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. andoni_galicia
    Dec 10, 2019
    10
    El juego de Pokémon más adictivo de la historia. Cazar, criar, intercambiar y farmear entre otras cosas nunca había sido tan ágil y divertido. Es verdad que el tema de la pokedex es un aspecto negativo, pero se ve más que compensado con la calidad de los modelos y la diversión que proporciona el juego.
  2. TheBlizWiz
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    They cut features and raised the price.

    This is not the law of equivalent exchange
  3. awdwaffges
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Cut corners mixed with a predictable story, laziness and stupid features noone asked for. Don't spend any amount of money on this. Even if you get it for free, don't play it because your time is more **** valuable than anything this piece of garbage could provide you.
  4. JokerMain115
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    A lacklustre title, especially by Switch standards. The games graphics are fine enough (Textures are sometimes questionable), but the music is lacking, the weakest in the series of mainline games by far. The cut Pokémon, features and lack of new *Good* ideas with a predictable plot, either annoying or not rememberable characters and a general sense of the game feeling unpolished feels likeA lacklustre title, especially by Switch standards. The games graphics are fine enough (Textures are sometimes questionable), but the music is lacking, the weakest in the series of mainline games by far. The cut Pokémon, features and lack of new *Good* ideas with a predictable plot, either annoying or not rememberable characters and a general sense of the game feeling unpolished feels like a weak and lazy step into a new generation of consoles. The removal of the GTS feels frankly stupid as it was a big help for a lot of players attempting to complete the Pokédex of 400~ Pokémon. The cities feel empty due to your exploration through them being very limited, either by the camera or how you're unable to explore most of what you see. Dynamax feels tacked on and a very weak replacement for Mega evolutions, but better fleshed out than Z-Moves. The Pokémon brought back are baffling and leave the selection dry. 3 Legendaries through both versions + Silvally, lack of starters outside of Charizard and fan favourites just not appearing for seemingly no reason. The animations are nice, but a lot come off feeling extra rather than grand, and defiantly not worth the cut of 400+ Pokémon. Though, the new Pokémon designs are honestly some of the best we've seen in the whole series, outstanding on that part, and the quality of life improvements like Key Item descriptions being shown right away, IV supplements, HM's being completely discarded and the move relearner being easily accessible are absolutely wonderful changes, but don't make up for the games glaring weaknesses. Wouldn't recommend, instead waiting on the next games, or even generation seems to be the move, as the changes that matter here should make their way into the next set of games, as every Pokémon hopefully does too.… Expand
  5. fairyfairyfairy
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Zero effort was put into this game. Boring ugly not visually appealing and the gameplay is terrible. The new pokemon designs are plain uninspired and just garbage
  6. spicysmoochy
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Don't buy this crap, seriously. The animations are terrible, all of my favorite Pokemon are gone. Terrible.
  7. langley198
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Es lamentable lo que ha hecho Game Freak, se nota que el juego esta a medio coser. La Historia es demasiado corta creo que es la mas corta de todos los juegos de pokemon, el reuso de modelados es clarisimo incluso varios personajes tienen exactamente las mismas animaciones de ultrasol/ultraluna, es cierto que el diseño de los nuevos pokemon están bien hechos, no encuentro nada en el juegoEs lamentable lo que ha hecho Game Freak, se nota que el juego esta a medio coser. La Historia es demasiado corta creo que es la mas corta de todos los juegos de pokemon, el reuso de modelados es clarisimo incluso varios personajes tienen exactamente las mismas animaciones de ultrasol/ultraluna, es cierto que el diseño de los nuevos pokemon están bien hechos, no encuentro nada en el juego que me atraiga o me haga recomendarlo. Sin duda alguna pareciera que se trata mas de un juego indie que de uno hecho por una empresa grandisima, es una lastima porque la región tenia mucho potencial para haber sido el mejor juego de la saga, pero se quedaron demasiado cortos. Mi recomendación final seria no compren este juego e inviertan en algo mejor, una perdida total de tiempo y dinero.… Expand
  8. Volans
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This is a Nintendo 64 game ported to the Nintendo switch #GameFreakLied. This is actually appalling.
  9. whitecypress
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This game doesn't deserve my time. It is not finished, contain tons of bugs and doesn't have national dex.
  10. Ivysaurtrainer6
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    A pokemon game without all the pokemon....yeah 0/10. They could have just used all of the 3DS models and called it good. At least then we would use all of the pokemon.
  11. Bunnings_Snags
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This new Pokemon release is unfitting to Nintendo's high standard of timeless and everlasting game design
  12. MaestroPokeFer
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Asco de juegos estúpido gamefreak.
    gamefreak le esta apostando mucho a las nuevas generaciones y bota de lado a los que crecimos con la franquicia,
    Pero han olvidado una cosa, las nuevas generaciones ya no son fieles a nada solo siguen lo que esta de moda y cuando pokemon deje de ser moda adios
  13. Javieraso12
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    This game is probably a 4, but a 0 for gamefreak. Poor ney mechanics and graphics. The national dex is obly the peek of the mountain. I'm afraid of the remake of 4th gen. Pls gamefreak do your job.
  14. samuellsilva
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    No National Dex
    Lazy work from GameFreak
    Graphics from 3DS?
    Its a minigame?
    I think that i forgot to cite that no have National dex?
  15. oinutrewas
    Nov 16, 2019
    1
    This is NOT accettable in 2019
    It's the biggest franchise in the world but still we can't get a proper game.

    GF and Nintendo are clearly pointing to the wrong audience with these games, they need to realize that in 2019 most of the people who buys Pokemon are over 18 years old.

    STOP MAKING KIDS GAME
  16. Amenoch
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Too much water 7/10, too less pokemon 93/100? What's your point, IGN? Now seriously, tell me when a Pokemon game comes out. I said a trully Pokemon game
  17. SamPorters
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    - Less Pokemon species than previous games
    - Less moves than previous games
    - Core mechanics of previous games are removed
    - Worst looking graphics than the average PS2 game
    - Close to every animation is reused from previous games
  18. Inlustris
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    I am a simple man, I see no GTS, the game gets a 0 .
  19. Quinneyboi
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    This game is no improvement. Same old Pokémon game. Graphics are garbage. There’s glitches that happen in the game. Not impressed at all.
  20. Guerreroo
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Hate the new Pokemon design they look like zootopia characters, the worst Pokemon so far.
  21. Aulina
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Where my bulbasaur is!!?

    Per amore del brand mi rifiuto di giocare questo capitolo.
  22. CLJgamer
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    #GameFreakLied
    Total descaso com os fans, Pokedex super capada, jogo ficou muito mais casual, reutilização de modelagem 3D, gráficos meh, Pokemons novos péssimos (tudo bem q eles se perderam em alola). Não vale nem ferrando os R$300 gastos.
  23. Mutthear
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Big disappointment! Just cut most important features and made the journey bland
  24. AntonicoG
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Only 400 Pokémon, like Pokémok Diamond of 13 years ago. And this sacrifice for a bad experience.
  25. Jorx
    Nov 16, 2019
    4
    Como ya sabéis este juego no ha estado abstento de polémica desde el pasado E3, en gran parte con razón, y con cada declaración de Masuda más todavía.
    Desde Pokemon XY que no he jugado un juego tan malo de la saga principal. El juego lo he completado en unas 18 horas, una historia que engancha muy poco, predecible y terriblemente llevada en el tramo final pero con una mejora notoria en el    Como ya sabéis este juego no ha estado abstento de polémica desde el pasado E3, en gran parte con razón, y con cada declaración de Masuda más todavía.
    Desde Pokemon XY que no he jugado un juego tan malo de la saga principal. El juego lo he completado en unas 18 horas, una historia que engancha muy poco, predecible y terriblemente llevada en el tramo final pero con una mejora notoria en el transfondo de los personajes.
    El arte del juego es bonito en varias zonas como las minas o el Bosque Lumirintico pero que rápidamente te deja con un mal sabor de boca por culpa del Area Silvestre, la gran novedad de este juego, por ser una zona muy mal trabajada que parece estar a medio hacer, realmente tiene unas texturas terribles y por si fuera poco una absurdez los cambios de clima locos entre sus minizonas. Lo único realmente divertido de aqui son las raids aunque me parece fatal que puedas capturarlos así de fácil, como cierto legendario del juego. La idea y el concepto es muy buena, pero creo que está mal llevado a cabo y espero que en futras entregas lo mejoren.
    No es un juego a la altura de lo que se esperaba, parece más un port de los juegos de 3ds que un juego de Switch. En el E3 se dijo que recortaban la pokedex por el tema de hacer nuevas animaciones. ¿Que es lo que nos encontramos al final? Pues que la gran mayoria de las animaciones y modelos son reciclados de X/YSol/Luna y del campamento son del Pokemon Colossus. Tu rival hace los mismos gestos que Haul, el rival de Sol y Luna. Personalmente, me parece bien que hagan un corte de la pokedex si sirve para hacer un mejor juego con nuevas mecanicas, etc. Ahora, creo que después con una actualización añadiendo el resto se puede solucionar porque si no, Pokemon Home no tiene absolutamente nada de sentido.

