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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Marioipod13
    Jul 31, 2023
    1
    So, I like (most of) the new Pokemon and features but the rest of the game is very subpar. The story is too linear but is impossible to speedrun because of all the cutscenes, and it doesn't have a full dex. The boss trainers are too easy but on the counterside, competitive games are flat out unbalanced. They removed Mega Evolution but introduced Zacian, Calyrex, Regieleki, and Urshifu,So, I like (most of) the new Pokemon and features but the rest of the game is very subpar. The story is too linear but is impossible to speedrun because of all the cutscenes, and it doesn't have a full dex. The boss trainers are too easy but on the counterside, competitive games are flat out unbalanced. They removed Mega Evolution but introduced Zacian, Calyrex, Regieleki, and Urshifu, which are crazy-broken. Besides, three out of four of those are completely locked behind an overpriced DLC so you will be at a disadvantage unless you buy the DLC.… Expand
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. JSwizzle86
    Nov 29, 2021
    1
    These games marked the downfall of Pokémon, don't buy them. It isn't worth your time.
  5. Hope_133
    Jun 11, 2021
    0
    Tutorial de como NÃO fazer um jogo. Um desrespeito aos fãs verdadeiros da franquia, opinião de quem falou bem ou foi comparada ou é criador de conteudo q é quase que obrigado a falar bem. Quem realmente curtiu esse jogo, não liga pra isso. Jogo feito na preguiça, dando tapa na cara do consumidor com muita promessa e nada de cumprir. Só fanboy gostou dessa porcaria q só sabe nadar em gadosTutorial de como NÃO fazer um jogo. Um desrespeito aos fãs verdadeiros da franquia, opinião de quem falou bem ou foi comparada ou é criador de conteudo q é quase que obrigado a falar bem. Quem realmente curtiu esse jogo, não liga pra isso. Jogo feito na preguiça, dando tapa na cara do consumidor com muita promessa e nada de cumprir. Só fanboy gostou dessa porcaria q só sabe nadar em gados de uma fanbase gigante. Triste pois sou fã desde criança.… Expand
  6. SwShDie
    Dec 28, 2020
    0
    When will this game be succeeded?? GameFreak cut corners in order to make the 2019 release date as it seems they release a mainline Pokemon game every year. But lo and behold, this steaming, half ***-ed pile of a game is still the current main game as 2020 is ending. We want a new main Pokemon game in order to leave this one to rot away (and to get the bad taste out of our mouths if GameWhen will this game be succeeded?? GameFreak cut corners in order to make the 2019 release date as it seems they release a mainline Pokemon game every year. But lo and behold, this steaming, half ***-ed pile of a game is still the current main game as 2020 is ending. We want a new main Pokemon game in order to leave this one to rot away (and to get the bad taste out of our mouths if Game Freak doesn't mess up that one too). Even a month with Sword/Shield is far too long.… Expand
  7. 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.
  8. cozkimiyu
    Jul 8, 2020
    1
    A game that ignores old fans. The developers have no intention of developing a new work.
    Worst Pokemon Games
  9. Lindagamer
    Jun 24, 2020
    0
    ES una basura, tienes que pagar el doble por los DLC, saca dinero este juego asqueroso recortado, este pack es una basura
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. Dhbbjuf
    Jun 22, 2020
    10
    Very nice game
    Good gameplay
    Plenty of new Pokemon
    Interesting story
    Will recommend
  13. WillfulFirefly
    Jun 19, 2020
    4
    After having finished "Pokemon: Shield" in around 25 hours, I felt immediately compelled to type a review because this is the most disappointing entry into the Pokemon video game line-up that I had ever experienced. This is tragic for me - to say the least - because I went in with decent expectations and with hopes that this would succeed prior Pokemon video games well. Sadly, it feelsAfter having finished "Pokemon: Shield" in around 25 hours, I felt immediately compelled to type a review because this is the most disappointing entry into the Pokemon video game line-up that I had ever experienced. This is tragic for me - to say the least - because I went in with decent expectations and with hopes that this would succeed prior Pokemon video games well. Sadly, it feels more like a huge step back with some promising features that I hope future entries consider keeping and improving.

    Positives:
    (+) The new Galarian Pokemons and the Galarian Variants of past-generation Pokemons
    (+) Pokemon Camp and Curry-making: Both more charming than I thought!
    (+) In-depth Trainer Customisation
    (+) A lot of quality of life improvements in comparison to past Pokemon video games: This is going to make it more accessible for a lot of players while making it more focused for long-time players. Things like mints to change Pokemon nature type to exp share being always on making the entire game less grindy and monotonous. All very much appreciated!

