Pokemon Sword / Shield Dual Pack

 Switch
User Score
4.4

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 404 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 151 out of 404
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 404
  3. Negative: 229 out of 404
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  1. WizardChamp
    Dec 3, 2019
    10
    First to adress the elephant in the room, the visuals contain a lot of reused 3DS assets and unoptimized loading for the Switch. This game isn't overly visually stunning but it's if you approach it as a handheld game built for a home console by people who have little experience with optimizing the hardware, it's alright. Second, no not all the Pokémon are in the game but technically youFirst to adress the elephant in the room, the visuals contain a lot of reused 3DS assets and unoptimized loading for the Switch. This game isn't overly visually stunning but it's if you approach it as a handheld game built for a home console by people who have little experience with optimizing the hardware, it's alright. Second, no not all the Pokémon are in the game but technically you couldn't obtain them all in previous games either without transferring them from older games, it's fine, we still have about 400 Pokémon. The story echoes the traditional Pokémon plot structure 8 gyms, beat your rival(s), beat the team of miscreants that get in your way, and make your way to the Pokémon league. There's been 8 versions of this story prior with a few changes and adjustments (not counting retellings), it's just how Pokémon is. That being said the minor adjustments in Sword and Shield really echo some of the best past versions of it with some really neat and interesting twists, don't expect Shakespeare but if you liked past Pokémon stories you will like this one. The region the game is set in, Galar, is based on England and is probably going to be one of my favorite regions looking back. Most of the game takes place in one large connected segment of the region which honestly brings me back to games before the 6th and 7th generation of Pokémon on 3DS, and the Wild Area just adds to this connected feel (of course don't expect to have access to everything all at once, blocked off areas do open up as you go as in any other Pokémon game, and the beginning and ending segments have their own areas you won't be spending as much time in). As for the Pokémon themselves the game has a fine Pokémon selection including a bunch of new Pokémon and Galarian forms of old ones I absolutely love. The gameplay keeps the soul of the series while also offering some great stream lining and plenty of improvements, including some brought over from last years' Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. I love the dynamax concept as a whole especially how it gives the feeling of unique and special Pokémon battles to wild non-story based encounters and just adds plenty of room to create new kinds of encounters as a whole. I finished the main story very over leveled but a post game encounter showed me that I could still improve so it's never too easy, just more accessible to everyone. In short despite the shortcomings Sword and Shield has improved where I think it matters most and offers excellent gameplay and story (for a Pokémon game's story) and has easily become one of my favorites in the series. I give Pokémon Sword and Shield a 10 out of 10.… Expand
  2. Daitya
    Dec 8, 2019
    10
    Como todo juego de la saga Pokémon es un buen juego. Nuevas criaturas, batallas, la magia de empezar de nuevo en una nueva región, una nueva cultura regional y personajes, una banda sonora impresionante... Pero también nos encontraremos con numerosos fallos como... Ciudades un poco monótonas, el recorte de Pokémon(que espero que metan un DLC para compensar), la falta de libertad delComo todo juego de la saga Pokémon es un buen juego. Nuevas criaturas, batallas, la magia de empezar de nuevo en una nueva región, una nueva cultura regional y personajes, una banda sonora impresionante... Pero también nos encontraremos con numerosos fallos como... Ciudades un poco monótonas, el recorte de Pokémon(que espero que metan un DLC para compensar), la falta de libertad del principio o la escasez de postgame.

    Lionel, el campeón de Galar se ve más humano y actúa como tal, además de ser querido y conocido por todos los habitantes. Me gusta su expresión al perder(aunque me da un poco de pena combatir contra él XD). Eso sí, este personaje fue el único que me derrotó y me superaba en nivel.

    Para terminar me gustaría destacar la toxicidad de la comunidad de Pokémon. Una comunidad tan tóxica que no puede disfrutar de un juego de su saga favorita y prefieren insultar y amenazar de muerte a Game Freak porque no se sienten satisfechos con el juego(o al menos es lo que dicen). También deberíamos apreciar la otra posición donde se ponen como locos cuando hacen una crítica a su juego favorito.