    La curva de dificultad no es muy buena que digamos, el juego empieza bien ya que tardas casi dos horas para llegar al primer gimnasio pero a partir de ahí es todo como una carrera al tener solo 10 rutas muy cortas y gimnasios, entrenadores y liga muy poco desafiante. Otro punto más en el que Game Freak ha mentido, a medias, al decir que estos juegos están más pensados para los veteranos ya que en la parte que si que cumplen es a la hora del competitivo.
    La parte más trabajada y positiva para mí es la mencionada anteriormente, el competitivo, en este juego se nota que han hecho un gran esfuerzo por mejorar este ambito y que hace que a pesar de lo malo que es tener la pokedex recortada, esta todo bastante equilibrado.<
    Otra parte positiva del juego es que la banda sonora es genial, sobre todo en los gimnasios al enfrentarte a los lideres que parece que el público este coreandolo.    … Expand
  26. AliGrispi
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ho appena finito la storia dopo 26 ore di gioco. No. Non ci siamo. Cosa non mi è piaciuto: trovare revitalizzanti, anche nelle fasi iniziali del gioco, in così grande numero lo trovo troppo semplificativo, in generale tutto è semplificato, dalla grafica (con quelle maledette texture in 144p) alla trama che spinge sul farti sentire forte ma sbaglia il modo. Non mi sento forte dopo un combattimento, non mi sento forte a catturare eternatus e soprattutto non mi sento forte a battere il campione. Non ha senso la storia del team yell che ti blocca la strada, non hanno senso le pecore che ti bloccano la strada, non ha senso andare a cercare i tipi della lega che hanno la chiave, non ha senso che la segretaria da un momento all'altro si prenda a male e diventi cattiva. In generale la trama non ha senso. Non c'è post game, dopo 26 non ho altro da fare se non Raid e catturare "i pokemon più forti per il competitivo"? Non voglio giocare competitivo, ho speso 60 euro per un gioco vecchio e che non mi ha lasciato niente se non un vuoto dentro il portafoglio. Questo gioco è un insulto ai videogiocatori e soprattutto ai fan del brand. Vergogna GameFreak. Suggerimento: puntare al sandbox più che ad un possibile "openworld", non c'è bisogno di creare nuovi pokemon ma di migliorare l'esperienza con le risorse che avete già. Spero di poter essere ascoltato.… Expand
  27. ryguyreiser
    Nov 16, 2019
    1
    F in the chat for Gamefreak and the Pokemon Company. Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon made me lose hope in the series, but now it is clear to see just how far low this series has come to.
    Yikes.

    Please do not support this game or you are actively telling the Pokemon Company to keep putting out bad, lazily made, poor quality games.
  28. AnRPGFan
    Nov 16, 2019
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In my opinion, Sword/Shield is weaker than all previous Pokemon games in practically every aspect. There's so many different ways you can look at this game and no matter what it always falls short compared to previous entries.

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

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

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

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

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

    Overall, I see Sword/Shield as easily the weakest mainline Pokemon game. If you skipped out on past Pokemon games I'd recommend you look there for a Pokemon fix before even thinking about this game.    … Expand
  29. disappointedpkm
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Again, disappointed with the cut Pokémon, lack of challenge and graphics. No background scenery when fighting indoors.
  30. efg94
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    They’ve **** it up this gen. Kuddos to GameFreak for **** on life-long fans. It’s going to take a lot to clean up your act now.
  31. Mabo123
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Bad in every way except for the core gameplay. Hop is the most annoying rival in history, animations are reused from nintendo ds/3ds, national dex is cut in half, leaving out like 75% of the top 20 most liked pokemon, world and cities look empty and static, online sucks as usual, pokemon design very questionable.
  32. kinzu19
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    From the entire saga this is the worst game, i think that game freak dont need to create more pokemons generation if they cannot include all in one game, And to be honest they just create crap new pokemons. (Please just use the past generation and create great games, We dont need more pokemons)
  33. Skyllersy
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    looks like a 2008 game.

    booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooomb

    this game got stuck in the past.
  34. Trovosko
    Nov 16, 2019
    3
    Feito nas cocha Qualidade gráfica a baixo do lets Go.
    (E dos demais jogos da Nintendo)
    Game Freak muito preguiçosa.
    Eu quero meu Crobat XD
  35. slambammer
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    That's right, I got Sword AND Shield. This series has become an absolute shell of its former self. I will not mention the National Dex controversy because I really don't care about it. But the graphics alone prevent me from immersing myself in this game in any way. Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade 2, and many, MANY other games manage to make even simple environments look better, and those areThat's right, I got Sword AND Shield. This series has become an absolute shell of its former self. I will not mention the National Dex controversy because I really don't care about it. But the graphics alone prevent me from immersing myself in this game in any way. Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade 2, and many, MANY other games manage to make even simple environments look better, and those are FAR bigger games. This game also follows the trend of stupification. The entire game is a tutorial, just like Sun and Moon. I know the primary demographic is a younger audience, but the older Pokemon games were aimed at kids too. There's no excuse for how insulting this game is to peoples' intelligence. The animations are lazy, and many are reused, the frame rates drop, and worst of all, this is an EXTREMELY short game. Even doing extra stuff and taking your time exploring, you'll be done with this game in a few days. Disappointing, utterly and completely disappointing.… Expand
  36. Silvallymadeit
    Nov 17, 2019
    3
    My copy of Sword and Shield came in the mail a bit early yesterday, and while Sword and Shield are pretty cute games, I have to admit there are some glaring problems that make this game feels like it was needed to bake in the oven a tad bit longer. For starters, I just want to say I never cared for the controversy surrounding these games about not being able to transfer all of yourMy copy of Sword and Shield came in the mail a bit early yesterday, and while Sword and Shield are pretty cute games, I have to admit there are some glaring problems that make this game feels like it was needed to bake in the oven a tad bit longer. For starters, I just want to say I never cared for the controversy surrounding these games about not being able to transfer all of your pokemon, so this review is in no way biased towards that. There are, however, other issues that did drag down the experience for me. I often ran into performance issues. Frame drops, trees or objects randomly popping up in view; and while at times the game does seem beautiful and comfy, at other points the game almost seemed sloppily put together.
    The games are far too easy to the point of boredom, even for a Pokemon game. I felt myself being overleveled very quickly. I was often taking down opponents only in one singular attack, despite not going out of my way to fight many monsters. The new EXP share, which spreads experience across your whole party, seems to amplify this problem. It seems as if the game was not balanced with this feature in mind, as my entire team were several levels ahead of our opponents for most of- if not, the entire game. The adventure lasted roughly about 12 hours for me to complete, which is awfully short for an RPG, and there isn't much you can do after the journey is over. Might I add this game only has 10 routes, previous entries having about 30ish.    … Expand
  37. Silvally1
    Nov 17, 2019
    4
    These games have their faults, a lot of them. The wild area is a mess in almost all categories, new mons look goofy, region is extremely linear, story makes zero since, more hand holdy than the last Gen, level scaling is atrocious.

