretty cool; but they in no way justify the elimination of over half the previously introduced creatures. This core Pokemon gameplay, which has been unchanged for decades, is the only reason that professional game critics reviewed the game so favorably. It seems a Pokemon game can score a solid "8" just because it plays like any other game in the series. Negative gameplay aspects include a permanent experience share, causing you team to be constantly overleveled with minimal effort, and rendering the game too easy for veteran players. Additionally, a cutscene-heavy and rather short story remains as linear as Sun/Moon with constant handholding which eliminates any sense of freedom or excitement. The new "dynamax" and "gigantamax" mechanics seem cool for about five seconds, until you realize they are just an inferior replacement of mega evolutions Z moves.

    Overall, this game is mediocre at best and insulting at worst. Here was a chance to make a refreshing and revolutionary Pokemon game as a tribute to veteran fans, after the release of the "Let's Go" games that were targeted for a more casual audience. Instead, it is a Switch game with fewer Pokemon than Pokemon Diamond/Pearl (released in 2006 on the DS), and inferior graphics/animations than Pokemon Battle Revolution (released in 2007 on the Wii). Do yourself a favor and skip this generation of Pokemon games -- not only to save yourself disappointment, but also to send a message to Game Freak and the Pokemon Company that yearly, low-effort entries with cut content will no longer yield the cash crop to which they are accustomed.    … Expand
  70. Rolawa
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    As somebody who has played this I can tell you it is not worth the buy. Especially at full price. It honestly is worse than previous installments in the series and fails to make use of the better hardware available in the form of the switch. Honestly if you want a Pokemon game on the switch play Let's Go. It somehow manages to be better than this. Story was uninspired and boring. Way tooAs somebody who has played this I can tell you it is not worth the buy. Especially at full price. It honestly is worse than previous installments in the series and fails to make use of the better hardware available in the form of the switch. Honestly if you want a Pokemon game on the switch play Let's Go. It somehow manages to be better than this. Story was uninspired and boring. Way too much handholding. No challenge and it results in a boring game. Camp was neat but felt like a mediocre version of Amie New Pokemon are kinda cool. Happy with the scorbunny line personally

    Graphics look worse than a Nintendo 64 game. Some lag. More than I would expect. Pop in is terrible. Makes the overworld pointless Characters are rehashed or not at all interesting

    Animations look like a pitch somebody gave to an animator but the animator died before fixing them

    The list of removed features were not improved upon or replaced. Dynamaxing was uninspired and often made the models look worse. Absolutely not worth the cost of the game. Fails to make use of the switch hardware. Game freak continues to fail to listen to what people actually want out of the games. It instead delivers poor rushed games that get worse with every installment    … Expand
  71. McCreeSun
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    After 20 hours of playtime my review is a resounding “meh”.

    The game is alright. That’s all. Not the world ending calamity we all thought it would be. I have the same good things to say as everyone else and I have the same bad things to say about everyone else. So I’m not going to bore you with the same old. The problem I have though is “meh” is not good enough for a Pokémon game. Full    After 20 hours of playtime my review is a resounding “meh”.

    The game is alright. That’s all. Not the world ending calamity we all thought it would be. I have the same good things to say as everyone else and I have the same bad things to say about everyone else. So I’m not going to bore you with the same old. The problem I have though is “meh” is not good enough for a Pokémon game. Full stop. We’re talking about a $60 billion franchise here, not some indie studio’s passion project. If this were some no name studio I’d say it was a solid game, probably still not deserving of the high 9s and 4s we’ve seen on review sites, but still an attempt was made.

