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. JackReviews
    Dec 20, 2020
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I bought both Sword and Shield and was very underwhelmed. The game could be very ugly at some points, there was 0 game after catching the legendarys, and half time game was DLC. The game was also VERY easy I only lost twice once to Leon once to the dragon gym leader. Yes you can do a nuzlock and it’s very fun but that’s self imploded rules not the game. I don’t think it was worth the 60$ price tag and I wish I hadn’t bought both. If you want to play it be my guest but if I were to recommend a Pokémon game it wouldn’t be this one.… Expand
  2. Traumvita
    Sep 6, 2023
    4
    Baby hand holding simulator. Looks like an up res 3DS game. Limiting options. Can’t explore without someone telling me where to go. Worse Pokémon game to date. A shame because the setting was interesting
  3. snocown
    Jun 1, 2021
    4
    A heartbreaking experience. Not even counting the Pokémon cut from the dex. Such a hand holdy experience. Too linear.
  4. EasyGamerBoi
    Jun 10, 2021
    4
    I’ve never experienced a game that brought out such vivid anger & disappointment from me until this one. Pokémon has been on a steady decline for years in terms of quality but this was undeniably the breaking point. I know it’s all been said before but Dexit should have NEVER happened. Cutting major content while increasing the price of your product is always an L & I don’t care how manyI’ve never experienced a game that brought out such vivid anger & disappointment from me until this one. Pokémon has been on a steady decline for years in terms of quality but this was undeniably the breaking point. I know it’s all been said before but Dexit should have NEVER happened. Cutting major content while increasing the price of your product is always an L & I don’t care how many Nintendo apologists throw themselves into the fire over this pile of crap. This game should have been delayed for another year at most to get it right & it’s incredibly frustrating because there’s glimmers of hope in this trainwreck. The gym battles are actually an event this time & got me hype everytime, the visuals don’t always look terrible in spots, the new Pokémon roster took some getting used to but there are many gems among them like Appletun & Toxtricity, & I did enjoy the max raid system a lot more than I thought I was going to. At this point in the game’s lifespan I’m completely burned out on just about everything though. Despite my criticism, I played this game for 400 HOURS. That’s mostly from shiny hunting in max raids & being the only new Pokémon game out in a while. The DLC is overpriced tbh but the Crown Tundra alone was infinitely better than anything else this game had going for it. My biggest problem with this game’s existence is the pitiful excuses the developers gave for its shortcomings. Focusing on “higher quality animations” as a reason for cutting over half the Pokémon in the dex is a load of bull, especially since we got very few of those animations in the final product. Then adding some of them back later saying “it was always planned this way” is damage control 101 & y’all know it. Pokémon is a stagnant bubble waiting to burst & the sooner they get GameFreak’s crap together, give them a workable budget & timeframe, then they can maybe avoid a potential Pokècrash. Because this is unacceptable. I can’t believe this is the same studio that gave us classics like Platinum, HGSS & Black n White. While the game can be fun at times & has things going for it, it pales in comparison to the rest of the series (I’d still rather play this than any Gen 1 game though). Pokémon, GET YOUR SH*T TOGETHER.… Expand
  5. 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.
  6. Foxylary
    Apr 3, 2023
    4
    A lot of good ideas poorly executed. The idea of ​​the dynamax is not so bad, the new creatures are cool, fighting in stadium is great, gym leaders are charismatic, character customisation is pretty good and the country has a good atmosphere. But it's extremely ugly and empty. The npc's are all the same (there are often clones next to each other), there are no voices, no cutscenes, theA lot of good ideas poorly executed. The idea of ​​the dynamax is not so bad, the new creatures are cool, fighting in stadium is great, gym leaders are charismatic, character customisation is pretty good and the country has a good atmosphere. But it's extremely ugly and empty. The npc's are all the same (there are often clones next to each other), there are no voices, no cutscenes, the game is designed as a 2D game. The "main story" unfolds by itself without us havin any role to play. There is no epic moment, no plot twist, no real story after all. The game is much too easy, so much so that I tried to add more difficulty by myself. When I remember Pokemon Blue or Silver, even Black... Did they try to makes peoples dumb and lazy by avoid the frustration of difficulty ? And what about difficulty options ?! There is no options to organize Pokemon Boxes. It's that hard to make ?! The list is long and it really is a beautiful mess. Because of laziness, lack of time or developers ? I don't care. Releasing a product like this is insulting. When I see that they added content that should be in the base game for 25€, I find it disgusting. There are no excuses, Game Freak don't put any effort on it, it's just easy money. I bought it second-hand years after its release because it's the only game on Switch that has all my favorite creatures and despite everything, it's not so bad next to Pokemon Scarlett Violet, that's to say the level of this last game. Looks like they want to see what the players were willing to accept.… Expand
  7. SnorlaxGeek
    Jan 29, 2022
    4
    Jogo feio, e pouco original. É um absurdo o que a Gamefreak está fazendo com a franquia Pokémon.
  8. Lil_Caucasian
    Jan 29, 2022
    4
    Very disappointingly dated for a Pokemon game. It feels like something that I would play on the 3DS, and even then that system had much better games. Sad to see such a great franchise stagnate like this.
  9. dragonblade
    Feb 1, 2022
    4
    A bunch of half baked ideas put into one package. I will put as much effort in this review as gamefreak has put into this game.
  10. Xaboss
    Jul 19, 2022
    4
    A simply bad game, bad graphics, dynamax sucks, bad pokedex, horrible plot...
  11. Ihtayt
    Aug 16, 2023
    4
    Summing up some bulletpoints on my thoughts of the game below, for reference this is after beating both ScVi 3 times and going back to SwSh after. I did not get / play the DLC as the base game offered so little there was no incentive to prolong this.