    But it's not all bad, Camping is cute, max raid battles are a fun way to waste your time, some gym battles can be fun, some interesting characters too. Is    These games have their faults, a lot of them. The wild area is a mess in almost all categories, new mons look goofy, region is extremely linear, story makes zero since, more hand holdy than the last Gen, level scaling is atrocious.

    But it's not all bad, Camping is cute, max raid battles are a fun way to waste your time, some gym battles can be fun, some interesting characters too.

    Is the game an unplayable mess like they claim? No. But is it any good? Eh, for a jump to home console it's pretty lackluster and if you want to go there... unpolished. If you liked the last games you might enjoy it but that's a HUGE might.

    Overall, 4/10    … Expand
  38. VTII
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Sad to see so many false reviews on here hopefully they get removed because they clearly haven't played the game. There are no graphics issues or bugs. It's the best pokemon game in years. The missing pokemon ended up being small issue then first stated, they weren't missed. Were you really going to breed across a zubat to play the game with there are plenty good new and returning pokemonSad to see so many false reviews on here hopefully they get removed because they clearly haven't played the game. There are no graphics issues or bugs. It's the best pokemon game in years. The missing pokemon ended up being small issue then first stated, they weren't missed. Were you really going to breed across a zubat to play the game with there are plenty good new and returning pokemon to keep the game fun.… Expand
  39. Tanhayden
    Mar 23, 2020
    1
    Pokemon Sword and Shield are brutally disappointing for a modern video game. When compared to the kind of detail and depth found in games on other consoles this game is blisteringly behind the times. At the same price point Bethesda, ubisoft, rockstar, and (dare I say it) EA are producing games that blow Pokemon out of the water. The Pokemon company could benefit from cutting ties fromPokemon Sword and Shield are brutally disappointing for a modern video game. When compared to the kind of detail and depth found in games on other consoles this game is blisteringly behind the times. At the same price point Bethesda, ubisoft, rockstar, and (dare I say it) EA are producing games that blow Pokemon out of the water. The Pokemon company could benefit from cutting ties from Gamefreak and allowing a more modern game developer run with the pokemon franchise. For as popular as pokemon is, they should be comparable to AAA games, rather than being Indy-quality. All of the above is not to mention the bugs, janky gameplay, lack of character voices, constantly interruptive dialogue, lack of post-game content, lack of a z-axis camera control, rushed storyline, and every other aggravating aspect that makes the game an underwhelming experience. Something I wish I had rented, rather than had bought.… Expand
  40. ConcernedParent
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    This game is really bad. Like, really bad. Before I returned it on behalf of my child, I played it through myself. Didn't take too long--Pathetic for a $60 game. The pokemons becoming big was also not that great. Do better next time, GameFreak.
  41. SuperiorSuisen
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sonora excelente ya es habitual que una entrega de Pokémon sea muy buena instrumentalmente hablando, por eso lo único que tenía que hacer era asegurarse que el gameplay no se sintiera pesado y la única tarea que tenían la hicieron mal. Más palabrashay para describir este juego, pero pocas quedan que no sean ofensivas, así que en conclusión sale más rentable comprarse un Gameboy y un cartucho al Pokémon Sword, no sólo puede salir al mismo precio si busca bien, hasta se puede optar por algo de mejor calidad.… Expand
  42. Wool
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    As a game its quite cute.But technical issues is killing me.0/0 I'm dissapointed
  43. notadinosaur
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    Gamefreak should be stripped of their rights being the sole developer of pokemon and give way to younger devs such as those who worked on BOTW and Xenoblade.

    Pokemon has TONS of potential but **** devs don't have the skill to make a full realization of pokemon as it should be.
  44. BugsyNanusu
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    A bug filled mess with less Pokemon than Diamond/Pearl. Non-existent difficulty. Graphics that look worse than the Pokemon games on the Gamecube. Do not support this cash grab!
  45. JankieHands
    Nov 18, 2019
    1
    I really like the new pokemon designs. but thats the only positive thing i can think out. they cut pokemons. there is a insane quantity of cutscenes that stops the flow and very short game for the series. there is not enough value for the price.
  46. Motaever
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    This game is perfect on 3ds
    Not in switch
    Its just playing sun and moon game with a mod for more pokemon and a new region
  47. himbaba78406
    Nov 19, 2019
    0
    糟糕的寶可夢建模、難看的戰鬥背景
    一堆好寶可夢被踢除
    吼吼鯨有夠小
    寶可夢畫質差
    只有人設能看的遊戲
    不如拿錢買本本
  48. Miitsu
    Nov 18, 2019
    1
    This game is an insult to the Pokémon community. It would be one thing if gamefreak actually did work on new models and that’s why they cut the national dex out. However they straight up lied and re used models and still the pokemon roster is minimal. Don’t even get me started on the animations and textures. Of like a company is going to make a game don’t half ass it. #gamefreaklied
  49. Deadgar
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    Gotta catch none of those lame pokemon.

    It's incredible how disappointing it is to have less pokemon than a small handheld like the 3DS can handle, on a console which is capable of running Doom, Zelda BoTW and also The Witcher 3! 1000x better looking than Pokemon SW/SH. On top of that, the game looks and plays as a small 3DS game... These game should've have never existed until they met    Gotta catch none of those lame pokemon.

    It's incredible how disappointing it is to have less pokemon than a small handheld like the 3DS can handle, on a console which is capable of running Doom, Zelda BoTW and also The Witcher 3! 1000x better looking than Pokemon SW/SH.

    On top of that, the game looks and plays as a small 3DS game... These game should've have never existed until they met the optimal quality of the switch.    … Expand
  50. Floobersman
    Nov 19, 2019
    3
    Despite the fact this generation of Pokemon games feature some of the best new Pokemon and the best new exploration features since Gold/Silver. This game shows a lack of GameFreaks willingness to improve their games to the high quality of a AAA game which would be expected from highest grossing video game franchise in the world. The game feels like a game that highly underutilizes theDespite the fact this generation of Pokemon games feature some of the best new Pokemon and the best new exploration features since Gold/Silver. This game shows a lack of GameFreaks willingness to improve their games to the high quality of a AAA game which would be expected from highest grossing video game franchise in the world. The game feels like a game that highly underutilizes the power of the Switch and still uses the same graphics and mechanica for a smaller handheld console. Being a fan for many years it is frustrating that Game Freak will not change their practices and bring the Pokemon franchise the a better quality of game with their first leap onto a large console.… Expand
  51. MikeRose87
    Nov 22, 2019
    5
    These are my thoughts with the pros and cons I found for this game after a full playthrough with hours of wild area, raids and such over 34 hours.

    Pros I like the new Pokemon: One of my better liked generations of new Pokemon designs. The starters are all equally as good and the story behind the legendaries is solid. Wild area is an excellent idea: This is what I was hoping for in a    These are my thoughts with the pros and cons I found for this game after a full playthrough with hours of wild area, raids and such over 34 hours.

    Pros

    I like the new Pokemon: One of my better liked generations of new Pokemon designs. The starters are all equally as good and the story behind the legendaries is solid.

    Wild area is an excellent idea: This is what I was hoping for in a console Pokemon game and I feel like it was executed quite nicely. Not perfect but a good start. A super wide area with different sections, dynamic weather conditions that affect where and when Pokemnon would spawn. Also have them at all levels available but limit what you can catch to your current gym badges to avoid getting too op early on as well as to motivate you to carry on the quest in hopes to finally be able to catch that certain Pokemon who was beyond your reach.

    Gyms are pretty well done for the most part: I enjoyed the gym challenges quite much (except a couple of really lazy ones). A good change of pace from just battling a few trainers before getting to the leader. Plus the stadium showdown against the leader shows the scale of the battle as well as the fantastic music especially when they Dymanax/Gigantamax.

    Cons

    Presentation sucks: For a console game this just looks bad. Bad textures, pop ins right in your face, and poor animations (aside signature moves). Also, why dont we have voice acting in 2019?

    Story sucks: Team Yell is by far the worst antagonist team in the game. Nothing much other than to go and do the Gym Challenge to face the Champion who keeps boasting on how unbeatable he is which gets really old and corny as well as segments which should feel more epic are rushed with no substance.