    But the fact remains that the game is still clearly unfinished. The team wasn’t allowed to iron out the wrinkles to fit holiday release and it shows in the worst way. But I digress. The one complaint I do have that I haven’t seen come trough the network is the convoluted ways some Pokémon evolve. It seems entirely inaccessible to the casual audience they’re clearly pandering to. That’s just a very specific nitpick however.

    tl;dr: SwSh is a good video game, a terrible Pokémon game.    … Expand
  72. Ravnard
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game Is interesting, and I don't mind Dexit too much. But the graphic quality is subpar, cutscenes are annoying. Wild zone is a nice gimmick but three level cap is annoying. The story is too linear. Some towns are less interactive than Pallet on Gameboy. It's a fun game but it just wears out too quickly and could have been made so much better.
    I can't understand how in 2019 there are some blank screen battles. And not having speech is just ridiculous and annoying in a console game...

    Hopefully the next one will be better, because I know they can improve it.    … Expand
  73. Skylysenpai
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Beat the game in around 15 hours and was pretty disappointed. This wasn’t the Pokémon game I was hoping for. The story was meh, graphics were horrid, and the new Pokémon designs aren’t really my favorite. And honestly this feels like an upscaled 3DS game with just a tad more graphical fidelity. When games like dragon quest, breath of the wild, and the Witcher 3 exist in the switch, YouBeat the game in around 15 hours and was pretty disappointed. This wasn’t the Pokémon game I was hoping for. The story was meh, graphics were horrid, and the new Pokémon designs aren’t really my favorite. And honestly this feels like an upscaled 3DS game with just a tad more graphical fidelity. When games like dragon quest, breath of the wild, and the Witcher 3 exist in the switch, You have to wonder why they couldn’t use the full potential of the switches power. Do I think this game is worth $60? Nope. Maybe when it goes on sale for cheap you can try and pick it up if you really wanted. But this isn’t the game for me and many others. I will never touch this game again.… Expand
  74. Kylekid
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Worst pokemon game I've ever played, I'm not even kidding! I'm a huge pokemon fan and that's why I can say this is the worst one, it's empty, boring, has subpar graphics, bad animations and such. The only thing I liked was some new pokemon designs, but they cut half of the pokedex so it's not worth. Don't buy it if you like pokemon, but if you want to play buy an used copy and see forWorst pokemon game I've ever played, I'm not even kidding! I'm a huge pokemon fan and that's why I can say this is the worst one, it's empty, boring, has subpar graphics, bad animations and such. The only thing I liked was some new pokemon designs, but they cut half of the pokedex so it's not worth. Don't buy it if you like pokemon, but if you want to play buy an used copy and see for yourself. Don't support gamefreak for making bad games like this!… Expand
  75. LightIsMyPath
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    -cute new pokemons -great trainer customization - No gts
    -400ish missing pokemons -3ds quality graphics upscale
    -bad fps and freezes
    - stupidly easy (too many heals, forced xp share) -shortest main story of any pokemon game -shortest post game of any pokemon game - too many tutorials -50% price increase for a worse product -wild area is empty -locked by badge catching
  76. danuffo
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    This review is in spanish (The second most spoken language in the world)

    I LOVE THIS GAME but everyone hates it Me encanta el juego pero los demás lo odian, y eso no es nada bueno. El juego está diseñado para alguien que no le gustan las batallas aleatorias, yo soy uno de ellos. Si fuera por mi le daría un 8 pero a la mayoría, a los verdaderos fans de Pokemon no le gusta, a la gente    This review is in spanish (The second most spoken language in the world)

    I LOVE THIS GAME but everyone hates it
    Me encanta el juego pero los demás lo odian, y eso no es nada bueno. El juego está diseñado para alguien que no le gustan las batallas aleatorias, yo soy uno de ellos. Si fuera por mi le daría un 8 pero a la mayoría, a los verdaderos fans de Pokemon no le gusta, a la gente que tienen años jugando Pokemon desde su infancia no les gusta, conocen mejor la saga por lo tanto ellos son de la razón. Ningún juego merece cero, lo menos que puedo dar es un 2, por respeto a su comunidad de fans y también para no caer en la inmadurez de un cero porque el juego costó en hacerse y funciona.
    A mi personalmente me parece buen juego, pero no es para fans de Pokemón.    … Expand
  77. Roidberg
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Scroll to the bottom part of my review and read the first sentence for the "In A Nutshell" version of it.

