Pokemon Sword

 Switch
User Score
4.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 5909 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,997 out of 5909
  2. Mixed: 852 out of 5909
  3. Negative: 3,060 out of 5909
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  1. oRaGaMi
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    It's not even fun anymore. Every entry up to sun and moon were great pokemon games.
    The let's go and Go iterations have made the developers lazy. Boo!!! Save your money!!
  2. 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
  3. Ibuki_7731
    Jun 1, 2021
    0
    Laziest game ever made. No passion or love given to this game. This is the perfect example of a rushed product all for the sake of making money as fast as possible. Game Freak has no excuse since they're a multi billion dollar company.
  4. Auza
    Nov 19, 2019
    0
    Game is uninspired and doesn't do anything to expand upon the same formula they've been using for 20+ years. Marketing for the game has been dishonest in general. Nicknamed my Garbodor "Gamefreak." So that was fun.
  5. DGonzalez
    Nov 19, 2019
    0
    This game is not horrible, but the game is extremely disappointing. It is not something that should come out of any major company and does not justify a 50 percent increase in price from the previous entries. The game encompasses laziness, with terrible graphics, subpar story, and an unappealing roster of returning and new pokemon. This game is not worth any of your time, especially if youThis game is not horrible, but the game is extremely disappointing. It is not something that should come out of any major company and does not justify a 50 percent increase in price from the previous entries. The game encompasses laziness, with terrible graphics, subpar story, and an unappealing roster of returning and new pokemon. This game is not worth any of your time, especially if you are a hardcore fan.… Expand
  6. RuleNo2
    Nov 19, 2019
    0
    This is a great Pokemon game. They have made plenty of positive changes to the formula and the structure and I'm having a blast playing it, especially as a lifelong Pokemon fan.

    The game isn't too short: yes you can run through it if you want, but why would you? Catch the new guys, make some curries and explore the wild. The game not having the full national pokedex isn't a problem:    This is a great Pokemon game. They have made plenty of positive changes to the formula and the structure and I'm having a blast playing it, especially as a lifelong Pokemon fan.

    The game isn't too short: yes you can run through it if you want, but why would you? Catch the new guys, make some curries and explore the wild.

    The game not having the full national pokedex isn't a problem: I have only just completed the first badge and am struggling to figure out who I want in my team. There are so many cool looking Pokemon to explore and use. I think I have about 60 in my dex already (which is more than most of these 11 hour playthroughs you read about have by the end).

    The graphics aren't bad, the world looks great: I don't even know where these criticisms are coming from, mine looks great in handheld mode (which let's be honest, is how it should be played).

    The game isn't linear: yes there is a linear nature to it, but the wild areas give you the ability to explore and do what you want - raid battle, catch pokemon, look for hidden items, set up camp, etc.

    Overall, I think maybe the competitive Pokemon community is upset by this game, but most typical lovers of Pokemon and the Pokemon games will find Sword and Shield to be the best games since the Gold/Silver/Ruby/Sapphire remakes.

    Highly recommend you buy.    … Expand
  7. Raduq
    Nov 20, 2019
    2
    They lost the change to make a very good game. Clearly a rushed project with development problems that business forced to be release probably months before it should.
    Pros: - New Pokemons,
    - Wild area is pretty fun Cons: - No full pokedex, with the excuse to focus on graphics. - poor graphics: they could be much better, not only because they are cartoonish, but they are a bad    They lost the change to make a very good game. Clearly a rushed project with development problems that business forced to be release probably months before it should.
    Pros: - New Pokemons,
    - Wild area is pretty fun
    Cons: - No full pokedex, with the excuse to focus on graphics.
    - poor graphics: they could be much better, not only because they are cartoonish, but they are a bad cartoonish. In the cities, outside wild area you even can't move the camera.
    - Poor developer and plot choices, very ofter you will see just Pokemon's blocking the path for no reason (you need to go somewhere else first).
    - The game is short, and there's no much pos-game.
    - Removed GTS for no reason (probably trying to force you to buy both games to get all Pokemon's)

    Pokemon games now are yearly releases with very poor quality.    … Expand
  8. Mack_thge_Sack
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    I'm going to state my points and not my emotions, (although, i'm quite unhappy with gamefreak)