    Dungeons suck: Caves, hideouts, forests etc. used to be bigger, leaving room for exploration and resembled a maze of sorts where you need to find your way out or go through multiple floors to finally reach your destination. Now they are pretty much a straight road with a few patches of grass and a couple of trainers.

    Towns/Cities suck: Whats the point of showing you an overview of a huge city leading to believe that there is much to it just for the playable area to be as big as Pallet Town?

    Rival sucks: I cant stand a "rival" that is just so nice, friendly and with such corny lines througout the game. Even complimenting you during a match when you land super effective hits and such. We need rivals to be a-holes again to really push you to want to destroy them every time you meet like Gen 1 and 2.

    From easy to braindead mode: I get the intention of aliviating some of the more tedius aspects of the game but all this together makes it so easy/convinient that there is no challenge whatsoever. You just go through the motions of the game until you beat it. Things like XP Share that cant be disabled, Box Management everywhere, no HM's, Flying Taxi, Remembering/Forgetting Moves, Changing Names, Seeing if your move is effective or not before selecting it etc.

    No National Dex: Bla bla bla, we heard this a thousand times but needs to be mentioned, whatever...

    Dynamax battling is dumb: There is no depth to Dynamax since there is just one standard move for each typing that all Pokemon use (aside Gigantamax exclusive moves) Ok, two for some. Whoop dee doo...

    Verdict

    If you want a Pokemon game to do Pokemon stuff then you will most likely have fun with this despite it's shortcomings. But if you were hoping for the first console Pokemon game to take the already great core and expand it to add true substance, challenge, and depth. This aint it chief.    … Expand
  52. verload
    Nov 24, 2019
    2
    The only good thing about this corridor game is the soundtrack and the pokémon designs. So many interesting chracters used for nothing.
  53. Djarjb
    Nov 24, 2019
    4
    Has the makings of a good game. The environments are awesome and the "gym challenge" adds a great tournament air the game. Pokemon on the overworld makes the environments feel alive. But game is far to easy with only one battle in the whole game keeping me on my toes. Furthermore the new mechanics of dynamaxing and camping are gimmicky and add very little to the game. Also I suggest neverHas the makings of a good game. The environments are awesome and the "gym challenge" adds a great tournament air the game. Pokemon on the overworld makes the environments feel alive. But game is far to easy with only one battle in the whole game keeping me on my toes. Furthermore the new mechanics of dynamaxing and camping are gimmicky and add very little to the game. Also I suggest never using half the items from Max raids if you ever want to have even a modicum difficulty. Plays like a tutorial the wholeway though the game. The greatest sin in this game is the fact that it feels like a tech demo. It shows of what the switch is capable of but does little else. The Story is bland and short. The post games is a joke that can be completed in under an hour. There are no vastly explorable area or even side quests. It's feels small and compact yet somehow empty. I was prepared to like this game and enjoyed my first three hours but it disappointed. It pains me to see such a potentially entertaining entry in the series so poorly executed.All in all would not recommend. Go play fire emblem three houses instead.… Expand
  54. BachelorMusty
    Nov 28, 2019
    2
    This game is in my opinion the worst game in the series. I have played casual and competitive for the last few years (since Gen4) and I never saw such a poor Pokemon game! I will break down my review in two parts for casual and competitive players:
    -----------------------------
    Casual: Lets start with the graphics. Its well known that they reused older models from the 3DS and some were    This game is in my opinion the worst game in the series. I have played casual and competitive for the last few years (since Gen4) and I never saw such a poor Pokemon game! I will break down my review in two parts for casual and competitive players:
    -----------------------------
    Casual:
    Lets start with the graphics. Its well known that they reused older models from the 3DS and some were just slightly altert. Still they say they had to redo everything ... a poor excuse too cut content from the game. The design of new Pokemon is a mixed bag. You got some really solid designs but on the other hand there are some really bad ones and some of them are just altert versions of older pokemon. Animations have been recycled as well. NPCs animation are the same as in USUM (of course not all of them) and Pokemon have a limited pool of animation when attacking or getting hit. Dynamax looks weird and is causing some weird visual glitches.

    The story isn´t great either. Pokemon never had that great of a story, but this game just tops it all. I don´t remember anything special about it ... The rival(s?) has been the same for a few games now, there is now real bad guy in this game and the post game is content that would have fit in the main story. Since there is no bad guy the danger of the game is gone and you basically just have too do all the gyms and become champ. There is one part in the story were they try to implement a bad guy but he doesn´t do anything special.

    The Gameplay has been downgraded as well. The exp-share is constantly active, you level way too fast and NPCs don´t understand how Pokemon work. Gone are the days of Megas and Z-Moves!
    Dynamaxing becomes such a must, that the entirety of the game revolves around that mechanic. The first time it is fun, but after watching the same animation for 10 times you get bored of it very quickly. The concept is boring and a weak combination of Megas and Z-Moves.

    Now to the part i was disappointed by the most: The Wild Area. This area is so poorly made it hurts. It looks bland, no details and it feels empty. Sure it made catching good Pokemon easier, but I can´t shake off the feeling that this could have been just another route. Every other place/route in the game looks more gorgeous and detailed than the wild area. The area is also very small. You can walk though it in the blink of an eye.

    Something equally as bad are the new dens/raids. They made catching Pokemon easy as hell. The easy way to get Pokemon with hidden abilities, Pokemon with near perfect stats and evolved forms. This makes certain parts of the game less important: Breeding, trading and training. Why do all of these when you can just catch the Pokemon you want in the wild area in a raid? If you want to catch those Pokemon you have to defeat them first ... but it is not that easy. The raid Pokemon generate shields which nullify all damage, the are Dynamaxed for the entire battle and if you don´t play online your NPC partners don´t do anything useful in the fight. If you manage to defeat them you are able to throw a ball, but good luck catching them. The higher the difficulty, the lower the chance of catching the Pokemon (even lower if it is a Gigantamax-Pokemon). The rewards are free rare candy, TR (basically the older TMs which are destroyed when used) and some stuff for cooking.

    -----------------------------
    Competitive:

    You really feel the cut of content here. Less Pokemon, no Megas or Z-Moves and a mechanic that takes over the entire way of playing the game. You are sadly forced to use Dynamax. If you do not you lost the battle because the mechanic is broken and can sweep a full team in VGC format. The meta will only contain a few Pokemon that everyone will use because the other ones won´t be viable.

    -----------------------------
    Conclusion:

    If you want a stripped down Pokemon with poor design, less Pokemon than Gen 4 and removed features that made Pokemon what it is ... then go for it. It is sad to see this games getting less and less content or mechanics being removed for the sake of getting more casual. The game plays itself on auto-pilot and the experience is NOT worth the money. I will go back to older games and play them. If you bought this game let me tell you this: Go to the store you got the game from and get your money back or trade it for a Pokemon game on DS or 3DS - bettern known as the good Pokemon games. And I am not joking!

    I left out a lot of things i don´t like about the games, but i just had 5000 characters to make this review. Be aware that there is even more stuff in the game, that will ruin your experience with the game.    … Expand
  55. Termitt
    Nov 29, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had an ok time playing it and wondered if I should give it a 6, but it felt wrong all things considered. As of writing this, I've put in 40 hours of gameplay.

    The good:
    -It looks pretty! I'm not one to harp on graphics as long as a game is good. Overall, the graphics are fine and do their job. In the overworld, at least.
    -The character designs are pretty neat! I can always say that the gym leaders always look good and they're always fun to see.
    -The gyms were a blast! I loved the focus on the gym and everything the game built up for the first 2 gyms and how important they made the gym challenge feel! But the game felt completely empty afterward and I can't say I enjoyed it all that much after that point, which is a shame since I had such a good time at the start...
    -I can't say that I liked a lot of the new Pokemon from what I saw at the start, and some are still bad... but they grew on me a lot, and I like that I had to play with pokemon I usually wouldn't use to normal.
    -The camping stuff was fun, not something I used a lot, but it was cute.
    -The music is nice
    -I had fun. I'm not going to deny that at all. This was a fun game and I'll play it some more. While I have a lot of grievances it's not the worst thing I've ever played. It's ok.
    -The customization feature is back - though I found the outfits rather bland it's nice to see it return.

    The bad:
    -It's under 15 hours long if you speed through it.