    Game is always on local wireless, this massively hinders connecting to wifi as it will frequently bug out and fail to connect to network    Summing up some bulletpoints on my thoughts of the game below, for reference this is after beating both ScVi 3 times and going back to SwSh after. I did not get / play the DLC as the base game offered so little there was no incentive to prolong this.

    Game is always on local wireless, this massively hinders connecting to wifi as it will frequently bug out and fail to connect to network after the game is open. This feels like a massive oversight for something that the developers forced on the game.

    Gameplay is very linear, moreso than Gen 2 and possibly even more linear than Gen 1 which is a very sad downgrade. The main story only took me roughly 20-24 hours to beat and the postgame did not offer much more; at what I feel was a moderate play pace.

    Postgame- After beating the game, gameplay massively falls off and feels very unmotivating. Farming the battle tower may appeal to some, but its gatekept behind needing to clear the BT for the currency (BP) to get the items that you need to clear the BT; which feels very outdated and counter-intuitive. You can clear all / most of the tower with provided rental teams which further detracts from the experience as by time you can make your own team with your own mons, you already beat everything. You can aim to complete the pokedex, breed, and shiny hunt; but this is nothing new or exciting from previous games really; and aside from team building for the BT it feels pretty pointless to build up mons. The game introduced raid dens, but they didn't feel at all appealing personally.

