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. lemony
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Lying Devs
    Reused animations
    Reused Models
    No Global Trading
    No National Dex

    0/10
  2. KingReece
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    They cut Pokemons,they cut moves, they cut frame rates, they cut graphics, they cut everything, I mean they should just cut the game......
  3. jyweee
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    IMPORTANT: Switch system software bug may cause data loss on microSD cards using exFAT file system!

    0 minutes into the game and my switch started to act strangely. First my joycon started to disconnect and then the switch freezed. I tried soft and hard resetting but the problem won't go away. Here are some of the error's code i got: 2144-0001 / 2107-0445 / 2143-0811 I called the    IMPORTANT: Switch system software bug may cause data loss on microSD cards using exFAT file system!

    0 minutes into the game and my switch started to act strangely. First my joycon started to disconnect and then the switch freezed. I tried soft and hard resetting but the problem won't go away. Here are some of the error's code i got: 2144-0001 / 2107-0445 / 2143-0811

    I called the assistence and they told me that i'll have to pay for my repair.

    So they are bad at making a good pokemon game + you get your switch busted by this trashcan game.    … Expand
  4. MrJohns
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Another rushed, disappointing mess for longtime fans of the series. Its a short, buggy and way to easy Game. They cutted and removed a lot (Dexit, Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves). Graphics are bad, and there are several Technical Issues. And then they Reused a lot and added boring Gimmicks like Dynamaxing. Don't support this kind of Greedy Garbage!
  5. AlexBlasio
    May 12, 2023
    0
    Terrible, mediocre game, unfinished with unjustified changes, it suffers to play this game!
  6. KinMonteste
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    60 bucks? never 10 bucks? maybe, it have less content than any indie game you can have with that, better idea? download a fakemon game, it will be more "for fans" than this cashgrabbing bull***t
  7. MattTom
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The worst Pokemon ever. I cant have my favorites Pokemon, it is like playing Street Fighters without Ryu and Ken, but with a bunch of new characters. It just doesnt make any sense.
  8. ellub
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Straight and clear, they cut dex, promised amazing animations, said the models were all redone and what did we get? a wild game with textures from Nintendo 64, the Wild Area is horrible, animations and models completely recycled from 3DS, junk post game, Pokémon designs seem to have come out of Cartoon Network, cut over 100 moves being some key to the competitive, tehy cut megaStraight and clear, they cut dex, promised amazing animations, said the models were all redone and what did we get? a wild game with textures from Nintendo 64, the Wild Area is horrible, animations and models completely recycled from 3DS, junk post game, Pokémon designs seem to have come out of Cartoon Network, cut over 100 moves being some key to the competitive, tehy cut mega evolution, they cut z-moves, junk movements, looks like characters are inside a microwave in cutscenes, junk story, and worse, the game costs $ 60, the same price as Zelda Breath of te Wild :)… Expand
  9. pm_goulart
    Jan 2, 2020
    0
    The game was first presented in the begging of 2019 and was very well praised by the fan based community. If good improvements and a new 3D game model, the game raised a lot expectations by public. Also, the developers stated in some interviews that they have learned from previous experiences and they were working hard to give fans the game they wanted. However, things turned out to beThe game was first presented in the begging of 2019 and was very well praised by the fan based community. If good improvements and a new 3D game model, the game raised a lot expectations by public. Also, the developers stated in some interviews that they have learned from previous experiences and they were working hard to give fans the game they wanted. However, things turned out to be completely different from what had being said.
    01 – First, the game lacks graphics improvement. It is the first time that Pokémon hits the tv consoles. For sure it had more power than the previous handheld consoles, but yet, the graphics did not reflect the true power of the Nintendo Switch. We can see that by playing the Legend of Zelda, Mario Odyssey, or Xenoblade Chronicles. The truth is: the graphics improvements were poor and lacks refinement as you can see a lot of pixelate textures throughout the game.
    02 – The cut of National DEX were a very wrong move. The fact that not having all the pokémons in a game is a huge step back in the franchise. They could have worked that part and hired more professionals to do this job. It is not a case of balancing and lack of time. This is a case of misleading in the production and lack of a strong leadership.
    03 – The game does not have any post game adventure. It is the worst ever.
    04 – Along with the Pokémon, the removal of the GTS is another step back as we now have to count on lucky to complete the dex with pokémons we don’t have.
    05 – The game does not stand good frame rates while connect on the internet. There moments of lagging and short freezing if the internet is on.
    06 – Despite all the improvements, the game main story is poorly developed. It grows in the background, which makes the main character be apart of it. This is a shift if you just look back in the other games where the main characters take part of the story and help to build the storyline.
    07 – Mega evolutions, z moves, abilities, deleted items and moves does make a difference. Mega evolutions were a great move. It makes no sense removing it.
    08 – The soundtrack is one greatest things in the game. At least I was not disappointed in this aspect. However, is somehow repetitive as some routes share the same song and some cities have copies of previous ones.
    09 – Differently from Sun and Moon, Pokémon Sword and Shield makes a really [almost absent] referent of other games from the same franchise. They barely mentioned other regions. In consequence, there is not multi plot. The stories do not connect to each other.
    10 – The producers delivered a final product with so much work to be done. And this could be fixed if they either contracted more people or asked for help. They delivered a poorly made game relying on its name to sell millions of copies.    … Expand
  10. greninjaX
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    gamefreak lied. they said they were cutting pokemon because they were making new models with high quality animations, but that is simply not the case. everything was recycled from the 3DS game. there was no reason to cut pokemon. gamefreak needs to learn they can't get away with this. don't support this game
  11. koophakuna
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    We need more pokemon We want better visuals
    We want a real pokemon game in Switch
  12. PannacottaFugo
    Dec 31, 2019
    0
    I will be completely and utterly honest. I don't think these are bad games. They're unarguably better than garbage that were both Pokemon X and Y and Pokemon Sun and Moon. However this game is undeniably lacking in so much pass content such as minigames, moves, Pokemon that follow you, MORE THAN HALF OF THE NATIONAL DEX, and so much more! Not to mention that there are tons of unpolishedI will be completely and utterly honest. I don't think these are bad games. They're unarguably better than garbage that were both Pokemon X and Y and Pokemon Sun and Moon. However this game is undeniably lacking in so much pass content such as minigames, moves, Pokemon that follow you, MORE THAN HALF OF THE NATIONAL DEX, and so much more! Not to mention that there are tons of unpolished areas and bad graphics AND bad animations. The game itself other than the removed content is very run of the mill and is what we're kinda used to and have gotten used to for over two decades. The gameplay is slightly better than usually I guess, the story is also slightly better, and the characters this time around are way better than usual. I found most of them to be very well written and lovable characters. On a side note I really love the Wild Area and hope they bring it back for future entries but we all know they won't