    -The games, like most in the pokemon series, are pretty hand-holdy. There are no challenges and you constantly get directed towards the main path no matter how much you want to do other things. Which is fine enough, but I only wish the games let me explore some more without the game spelling it out to me that I need to go to X because of reasons. Almost every time, almost every route, an NPC would tell me to follow them or go somewhere.

    -And to make it worse, the roads are small and short. There's very little to discover and see. While it looks pretty what little there is, there's next to no substance in the routes with how short they are.

    -The free camera is only usable during the Wild Area when I REALLY wanted to be able to use it in other places as well. Every time I left the Wild Area and wanted to look around in certain towns and routes, that want got squashed because of the fixed angles. Some of the angles they used are garbage.

    -The towns
    The first big town we enter is built in a straight line to make the fixed camera work. The camera decided the town layout, essentially. And that's pretty bad for a game that offers such a vast 3D environment. And in some places, the camera was placed in an odd way, like a sky-high birds view, or try to show off an angle of a big building... things that would have been fixed completely if the camera had been free at all times.

    -They removed the national dex...
    I don't mind that they keep a small dex during the main game, but let me at least transfer my old pokemon post-game. There's really no reason to remove it completely if they wanted me to use the new pokemon they added to the game during the campaign.

    -The Dynamax mechanic is rather uninspired.
    I didn't enjoy it and would rather avoid it as much as possible. Sadly impossible, though. Blowing up the pokemon just screams lazy to me.

    -The story is non-existent.
    The Pokemon series has never been well known for their masterful storytelling, but the plots got their charm. This game had a good start but tethered out already at the third gym. After that, the plot might as well have been discarded entirely with how little it wanted to have my character in it. When something exciting happened, we were ushered aside to ignore the plot. There were times where the plot demanded me to help the professor's assistant, but it constantly felt like her story more than my character's.

    -The battle animations suck.
    They are lifeless, soulless. They just jump there. There's nothing interesting going on.

    -Team Yell
    They were... there... I guess? I wish more was done with them. They just ended up feeling like a discount Team Skull without the charm. There was potential for them to be proper hooligans, but not fully realized potential. You probably wouldn't have noticed it if you removed them out of the game.

    -The wild area is an empty hill with nothing to do in it. The roads are linear, and there's little to explore. I wish they had dome more interesting things with the concept, widened out the other routes to feel similar to it.

    -They removed way too many features and cut too many corners and it shows...
    Like... Some background areas in the game weren't animated. When you fight indoors, there are some places where it's just a white background with nothing there. If you fight on a bridge in a town, you're suddenly in a grassy patch outside of the town.

    The game is fine, I'd give it a 6, mediocre at best on normal. But there's more going against it than what builds it up.    … Expand
  56. Silaf
    Dec 14, 2019
    2
    This game was made in really little time cutting the corners. To me it kind of fell soulless even tough it has his own good points like the characters and new pokemon designs (stonejourner is an exception).
    Online services, grafic and animations are unacceptable.
    The missing pokemons in the pokedex could have been easily added by hiring new programmers for the job. Fake buildings with    This game was made in really little time cutting the corners. To me it kind of fell soulless even tough it has his own good points like the characters and new pokemon designs (stonejourner is an exception).
    Online services, grafic and animations are unacceptable.
    The missing pokemons in the pokedex could have been easily added by hiring new programmers for the job.
    Fake buildings with no doors and linear corridor like cities and routes (wrose than other pokemon games).
    Oh and it's super short.    … Expand
  57. Mediocur
    Jan 7, 2020
    2
    a game title which almost guaranteed million of sales number. I don't understand why they don't invest more money to improve their coding and graphic.
    in the beginning GameFreak said because there are too many pokemon have to made. so they need to make a compromise to remove some of them to guarantee the quality.
    but the fact is, most of the pokemons are the same model from the mobile    a game title which almost guaranteed million of sales number. I don't understand why they don't invest more money to improve their coding and graphic.
    in the beginning GameFreak said because there are too many pokemon have to made. so they need to make a compromise to remove some of them to guarantee the quality.
    but the fact is, most of the pokemons are the same model from the mobile pokemon game. which means they should had more time to improve other stuffs.
    THEY DIDN'T. the game is overrated.
    The background story should be very attractive, don't know how they screwed this up to tell players the story so badly.
    Pokemons animation is so so lazy, fire not even shot by my Charizard' mouth.
    The stupid competitor ( the champion's brother) is kind of forcing player to do tutorial. sometime even force you to fight against him. why can't I choose to fight him or not?
    in the 2/3 of game, everything became so rush. I don't even know what's my next challenge and is almost over.
    Everything, Everything should had make better experience for players, but it just screwed up.

    But the bgm is good though, that's why I gave 2/10.    … Expand
  58. Oxyacetylene_
    Jan 9, 2020
    2
    Missing massive amounts of content that was available in previous entries, and costs more to boot.
  59. UnbornZombie
    Jan 9, 2020
    0
    Huge let down. They are getting so lazy with development it’s a shame. This game is an insult to consumers. Do not waste your time playing this garbage.
  60. MisoraHibiki
    Jan 23, 2020
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've played the series from the very beginning. I've invested hours into each installment. While SwSh are good, they're far from perfect.

    The good: smaller UI means being able to give more room for the gameplay.

    The bad: Nat Dex. This is the first entry where past Pokémon were not programmed in: before, any given game would have all the known (and unknown Mythicals) Pokémon that were released by that point.

    Low-tier graphics. While they are sleeker than USUM, SwSh's graphics fall on the very low end in terms of what the Switch is capable of. If the 3DS wasn't retired, SwSh would have ended up there. Using textures that can be compared to a N64 game also doesn't help, either.

    Re-used models and animations. GameFreak claimed that all the animations and models would be brand new. That's not the case. Many, if not all, of the 809 Pokémon released before these games use the same models that they used in USUM. Only thing that was changed is that the models look more sleek. Other than that, no changes.

    Too easy. Never before have I had such an easy time finishing a Pokémon game. With "permanent EXP share" giving an equal amount of EXP to all party members (without dividing it by the number of party members, which is how past games did it) and easy-to-farm EXP crystals (which are far more effective than Rare Candies during the earlier level ranges) makes this game extremely easy.

    Another disposable gimmick. Mega Evolution, first appearing in Gen VI, and Z-Crystals, first appearing in Gen VII, have been replaced by a new gimmick: Dynamaxing. Essentially, making pokémon giant for three turns. Aside from an HP boost and slightly stronger moves, the gimmick is practically useless, as many Dynamaxed Pokémon used by trainers still can't survive even a single hit (especially with the easy sources of EXP). The only clear question is what will replace in in Gen IX.

    Lack of story. While the Pokémon games in general have usually gone with the same story structure, there was always a secondary objective for the player: putting an end to whatevernthe villainous team of the region was planning. It reached the peak in Gen VI when the villainous organization planned to use a weapon capable of killing all life on Earth. Such a story is absent from these games. The closest thing to a villainous team composed of fans of one of the Gym Challengers: their nost heinous act is simply being a nuisance that even their idol becomes angry with them over. The closest thing to an actual villain tries to reawaken a Pokémon responsible for a doomsday event that has happened before, just so he can "provide Galar with enough energy" for the next millenia. The actual threat, though, is nonexistant, and there's no real sense of accomplishment, either. The one battle involved is also scripted, meaning its impossible to actually lose.

    I could say more, but i believe what I've wrote is sufficient enough. GameFreak had a chance to make an astounding game, but due to a yearly deadline they've inflicted on themselves, it seems like future entries will just continue the downhill trend that SwSh has started.    … Expand
  61. Sanji_Kun
    Mar 24, 2020
    0
    By far the worst Pokemon Game ever.