    Negatives:
    (-) Inconsistent Graphic Quality: Some good textures, some REALLY out-dated textures. Some battle backgrounds look pretty cool; others, not so much and repeatedly used. Towns like Circhester look breathtaking, but then there are the open world sections that look flat and ugly. Textures may pop in-and-out at times. Stiff models!
    (-) Inconsistent Animation Quality (and Missing Animations?): Some elaborate and well-done, but - for the most part - low effort. Also, Pokemons don't have a turning animation, and NPCs seem to be are missing a couple as well? NPCs look soulless at times with barely any expressions. Pokemons headbutting with their legs look weird. Some Pokemons even use the same bad animations to attack (when using different moves).
    (-) Empty-feeling Open World sections: For today's standard of video games, even some open world indie games look more livelier than this game's open world sections. The AI for roaming Pokemons is pretty dumb and non-interactive as well and is easy to maneuver and play around. Moreover, the open world sections are relatively small in comparison to a lot of other games: even those of low-budget.
    (-) Incompetent Story: Most of the important things in the story are described by NPCs rather than shown (or - you know - involving you like a game). Also, most of it is the typical Pokemon video game story (i.e. be the very best, have a rival, meet someone with an emotional complexity, etc.). Also, Hop is more annoying than easy-to-hate.
    (-) Unpolished and Unoptimised Game: This game has glitches and oddities and even some weird exploitables. Pokemon AI in camp can be a little buggy, and the game got stuck at one point when I was playing with my Pokemons. Sometimes, my frame rate would drop below in certain areas much more in comparison to other Switch games.
    (-) My Switch crashed twice: This is the first (and second) time that my Switch had ever crashed, so - to me - this is a huge deal.
    (-) No Post-game: Other than completing your Pokemon collection and , there's nothing else. Honestly, this comes as such a shock as I never not had a post-game in a Pokemon video game.
    (-) Too much hand-holding: Every NPC treats you like an idiot even past the tutorial and reminds you constantly that you can do this and that. They make it a big deal for doing minor things like walking from point A to B. It is very annoying to be blasted by so many text boxes when you just want to play the game.

    Mediocres:
    (?) Relatively Short Game: In comparison to the other Pokemon video games, this is the shortest and I really took my time exploring everywhere. I was honestly shocked that I finished this game so fast.
    (?) Easiest Pokemon video game: With all the quality of life features, I barely needed to think while playing or battling. Personally, it's a negative for me, but - for others - this might be a saving grace.
    (?) Dynamax is a gym/raid gimmick.
    (?) Raids: I was expecting much more but it's just a longer Pokemon battle - not much strategy needed. This may vary from player to player though.

    Conclusion: My recommendation is to wait for a sale - around $40; it's not worth the full price of $60 if you're a long-time Pokemon gamer. By Pokemon video game standards, "Pokemon: Shield" is the weakest entry to the franchise. However, that's not to say that it's a bad game: it's passable and this is the problem because past Pokemon video games are not "passable". I think that - for a casual gamer - this is good to waste time in and have some fun. It was fun for me sometimes and even charming. For this case, I would give "Pokemon: Shield" a 5/10, but my current rating is to reflect actual Pokemon gamers (the ones who love battling and forming teams and staying engaged and whatnot) and - personally - this was a below average experience for me. Overall, I think that this game needed more time in the oven.    … Expand
  14. riverkev95
    Jun 17, 2020
    5
    Es un juego con muchas ideas interesantes pero ejecutadas de una forma cuestionable.
    Muchas decisiones del juego son polémicas y definitivamente se nota que le hicieron muchas horas de desarrollo para obtener una experiencia decente.
    El juego brilla por sus mecánicas clásicas, accesibilidad a nuevos miembros y curiosas innovaciones, pero falla terriblemente en quitar cosas de    Es un juego con muchas ideas interesantes pero ejecutadas de una forma cuestionable.
    Muchas decisiones del juego son polémicas y definitivamente se nota que le hicieron muchas horas de desarrollo para obtener una experiencia decente.

    El juego brilla por sus mecánicas clásicas, accesibilidad a nuevos miembros y curiosas innovaciones, pero falla terriblemente en quitar cosas de generaciones anteriores que ya estaban muy bien recibidas por los jugadores.
    Un gran error fue recortar casi la mitad de los pokémon y carecer de un post-Game decente. Este contenido faltante se venderá en un pase de expansión de $30.00 que contendrá más de 200 pokémon y el post-game que le hizo falta, aún así no se completará la pokedex nacional.