    The game has 0 of the pokemon I love from older games, the EXP share forces me to bank pokemon in the PC so I can individually train their EVs. That's nothing but a huge inconvenience. The starters are bland, I personally chose Sobble so I could say "Isn't it SOBvious" when people ask    Scroll to the bottom part of my review and read the first sentence for the "In A Nutshell" version of it.

    The game has 0 of the pokemon I love from older games, the EXP share forces me to bank pokemon in the PC so I can individually train their EVs. That's nothing but a huge inconvenience. The starters are bland, I personally chose Sobble so I could say "Isn't it SOBvious" when people ask me who I chose. That's the only reason this game got a 2 instead of a 1. The game lacks ALL of the charm a pokemon game should have on Switch. The main rival is still way too disgustingly cheerful. I gave the game to my 6 year old niece at the third gym and she beat it without losing any of my pokemon, proving how easy the games are. The game literally never stops holding your hand. The graphics aren't even subpar. A lot of the pokemon models are just way too stiff and difficult to even look at.

    This is less of a pokemon game and more of a game with pokemon in it. I wanted a game that "GOES BEYOND"(props if you get the reference.) What I got was a game that was rushed out onto the market to hit holiday deadlines. I have never experienced disappointment of this level before.    … Expand
  78. Ikyey
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    This a simple pokemon game for switch. At least for me it let want more as to wish, if TVE future will be so the pokemon saga could be decreased
  79. langley198
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Es lamentable lo que ha hecho Game Freak, se nota que el juego esta a medio coser. La Historia es demasiado corta creo que es la mas corta de todos los juegos de pokemon, el reuso de modelados es clarisimo incluso varios personajes tienen exactamente las mismas animaciones de ultrasol/ultraluna, es cierto que el diseño de los nuevos pokemon están bien hechos, no encuentro nada en el juegoEs lamentable lo que ha hecho Game Freak, se nota que el juego esta a medio coser. La Historia es demasiado corta creo que es la mas corta de todos los juegos de pokemon, el reuso de modelados es clarisimo incluso varios personajes tienen exactamente las mismas animaciones de ultrasol/ultraluna, es cierto que el diseño de los nuevos pokemon están bien hechos, no encuentro nada en el juego que me atraiga o me haga recomendarlo. Sin duda alguna pareciera que se trata mas de un juego indie que de uno hecho por una empresa grandisima, es una lastima porque la región tenia mucho potencial para haber sido el mejor juego de la saga, pero se quedaron demasiado cortos. Mi recomendación final seria no compren este juego e inviertan en algo mejor, una perdida total de tiempo y dinero.… Expand
  80. Sna8solid
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Worst game of the series, in all aspects, the worst of all is dialogue system is primitive and the story boring, i understand, the game is take to a competitive level, but for non pokaddicts, thus game must be avoied.
  81. Icebrows
    Nov 16, 2019
    2
    Although there are fun parts, everything in the game feels like a hollow shell of the masterpiece it could have been. The story is short and linear, the endgame is non-existent, the wild area is very gimmicky, and missing textures or music or confusingly bad animations constantly keep you from getting immersed. Don't get it if you have any other experience with Pokemon, you'll just beAlthough there are fun parts, everything in the game feels like a hollow shell of the masterpiece it could have been. The story is short and linear, the endgame is non-existent, the wild area is very gimmicky, and missing textures or music or confusingly bad animations constantly keep you from getting immersed. Don't get it if you have any other experience with Pokemon, you'll just be disappointed.… Expand
  82. kelvin78643
    Nov 16, 2019
    2
    the graphic is pretty lag in some places. Also, the story is kinda lagging as I am able to finish in one day. Not much post-story content as compared to the past Pokemon games. hahaha, also the bag is ugly and I realised u took it off during the battle scene.... Lastly, the dynamax Pokemon is kinda like not proportion to the actual size of pokedex. For example, wailord's normal size isthe graphic is pretty lag in some places. Also, the story is kinda lagging as I am able to finish in one day. Not much post-story content as compared to the past Pokemon games. hahaha, also the bag is ugly and I realised u took it off during the battle scene.... Lastly, the dynamax Pokemon is kinda like not proportion to the actual size of pokedex. For example, wailord's normal size is suppose to be super big yet the size is is smaller than a person. This kind of details are super important for the gameplay feel and sense. For example, like monster hunter games, the size of monsters make everything different and the environment we explore in more fun, and adding in more personality and action of them surviving in wild will be nice (etc picking berry to eat). All in all, there is a lot of work to be done. Also, they should remove all Kanto Pokemon like pikachu so as to be fair to the other removed Pokemon and fulfil their statement of wanting people to use new Pokemon only. Not just for the sake of doing less work, and put in popular Pokemon as marketing materials.… Expand
  83. Pengin
    Nov 16, 2019
    2
    Pros:
    -It's Pokemon (People buy it for the cute characters and game-play formula)
    -Some improvements to mechanics (removing the worst part of the grinding is indeed not bad) -Graphics are better (Because it's not on a 3DS) Cons: -Albeit graphics being improved, don't expect anything close to Zelda or Xenoblade. This game is made for getting a passing mark from the average child,    Pros:
    -It's Pokemon (People buy it for the cute characters and game-play formula)
    -Some improvements to mechanics (removing the worst part of the grinding is indeed not bad)
    -Graphics are better (Because it's not on a 3DS)