    Performance - I've encountered more performance issues with SwSh (~40hrs) than I ever did with ScVi (>1000hrs).    … Expand
  12. SoManyGoblins
    Jul 23, 2020
    3
    Looks and plays worse than any other AAA switch game, the popping is terrible. Somehow animations don't look any better than Pokemon Stadium. Everything annoying from the old games UIs is still here, it's like a game from over 10 years ago. Plot has always been silly in past games, but this is pathetic and senseless. Music is somehow the best and the worst in the series.
  13. streame
    Jun 21, 2020
    3
    This game was the biggest disappointment for me. They announced many new features, but it's literally the same game we have been playing for 20 years. The wild zone is useless and I have a feeling they just added it to make it 'different' from other parts. Even the story is THE SAME!!! The only pasrt of the game I enjoyed was these 2 hrs after beating the last gym, with these 2 stupidThis game was the biggest disappointment for me. They announced many new features, but it's literally the same game we have been playing for 20 years. The wild zone is useless and I have a feeling they just added it to make it 'different' from other parts. Even the story is THE SAME!!! The only pasrt of the game I enjoyed was these 2 hrs after beating the last gym, with these 2 stupid "royals". aside from that - I was charged 60 bucks for the same old game. Disappointed.… Expand
  14. Coaltergeist
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    While there are many issues with Pokemon sword and shield, I don't think they warrant giving the game a 1 out of 10. The missing pokemon, the cut moves, the lack of postgame content, the general laziness, and the developer's arrogant attitude are all working together to make sure this game fails, which is disappointing. I am a huge fan of previous pokemon games, and I don't want to see theWhile there are many issues with Pokemon sword and shield, I don't think they warrant giving the game a 1 out of 10. The missing pokemon, the cut moves, the lack of postgame content, the general laziness, and the developer's arrogant attitude are all working together to make sure this game fails, which is disappointing. I am a huge fan of previous pokemon games, and I don't want to see the series fail. I cannot overlook the sloppiness present in this game, however. In the end, it isn't the worst game ever made, but it doesn't come close to being good.… Expand
  15. LuisFRBplus
    Nov 18, 2019
    3
    No tengo ningun incentivo para seguir jugándolo, atrápalos todos? Hace mucho que quedo atras!!
  16. ioxon
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    All in all, this game seems like a rushed release. Easy money trying to cater to fans (mostly new I think) and maybe some old ... but not me. Already looking forward to the next iteration where they give it the attention it deserves and actually make it Switch worthy.

    Sure, it has the charm of any Pokemon game you'd expect but today, we are expecting better graphics than this crap. I'm    All in all, this game seems like a rushed release. Easy money trying to cater to fans (mostly new I think) and maybe some old ... but not me. Already looking forward to the next iteration where they give it the attention it deserves and actually make it Switch worthy.

    Sure, it has the charm of any Pokemon game you'd expect but today, we are expecting better graphics than this crap. I'm sorry. Also, I've heard the new pokemon that replaced the slew of pokemon that were removed - they are re-hashed with same specs or something but new name/look. That's a horrible thing to do to your fans.

    Anyway, I give it a 3 because it's not broken really as a game - it works and plays well and does what you'd expect as far as a pokemon game is concerned, plus some new things that are cool - sure - but do much better next time Game Freak. If you want to sell a $60 game for a system like the Switch, you can't make it a 3DS game and just drop it on the Switch without putting effort into higher textures (better/new engine if you need to).

    If you're going to not put effort into a better graphic presentation and actually give more attention to the new Pokemon (especially if you're removing old classic and oft loved pokemon), don't go open world like this. If you're going open world for future games, make it aesthetically pleasing to system expectations.    … Expand
  17. Dragonfire14
    Nov 24, 2019
    3
    Right off the bat I will say that strictly judging Pokemon Shield as a video game it is a much higher score, I would score it about a 6.5/10. Pokemon as a concept for a video game works very well, and any studio would be hard pressed to make a game in the series that is both a let down and not fun. The problem is when you judge it compared to the other games in it's series. Pokemon ShieldRight off the bat I will say that strictly judging Pokemon Shield as a video game it is a much higher score, I would score it about a 6.5/10. Pokemon as a concept for a video game works very well, and any studio would be hard pressed to make a game in the series that is both a let down and not fun. The problem is when you judge it compared to the other games in it's series. Pokemon Shield is a terrible Pokemon game.

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

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

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

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

    What is unfortunate is that this game could of been amazing. GF could of put a lot more effort and passion into it and it would have been an entirely different experience. There are some quality of life improvements in the game, and the music is amazing! The feel of the gyms also is something I didn't expect to love. They really hype you up for those battles, and I loved it. If GF didn't cut any corners Pokemon Shield would of been the best in the series I have no doubts, but with all the negatives and flaws it has it comes out as one of the worst.    … Expand
  18. Fumetic
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    As these are largely the same games, I have pasted my Sword review here. I will say however that I do prefer the exclusives in Sword however, which was why I picked it for my playthrough.