    This game isn't that bad and more just an okay game. An easy 6/10...however like I said before this game has bad animations, bad graphics, more than half the National Dex removed, and it has nothing to show for all of these problems and missing content we love. I really have no choice but to give this game a 0/10. Hopefully the enhanced versions of these games that will come in a year or so will fix the problems of Pokemon Sword and Shield.    … Expand
  13. abaddon169
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Querían disminuir la pokedex para balancear el competitivo y terminan agregando un pokemon con estadísticas totalmente rotas, animaciones de combate que en un juego de wii se miraban bien, que en switch se mueven rígidamente
  14. Tomcat8
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    A disaster, pokemon just died!
    Even let's go, which was a medium game, had undeniable qualities (nothing but the catching interaction was excellent, it's something that should have stayed on this game).
    The 800 Pokémon are not available supposedly because to redo the sprites for the switch is too long while we have the proof that they have reused the sprites of pokémon Ultra Sun and    A disaster, pokemon just died!
    Even let's go, which was a medium game, had undeniable qualities (nothing but the catching interaction was excellent, it's something that should have stayed on this game).
    The 800 Pokémon are not available supposedly because to redo the sprites for the switch is too long while we have the proof that they have reused the sprites of pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
    Non-existent combat animations, knowing that stadium versions on N64 had animations
    Gigamax combat which is a useless feature, ugly graphics with violent aliasing and catastrophic FPS drops!
    Knowing that the console manages to turn The Witcher 3 correctly
    Besides, the open world is empty and uninteresting!
    Sell ​​50 balls a **** alike !
    A nice scam for a game that is a half porting 3DS games    … Expand
  15. AlexLogan2001
    Nov 17, 2019
    0
    The games are very poorly put together and feel rushed despite how long they've been in development. The game is the easiest yet in the series, with you being able to one shot most Pokemon of a higher level as long as you have a basic understanding of typings.
    There are graphical glitches all over the place, ranging from things not spawning in until your right in front of them to time just    The games are very poorly put together and feel rushed despite how long they've been in development. The game is the easiest yet in the series, with you being able to one shot most Pokemon of a higher level as long as you have a basic understanding of typings.
    There are graphical glitches all over the place, ranging from things not spawning in until your right in front of them to time just completely freezing when you are on a ladder. The music is very hit or miss but the main issue with the music is the lack of music, with the worst case being the battle against the title legendary    … Expand
  16. Tseppelin
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The worst Pokemon game ever... Worst Pokemon and worst content, Also so much cutted off
  17. ryuraf1
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The game is just unfinished. It's totally uncleaned, the designs are bad, the graphics are trash, the ost is boring, everything here is wrong. The prior games look better than this. This game could easily be made in Nintendo 64. The gameplay is boring, the story is short, there is not even a single good thing in Pokemon Sword and Shield. It's just a way of the company making money. AThe game is just unfinished. It's totally uncleaned, the designs are bad, the graphics are trash, the ost is boring, everything here is wrong. The prior games look better than this. This game could easily be made in Nintendo 64. The gameplay is boring, the story is short, there is not even a single good thing in Pokemon Sword and Shield. It's just a way of the company making money. A offense for the fans.… Expand
  18. MaxRates
    Nov 17, 2019
    0
    Probably the laziest made pokemon games... Dissapointed ;(
    Make a proper pokemom game! Even Pokemon Let's Go was better...
  19. QueenWolfen
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    The whole things is just messy, incomplete, and disappointing. This game was a lazy rush job, and it shows.
  20. Kemmo_ado
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    Litrally all the things that the dexers said about the game is now true 60% of the pokmeons are gone Reusing the same models and animations we’ve seen for the past 6 years