    Cons:
    -Albeit graphics being improved, don't expect anything close to Zelda or Xenoblade. This game is made for getting a passing mark from the average child, -not- to entertain you.
    -This is probably the easiest Pokemon game, and you are forced to have EXP share enabled. Regardless of how much you skip, you'll out-level everything, and Pokemon that you don't even use will always keep up.
    -The national Dex is gone.
    -The franchise doesn't put emphasis on exploration anymore.
    -Attack animations & Pokemon idle animations, are entirely copy-paste from previous games.

    The Pokemon franchise is huge and Game Freak is a decently big company with about 150 employees. This game was supposed to be compared to Zelda, but in terms of both graphics and game-play, these two games are leagues apart. People expected a Pokemon game shortly after the switch release, but Game Freak chose to 'work more on it', yet somehow they manage to deliver what feels like a half finished game. Copying old animations, and reskinning the 3DS models, is by no means something bad, but in the light of Game Freaks statements as to why the national-Dex is gone, it's evident this game was never meant to deliver anything more than the minimum of what could be called a main-series Pokemon game. If this wasn't a Pokemon game, people would probably say "this game has promise" rather than "this game is good", and that might very well be Game Freaks saving grace. They should make a proper game next time, and then this might be forgotten as a transitional game, rather than a main series game.