    Nintendo ruined the franchise. In the web there are fangames with better ideas than Nintendo and Game Freak.
  62. Enner
    Mar 24, 2020
    0
    At this rate I’ll never see the Pokémon game I dreamt of as a kid. A real looking Pokémon. Almost how the marvel cartoons have become the marvel movies. I hoped for that and I never should have. Because Nintendo can put out recycled uncreative trash like this and the demand for it is so high that people will just lie to themselves and say it’s good. There is no hope. Game Freak has failed.
  63. Kriser333
    Mar 25, 2020
    0
    Huge disappointment.hated the franchise for this... they made a 2000 style and graphics game in 2020..
  64. retr0_1992
    Aug 19, 2021
    1
    This game is lazy, not for the pokedex, for everything else.
    The story is bad, the combat is the same as always but with a new stupid mechanic... Awful
  65. Anatoma
    Mar 25, 2021
    0
    Wasted 60 doller on this... still regret buying it.
    The game had so much potential but the execution is poor
  66. Elaami
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This game has nothing special, and it sold a lot of copies only for being pokemon There is not effort or love for the pokemon games anymore
  67. FilthyActs88
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Pokémon sword and shield is a game of pure mediocrity when discounting all of the technical issues. It does not do anything exceptional or ground breaking and it is another entry that coasts off the brand name. The main story is just ok, its filled with unskipable cutscenes that often have slowdowns due to poor optimization. The story suffers from the same issues as sun and moon where itPokémon sword and shield is a game of pure mediocrity when discounting all of the technical issues. It does not do anything exceptional or ground breaking and it is another entry that coasts off the brand name. The main story is just ok, its filled with unskipable cutscenes that often have slowdowns due to poor optimization. The story suffers from the same issues as sun and moon where it truly doesn’t feel like your characters story which defeats the point of it being an rpg. The draw distance is genuinely abhorrent and further shows that gamefreak have shown themselves to be incompetent game developers. The game is ridiculously easy and “streamlined” which in this case means dumbed down. The game is short only being around 14-17 hours long which is a ripoff. Most industry standard rpgs range between 60-80 hours long while sword and shield is only a fraction. The graphics are bad there is no other way of putting it, they are low poly and the texture are hilariously low resolution. The colors are washed out and this looks like someone first attempt in unity trying to make a game. You have to compare this game to other games in the industry, gamefreak needs their feat held to the fire and should no longer be allowed to coast off the Pokémon name. I do not recommend purchasing these games, they are cash grabs made by developers who can’t even program a game right and that is just pathetic how a company can’t even do their job right because they are that incompetent. The two version gimmick is tired and should not be done anymore especially for games 20$ more.… Expand
  68. Jota20
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Juego mediocre: graficos de ps3, corto (14h), postgame nulo, diseños de pokemon peores de lo normal, personajes planos, historia mucho peor que la de sol y luna, inestable, bugs; y todo ello recortando el contenido de anteriores entregas: quitando la mitad de los pokemon, todas las megas y z moves, eleminando movimientos... gamefreak espabilad por favor!!! Os estais cargando la saga deJuego mediocre: graficos de ps3, corto (14h), postgame nulo, diseños de pokemon peores de lo normal, personajes planos, historia mucho peor que la de sol y luna, inestable, bugs; y todo ello recortando el contenido de anteriores entregas: quitando la mitad de los pokemon, todas las megas y z moves, eleminando movimientos... gamefreak espabilad por favor!!! Os estais cargando la saga de nuestra vida… Expand
  69. LightIsMyPath
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    -cute new pokemons -great trainer customization - No gts
    -400ish missing pokemons -3ds quality graphics upscale
    -bad fps and freezes
    - stupidly easy (too many heals, forced xp share) -shortest main story of any pokemon game -shortest post game of any pokemon game - too many tutorials -50% price increase for a worse product -wild area is empty -locked by badge catching
  70. FelipeSilv
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Limited game, with an excuse of performance and graphics improvements that never happened. Several bugs in Wild Area. Worst difficulty system ever made in the franchise. The national pokédex cut was just a detail after all.… Expand
  71. waladislau
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Bring back nacional das, de want a full game experience, with ALL pokemons!
  72. 360barrier
    Nov 16, 2019
    1
    Awful graphics, awful controls, awful camera and bad theme. This is a pretty mediocre release in every way. Graphics are like welcome to five years ago. Were they blindfolded when making the camera? Main character is boring. Hopefully this is the last game in the series.
  73. Dagatansky
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    I'm gonna be very honest here, this game is not finished at all! The game isn't bad, but it's not good either. I am about 8 hours in and honestly have no desire to finish it. I have been a Pokemon fan since I was 7 when Gen 1 came out, and this is the most disappointing entry ever in the Pokemon series. The models don't look bad, but not great either, just reused 3DS models. The battleI'm gonna be very honest here, this game is not finished at all! The game isn't bad, but it's not good either. I am about 8 hours in and honestly have no desire to finish it. I have been a Pokemon fan since I was 7 when Gen 1 came out, and this is the most disappointing entry ever in the Pokemon series. The models don't look bad, but not great either, just reused 3DS models. The battle animations are boring and lazy. A lot of the new Pokemon designs are uninteresting, I do like some of them, but a good chunk of them are just bland. I do like some of the new character designs though, but Dynamax is dumb. Just another gimmick to be abandoned next generation. I was really hoping that Mega Evolution would stick around, but it got ditched just like every other gimmick. The always on EXP Share makes the game way to easy, I have blown through all 3 gyms I have fought so far. Absolutely destroying the Dynamax Pokemon the leaders use. The new Wild Area is very lackluster as well. We deserve much better than this game that feels more like an unfinished spin-off, especially from the largest media franchise to ever exist. The Pokemon Company and Game Freak are squandering this series and I honestly have no intentions of playing the next games, especially if this continues. These games are marketed towards kids eventhough the core audience is between the ages of 18 and 30, we want a challenging game. Very disappointing entry, could've been so much better than it is.… Expand
  74. tigermetals
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    TLDR: I've played every Pokemon game so far (except x & y) and this is my favorite one and a step in the right direction for the games. Unlike most of these reviewers, I actually played this game. 8 badges in.

    Pros: New Wild Area gives you access to a whole bunch of pokemon and challenges (optional) upfront in addition to the traditional routes. Quality of Life improvements all over.    TLDR: I've played every Pokemon game so far (except x & y) and this is my favorite one and a step in the right direction for the games. Unlike most of these reviewers, I actually played this game. 8 badges in.

    Pros: New Wild Area gives you access to a whole bunch of pokemon and challenges (optional) upfront in addition to the traditional routes. Quality of Life improvements all over. Raid battles give you excellent rewards. Not grindy. More pokemon available in the main game than ever before. More of the pokemon you want earlier.

    Cons: The game needs voice acting! I would like to see a bigger wild zone with more challenges and options and content.

    Overall: It's a lot of fun and a step in the right direction for the series, I hope they continue in this direction and branch it out further.