    Honestly, the game is not all negatives. While this review is low, we'll get to why in a moment, this isn't just part of some bomb. Pros: The game isn't completely unplayable, there's some good in    As these are largely the same games, I have pasted my Sword review here. I will say however that I do prefer the exclusives in Sword however, which was why I picked it for my playthrough.

    Honestly, the game is not all negatives.
    While this review is low, we'll get to why in a moment, this isn't just part of some bomb.
    Pros: The game isn't completely unplayable, there's some good in there.
    -The game has great Pokemon designs. Creativity abounds, with everything from a group of little Kirby-like soldiers that fight as one to an alien-like witch with tentacles.
    -There's some good QoL features added, such as nature changing items and increased vitamin limit, plus reduced level grinding if you do the (rather easy) raids.
    -A few neat compromises, such as the inclusion of both overworld and random encounters.
    Cons: While the list goes on much more than this, I'm sure the other reviews have quite a thorough explanation, so I'll keep it brief, at 5 points or less.
    -The dex cut. Regardless of what you think of it, this is removing what was known as a series staple.
    -Bugs. As of this writing, there's apparently a dangerous autosave bug that could result in data loss.
    -Low content. I'm not talking about the length of the story here, but rather the fact that the game uses the Wild Area to patch up how little content the rest of the game has, even compared to some of the 3DS games.
    -Finally, the game doesn't really have much in the way of engaging fights and just isn't as immersive overall. While there is one uniquely interesting fight that I will not spoil here, it falls more to just watching CPUs fight for you.

    Overall, the game just isn't terribly good. It's not worthy of a 1 or 2 for sure, as there are some good points, but for now, it will have to stay at 3. The length isn't much of an issue as some may say it is, because it's not too much shorter than average, but the Wild Area feels disappointingly flat and bland, and there's not enough content to make up for the removed content or even ignoring that, it's just not something I'd recommend getting for full price, especially as someone who's not supremely rich and has to pick and choose carefully when buying expensive Switch games like this. There's not enough bang for your buck with these games. Do yourself a favor and shop around for another game before choosing this one, and if you HAVE to get this because it's Pokemon, I'd at least say postpone the purchase until they iron out that save bug or it becomes available for a little cheaper.
    Cheers, and happy hunting (for a different game that is).    … Expand
  19. Sydius4
    Nov 18, 2019
    3
    Pokemon Sword and Shield is a good handheld game. But it dont look like a Switch game with the best graphic. The story of the game is averageand the animation mostly the same. And still they have cut more than half of the pokemon, because of balancing...
    The truth is they didnt worked with eno
    ugh people to do the project and cut the pokedex. Pokemon become easier since Sun and Moon. They    Pokemon Sword and Shield is a good handheld game. But it dont look like a Switch game with the best graphic. The story of the game is averageand the animation mostly the same. And still they have cut more than half of the pokemon, because of balancing...
    The truth is they didnt worked with eno
    ugh people to do the project and cut the pokedex. Pokemon become easier since Sun and Moon. They want to cash in for the new Pokemon Go Players and dont care anymore for the hardcore loyal fanbase anymore. They can easily can eat all pokemon but they think they didn't have to.    … Expand
  20. Lyudegul
    Dec 23, 2019
    3
    Historia lineal, con poca repercusión y que te sueltan a cuentagotas. postgame casi inexistente. El team yell es lo mas prescindible del mundo.
    0 exploración, ya no necesitamos usar movimientos de campo como destello o fuerza para explorar algún sitio. Falta un legendario al que sea complicado llegar, como los tres pájaros en rojo y azul, lugia en oro y plata o Rayquaza en R/Z/E.
    No hay    Historia lineal, con poca repercusión y que te sueltan a cuentagotas. postgame casi inexistente. El team yell es lo mas prescindible del mundo.
    0 exploración, ya no necesitamos usar movimientos de campo como destello o fuerza para explorar algún sitio. Falta un legendario al que sea complicado llegar, como los tres pájaros en rojo y azul, lugia en oro y plata o Rayquaza en R/Z/E.
    No hay calle victoria, ni ninguna otra cueva a parte de la de las primeras rutas.