    A final note: Game-play wise, the Pokemon series is showing change that may or may not make old time Pokemon fans like me quit the games. Since X&Y, the games has put less emphasis on exploration and combat. Today, neither should be a reason to buy the game, since decisions in combat are largely irrelevant, and there isn't much to explore. At least the issues with combat could easily be circumvented by adding a difficulty setting.    … Expand
  84. Noxx_
    Nov 16, 2019
    2
    La mayoria de las cosas que decian son ciertas se nota el poco esfuerzo y trabajo...teniendo a la switch como consola a trabajar es una decepcion lo que hicieron...el problema es que la gente se conforma muy facilmente hay que ser mas exigentes como consumidores
  85. Namt
    Nov 16, 2019
    2
    Sorry, i really dont want to write a bad review, but i really have no choice i guess. This game is really bad and the developers didnt give any effort to program their game, its a shame. the animations are bad and reused over the years (from 2013 pokemon xy still the same animation), the graphics are not that good compared to newer switch games (hi nintendo 64 tree), a lot of bugs , a lotSorry, i really dont want to write a bad review, but i really have no choice i guess. This game is really bad and the developers didnt give any effort to program their game, its a shame. the animations are bad and reused over the years (from 2013 pokemon xy still the same animation), the graphics are not that good compared to newer switch games (hi nintendo 64 tree), a lot of bugs , a lot of pokemon got cut without any reason. they lied to their fans, they told they would cut the pokemon to create better animation , but where are they? if they didnt improve them, then what reason could they have to cut the pokemon? yeah its just laziness and greed after money. the worst pokemon game so far, and the reviews from sites like ign are a big problem, which lets me think they bought sites like ign to get a good review to lie to their fans again. they dont listen to their fans and only do what they want, why couldnt they just make this game 1 year longer to create something better? this game is a mess, i cant describe it really . just watch the videos on youtube, please dont buy this game and teach them a lesson! they cant do this any longer and get away with it, or do you want all pokemon games be like this? if no, then dont buy this! and also, they cut a lot of attacks and other stuff, and again, without any reason.… Expand
  86. AnRPGFan
    Nov 16, 2019
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In my opinion, Sword/Shield is weaker than all previous Pokemon games in practically every aspect. There's so many different ways you can look at this game and no matter what it always falls short compared to previous entries.

    Length-wise the game is short, you could potentially beat the main story in one sitting. It still feels like you're playing a handheld game made to be played in short bursts rather than a huge home console game. While this is mostly due to the story's actual length, I'd say the blame also falls partially on the difficulty. I understand that mainline Pokemon games have never really been hard, but this game takes it to another level. In my experience, it felt as though you would have to be constantly going out of your way to gimp yourself to bring any sense of challenge at all. Playing through the game "normally" felt absolutely brainless this time. The post-game content is also what has now become the standard barren experience we've seen in the past couple of generations. There's the usual short story expansion and Battle Tower. It seems to mostly exist just to nudge players toward online interactions with PvP battles or exploring the Wild Area.

    The story is nothing special and, in my opinion, weaker than previous entries in the series. It feels like the developers weren't sure what to do and ended up creating a sort of caricature of past Pokemon stories. Just your standard Pokemon story but with completely ridiculous villains, even for what would be considered the "norm" for Pokemon. I thought the post-game story's plot and villains actually had potential, but they're obviously only around for a short while and thing wrap up way too soon.

    Presentation might be where this game hurts the most. As far as Graphics go the game will bounce from looking amazing to looking like a middling budget Gamecube title. Major story moments look mostly great but then something like wild area is just the polar opposite. Music in this entry is incredibly weak compared to previous entries in my opinion. So many songs are just grating to me and very few stick out. The average Pokemon game doesn't wow me with its music, but it's never been outright bad like in Sword/Shield at times. One sort of small aspect of the presentation that really bothers me is the how battles look. Pokemon are still poorly scaled like they were in battles in other 3D entries. In extreme scenarios like with Waillord this looks completely ridiculous. The majority of Pokemon are still animated to look totally lifeless which is jarring when compared to many of the new, pretty animations given to the moves themselves. Battle issues don't just stop at the Pokemon, I would describe the trainers as robotic in battles outside of scripted scenes. They just stand around and won't react to their Pokemon getting hurt or anything. All of these roll together to make battles feel as far from immersive as possible; they feel closer to simulations of Pokemon battles than actual Pokemon battles.

