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. 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 :/
  2. Gamer_the_Man
    Apr 30, 2020
    1
    A huge step back in the franchise. The game was quite obviously rushed out the door before Christmas for the kiddies to open. The story was a complete joke, animations were worse than the N64 with graphics to match with only the new pokemon's new moved getting decent animations. The wild area trees look somehow WORSE than the N64 graphically with pop in so blatant that even older consolesA huge step back in the franchise. The game was quite obviously rushed out the door before Christmas for the kiddies to open. The story was a complete joke, animations were worse than the N64 with graphics to match with only the new pokemon's new moved getting decent animations. The wild area trees look somehow WORSE than the N64 graphically with pop in so blatant that even older consoles would be able to handle better than this game. The game has a chance to literally brick your switch with zero warning whatsoever. Town was put ahead of this game because GameFreak just don't care about the Pokemon franchise anymore and it's apparant with the quality of both games. The developers blatantly lied about their rationality behind cutting content which were debunked within weeks then once the game dropped it was announced that you can get the cut content this if you pay for a $30 DLC. This game is a complete disgrace from the Pokemon series and GameFreak needs to get their act together before they go under, because at this rate GameFreak is becoming the Bethesda or EA of Nintendo.

    I would argue to say this game is Shovelware by the very definition of the word.    … Expand
  3. aurel14
    Mar 10, 2020
    4
    a really poor game outdated graphics and a empty story my last pokemon game was silver and i have not felt the gap
  4. maoyou
    Mar 17, 2020
    1
    这游戏也就只剩下对战能作为谈资了，偷工减料，粗制滥造，阉割加价。司马GF
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. Lauge
    Apr 3, 2020
    0
    Bugs related to online play make it so that you are not able to complete your pokedex, if you run i to any of these. Still Gamefreak has done nothing to fix these issues. The only fix seems to be deleting all safefiles files on your Switch and start over
  8. Gvm2327
    Apr 4, 2020
    0
    Everything was dumb down, the amount of content is stupid small and the game is ugly af
    I don't see any positives
  9. Rafft
    Apr 24, 2020
    10
    I have much Fun when i play this game and i dont need a National dex to Like Pokemon Shield my Team is good but i have Problems to fight the Champ because i am underlevelt. I have no lags or bucks.
  10. 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
  11. kogokogomoo
    Jun 1, 2020
    1
    This game is very disappointing.

    Story is nonexistent

    Characters are unlikable.

    Lack of available Pokemon.

    Lackluster and tiny “open-world”

    Ugly graphics

    Very lazy and rushed game
  12. Otts
    Dec 20, 2020
    0
    Unfinished product sold with cut content at a full price. Glitchy and disrespectful with its consumers and fanbase. A loveless cashgrab rushed to the market from the highest grossing media franchise in the planet. Underperforming software for the current generation standards. Shameless and sad.
  13. Gen3Backpack
    Jun 16, 2020
    10
    It's called Pokemon Shield, because ever since buying the game I've had to shield my eyes from the amount of Dynamax porn that evolved from the feted dungheap of a Trubbish we call the internet- Granted unless its foot stuff, I love me the foot stuff~ What was I on about? Oh yeah.
    **** you Game Freak, **** you for making a game so good its absorbed my best friends into itself like a    It's called Pokemon Shield, because ever since buying the game I've had to shield my eyes from the amount of Dynamax porn that evolved from the feted dungheap of a Trubbish we call the internet- Granted unless its foot stuff, I love me the foot stuff~ What was I on about? Oh yeah.
    **** you Game Freak, **** you for making a game so good its absorbed my best friends into itself like a gelatinous cube. **** you for sucking me in too! As I type this, the game has dissolved my lower body into itself- I can only manage to post this with one hand now. The JoyCons are calling to me, speaking of an Armor Island DLC. I won't make it... The game is taking me. Bestie, if you're reading this I'm sorry I couldn't save you from the Sword version, I'll join you soon. Anyone out there looking to purchase this monster...

    Feel free, totes worth it~ Pikachu killed Jesus    … Expand
  14. Mapak
    Jun 23, 2020
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There is absolutely NO Storyline. Most of the Game of the Origin of its "Story" remains a Mystery. The Game itself is just empty and looks like a Beta Version. After a certain point, every Pokemon is on Level 60. So it makes no common sense to catch and train them. The DLC is a joke. Everything is still empty. There is still no storyline.… 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. Payson
    Apr 21, 2021
    0
    I really only hate the game this much because of the horrible fanbase. It's an ok 5 or 6 out of 10 normally. The wild area specifically was really fun. The story was, as usual, halfhearted, filled with plot holes, and given way too much spotlight. Graphics were Terrible with a capitol T. The New pokemon designs are cool for the most part. Like I said, an ok 5 or 6 out of 10. I'd pay 40I really only hate the game this much because of the horrible fanbase. It's an ok 5 or 6 out of 10 normally. The wild area specifically was really fun. The story was, as usual, halfhearted, filled with plot holes, and given way too much spotlight. Graphics were Terrible with a capitol T. The New pokemon designs are cool for the most part. Like I said, an ok 5 or 6 out of 10. I'd pay 40 dollars for this

    The Problem is the mouth-breathing fans who swear on this game like the bible. If you so much as even suggest that this game is a 9 out of 10, these fans will cover their ears, start screaming and spewing out uninformed garbage, and discounting all valid points because you are a "hater", and apparently that invalidates your opinion. It's gotten to the point where once respectable people like Joe Merrick have to constantly agree with these morons so they don't get torn to shreds.