    En conclusión, Pokémon Sword/Shield no es un pésimo juego, pero está lejos de ser un buen juego. Es un juego entretenido, pero mediocre. Los más fanáticos, aquellos que compraban ambas versiones desembolsarán mucho dinero ya que pasarán de gastar $80.00 a $180.00 ya que el pase de expansión es ligeramente diferente para cada juego y se vende de esa manera.    … Expand
  15. shimstar
    May 15, 2020
    2
    I’m gonna keep the review short. Biggest problem of the game is that there isn’t much of an endgame. Nothing to really do if you finish the storyline and what not. I shiny hunt but that alone doesn’t hold up really. Also the first halfish of the game feels like a hand hold not letting you to really play the game. Some of the new Pokémon looks good but as well many look pretty ugly. I’mI’m gonna keep the review short. Biggest problem of the game is that there isn’t much of an endgame. Nothing to really do if you finish the storyline and what not. I shiny hunt but that alone doesn’t hold up really. Also the first halfish of the game feels like a hand hold not letting you to really play the game. Some of the new Pokémon looks good but as well many look pretty ugly. I’m also not a fan of how they removed half of the moves from previous games. Also the giga cr*p feels very uninspired imo. my BIGGEST complaint is about how bad some of the animations are and that they can’t even scale some Pokémon right ruining the image of how we thought of that Pokémon

    I like some music and characters. And some areas. Also like the raiding aspect of the game.    … Expand
  16. Tpleasure
    May 15, 2020
    0
    Bad game play. Doesn't have all Pokémon. Really boring. Bad FPS. I really think this game is trash. I would never reccomend this game to anyone. Please don't buy it
  17. 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!
  18. 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
  19. Stoys
    Jan 20, 2020
    1
    game is too short. story is lacking! endgame is terrible! you feel like you have to rush too complete the game and dex too have any endgame. and when you are there. you get bored FAST!
    there are simply not enough pokemon here, and where is the new mythical pokemon? the game in total is terrible! and this is not good enough total! online play is also insane bad! also shiny hunting is the    game is too short. story is lacking! endgame is terrible! you feel like you have to rush too complete the game and dex too have any endgame. and when you are there. you get bored FAST!
    there are simply not enough pokemon here, and where is the new mythical pokemon? the game in total is terrible! and this is not good enough total! online play is also insane bad! also shiny hunting is the worst ever. cause its not any fun. its basicly only mesuda cause the rest is just not fun. for eks. shiny hunting for a feebas that has a 2% spawn rate. i fished for 1 hour without encountering 1. soo you do the math. hatching eggs are basicly the only way. and its boring! so there is simply no fun endgame!    … Expand
  20. AKALucio
    Dec 24, 2019
    2
    It is now extremely clear that GameFreak puts much more effort and focus on creating characters suitable for merchandise than on delivering a quality product. Low-res textures, cheap animations and the boring and too easy-to-master fighting system are just the tip of the iceberg. The settings are uninspired and lazily structured, built to serve neither gameplay, aesthetics or storytelling.It is now extremely clear that GameFreak puts much more effort and focus on creating characters suitable for merchandise than on delivering a quality product. Low-res textures, cheap animations and the boring and too easy-to-master fighting system are just the tip of the iceberg. The settings are uninspired and lazily structured, built to serve neither gameplay, aesthetics or storytelling. The soundtrack is ok, not spectacular or memorable, but the old-school sound effects feel much more gamey and artificial than vintage and iconic. The absence of voice-acting in a fully animated game is very deceptive and contributed to the cheapness of the experience. The gameplay, that often managed to be easy to learn but hard to master, leading lots of young and less-young players to enjoy the experience, has now become plain easy and lacks the features that define an interesting fighting system.