    El area silvestre está desaprovechada, podrian aprovechar los distintos climas para evolucionar pokémon pero no, Glaceon, Charjabug o Leafeon evolucionan por piedras...

    En resumen, es un tutorial de 20 horas para empezar luego a criar e irte al competitivo.
    El competitivo ha matado a los buenos juegos de pokémon.    … Expand
  21. DoctorZack
    Nov 22, 2019
    3
    Absolute disaster.

    It maintains a basic level of competency with a new idea or two, but that's literally the only thing going for it. Everything else isn't just "bad" its genuinely a painful experience.
  22. PokeMaster22222
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. There's so many problems with it:

    1) Pokemon models reused from XY; only change is lack of compression (which was previously needed for 3DS), and shading. 2) Pokemon animations are incredibly static, lifeless and basic - Tomb Raider on the original PlayStation had better animations. 3) Move animations are still incredibly basic and lifeless too; Tail Whip, for    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. There's so many problems with it:

    1) Pokemon models reused from XY; only change is lack of compression (which was previously needed for 3DS), and shading.
    2) Pokemon animations are incredibly static, lifeless and basic - Tomb Raider on the original PlayStation had better animations.
    3) Move animations are still incredibly basic and lifeless too; Tail Whip, for example, just flips the user around and shakes them about - no actual tail movements. Double Kick is still just basic hops instead of actual kicks, a la Battle Revolution.
    4) NPC movement is incredibly stiff, static, and robotic.
    5) Insane amounts of pop-in.
    6) Overworld uses very low-quality assets for trees and the like.
    7) Pokemon in the Wild Area aren't tied to any thematic area, just wander about, and generally look very artificial and lifeless.
    8) Over 470 (~60%) of 809 older Pokemon completely removed.
    9) A slew of moves removed.
    10) Mega Evolution removed.
    11) Dynamax isn't exciting or a worthwhile innovation, since it's a temporary scaling-up of regular models only able to be used to specific areas.
    12) Pokemon model size scaling is way off; Pokemon are way too tiny compared to what they should be. For example, Tyranitar and Wailord should be huge; instead, they appear smaller than the Trainers.
    13) Box Legendary battle has no music.
    14) Game is incredibly linear, I've heard.
    15) There's an insane amount of free heals and auto-heals present, EVEN DURING THE ELITE FOUR CHALLENGE. You know, the challenge where you traditionally had to go through five battles in a row, relying on whatever healing items and general strategies you had?
    16) Permanent Exp. All effect ruins any kind of challenge, and there's no way to turn it off, unlike the 3DS games.

    Game Freak LIED when they said they made brand-new models; they never officially told us how many Pokémon were missing, or how many moves were missing. This game feels incredibly rushed and incomplete, yet Game Freak has no plans on patching the missing content in.

    If you're looking for a good RPG on the Switch, try Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Fire Emblem: Three Houses or Octopath Traveller. If you're looking for a good Pokémon game, get a New 3DS XL and buy Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire and Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon - hell, buy Platinum, HeartGold or SoulSilver, Black or White, and Black 2 or White 2, since these DS games are still by far the best Pokémon games I've played.

    DO NOT SUPPORT SUCH LACK OF EFFORT. DO NOY BUY POKÉMON SWORD OR POKÉMON SHIELD.    … Expand
  23. GongHawkeye
    Nov 19, 2019
    3
    I'm one of those who bought the game even knowing all the issues that were surrounding the game. The thing is that I cannot recomend this unless you're a hardcore Pokémon fan.

    The game itself it's enjoyable, but you cannot just get over all those little and big details: Poor graphics, lack of post game, Dexit....you can find way more things on the internet but basically this is the main    I'm one of those who bought the game even knowing all the issues that were surrounding the game. The thing is that I cannot recomend this unless you're a hardcore Pokémon fan.