    Conclusión para ambas opiniones de ardidos y amargados: Disfrutad del juego y pasad de vuestro "Orgullo Pokémon" parecéis una secta. Es un juego y ya está, no han matado a vuestros padres. Como cada juego tiene sus puntos fuertes y sus puntos débiles y ya está. Eso sí, estáis en vuestro derecho a decir que el juego está "incompleto" o que podrían haber hecho algo mejor... Pero hacedlo sin insultar y con un punto de vista neutral, que hay cada crítica destructiva que no tiene sentido.    … Expand
  3. SilexEco
    Dec 7, 2019
    9
    Bueno, lo primero un enorme saludo a los piperos de 3dMaletines que tan enamorados andan de mi culo, en especial al admin "yasif-nator", chico a ver si dejas de atragantarte con tanto maletín de PlayStation España, que es que no se puede ni leer cada noticia que publicas, perdón, quería decir publicitas, con tanta baba, menos mal que poco a poco van despertando las neuronas de la gente yBueno, lo primero un enorme saludo a los piperos de 3dMaletines que tan enamorados andan de mi culo, en especial al admin "yasif-nator", chico a ver si dejas de atragantarte con tanto maletín de PlayStation España, que es que no se puede ni leer cada noticia que publicas, perdón, quería decir publicitas, con tanta baba, menos mal que poco a poco van despertando las neuronas de la gente y os van mandando a donde os corresponde.

    Dicho esto y vamos al meollo de la cuestión, Pokémon Espada y Escudo, representan un salto tecnológico muy grande desde las últimas ediciones pero con algún pero, lo mejor, el área silvestre y su conectividad con otros jugadores, le da un aire fresco y una vida increíble al videojuego, sólo por esto es imposible que algunos medios de prensa "especializados" de videojuegos (propaganda de alcantarilla) le den un triste 8. Sinceramente, espero que la próxima gen, la novena, sea 100% área silvestre.

    Lo peor del juego para mí puede ser por ejemplo, la historia, no termina de enganchar y casi hasta el final del juego no ves realmente un gran avance, que casi parece sacado con prisas y debajo de la manga, en anteriores ediciones te mantenía enganchado desde el inicio, otro punto negativo es que al juego le falta esa pizca de oscuridad/mezquinidad que ofrecían otras entregas, por ejemplo, el team Yell me parece una broma de mal gusto y el rival Paul (Hop), que es casi tan irritante como un pipero.

    Y hasta aquí todo, sin más, un juego redondo que merece la pena hasta el último céntimo, hay cosas sin mayor impotancia en los que se enfrascan los piperomasones y los pokéllorones como los gráficos o que no hay pokédex nacional para tirarle mierda al juego, creedme que a los jugadores de bien son cosas que ni las vais a notar porque el juego divierte y es adictivo, que es lo importante.

    Bueno haters, ya podéis seguir "jugando" con vuestro simulador de repartidor del cual hasta elrbiusomg ha hecho una parodia, porque esa cosa soporífera no la soporta ni Dios.

    P.D.: La nota de cero al GOW muy bien merecida, ya que lo puse justo cuando lo arruinaron con aquella actualización que calló toda la prensa piperomasónica.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    ENGLISH:

    Pokémon Sword and Shield, represent a very great technological jump since the last editions, the best, the wild area and it's connectivity with other players, it gives a fresh air and an incredible life to the game, just because of this it is impossible that some media "specialized" video games (sewer propaganda) give him a sad 8. Sincerely, I hope that the next gene, the ninth, could it be 100% wild area.

    The worst part of the game for me may be, for example, the story, it does not finish hooking and almost until the end of the game you do not really see a breakthrough, which almost seems taken out in a hurry and under the sleeve, in previous editions it kept you hooked From the beginning, another negative point is that the game is missing that bit of darkness / meanness that other deliveries offered, for example, the Yell team seems like a joke in bad taste and the rival Hop is nasty.    … Expand
  4. WeepingWillow
    Dec 22, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game takes several steps forward and several steps back. Depending on your priorities, this could be the best or worst game ever. It has very streamlined gameplay, with some tutorials being skippable and a lot less cutscenes then previous games. The Wild Area alone made me want to buy the game - it has all kinds of cool multiplayer features(though the UI is very confusing), its open world and lets you catch all kinds of pokemon you normally wouldn't, it lets participate in "Max Raid Battles" where you and three players/npcs fight against one giant Pokemon, and it lets you spend a new currency called "Watts" on cool new items. Pokemon Camp is a great feature, letting you play with Pokemon in a way never seen before. In previous games, you played with pokemon one at a time. But in this game, you can play with them all at once. You can talk to them, play fetch with them, or sit back and let them interact with each other! The best part about Pokemon Camp is seeing how your pokemon interact with each other. They have conversations, they race, they argue, they help each other play fetch, ect. And you can also cook curry with them. This is a fun minigame that while there isn't much motive you use, its pretty cool to see all the different ingredient and berry combinations you can make.