    1. People say not having every Pokemon in the game is "reasonable", why? i ask that because previous games on the DS, a solely handheld/portable system. (that I'm willing to bet has far less processing power than the switch) X and Y, OR/AS and Sun and Moon, Contained every pokemon and they are    I'm going to state my points and not my emotions, (although, i'm quite unhappy with gamefreak)

    1. People say not having every Pokemon in the game is "reasonable", why? i ask that because previous games on the DS, a solely handheld/portable system. (that I'm willing to bet has far less processing power than the switch) X and Y, OR/AS and Sun and Moon, Contained every pokemon and they are 3DS games, you're telling me that it was possible to put them all in those games but it was too much work to put them all into a CONSOLE game. i'm gonna call **** especially when there are those of us spending 120$ on both versions.

    2. Gigantamax and Dynamax is stupid(just an opinion(but the right one)), a) mega evolution had Twice as many forms making it much more versatile and meaning more people could have their favorite pokemon become even more powerful. 48 mega evolution, 20 some odd gigantamax.
    b) Sure every pokemon can gigantamax, but, you cant gigantamax whenever wherever like with mega evolution, also having your pokemon simply become giant and lose all of its unique moves (in my opinion) is far less appealing than keeping the moveset that i designed to work a specific way, if i wanted z-moves id play more sun and moon i don't care for your knockoff "dynamax" moves
    c) the ONLY way to get gigantamax is thru luck, in max raid battles, or through possible future events, so if i want to make sure my pokemon has the proper IVs, ability, Nature and characteristic i should probably just forget gigantamax unless i wanna spend every waking moment scouring the wild area, it makes the new staple for battling extremely inaccessible and undesirable

    3) finally the lack of content is absurd, i was waiting for maybe a second wild area(maybe in that snowy region) or something maybe a new post game area like previous games but its nothing its a tiny region(maybe the smallest so far) with short poorly thought out routes, uninteresting caves, Absolutely no Victory Road. and back to the lack of mons in the game, if they didn't put time into the out world, they obviously didn't put any more time and effort into animations than they did with X/Y-US/UM, no work on the plot of the game, then where did the resources go? gamefreak has either a lot of work in updates to do or pokemon is gonna be a thing of the past and ill just keep playing my DS versions where i can keep my longtime companions.    … Expand
  9. Natalka
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    0 из 10.
    Го6но тупого го6на.
    Где текстуры? Почему всё в мыле? Возможно нужно играть в каких-нибудь Тесла-глассес, где всё выглядит красиво отрисовано? За 60!!!! $ !!!!!!!! Я получила сырое нечто, во что невозможно играть даже после летс го, я уж молчу про какой-нибудь Y. Верните деньги!!!    0 из 10.
    Го6но тупого го6на.
    Где текстуры? Почему всё в мыле?
    Возможно нужно играть в каких-нибудь Тесла-глассес, где всё выглядит красиво отрисовано?
    За 60!!!! $ !!!!!!!! Я получила сырое нечто, во что невозможно играть даже после летс го, я уж молчу про какой-нибудь Y.
    Верните деньги!!!
  10. Klusterx
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    Absolutely terrible game, re used animations, terrible graphics, lack of effort, baby's first step kind of difficulty, slashed pokedex, and to top it all off 60 bucks. Truly a shame
  11. Wedffc
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    Its just rushed please please Patch this!!! !
  12. peterd07
    Nov 22, 2019
    0
    these games cost $20 more than the 3DS games but has an even shorter campaign then they did, has absolutely no end game, has less than 1/2 the pokemon even though they are literally just reused assets from said 3DS games, it's way more buggy and unpolished unlike the 3DS games, and again COST $20 MORE! its **** embarrassing. Not to mention they straight up lied about the reused assets andthese games cost $20 more than the 3DS games but has an even shorter campaign then they did, has absolutely no end game, has less than 1/2 the pokemon even though they are literally just reused assets from said 3DS games, it's way more buggy and unpolished unlike the 3DS games, and again COST $20 MORE! its **** embarrassing. Not to mention they straight up lied about the reused assets and my god the animations are extremely lazy. They have no excuse for this dumpster fire.… Expand
  13. dnl168
    Nov 22, 2019
    0
    Habe es jetzt mittlerweile 20 stunden gespielt und dass game ist voll mit Bugs und glitches zudem ist die Steuerung zum teil echt grausig . Bitte beheben
  14. Shinken
    Nov 23, 2019
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. New map and good design characters, but the animation of Pokemon is very bad. Dynamax doesn't hit the mark, lack of interesting battle system. The main story is quite short and bored. Remove quite a lot of mechanic and stuff, it makes the gameplay too easy and bored.… Expand
  15. Edumiroku
    Nov 24, 2019
    0
    I enjoyed the Game, however, I don't wanna give 'em a good critic, because they need to update, and we deserve a better quality. Sorry but I'm feeling bad because of buying the game now, so I'm gonna be just with myself. Cada vez que pasa el tiempo lo voy viendo peor y sobre todo con todos los DLC que sacan y piensan que van a arreglar todos los fallos que comete de base. Además que eseI enjoyed the Game, however, I don't wanna give 'em a good critic, because they need to update, and we deserve a better quality. Sorry but I'm feeling bad because of buying the game now, so I'm gonna be just with myself. Cada vez que pasa el tiempo lo voy viendo peor y sobre todo con todos los DLC que sacan y piensan que van a arreglar todos los fallos que comete de base. Además que ese contenido debería ser gratis.… Expand
  16. Kidwild
    Jan 21, 2020
    1
    This is a sad, and Pathetic Generation of Pokemon. If Game-Freak stayed true to their Claims, on why they cut the Pokemon out by more than half. And ACTUALLY made everything else great!. It would of been a 8 out of 10, maybe 9 out of 10 Game. that delivers a quality product. But alas Everything is a lie...