    People say the game is easy but remember you can also turn battle style to "set" instead of "switch". and sell your potions and healing items.    … Expand
  75. Francescolomaz
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An absolutely mediocre game with no postgame and horrible grapich and plot.… Expand
  76. ZeroHorugane
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Garden
    4 mounths for GARDEN
    This is a Pokémon Game?
    Pokémon Go have a Best history than this game
  77. Gelider
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Un juego q aburre desde el minuto 1... faltan pokemon , errores gráficos graves ( parece un juego de ps2 y no de esta generación ) animaciones recicladas , juego muy monótono . No veo la innovación por ninguna parte, solo en los pokemon grandes, q a mi parecer son un coñazo
  78. amandamagliaro
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    Switch is a better console than 3DS, so I was expecting more. But anyway, I was still surprised with the game and the news in this new generation
  79. Calabasaloka
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Pokémon nunca ha sido una franquicia especialmente ambiciosa. Es más, para algunos su atractivo reside, precisamente, en su anclaje a un estilo de combate por turnos que parece haber quedado en el olvido por el resto del mercado (con excepciones, claro está). A mi parecer, su conservadurismo ha llevado a Pokémon a ser lo que es hoy: un producto mediocre, incapaz de reinventarse, que cadaPokémon nunca ha sido una franquicia especialmente ambiciosa. Es más, para algunos su atractivo reside, precisamente, en su anclaje a un estilo de combate por turnos que parece haber quedado en el olvido por el resto del mercado (con excepciones, claro está). A mi parecer, su conservadurismo ha llevado a Pokémon a ser lo que es hoy: un producto mediocre, incapaz de reinventarse, que cada nueva entrega trata al jugador con mayor condescendencia. Jamás había visto creadores tan ajenos a su producto. Si Pokémon alguna vez fue un proyecto apasionado, ya solo quedan los restos insulsos de lo que alguna vez fue. Los fallos de estas nuevas entregas son muchos, por lo que haré una lista de algunos, aún a sabiendas de que será insuficiente:
    -Apartado gráfico sorprendentemente malo, sumado a las animaciones ortopédicas. No soy ni diseñador gráfico ni animador, solo un jugador del montón. Pero esto tiene que ser de coña. Tomándolo con humor, hasta agradezco que sea tan descaradamente desastroso visualmente; soy de quienes lloran de la risa con la cutrez del primer Resident Evil en este aspecto. No hay mucho que explicar, los que jugamos entregas anteriores sabemos que han reciclado hasta las animaciones de los personajes humanos (que ya de por sí dejaban mucho que desar) y que la cuestionable calidad de modelados y texturas se hacen más evidentes que nunca con el salto al HD.
    -Repartir experiencia forzado, que hace del juego prácticamente injugable. Un juego de estrategia en el que la estrategia es innecesaria, a mi parecer, es muestra de una incomprensión absoluta del modo en el que el juego debe interactuar con el jugador. No hay tensión ni placer en el jugar.
    -Eliminación de la GTS. Nada más que añadir.
    -Sustitución de mecánicas ya consolidadas (véase la megaevolución) por otras más pretenciosas que solo agradarán a los jugadores de Pokémon GO.
    -La ausencia de todos los Pokémon hasta la fecha. Esto no es algo que me moleste particularmente, de no ser por el desdén con el que se ha tratado a sus potenciales consumidores. Espero que la desconexión entre compañía y usuario se vea reflejada en las ventas.
    El único punto positivo de los juegos son los diseños de los pokémon, algunos más creativos que otros, pero tan ideales como siempre; más sintiéndolo mucho, unos diseños bonitos no redimen ni por asomo sus carencias.
    En resumen: la saga Pokémon ha muerto definitivamente, (para quienes lo dudasen incluso tras la salida de los Let's Go) y tristemente, los consumidores de comida basura que son sus fans, los responsables de su muerte, no la dejaran descansar en paz. De hecho, los fans estarán encantados con los títulos, para ellos lo tendrán todo: fanservice a más no poder y la inflada de precio a los 60€ que muy gustosos pagarán en su afán consumista, junto a los múltiples servicios de pago. Ah, y no nos confundamos. Esto no es un producto dirigido a los niños, sino a adultos que se niegan a crecer. La franquicia de Super Mario ha crecido junto a sus jugadores aún siendo accesible a nuevas generaciones. Pokémon intentó crecer, pero no pudo, porque sus jugadores nunca lo hicieron.
    P.D. Muy fan de la escena inicial del juego, que no echa en falta doblaje ni mucho menos.    … Expand
  80. zshbr0
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This game is so rubbish but so rubbish, for so many reasons that comes from the laziness of writing, just do not waste your time and money and do not buy, who warns friend is.
  81. Quimbarreiros
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Honestly not that good of a game.
    Incomplete game, bad animations add more.
  82. papyr
    Jan 12, 2020
    8
    please. this game is amazing. not 10/10 amazing but clearly up there. yall just gonna rat it out for having the pat like 85.83% of pokemon missing like ight
  83. Chozo94
    Nov 25, 2019
    8
    Sword and Shield - Hate or Love?

    What makes a Game a good Game? Do graphic matter? We should all ask ourselfs what do we expect from certain products. Think back to the good old time of the N64 or PS1. How do these games look today? Well, still pretty good tbh - but thats mostly nostalgia. Links Awakening (GB) was a pretty good Game aswell. Was it because of the graphics? Most    Sword and Shield - Hate or Love?

    What makes a Game a good Game? Do graphic matter?

    We should all ask ourselfs what do we expect from certain products. Think back to the good old time of the N64 or PS1. How do these games look today? Well, still pretty good tbh - but thats mostly nostalgia. Links Awakening (GB) was a pretty good Game aswell. Was it because of the graphics? Most certainly not.

    A Good Game is a Good Game (or not) judged by everyone individually. Its combined by the feelings you get by playing, no matter if the graphic is good, RPG elements are on top, the combat ist perfect or whatever (I mean cmon, there are people who say OOT is a bad game).

    Now to Sword

    I now completed the Main Story and became the Champ. i pretty much "rushed" thru the game, I never was the biggest fan of "gotta catch em´ all" heck, i never finished a Pokedex. It took me around 16 hours to become the Champ. Now there is a bunch of Post Game. So time investment is pretty good!

    The Graphics
    Oh man the Graphics. How does it look? Pretty good. Its not a AAA titel and im glad about that. How do Nintendo Games look in general? Not really realistic, every (ok almost every) Game has a set and fitting artstyle. And it doesnt matter if the Trees are 4K UHD Trees with seasonal change and individual Leafs. Important is, if at all fits together and looks good, and yes, Pokemon Sword/Shield looks good. Its, as i said, not something u´d need a RTX 2080TI for, but it still looks good.

    Story
    Well, it is a pokemon game after all. I did not expect the biggest plot twist of all time or a Rival who has a personality that keep me awake at night (to be fair, Hop has no Character at all). You start as a small Kid from a small town to become the Champ. Thats basiclly it. There happens a buncha stuff with the dynamaxing at the Legendarys, the big CEO and so on, but the Story is nothing really to talk about. Doesnt sound that fun eh? I still had alot of fun. I dont play Pokemon for the story, i play it for the Pokemon.

    National Dex/ Pokedex

    Oh boi. The national dex. All the pokemon that are not in the Game. For me, i could not care less. You have over 400 Pokemon to choose from, and to be honest with yourself you will only use 3 of them because u dont need more. I have no idea, why this is such a big deal. Its not Pokemon Gold, Emerald, Pearl or Black, its Pokemon Sword/Shield. Its a individual Game with its own rules. Nothing to hate about.

    Difficulty

    Is it a hard game? No. Did my whole team ever fainted and i had to retry anything? No. Why is that you ask? Is it too easy? It is not too easy. And it is maybe because the target group for pokemon are 12 year olds. I am 25. I have played almost every Pokemon game. Of course Pokemon is not a Dark Souls! Its a game designed for kids. Why should it be hard?

    Well, i had lots and lots of fun with pokemon Sword. Im not done yet, still gotta do alot of postgame or Shinyhunt. Would i recommend it? Hell yes, i would.

    Note: English is not my native language, im sorry if this is kinda hard to read. :)    … Expand
  84. Haydinho
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    The more I play this the more I realize this is a shameless cash grab. Don’t trust the reviews of delusional pokefans, this game was rushed to market and gamefreak has simply done the minimal amount of effort required to call this a Pokémon RPG. Skip this game if you haven’t already bought it, and if you have, return it if you can.
  85. FluffySpartan
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    its a cash grab with low effort in it. everyone expected a great and big game wich the pokemon series deserve after so many years and the most powerful console nintendo ever made.

    pokemon is the biggest franchise on this planet and they give nothing back to the fans ! how about giving the license to another studio wich cares about the players?