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

    The world is just a bunch of hallways with nothing much to do in it The story is none existing and has the same cookie cutter formula The graphics look mediocare all the way down to the N64 trees Only 81 new pokmeons and only 400 mons in the entire game And the problems keep on piling on and on and on. So much for a 60$ game. “But it said the footage is not final” now all I can do is laugh about that sentence... all in all buying a 60$ game that doesn’t have that much content is a waste of money and time as you can use said 60$ to buy other games. Not only that but buying this game would mean that you’re supporting game freak with their laziness and supporting TPC with yearly releases and getting less content.    … Expand
  21. Pedrosky
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    una real porqueria en verdad no se esforzaron nada es un juego de 3ds en hd las animaciones mal echas recortes en items, tm-hm, pokemon etc etc y como si fuera poco un pooping horroroso
  22. sarapastra
    Nov 23, 2019
    0
    i really wanna know why critics give this awful game 80 points. Game design bad, art is bad, gameplay is bad, mechanics is bad and what really makes me mad they have money what are they doing with that much money.
  23. Capcom_X
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    no hay nada que destacar es un juego muy inferior a sus entregas anteriores es malisismo y con ese pooping es todavia mas malo el juego parece un juego de ps2
  24. Nintendero97
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Como videojuego es divertido, pero como producto es también mediocre, tú no puedes hacer un videojuego tan poco trabajado en una saga que vende millones de unidades, no pido un videojuego con gráficos realistas, pero si un videojuego con unos gráficos a la altura estilo Zelda, y de las animaciones mejor no hablemos, son las mismas animaciones que en 3ds pero cuando digo eso es LAS MISMAS,Como videojuego es divertido, pero como producto es también mediocre, tú no puedes hacer un videojuego tan poco trabajado en una saga que vende millones de unidades, no pido un videojuego con gráficos realistas, pero si un videojuego con unos gráficos a la altura estilo Zelda, y de las animaciones mejor no hablemos, son las mismas animaciones que en 3ds pero cuando digo eso es LAS MISMAS, y en combate tu personaje en ocasiones desaparece y resta total inmersión, señores de Game freak que no estamos en la época de PS2!!, Que la switch puede con mucho más!… Expand
  25. GGSamurai
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Do not recommend to longtime fans. Repetitive gameplay on top of the fact that most people's favorite Pokemon most likely aren't in this
  26. Jeremiahgottwal
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Have loved this series my entire life but just cannot bring myself to keep playing this one. Dex cut was bad enough but everything else is lackluster at best
  27. someactorkid
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This game is a massive disappoinment. The animations are incredibly lack-luster, the reuse of assets is embarrassing, and overall, Game Freak's heart just doesn't seem to be in these games anymore. I wanted this game to be good and to succeed, and I stayed positive despite all the backlash online, but this game has proven to be more than Game Freak could, or wanted, to handle.
  28. dmolken
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    These games are extremely bare bones and rushed. These games almost look like a direct port of a 3DS game. They cut over 50% of the Pokemon, deleted over 100 old moves, and charge 50% more money ($60 vs $40) than the 3DS Pokemon games. On top of that, Game Freak said that they needed to cut 50% of the Pokemon in order to make high quality models and animations for the Pokemon. I'd be okayThese games are extremely bare bones and rushed. These games almost look like a direct port of a 3DS game. They cut over 50% of the Pokemon, deleted over 100 old moves, and charge 50% more money ($60 vs $40) than the 3DS Pokemon games. On top of that, Game Freak said that they needed to cut 50% of the Pokemon in order to make high quality models and animations for the Pokemon. I'd be okay with that if it wasn't for the fact that they lied, and they actually are using 3DS models and animations. Because they are using the 3DS models, there is no reason why they should be cutting over 50% of the Pokemon. Do not support a developer that lies to you. Boycott this game.… Expand
  29. Nesz
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Diseños reutilizados, muchas promesas vacías y tenían mejores diseños los ataques de pokemon stadium
  30. DoomDragon9000
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Expectations are everything in life. Video games are certainly no exception. Our opinions, reviews or “scores” for a given video game are a direct result of our expectations. A change in expectations - either deliberately or unconsciously; sudden, or as a result of multiple experiences - can result in radically contrasting impressions of the same underlying video game. With that in mind,Expectations are everything in life. Video games are certainly no exception. Our opinions, reviews or “scores” for a given video game are a direct result of our expectations. A change in expectations - either deliberately or unconsciously; sudden, or as a result of multiple experiences - can result in radically contrasting impressions of the same underlying video game. With that in mind, it begs the question: what are reasonable expectations to have for a game like Pokémon Sword and Shield? What should we use as the baseline for forming these expectations?