    The Game is pretty much too much hand-holding. (I get for newcomers, but we have    This is a sad, and Pathetic Generation of Pokemon. If Game-Freak stayed true to their Claims, on why they cut the Pokemon out by more than half. And ACTUALLY made everything else great!. It would of been a 8 out of 10, maybe 9 out of 10 Game. that delivers a quality product. But alas Everything is a lie...

    The Game is pretty much too much hand-holding. (I get for newcomers, but we have older Pokemon fans you know. That would want a challenge.) And on top of this. The Visuals are rather mediocre at best. The New Roster of Pokemon for Generation 8 is also pretty poor. Grade D+. While the starter Pokemon, and quite a bit of them are good. A lot of other Pokemon look nothing more than total mistakes, or a concept gone wrong or rushed.

    If this is how Pokemon will be from now on? Then I am no longer a Pokemon fan anymore. As buying this poor excuse of a Pokemon game, would be accepting mediocrity. (I got this used, and sent it back, for a full refund after a few hours of game-play... Not worth it at all.)    … Expand
  17. FizzPixel
    Nov 26, 2019
    1
    The game is lacking behind by a large margin in the technical aspect.
    Badly optimized and badly anymated. The franchise needs a reboot or new developers who can actually develop games for this generation of consoles.

    Artisticly most of the music is forgettable.
  18. Sakoondomla
    Nov 26, 2019
    2
    The lack of content and story line was really upsetting. I bought both sword and shield and was completely disappointed it was over in about 15 hrs. Now all that is left for me to do is linked battles and max raids which are fun at first but not what I wanted out of the game. I can only pray Game Freak will put out some kind of patch or free expansion to make this game what it should haveThe lack of content and story line was really upsetting. I bought both sword and shield and was completely disappointed it was over in about 15 hrs. Now all that is left for me to do is linked battles and max raids which are fun at first but not what I wanted out of the game. I can only pray Game Freak will put out some kind of patch or free expansion to make this game what it should have been in the first place. If your not a mega pokefan and can live without this game you should.… Expand
  19. albinopanda77
    Nov 26, 2019
    4
    While I actually enjoyed the series like the rest of them, I can’t say this game deserves anything higher than a 4. The game was rushed and looked like a direct port from the 3DS. The animations, while some looked nice, were better a decade ago on the GameCube. The graphics were sloppy and rushed. The plot was linear and lacked substance. I had high hopes for the first 1080p mainlineWhile I actually enjoyed the series like the rest of them, I can’t say this game deserves anything higher than a 4. The game was rushed and looked like a direct port from the 3DS. The animations, while some looked nice, were better a decade ago on the GameCube. The graphics were sloppy and rushed. The plot was linear and lacked substance. I had high hopes for the first 1080p mainline Pokémon game, but was quickly let down by the negligence and greed of Gamefreak.… Expand
  20. TCMTORD
    Nov 26, 2019
    1
    Less Pokémon then old 2D ds games. Recycled animations form 3ds games. Bad graphics for a 2019 switch game. Worst Pokémon generation to date
  21. DracoToon
    Dec 5, 2019
    1
    Juego horrible, va a -30 fps en modo online, la camara va de culo y @Aprexdator no me quiere transferir sus legendarios de Shield, no seeas mamon y prestamelo >:v
  22. moretrashgames
    Dec 6, 2019
    0