    The design of the world as a whole I would just say is okay. Towns look pretty and are well-made but are generally lacking in depth which leads to exploring them not feeling very fun. Routes and dungeons, however, are much worse. They're incredibly simplistic and railroaded this time, which leads to very little exploration. If a player wants to explore, the only option is really the Wild Area. Running around in the Wild Area can be fun, but it feels pretty empty and a bit too large for its own good. The world itself is just okay at best, but I was mostly satisfied with the characters in it. Most of the NPCs in the region look nice but don't feel particularly active in the overworld. The new Pokemon of this region are mostly great, but that's obviously to be expected. My favourites are probably the new fossil Pokemon.

    I'd say the new major additions this game brings to the table are a mixed bag. The Wild Area is a great concept, but it ends up feeling empty and what I'd describe as tech demo-like. Pokemon Camp is a big letdown in my opinion. It's this entry's version of Pokemon Amie and Refresh but it doesn't do much new. Just the usual interacting with Pokemon except now you have multiple (awkwardly) walking around at once and can play with a ball. The QoL changes are pretty great, however. With nature mints and the ability to breed egg moves onto existing Pokemon you can now take any Pokemon and make it competitively viable. This means you can eventually take Pokemon you had with you through a single player adventure into online competitive battles with almost no downside. The issue, of course, is that these additions come with the trade off of other major features being removed. In particular, the game's lack of the GTS is just insulting.