    I'm very sorry to witness how critics can't be brave (or experienced) enough to manifest their view on this atrocity of a game. The art that was put here is completely wasted in order to feed the selling machine that the Pokémon franchise has become. Shout-out to the artists and designers that really put their effort and managed to stand out despite the abysmal product that this company has led to create.    … Expand
  21. 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
  22. KANATA
    Dec 15, 2019
    0
    I think GameFreakneed to see these ratings and review why. If it wasn't called pokemon, the game wouldn't have sold well
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. ponns15
    Dec 5, 2019
    5
    Un juego bastante regular, la historia es algo predecible, no innova en nada, excepto que por fin no hay muchos tutoriales cada 5 min, fuera de esos los movimientos como doble patada, azote, bola sombra o un simple chorro de agua no estan a la altura, la zona salvaje esta llena de lag y popping, los gimnasios me parecieron bueno, comparten emocion y buena seleccion musical, pero noUn juego bastante regular, la historia es algo predecible, no innova en nada, excepto que por fin no hay muchos tutoriales cada 5 min, fuera de esos los movimientos como doble patada, azote, bola sombra o un simple chorro de agua no estan a la altura, la zona salvaje esta llena de lag y popping, los gimnasios me parecieron bueno, comparten emocion y buena seleccion musical, pero no justifica que quiten a muchos pokemon con los que creci por segun meter calidad en los que metieran que algunos si tienen movimientos muy trabajados, pero otros se ven muy genericos...… Expand
  26. 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
  27. fiTy
    Nov 29, 2019
    2
    An RPG game with competitive online system with more exploits than its 20+ years ago predecessors.
  28. Kechosz
    Nov 28, 2019
    6
    Big pokemon fan here. Well first of all the new pokemon are really interesting. Not the usual kind of montsers and i like it. The graphics are meh... Some stuff looks great like the textures of pokemon are better and the routes are nice but the wild area is something like in the early 2000.t The animations are horrible. The story is really dumb nothing really interesting. Altough i enjoyBig pokemon fan here. Well first of all the new pokemon are really interesting. Not the usual kind of montsers and i like it. The graphics are meh... Some stuff looks great like the textures of pokemon are better and the routes are nice but the wild area is something like in the early 2000.t The animations are horrible. The story is really dumb nothing really interesting. Altough i enjoy the game like battleing and shiny hunting i must say this is not something you put out on anewish console. It could've been much better and nicer.… Expand
  29. Mimikyu
    Nov 27, 2019
    7
    It's not a bad game, but also not amazing.
    Graphics are a bit mixed: I have experienced a bit of graphical glitches, like problems with shadows and saw Sonia's hair acting on it's own, however in battle the graphics are pretty great. The starters do have more animations, while not being as great as last gen.
    The starters are ugly imo, but some designs are weird, but not bad. it is a case    It's not a bad game, but also not amazing.
    Graphics are a bit mixed: I have experienced a bit of graphical glitches, like problems with shadows and saw Sonia's hair acting on it's own, however in battle the graphics are pretty great. The starters do have more animations, while not being as great as last gen.
    The starters are ugly imo, but some designs are weird, but not bad. it is a case of getting used to it.
    There IS less post game content and hunting for gigantamaxed pokemon is kind of tedious and unnecesairily grindy, but it keeps you from getting bored from the game.
    The pokedex IS ofcourse decreced, but i don't have any problems with it. Some pokemon i would have like to be in it were scrappe, but by thinking back. Most of these pokemon were broken (always in competetive teams) some pokemon were nerved like mimikyu, but it does make the game more balanced.
    The wild area is a place to catch pokemon in a 3D setting ,but this place does feel rushed. I often get a lot of framedrops and pokemon keep popping in a way I will accidentally battle them unwantedly.
    Especially when connecting online are these problems noticable bad.
    They also need to go back to the old trading system the y-comm is a very bad system, where you need to make a code to trade eventhough the switch has a working invite system. They also removed the GTS which was a great place to trade pokemon you needed for your pokedex, but removing it did make me more active in catching them myself.
    The story, while predictable is very pokemon like. I would've wanted it to be a bit more in dept like in gen 5 and a little bit darker. The evil team (team yell) wasn't even evil, but more like foothball (sOcCEr) supporters are in reallife.
    I didn't haven any problems with the autosave (due to being only in the Japanese versions, with a faulty SD card)
    But the game could have been harder or at least, they could have added a challenge mode like in gen 5.    … Expand
  30. Underrated
    Nov 26, 2019
    2
    "The lowest improving pokemon generation", thank you Gamefreak for trying to break the old thing but it turns into worst with your lazy nature. The first worst of this generation is cutting the pokemon without reasonable but with many excuse to make sure you could go comfort zone. The second worst, you committed that you will never update other patches to add cut pokemons, this so attacks"The lowest improving pokemon generation", thank you Gamefreak for trying to break the old thing but it turns into worst with your lazy nature. The first worst of this generation is cutting the pokemon without reasonable but with many excuse to make sure you could go comfort zone. The second worst, you committed that you will never update other patches to add cut pokemons, this so attacks fan hearts who believe the core of the pokemon in the concept "Catch 'em all". The worst of this generation, you complained about animation of 3DS how it poor but your ruined your mouth with lazy by using all recycled animations and while you couldn't make the scene of battle to be good. Plus the open world is the worst but I expected it to be good with patch if you read this little comment. 2 points for you made open world but it so poor. bye see you next gen.… Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
See all critic reviews »