    The game itself it's enjoyable, but you cannot just get over all those little and big details: Poor graphics, lack of post game, Dexit....you can find way more things on the internet but basically this is the main problem: Pokémon sword and shield are not bad games, they just cannot be accepted as a good standard for the franchise. This is not an step forward but another step back on the record of the main game saga.    … Expand
  24. Xxdaniels751xX
    Feb 11, 2020
    3
    Perhaps in another circumstance I could have supported a downloadable content like the one proposed by Game Freak, but never given the current circumstances. Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield has turned out to be a launch that, despite successful sales, raised a lot of controversy. I don't think there was a worse time than this to announce an expansion pass with these characteristics. ThePerhaps in another circumstance I could have supported a downloadable content like the one proposed by Game Freak, but never given the current circumstances. Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield has turned out to be a launch that, despite successful sales, raised a lot of controversy. I don't think there was a worse time than this to announce an expansion pass with these characteristics. The Pokémon brand has deteriorated during the past 2019 due not only to a video game that does not include all the Pokémon, but to an improved communication by The Pokémon Company.… Expand
  25. Meemai
    Nov 21, 2019
    3
    I wanted to be excited for this. I wanted to love it, as Pokémon has always been a game franchise near and dear to me.

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

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

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

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

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

    Please, #MPGA (Make Pokémon Great Again)    … Expand
  26. paulshoreline
    Jan 9, 2020
    3
    Pokemon might be the most regressive game series in existence, and I might be done with the franchise after SwSh. Gone are the winding caves or intricate forests. Gone are the hidden areas or secret events. Gone are the puzzles, the ominous enemy bases, and any semblance of a challenge. Sword and Shield are a joke; empty, boring, and utterly devoid of any challenge. Always on EXP sharePokemon might be the most regressive game series in existence, and I might be done with the franchise after SwSh. Gone are the winding caves or intricate forests. Gone are the hidden areas or secret events. Gone are the puzzles, the ominous enemy bases, and any semblance of a challenge. Sword and Shield are a joke; empty, boring, and utterly devoid of any challenge. Always on EXP share turns the difficulty to zero and destroys what little replay value there might be. The story is borderline nonexistant - even by Pokemon's shoddy standards for storytelling. The Wild Area is little more than a grind with no real exploriation - just mindlessly raids over and over. There is no endgame - just a simple battle tower that always ends with Leon. Somehow these games feel even more hollow than Let's Go, and have significantly less content than all of the previous mainline entries. The much-hyped graphics do not look improved over Sun and Moon, and the Pokemon models are very obviously identical. Throw in Dexit, and it is really a wonder that Game Freak pushed these games in this abysmal state.… Expand
  27. rob_innes23
    Mar 14, 2020
    3
    I’ve been a Pokémon fan for a very very long time, more or less my whole life.

    I can’t say I’ve fully enjoyed an instalment in the franchise since Black and White 2... 8 years ago. Even still, I put up with X and Y’s vapid storytelling and Sun and Moon’s mediocrity because the core elements of the game were still fun to me. Sword and Shield truly excited me conceptually as it was the    I’ve been a Pokémon fan for a very very long time, more or less my whole life.

    I can’t say I’ve fully enjoyed an instalment in the franchise since Black and White 2... 8 years ago. Even still, I put up with X and Y’s vapid storytelling and Sun and Moon’s mediocrity because the core elements of the game were still fun to me.

    Sword and Shield truly excited me conceptually as it was the first time GameFreak would be delving into a proper home console with a substantial increase in horsepower over the handhelds.

    My imagination and hopes ran wild at the possibilities of a new Pokémon game on the Nintendo Switch. But as footage of the game was leaked and the developers started discussing and showcasing it, my honest hopeful excitement turned to confused ambivalence.

    The wild area looked cool sure, but the graphics looked exactly like they did in Sun and Moon, with a HD facelift. The animations looked dreadful and considering that creating “higher quality animations” was their excuse for axing more than HALF of the Pokédex from the game, doubt and dismay began to replace my anticipation for these games.