    Now on to the rest of the game. I'll talk about the good before the bad. Some of the characters have the most personality and are the most fleshed out of any pokemon game that I know of. Even the rival that everyone hates, Hop, has a great character arc. The music is very good, though not as good as Black and White or Sun and Moon. The new pokemon designs are very cool, though I wish there were more new pokemon. Gym battles are the most fun they've ever been. You fight in a massive stadium with people cheering you on. I have a love-hate relationship with Dynamax. It is very fun to use and visually appealing, but it is very imbalanced and can be easily abused.

    Now, onto the bad.

    A lot of people posting bad reviews are annoyed about the "National Dex Cut" or "Dexit". In previous games, you would be able to transfer pokemon from previous generations over to your current game. But in this game, you can't. Essentially, only about 50% of the pokemon are in this game. If this is your first game, you don't normally transfer pokemon over, or you just don't care about a lot of the pokemon cut, then this really doesn't affect you at all. Keep in mind, 50% of 880 pokemon is about 400 pokemon. That's a lot of fully functional characters in a game. You won't find another switch game with 400 unique characters that you can "play" as. But I'm not saying it's not a disappointment, and people have a right to be mad. It doesn't completely ruin the game.

    As for the other flaws, I think the absolute biggest problem with this game is the removal of the ability to turn off XP share, and the easiness of the game in general. I found the game quite difficult, but only because I worked quite hard to make sure I didn't get overleveled or I didn't use a Pokemon that would allow me to essentially skip a fight. Normally, you can turn off XP share to make the game more difficult(XP share gives XP to all of your pokemon, even when they don't battle). But for some reason, they removed it, meaning its a lot harder to make the game harder.

    The graphics are alright, I guess. The reason why people hate them so much is the devs claimed they were improving the graphics and animations and that's why they cut pokemon. There are actually a lot of other legitimate reasons why they cut the pokemon(the main one being they couldn't afford enough storage) but this isn't one of them. The graphics, while the best we've seen in a Pokemon game, are not up to par with other $60 switch games.

    The plot is the biggest disappointment for me. While the postgame has some decent plot, the main plot is hot garbage. And I say its a disappointment because the characters are so good. I love all the characters in Sword and Shield, yet the actual plot is near-nonexistent. Its like a D&D game, with great players and a bad dungeon master.

    My recommendation is:if you want the game, buy it. If you don't, don't. If your kid wants it for Christmas or something and you can afford it, buy it. Keep in mind, the game is $60, whereas previous games on the 3DS have been $40.

    All things considered, it's all about priorities. And my priorities are Pokemon designs, music, plot, and gameplay. So I give it an 80%.    … Expand
  5. Mykeeh
    Feb 17, 2020
    8
    I play the Shield version and my nephew plays the Sword version. In his opinion he said “This is the best game i have ever played! I don’t want it to end” he is 8 and satisfied. I on the otherhand am 27 and have more opinions. The animation on some attacks needs improvemen and there is a bug on some attacks that says it is not effective even though it is. It could be more challenging tooI play the Shield version and my nephew plays the Sword version. In his opinion he said “This is the best game i have ever played! I don’t want it to end” he is 8 and satisfied. I on the otherhand am 27 and have more opinions. The animation on some attacks needs improvemen and there is a bug on some attacks that says it is not effective even though it is. It could be more challenging too when in come to defeating the players in the game. Winning every time seems to be a given.… Expand
  6. XsGamer
    Nov 19, 2019
    10
    NOTE: If you are review bombing because of the pokedex. Grow up, you're a child and should never be taken seriously. I would urge anyone actually reading these user reviews to ignore the ones spouting crap about it due to a pokedex (not all the pokemon being in the game). Their opinion in this matter is invalid.

    With that said: Pokemon sword/shield provide a different experience than    NOTE: If you are review bombing because of the pokedex. Grow up, you're a child and should never be taken seriously. I would urge anyone actually reading these user reviews to ignore the ones spouting crap about it due to a pokedex (not all the pokemon being in the game). Their opinion in this matter is invalid.