    gotta catch them...... few
  86. Tseppelin
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The worst Pokemon game ever... Worst Pokemon and worst content, Also so much cutted off
  87. slothvan95
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Pokémon Shield is your average run off the mill Pokemon adventure. The characters are charming, the new creature designs are wonderful, and the adventure itself is lackluster. It is not that these games are bad games, they’re just not great games, and they certainly do not live up to their own potential. Routes are nothing more than a straight line without diverging paths or things toPokémon Shield is your average run off the mill Pokemon adventure. The characters are charming, the new creature designs are wonderful, and the adventure itself is lackluster. It is not that these games are bad games, they’re just not great games, and they certainly do not live up to their own potential. Routes are nothing more than a straight line without diverging paths or things to discover. The wild area is empty, and bland. The towns lack any sort of side quests, or personality of their own. Sure, these games will always scratch that new Pokémon itch, but gosh darn if it wouldn’t be wonderful to see these games live up to what they could ultimately be.… Expand
  88. MadViolinist
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Lamentablemente Gamefreak sigue con la mentalidad de desarrollar juegos para la 3DS. Este juego está pensado para esa consola, pero no para la nintendo switch.
    Cero innovación, cero mejoras.
  89. LaCroixBoy
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Too little content to justify its existence. Nintendo and Gamefreak should have learned their lesson when they didn't make Ruby and Sapphire backwards comparable with the previous gen games. Only having access to a little under half the total number of pokemon is really lame and counter to the whole concept of the games in the first place. I think that it's pretty inexcusable.… Expand
  90. thrwycr
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Enormous amounts of cut content, bold-faced lies from developers used as excuses, incredibly poor use of the hardware, overall an obviously unfinished game. Definitively the worse in the history of the franchise.
  91. Ralet
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    worst pokemon ever. No national dex. No endgame. Short and boring story. Terrible graphic.
  92. vylleon
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    A falta da nacional dex, o modelos reutilizados de outros jogos o corte de mais de 400 pokémons no jogo.
  93. Kyhrux
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    If you expected to get the full blown home console Pokemon experience with this game, I'll have to disappoint you. Everything in this game just looks like an upscaled 3ds port, the textures are bad, some objects seem like they're from a n64 game and let's not even talk about the animations which were supposed to be of higher quality in exchange for the lower amount Pokemon in the game. TheIf you expected to get the full blown home console Pokemon experience with this game, I'll have to disappoint you. Everything in this game just looks like an upscaled 3ds port, the textures are bad, some objects seem like they're from a n64 game and let's not even talk about the animations which were supposed to be of higher quality in exchange for the lower amount Pokemon in the game. The graphics are really bad we know that already what about the gameplay? What does the new big Pokemon game for home consoles bring to the table with it's supposed revolutionary gameplay? Dynamaxing
    Dynamaxing has been one of the most boring gimmicks for Pokemon since they stared doing them and funny thing is
    You can't even use them in every fight, only in some story missions and arena battles. The other gameplay is very linear and boring and there is next to no late game gameplay.
    I wouldn't recommend to buy this game and I feel so strongly about this game that I would honestly say that hate this game and everything it stands for I'll never ever support gamefreak again.    … Expand
  94. OmegaChase1002
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Just buy Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth Complete Edition, EvoCreo, Temtem, or Yokai Watch instead.
    WHAT the H-E DOUBLE HOCKEY STICK was Gamefreak THINKING!?
    No National Dex, bugs everywhere, cut moves, horrible animations (despite Masuda claiming they would be the best in the series), hand-holding EASY difficulty since we're unable to turn the EXP share off anymore, free full heals literally    Just buy Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth Complete Edition, EvoCreo, Temtem, or Yokai Watch instead.
    WHAT the H-E DOUBLE HOCKEY STICK was Gamefreak THINKING!?
    No National Dex, bugs everywhere, cut moves, horrible animations (despite Masuda claiming they would be the best in the series), hand-holding EASY difficulty since we're unable to turn the EXP share off anymore, free full heals literally everywhere even when not in a Pokémon Center, abysmally short campaign, almost no postgame, a rival who is literally just Hau 2 (right down to his animations), a Champion with an unlikeable egotistical personality, obvious gen 1 pandering, a bug that can actually erase the save data of all your other games saved on your Switch, and a whole host of other problems.
    Stick to the older games from gens 1 to 7. This game is the death of Pokémon.    … Expand
  95. Galo_Ninja
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    It's amazing Game Freak's incompetence to promise to make a whole new and immersive game and bring a game with graphics and animations like the previous game. If I could summarize this game, I would say it is a lazy game that has no news, its characters are very similar to those of the previous game and without creativity and there is a great lack of content. A hasty game that I don'tIt's amazing Game Freak's incompetence to promise to make a whole new and immersive game and bring a game with graphics and animations like the previous game. If I could summarize this game, I would say it is a lazy game that has no news, its characters are very similar to those of the previous game and without creativity and there is a great lack of content. A hasty game that I don't recommend.

    É incrível a incompetência da Game Freak em prometer fazer um jogo totalmente novo e imersivo e trazer um jogo com gráficos e animações iguais ao do jogo anterior. Se eu pudesse resumir esse jogo, eu diria que é um jogo preguiçoso que não traz novidades, seus personagens são muito parecidos aos do jogo anterior e sem criatividade e há uma grande falta de conteúdo. Um jogo feito ás pressas que eu não recomendo.    … Expand
  96. hiimdaisy
    Nov 16, 2019
    1
    I don't understand why people's reviews are getting deleted, including my brother's so I'm gonna post it for us both because not even this webpage is worthy of attention now apparently.

    The only positive the game has is that well, it's pokemon, it's kinda fun and chill at the end of the day but this specific iteration suffers from so many steps back it's actually kind of incredible.    I don't understand why people's reviews are getting deleted, including my brother's so I'm gonna post it for us both because not even this webpage is worthy of attention now apparently.

    The only positive the game has is that well, it's pokemon, it's kinda fun and chill at the end of the day but this specific iteration suffers from so many steps back it's actually kind of incredible.

    This game is rushed. Animations are choppy, graphic and texture quality is kind of horrible and there is performance issues everywhere to the point where in cutscenes and multiplayer double battles the docked switch can barely make it to 18fps.
    450+ pokemon got cut and no new models were made in the porting of the rest. Only 80 new pokemon. Uninspired music. A joke of a story that's as shallow as a hollywood influencer. Reused model for Hop from the Alola rival, who already was hated.

    The gameplay is the exact same, but duller. The music choice for many """"tense"""" moments is horrible, non-existent, or the game cuts into it suddenly without any sort of fade-in fade-out. Everything feels rushed.

    The difficulty aspect finishes killing this game off as boring and lackluster. Exp. Share is forced on and the AI is more ridiculous than ever. The game might be for kids but the lack of difficulty options is almost unforgivable at this point. Or multiple save files. Or be allowed to turn exp. share off. Or anything at all. This game holds your hand through the story even more than sun and moon and the permanent tutorial makes it even more linear than before.

    The story is the shortest, the variety the smallest in 17 years, the graphics look 2 or 3 generations old, the battle system is the exact same as always but duller (no megas, no z-moves, -150 moves, dynamax is a very uncompetitive feature if you care about that).
    Lack of innovation, lack of true open-world, wild area being buggy, laggy, lifeless and unvaried, etc. make me have to give this game a 1/10.

    Toby Fox's song gets that 1, otherwise it's just a cashgrab from gamefreak. Awful job.    … Expand
  97. Xenon98
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Disappointed...not worth the price....too short...felt really rushed...no national dex because working on the animation for 800+ pokemon was hard but I didnt feel like the visual fidelity was anything to ride home about especially based on what the switch can handle....
  98. Piecake
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Missing Pokemon, bugs galore, horrible textures, bizarre spawning areas for certain pokemon, no difficulty curve at all because of constant xp share, reports of the game breaking save files and switch consoles, I've been waiting 20 years for this, super super disappointing.
  99. Mega-N
    Nov 16, 2019
    1
    This game sucks low content, re-use animations from 3ds, lazy desings, bugs, and The post game has been ruined and The ñrice is still on 60$ thanks gamefreak for being line ea
  100. poxotaf266
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    The people giving it a 10 can't even give 3 reasons why they like the game. It is the worst installment of the franchise:
    - removed 450 pokemon
    - removed 130 moves - removed key features - fewer than 100 new pokemon - linear region - only 10 routes - no dungeons - reused models - reused textures - reused animations - reused music - short playtime - short postgame - boring    The people giving it a 10 can't even give 3 reasons why they like the game. It is the worst installment of the franchise:
    - removed 450 pokemon
    - removed 130 moves
    - removed key features
    - fewer than 100 new pokemon
    - linear region
    - only 10 routes
    - no dungeons
    - reused models
    - reused textures
    - reused animations
    - reused music
    - short playtime
    - short postgame
    - boring story
    - handholding
    - low difficulty
    - buggy
    - unpolished
    - lazy
    - rushed
    - no cohesion
    - potentially console-breaking (NAND issues are legit according to experts)    … Expand
Page:

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]
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