    They came out. I played Shield. I finished it and felt totally and utterly cheated. The narrative is non-existent, the characters are rehashed from previous entries and are more two dimensional than the games from 1996. The battle formula of course is more or less set in stone and can’t really be changed but there is such an utter lack of innovation, they play and look exactly like they have for the last 7 years, just with slightly more polished graphics. The wild area is a buggy, unfinished mess that still harbours the games most fun elements. The idea is fantastic conceptually but the execution is so haphazard and rushed, that it fails to achieve anything it sets out to do on an immersive level. The enemy team are completely un-intimidating, uninteresting and uninspired. A bootleg Team Skull. The twist villain is the most predictable part of this thin storyline and literally just allows himself to be apprehended upon defeat. The game is just unbearably simplistic in every conceivable way. Dynamaxing is such a lame gimmick, the novelty wears off after the fourth time seeing it. Mega Evolution was so much more interesting and had way more potential, hell even Z moves are cooler and more unique than this. It’s just scaled models with the occasional unique change, but these unique “gigantamax” models are very few and far between, not to mention a pain in the ass to get for yourself.

    Not to mention that the game is just feebly easy, with every opponent in your way getting utterly flattened with little to no effort for extra training. The constant and fixed use of the exp share mechanic makes training Pokémon feel so much less fulfilling. You could catch one and literally never use it, but if you keep it in your party it will just raise itself via piggybacking off of the exp that it’s teammates gather. I practically sleepwalked through this bore fest, as my input made little difference to the inevitable outcome of victory.

    This game feels like it was phoned in. Nothing more than a shoddy port from 3DS era technology that’s been rushed out and shipped for full price in time for the Christmas shopping.

    And after all that disappointment and GameFreak's broken promises, they now have the blatant audacity to try and make us give them even more money for an expansion pass full of content that should’ve been in the initial game at release. Especially considering I spent £50 for a game that took me 15 HOURS to complete blind, from start to finish including the pathetic amount of endgame content. The handheld games that cost nearly half the price took me at least double the time to complete on my first play through because I took my time and actually cared about the actions I took while playing. I didn’t to care in these games because they pretty much played themselves.

    This expansion pass is the final straw for me and this franchise I think. I can’t take this constant disappointment anymore. Something needs to change dramatically and fast for me to continue caring about this creatively bankrupt, once great franchise.

    Thanks GameFreak, for ruining something I used to hold dear for the sake of monetary gain.    … Expand
  28. Hyo
    Nov 17, 2019
    3
    I love this series, I first played Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Yellow both, borrowed from a friend, but for me, it all started with Crystal since it was the first I actually owned. As the series keep evolving it kept adding new wonderful ideas... From the secodn generation we already got a lot of new wonderful things: they added a Female Character, Two Regions, the Pokégear, they dividedI love this series, I first played Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Yellow both, borrowed from a friend, but for me, it all started with Crystal since it was the first I actually owned. As the series keep evolving it kept adding new wonderful ideas... From the secodn generation we already got a lot of new wonderful things: they added a Female Character, Two Regions, the Pokégear, they divided Special into Special Attack and Special Defense. We got Apricorns and Special Pokéballs, Move Tutor, the Battle Tower, Breeding and Shiny Pokémon. We then lost Apriconrs the Pokégear and the Battle Tower, but got Abilities, Secret Bases, Weather, Natures, Double Battles, Pokémon Contests and the -Battle Frontier. We then lost Weather and Battle Frontier. But got Global Trade System, Pokémon Super Contest, The Underground. We lost the last one and got C-Gear, Pokémon Dream World, Entralink, Pokémon Musical, Seasons, Sprite animations, Triple Battles, Rotation Battles, Battle Subway.

    We finally jumped to 3D and lost a lot of stuff for Custom Clothing and Characters, Mega Evolutions, -Horde Encounters, Super Training, Sky Batlles and Pokémon-Amie. then we got -Alola Forms, Battle Royal, Z-Moves, Island challenges, Poké Rides, Hyper Training, Festival Plaza and Poké Pelago.

    We then jumped form handheld to a main console, and lost: Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves and 400 Pokémon for a big empty Wild Area, Dynamax and Gigantamax, Max Raid Battles. Y-Comm and -Pokémon Camp, Permanend Exp share...