    The level of quality, polish, depth and amount of content in previous main entries in the series?
    The relative quality of alternative $60, 1st party Nintendo Switch titles?
    The hardware capabilities of the Nintendo Switch relative to previous handhelds on which Pokémon has appeared?
    The certain level of production value one might anticipate in a watershed moment for the highest grossing media franchise of all time?

    These are all perfectly fair and reasonable baselines from which to form one’s expectations of Pokémon Sword and Shield. Nostalgia, goodwill and sentimentality for this particular series have seemingly always resulted in an expectation discount of sorts, but for many the 50% price increase for this installment, outright lies from GameFreak and the non-stop, in-your-face Kanto exposure in recent years have all but eliminated said discount. The unfortunate reality is, that even with a discount of sorts on expectations, Pokemon Sword and Shield still fall woefully short of expectations by any reasonable baseline.

    Content removal has reached a fever pitch, and what remains lacks effort, ambition, or even a semblance of challenge. Since its transition to 3D, Pokemon has gone from mildly challenging to downright patronizing. In an era where Mario, Zelda, Fire Emblem and Super Smash Bros. have displayed radical ambition in their main Nintendo Switch entries, pushing their respective series’ to new heights…Pokemon Sword and Shield are aggressively mediocre. With the transition to console – from 4GB cartridges to 32 GB cartridges – from 240p to 1080p – that we even had such confusion and debate regarding the re-use of models, animations and textures is a tragedy. While a novel could be written on the business inner-workings of GameFreak and The Pokemon Company, having standards for their products - especially given their capacity to produce good ones when they try - does in no way make one entitled.

    So it bears repeating: Pokemon Sword and Shield fall woefully short of expectations by any reasonable baseline.

    Much to its detriment, Pokémon Sword and Shield offer substantially fewer features, shallower depth, and reduced challenge relative to earlier, cheaper Pokémon games on weaker hardware. That is the brutal reality of these games. If one is completely new to the Pokémon series and does not possess any level of – and here is that word again – expectation for these games, this might not matter quite as much, but will still worsen the overall experience if they have had even a taste of the Nintendo Switch’s JRPG contemporaries (XenoBlade, Dragon Quest 11S and Atelier, among others). For series veterans, especially those who have experienced the relatively ambitious, content-loaded, reasonably-challenging, generation 3-5 games, it will be hard for Pokemon Sword and Shield to block criticism of its cut content.

    Again, by any reasonable baseline of expectations – which I list at the beginning of this review – Pokemon Sword and Shield fall woefully short. It’s painful to say and type that, along with everything else I have. What is even more painful however, is the reality that these games will likely be an enormous commercial success based on name recognition and have already received critical acclaim from the corporate critics and “content creators”, both of which are subject to an insidious conflict of interest when assessing the quality of these games. Said success will only incentivize low-effort, unambitious annual releases.

    You will see many negative reviews here, none nearly as lengthy as my diatribe. However, recognize that these negative reviews, like mine, come from a place of love and passion for the Pokemon series, and a sense of heartbreak and betrayal over seeing what it has become. To us, we love Pokemon, and in order for it to improve, there needs to be a place for criticism. This is it.

    Anyways, do not buy Pokemon Sword or Shield. For the good of your money, your time, and the future of this franchise, do not buy Pokemon Sword or Shield.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Best Switch Game of 2019
3
#3 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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]
See all critic reviews »