    If you like this game, and can accept it is flawed, good for you. You're the exception. Congratulations. I just can't fathom people making fun of Karen's and how they can never accept they're wrong, and then vehemently defending this game from any and all criticism. This is why TrueGreen7 is currently the best Pokémon youtuber, and will probably always be. He likes the games, but never calls people who don't malinformed idiots who don't agree with him.

    This is why I'm giving the game a zero out of ten. to counterbalance at least one idiot who rated this game 10/10 out of spite.

    Inconclusion, everyone who blindly loves this game is
    A) a child
    B) someone who panders to children
    C) An idiot
    D) Has never played a good RPG. I recommend Earthbound.    … Expand
  17. A-Kratonos
    May 2, 2021
    10
    Un juego sumamente infravalorado y cuyas virtudes han sido invisibilizadas por un fandom furioso, únicamente por razones externas al juego, así como completamente ajenas a su calidad.
    Galar es una región simplemente hermosa que representa una cara idealizada del Reino Unido, los personajes son carismáticos, la historia es bastante decente, y el combate es divino en cada sentido.
    El    Un juego sumamente infravalorado y cuyas virtudes han sido invisibilizadas por un fandom furioso, únicamente por razones externas al juego, así como completamente ajenas a su calidad.
    Galar es una región simplemente hermosa que representa una cara idealizada del Reino Unido, los personajes son carismáticos, la historia es bastante decente, y el combate es divino en cada sentido.

    El Gigamax es la mecánica estrella del juego y donde se cimenta todo combate importante, y la forma de representar las batallas de liga como estadios de futbol es un gran acierto.
    Musicalmente es precioso, artísticamente ni se diga. Y explorar las llanuras de Galar para atrapar pokémon es de las mejores experiencias que he tenido con un juego de la saga principal.    … Expand
  18. HaydemRWyat
    May 11, 2021
    0
    I have to pay money to get DLC so I can get access to my favorite pokemon

    I don't like the animations at all, we were clearly told "we are delaying the game to improve upon battle animations for the game, pokemon black and white have better animations than this game, and that one is over 10 years old the story is garbage along with the fact that the music is just plain bland and    I have to pay money to get DLC so I can get access to my favorite pokemon

    I don't like the animations at all, we were clearly told "we are delaying the game to improve upon battle animations for the game, pokemon black and white have better animations than this game, and that one is over 10 years old

    the story is garbage along with the fact that the music is just plain bland and boring

    the starters are horrible fugly.

    A complete waste of money to be honest. I grew up with this franchise but I just haven't had fun with it since generation 5. I fell lied to and betrayed. This game is a disappointment. and I only play it because I don't have a DS anymore    … Expand
  19. snocown
    Jun 1, 2021
    4
    A heartbreaking experience. Not even counting the Pokémon cut from the dex. Such a hand holdy experience. Too linear.
  20. Jullai
    Jul 10, 2021
    4
    I tried to enjoy it, but I ultimately found it to be too easy and linear. Parts of the game seem lazily slapped together, and the story is lackluster. It's OK because it's still a pokemon game where you can fight and collect, but it needs some love put into it.
  21. Trevaskisschar
    Aug 6, 2021
    0
    Probably one of the worst games I have ever played and the visuals hurt my eyes and looks like something from the game cube this game is a massive step down from sun and moon
  22. Skyplayer1507
    Sep 3, 2021
    8
    very good..................................................................
  23. I_Trust_In_GF
    Jan 29, 2022
    10
    Beautiful and precious, is the only way to describe the Galar region
    User evaluations in general give a very distorted view of this game. It really very fun and ideal for hanging out with the childrens.
  24. LauritsAM
    Feb 19, 2022
    8
    I kinda love this game! :)
    Over all my experience with this game was fantastic
    for what we got, Im actually satisfied.
    The DLC add up was a new fresh update the game was in hunger for, when the post-game was weak
  25. Traskb7
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    Love this game! Its amazing! Its super fun! So far my only problem is the online is a little glitchy at the moment
  26. Somerandomguy2
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    All i have to say is while some of the criticisms are valid i still had a blast and haven't had any issues.
  27. RYSCO
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    Just say I think it's a great game. I don't usually follow pokemon games, but I think it's a very good and entertaining game. It has hooked me and I love that there are few pokemons and not the string of pokemons that there is ... is a hook... Recommended... Although I see a lot of hater that I would have to play... And many people who do not know how to value the games for their fun andJust say I think it's a great game. I don't usually follow pokemon games, but I think it's a very good and entertaining game. It has hooked me and I love that there are few pokemons and not the string of pokemons that there is ... is a hook... Recommended... Although I see a lot of hater that I would have to play... And many people who do not know how to value the games for their fun and their hours of fun that I carry few and I can say that I find a good game ... entertaining, fun and has me hooked ...… Expand
  28. Will2000
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    A great game. The low score is completely undeserved and is the result of "fans" angry at it over the fact you can't transfer old Pokemon over. I have no idea what people are talking about with low play times, I'm 7 hours in and have only just beaten the first gym. The graphics are a massive improvement over previous installments to the Pokemon franchise.
  29. Nova_Cis22
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    It's not the best pokemon but I think is a good game.
  30. Ibarafox
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    Fantastic music, feels new and familiar at the same time. Fell in love with it at hour two and can't wait for what's in store for subsequent playthroughs
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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 »