    Overall, I see Sword/Shield as easily the weakest mainline Pokemon game. If you skipped out on past Pokemon games I'd recommend you look there for a Pokemon fix before even thinking about this game.    … Expand
  87. Ghostvine
    Nov 16, 2019
    2
    The game has poor graphics, and feels shallow not much story or depth. Was excited to explore the wild area, but was really upset with the force badge collection to catch high level pokemon.
  88. MimiPiggyOrc
    Nov 16, 2019
    2
    This game is slightly better than sword, but still is not just lazy it actually feels unfinished. Someone needs to tell Game Freak a new entry is supposed to offer something new. This game is awful for advanced players, mediocre for casual player and I hope this isn't anybody's first Pokémon game, because they will get the wrong impression of the Pokémon series as a whole. This trash heapThis game is slightly better than sword, but still is not just lazy it actually feels unfinished. Someone needs to tell Game Freak a new entry is supposed to offer something new. This game is awful for advanced players, mediocre for casual player and I hope this isn't anybody's first Pokémon game, because they will get the wrong impression of the Pokémon series as a whole. This trash heap is the result of complacency, and a lack of effort and dedication, it is as if Game Freak doesn't care!… Expand
  89. The_Pixu
    Nov 17, 2019
    2
    Bad graphics, bad animations, reused models, 60% of Pokémon cut. Every single Pokémon matters!
  90. Profyt
    Jun 21, 2020
    2
    This game is terrible.
    There isn't a single redeeming quality to this pile of garbage.
  91. Serendrin
    Nov 17, 2019
    2
    This is not a game worth the lavish praise provided by so many outlets thus far. In the end, this game is far too boring, far too easy, and far too underwhelming. I have finished the main story and the brief semblance of a post-game. My play time is registered at 14 hours and 54 minutes. That is blatantly short for a $60 JRPG. If you remove the luster that the name "Pokemon" brings, thisThis is not a game worth the lavish praise provided by so many outlets thus far. In the end, this game is far too boring, far too easy, and far too underwhelming. I have finished the main story and the brief semblance of a post-game. My play time is registered at 14 hours and 54 minutes. That is blatantly short for a $60 JRPG. If you remove the luster that the name "Pokemon" brings, this game is empty and shallow. Compared to other AAA titles on the Nintendo Switch, the graphics, at times, look bland and washed out. At times the scenery is beautiful, but at others it is vapid and uninspiring. There was not a single trainer in this entire game that provided a challenge for me, save the fight with the Champion. During the course of the game, not a single one of my Pokemon even fainted until the Champion fight. The Wild Area, which seems to be garnering the most praise, feels simultaneously large and exciting for a Pokemon game, yet also completely empty. The raid battles are range from very easy, where a single supereffective hit one-shots the enemy, to annoyingly difficult due to the fact that the non-Dynamaxed Pokemon just get one-shot by the opponent while your own Dynamaxed Pokemon can't seem to do any meaningful damage. Other than those two extremes, there's not much in between. I was impressed by some of the emotions shown by the many characters found throughout the region, yet all of the characters felt underdeveloped. Thinking back on my experience playing the game, none of the characters really stand out. In my opinion, the greatest fault of this game is the ridiculous level of hand-holding. During the opening section of this game, you cannot walk around for more than 5 or so minutes without someone interrupting you with pointless tutorial. JRPGs are about discovery and growth. This doesn't just apply to the in-game characters. As the game goes on, players should be able to experiment and get better. When so many tutorials are thrust into a player's face like this, an already-easy game becomes boring and laughable. The games are not all bad. There are some animations here and there that really pop and make the game feel alive. A lot of the new Pokemon are nice. There were some moments during the game that I genuinely enjoyed. But the fact of the matter is that this game is extremely disappointing and certainly not worth the $60 price tag. A 50% increase in price from previous entries in the series should result in great, measurable improvement. Unfortunately, this game fails to even meet the previous mark set by earlier entries. I am very disappointed in this title. I do not recommend.… Expand
  92. eduardocb31
    Nov 17, 2019
    2
    Small Innovation from previous games. Cut 55% of all pokemon and the game is TOO easy
  93. Kaiserbobasaur
    Nov 18, 2019
    2
    I wanted to love this game. And there are GREAT new Pokémon. Dreadnaw, Cramorant and Dragapault come to mind. However, this thing barely seems like a 3DS game. Terribly rendered graphics, a ton of Pokemon being left out, weird system bricking issues, and annoying side characters all combine to make the WORST mainline Pokémon game ever. Buy at your own risk, but don’t expect anI wanted to love this game. And there are GREAT new Pokémon. Dreadnaw, Cramorant and Dragapault come to mind. However, this thing barely seems like a 3DS game. Terribly rendered graphics, a ton of Pokemon being left out, weird system bricking issues, and annoying side characters all combine to make the WORST mainline Pokémon game ever. Buy at your own risk, but don’t expect an experience on the level of Black and White or even X and Y.… Expand
  94. Hermis27
    Nov 19, 2019
    2
    Nice graphic and awesome sound but dameplay is boring. Side characters are dumb. No opinion to transfer my colection of shinies from 3ds.
  95. Insejnar
    Nov 19, 2019
    2
    Where do i begin... I was really hopeful for these games thinking how cool it would be to play a mainline pokémon game on a console and how it will look way better, It didn’t look better. Framerate dropping during cutscenes and battles felt reasonable on the 3ds sun and moon era but now it baffles me how the games can look so cheap with such terrible animations when walking or when usingWhere do i begin... I was really hopeful for these games thinking how cool it would be to play a mainline pokémon game on a console and how it will look way better, It didn’t look better. Framerate dropping during cutscenes and battles felt reasonable on the 3ds sun and moon era but now it baffles me how the games can look so cheap with such terrible animations when walking or when using some attacks. This could’ve been amazing but gamefreak messed it up. Still no character customisation apart from choosing skin colour and clothes/hair. I was really hyped to get a mantle like leon but that seems impossible.

    And then we get to the pokemon and the ones they chose to bring over. When they announced the end of national dex i said fine, they will be able to pick the right pokemon from each generation. But now that I’ve played through both games it feels like a huge troll. I saw maractus, throh and sawk, diggersby, pelliper, vanillite line, delibird, baltoy, seismitoad, BASCULIN!?, barbaracle, elgyem and beheeyem, shiinotic and just dumb **** Sure there’s some good choices like machamp, lucario, gyarados and excadrill but overall it’s a huge disappointment. Also charizard gets sucked off again and i hear people are not happy about that. It has some good ideas like the wild area and dynamaxing but it feels tedious that the Gigantamax form raids are Impossible to find if you aren’t the luckiest person alive. The online raidsystem does not work it’s impossible to get into a good raid and if you are connected online while in the wild area the game starts lagging and people and pokemon can appear out of the blue because the game’s rushed.