    With that said: Pokemon sword/shield provide a different experience than previous games. None of my favorite pokemon are in the game. However that sort of thing doesn't bother me. Unlike people complaining about the lack of the entire dex I know it would take tens of thousands of hours to animate every single action and attack.

    The biggest downfall is the performance issues when you play with the online enabled in the wild area. Other than that it's really not a big deal. The entire experience is enjoyable and I've done nothing but enjoy my time spent playing.    … Expand
  7. TalionSwift
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Have played a good 10 hrs so far 2 gyms down, i love this game so far! The music is legit my favorite Pokemon soundtrack so far i love it and several choice songs are on my playlist. The new Pokemon are pretty great and SIr Fetche'd is awesome looking. In anycase i look forward to finishing this game, i cant believe all the hate this is getting over mostly Nitpicks IMO.
  8. viniLPS
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    achei os jogo excelentes, mas com muitos diálogos no início, e alguns cenários de batalha deveriam ornar melhor com o local que vc está
  9. LycanLiam
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Pokemon Sword and Shield are the best Pokemon games in the series! I play the game every day! They are fun, exciting, and easy to play. I hope to see more Pokemon games that focus on story, character development, and gameplay! I recommend these games to everyone! I have played every Pokemon game in the series so far. This game is the best one so far. It is also really easy to learn and getPokemon Sword and Shield are the best Pokemon games in the series! I play the game every day! They are fun, exciting, and easy to play. I hope to see more Pokemon games that focus on story, character development, and gameplay! I recommend these games to everyone! I have played every Pokemon game in the series so far. This game is the best one so far. It is also really easy to learn and get the hang of. The graphics are great and the storyline is fun and engaging. I like how you can customize your character, and what types of new Pokemon are available, and it adds an additional depth to the gameplay. It is my favorite game in the Pokemon series. The storyline is very well thought out and is always interesting.… Expand
  10. Vordx
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    An awesome improvement over previous titles. The changes to the random encounters as well as online functionality made the world feel much more alive. I've never caught so many Pokémon during the main storyline
  11. Flare748
    Nov 19, 2019
    10
    The flaws are so minor they really don’t matter to me. I haven’t had this much fun in a Pokémon game since XY. I would recommend this game to everybody. Gyms are so hype now thanks to the music, setup and camera angles. The wild area is so fun and full of fun and engaging max raid that you can play online and locally. Towns look amazing on the Switch and I will be playing this game forThe flaws are so minor they really don’t matter to me. I haven’t had this much fun in a Pokémon game since XY. I would recommend this game to everybody. Gyms are so hype now thanks to the music, setup and camera angles. The wild area is so fun and full of fun and engaging max raid that you can play online and locally. Towns look amazing on the Switch and I will be playing this game for hundreds of hours.… Expand
  12. RepentantSky2
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    I'm very glad I bought the dual pack of Pokemon Sword and Shield, because playing through one game wasn't enough, these games are too much fun for that. Despite the hate being sent their way, Pokemon Sword and Shield are the best games in the series to date, period.
  13. liquidkitten
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    In the end there are only about 40 pokemon I miss from the roster. Game is really fun and well made! I do not know what the issue with animations is. To me they seem great!
  14. Queensephora
    Mar 7, 2020
    10
    They have really outdone themselves. I have been playing pokemon since a kid. I love the pokemon link box, taxis, and xP share with out needing xP share. There is so much new content!
  15. 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
  16. DuckTurtle
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    The game has a lot to offer and is with out a doubt the most difficult modern Pokemon game especially in the second half. The animations are smooth and the frame rate didn't drop. Most of the landscapes look great. While the did cut half of the Pokemon there are still a ton of Pokemon in the game (400), and most of the new Pokemon look good. Honestly a very solid game.
  17. Geraldux
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    No se por que tan malas criticas es un gran juego, es divertido, adictivo, competitivo, multijugador, tal vez no contenga a todos los pokemones pero contiene a muchos de generaciones pasadas , la parte donde es como un mundo abierto, y te encuentras otros jugadores online, los gimnasios, los nuevos pokemones e ir descubriendo sus aptitudes y evoluciones siguen emocionando.
    se ve bien no    No se por que tan malas criticas es un gran juego, es divertido, adictivo, competitivo, multijugador, tal vez no contenga a todos los pokemones pero contiene a muchos de generaciones pasadas , la parte donde es como un mundo abierto, y te encuentras otros jugadores online, los gimnasios, los nuevos pokemones e ir descubriendo sus aptitudes y evoluciones siguen emocionando.
    se ve bien no sera la máxima calidad en la consola pero se ve bien, no hay bajones de frames y el sonido es espectacular. Si le ponen malas criticas solo por el hecho de no tener a todos los pokemons, les digo jueguen sin ver nada de spoiler ni vídeos y verán como se emocionan.
    Recomendado    … Expand
  18. Cassiel
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    It's more or less a perfect game and a true successor to the series. True Pokemon fans will enjoy it, the rest shouldn't bother.
  19. lexistrainer
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Hola a todos apenas el dia de ayer pude probar el juego para mi si fue un gran cambio a lo que conocemos pokemon desde sus inicios desde pokemon rojo fuego y verde hoja con nuevas mecánicas desde la función de Gigamax el poke campamento entre otras cosas por otro lado sabemos que pokemon salto a una nueva generación asi que en sus gráficos si dejo mucho que desear pero eso no te impide jugar con gran ilusión o otros motivo negativo es por que el juego dura menas horas que los otros juegos de pokemon pero si se ponen analizar el personaje tiene mas velocidad que los anteriores juegos que sus pasos eran mas peque;os y la velocidad realmente recorta tiempo asi que si en mi opinión vale toda la pena jugarlo.… Expand
  20. Fizalpha
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So much unjust hate for the best Pokemon game in the entire series, there is no other Pokemon game that even comes 10% close to this one, it's everything you'd want for both competitive and casual, no need to breed or do monotonous things anymore, you can change personalities with discs, find a Pokemon you like with great IVs but horrible personality? Hold onto it and change it with a disc, and you never have to give up your hard earned Pokemon.