    This was the first main Pokémon game on a not only handheld device. We were expecting the best game in the series, but instead we got half baked game, rushed to meet merchandise and anime deadlines. I don't care about the Pokédex, but, losing all those features, Mega Evolution, the justification that they had to do it, to make better animations... It was too much, I feel betrayed, they told us Let's Go was to appeal the Pokémon Go player-base, and that they'd have something for fans of the main series later. Well, this game certainly doesn't feel made for fans, who is it for? OLM, Inc.? Pokémon Center? **** this game, **** Gamefreak, **** the Pokémon Company and **** Nintendo.    … Expand
  29. Pariah_0
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    As JUST a Pokémon game, the rating would be higher, maybe a 5 or 6. But as a video game compared to others of a similar genre this is a hard 3. On top of the drastic content cuts made from previous (already declining) mainline Pokémon games, this game in particular has severe graphical, hardware, and gameplay issues that are just irredeemable for a triple A franchise. The new mechanic isAs JUST a Pokémon game, the rating would be higher, maybe a 5 or 6. But as a video game compared to others of a similar genre this is a hard 3. On top of the drastic content cuts made from previous (already declining) mainline Pokémon games, this game in particular has severe graphical, hardware, and gameplay issues that are just irredeemable for a triple A franchise. The new mechanic is not creative at all and dumbs down the combat instead of following the tradition of adding an extra element. The new designs are lazy and uninspired. I was sincerely expecting more from this franchise. Can not recommend.… Expand
  30. cepanutis
    Dec 15, 2019
    3
    [REVIEW IN SPANISH]

    Lo primero que quiero dejar claro es que no soy ni un hater de pokémon ni de nintendo, solo un jugador que cuando un juego es bueno lo dice y cuando es malo, también. Y aquí comento las sensaciones que me ha dado este juego tras haberlo finalizado, ni más ni menos. AL TEMA: > Dificultad nula debido al absurdo nuevo sistema de Rep. Exp de esta generación. >    [REVIEW IN SPANISH]

    Lo primero que quiero dejar claro es que no soy ni un hater de pokémon ni de nintendo, solo un jugador que cuando un juego es bueno lo dice y cuando es malo, también. Y aquí comento las sensaciones que me ha dado este juego tras haberlo finalizado, ni más ni menos.

    AL TEMA:

    > Dificultad nula debido al absurdo nuevo sistema de Rep. Exp de esta generación.
    > Rutas vacías y sin alma. Lineales, cero exploración.
    > Animaciones del paleolítico, quitando 4 o 5. Ya no solo en combate si no en general.
    > Entre alguna medalla y la siguiente hay literalmente 10-15 minutos de juego, sin palabras.
    > Los pokemon nuevos en su mayoría muy flojos a nivel artístico.
    > El rendimiento del area silvestre en el modo online mejor ni mencionarlo.
    > El team Yell es el peor de la saga y sus motivaciones son un chiste de mal gusto al jugador.
    > Personajes olvidables 100%. Paul es irritante.
    > La historia ni te engancha ni despierta el más mínimo interés, y encima pasa casi todo en la última hora y media.

    Cosas buenas que mencionar:
    > Algún que otro diseño que está muy bien.
    > Cambios de calidad de vida como lo de los motes o recordar movimientos en cada centro.
    > Los desafios de gimansio (me parecen el camino a seguir aunque aquí no se han hecho demasiado bien, pero hay margen de mejora).

    En definitiva, por lo que nos dan, me parece que es un juego de 20€ y me arrepiento de haber pagado por él más del doble de eso, siendo sincero. No justifica su precio, es un producto inacabado en el cual se nota que han faltado tiempo y recursos. Algo inconcebible viniendo de una compañía de este tamaño.

    Que no olviden nunca que si son algo es gracias a los títulos consoleros de la franquicia, no gracias a los jueguecillos de móvil con microtransaciones. Que parece que es lo único que les importa ahora. NO todo es dinero a veces señores.    … 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.
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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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