    It feels bad to say that the franchise I’ve always loved and respected has let me down so much.
    2/10    … Expand
  96. HollyS
    Nov 20, 2019
    2
    Very short, bland and low quality Pokemon game. It is definitely not worth $60. It uses graphics from the 3DS and has many bugs in gameplay, it can even fry your Switch and all other games save files. It only has about 40% of existing Pokemon available. It is very tutorial and baby proofed feeling the entire game. Too easy. Characters are annoying and constantly interrupt gameplay.
  97. Nudie
    Nov 21, 2019
    2
    Lazy, lazy lazy game design, where should I start?

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

    This game is a 3ds game ported over to the switch with some enhanced features. The textures, battle mechanics, animations, lack of Pokémon from other generations, lack of puzzles and an extremely underwhelming story have made this game lacklustre to say the least. The game suffers from ageing in all aspects and even has been rated lower than shadow of darkness, which is decades older... Unfortunately this game missed a huge opportunity to showcase what Pokémon could look like on a modern day console, for example, Zelda breath of the wild had some of the most beautiful textures in a large map we’ve ever seen in any Nintendo game, which, we were eager to see in Pokémon. This was not the case obviously, as the textures are pixelated and unbearable. The greatest thing about this game is the fact that it is still some what of a Pokémon game, but that’s not enough in this day and age, I feel like I literally purchased a. 3ds game..... I would miss this one for sure, or try and buy it for under $20...    … Expand
  98. FoxxForever
    Nov 21, 2019
    2
    The game design feels very lazy. From the graphics to the animations and all the small little details in between, I have very disappointed. Yes it is a pokemon game and yes they overall gameplay of pokemon is fun but I would rather play something else than what feels like a lazy knock off on a console that can handle much better.

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

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

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

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

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

    Pokemon deserves better.    … Expand
  99. USRobotics
    Nov 22, 2019
    2
    In the new console generation for Nintendo, Gamefreak are not able to create a Pokemon experience based on a open world with a next-gen graphic and jrpg quests/storytelling. i'll try to list ten bad/old things and anachronistic elements in pokèmon:
    1. Locked camera, my god in 2019 a game 'fake-openwolrd' is inconceivable;
    2. Graphic has been ported from 3ds with pop-up problems,    In the new console generation for Nintendo, Gamefreak are not able to create a Pokemon experience based on a open world with a next-gen graphic and jrpg quests/storytelling. i'll try to list ten bad/old things and anachronistic elements in pokèmon:
    1. Locked camera, my god in 2019 a game 'fake-openwolrd' is inconceivable;
    2. Graphic has been ported from 3ds with pop-up problems, framerate drop, low texture and models with low polygons. Gamefreak didn't do a new graphic engine;
    3. No quests, no endgame, no jrpg activities or stoytelling.
    4. Unbalanced opponents' pokemon levels. You can get a lot of pokemon with a great gain of experience that will overlevel or your team in short time. In that condition the challange with other opponents doesn't exist.
    5. No difficulty selector. the game has been development to be easy to play for people that are 5 years old or less. If the game is too easy you can end it in a short time
    6. Bad animation for a lot of skills. GF sayd that they would have improve the skills' animations for the new game. I have seen little improves in a small part of theese.
    7. Mute dialogues.
    8. Plot concept locked since first game in 1995.
    9. Hop
    10. The online is full of problems. infinite time to find a trader for your pokemon, expecially if u know that player and u want to connect with him.    … Expand
  100. verload
    Nov 24, 2019
    2
    The only good thing about this corridor game is the soundtrack and the pokémon designs. So many interesting chracters used for nothing.
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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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