    The Wild Area is the best thing to ever be done in a Pokemon game, with online co-op play and changing biomes rotating what you can catch, along with a bunch of special things to do and see, there's literally nothing I can find wrong with this game when compared to my last favorite game which was White. The Gym leader battles are fun and exciting, with minigames before each one, or during them in some cases...

    You actually feel like a Pokemon trainer in this game, from the anime, and there's so much detail in every little part of this game... Yes half the Pokemon are missing, but there's more than enough to make up for it in the actual GAMEPLAY and what is there is great and all competitively viable.    … Expand
  21. Dhbbjuf
    Jun 22, 2020
    10
    Very nice game
    Good gameplay
    Plenty of new Pokemon
    Interesting story
    Will recommend
  22. GenkiYokota
    Jan 27, 2022
    10
    One of the best modern generations of Pokémon, much better than the distant and mythical X and Y.
    Unfairly criticized, the video game press did appreciate the game. Since it has a great story, a very varied and fun world to explore, as well as one of the best multiplayer ever seen.
  23. I_Trust_In_GF
    Jan 29, 2022
    10
    Beautiful and precious, is the only way to describe the Galar region
    User evaluations in general give a very distorted view of this game. It really very fun and ideal for hanging out with the childrens.
  24. Jorgealpizar
    Jun 22, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Increíbles gráficos de novena generación, las animaciones de los pokemon son perfectas y el juego es muy completo… Expand
  25. Joseph04
    Jun 22, 2020
    10
    Nice Game love it to play. It could be better, but also could be worse. I looking forward the next dlc
  26. Figgiet
    Jul 23, 2020
    8
    I really liked this game. I know i'm in the minority? But it added an okay region with things to do with new pokemon i really liked. I do hope the animations improve in future games.

Awards & Rankings

73
#73 Best Switch Game of 2019
15
#15 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 86 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 86
  3. Negative: 0 out of 86
  1. Nintendo Insider
    Mar 1, 2021
    80
    Pokémon Shield is a warm and familiar experience with some interesting twists and ideas thrown into the mix. The presentation left me disappointed – the game still showing its handheld roots – but, the hook of capturing and training Pokémon is as addictive as it has ever been, while the Wild Area teases an exciting new direction for the series.
    Read full review
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 28, 2020
    100
    Another great game in the Pokémon series. It holds back when it comes to technical design and it doesn´t offer the opportunity to catch the old familiar faces, but fortunately most of the new additions are more than satisfactory for many hours of gameplay. [Issue#300]
  3. 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
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