    this game is vary bad its not even funny i cancelled my pre order when i was told they removed pokemon then when it came out i saw others play and it looked bad and i even got a friend to let me play there pokemon sword its way to easy there is no challenge it game holds your hand way to much its really dumb that you cant even turn of exp share making you 60steps steps a head of every onethis game is vary bad its not even funny i cancelled my pre order when i was told they removed pokemon then when it came out i saw others play and it looked bad and i even got a friend to let me play there pokemon sword its way to easy there is no challenge it game holds your hand way to much its really dumb that you cant even turn of exp share making you 60steps steps a head of every one else and on top of it every thing being vary limited even team building this also leads to people using the same pokemon and when people hivemind then you can go online and battle 30 people and about 25 have the samebuild you really cant explore like the old games ontop of that there is not much to do in end game you beat it and your like then what removing wild pokemon just took the fun out of pokemon there is nothing more i hate then dynamaxing this is the worst idea they ever had just stick with megas going back to them holding your hand were is the true test of knowledge of these games any more they tell you what is super effective or not effective just take this out we dont need it they need to step back and bring the difficulty back like how emerald and make a good story like black and white and black and white2 team yell good god there bad they dont even do anything unlike some teams who try to kill you like team plasma or do anything like team rocket the only bad thing team yell dose is taking up game files what they could of used for the missing pokemon oh wait thats right they are lazy i just wanted to point out how lazy they were i want you to take a look at what pokemon there missing from lets go eevee and pikachu remember they said they did not have the time to remake the pokemon but if i remember lets go was out before sword and shield hmm this is odd… Expand
  23. AlexTheWise
    Sep 22, 2021
    3
    Took a while to get around to this after seeing a friend play it and be completely unimpressed. Now that I've tried it... I understand his feelings and glad I borrowed it only. What an ugly looking game with weird limitations, pop ins and a world that does not feel lived in. Cannot believe this is a 2021 game from the biggest IP around, looks like it came from a big gamecube project.

    I    Took a while to get around to this after seeing a friend play it and be completely unimpressed. Now that I've tried it... I understand his feelings and glad I borrowed it only. What an ugly looking game with weird limitations, pop ins and a world that does not feel lived in. Cannot believe this is a 2021 game from the biggest IP around, looks like it came from a big gamecube project.

    I hope this smashes the pokemon illusion, it always gets a pass because people love pokemon but a bad game is a bad game. No matter how long term a fan I am of it, there is a point where you have to call it out. The DLC is just gross as well, pokemon behind a pay wall, can easily see this being done on purpose if allowed. It is not even worth full £50, much less another £30...

    P.S This isn't really a criticism but the fire starter pokemon final stage looks like a Digimon, more than pokemon!    … Expand
  24. Sworzen
    Mar 1, 2020
    2
    Huge lack of potential. It's basically HD sun/moon. Garbage plot, garbage region with super short and simple routes. Cities with many copy and paste houses and buildings you can't enter. Notable lack of polish and content in general, this game should have been 1 or 2 years more in development.
  25. Spagh8tti
    Jan 16, 2020
    4
    Probably the worst game I own for the Switch, I don't much care about the "dexit" because I have never really been too into Pokemon and have only played the GBA games. This is probably the most handheld I have felt while playing a game, every time you enter a new area you're always interrupted by some boring "cutscene" that you don't care about, when you want to explore the city somethingProbably the worst game I own for the Switch, I don't much care about the "dexit" because I have never really been too into Pokemon and have only played the GBA games. This is probably the most handheld I have felt while playing a game, every time you enter a new area you're always interrupted by some boring "cutscene" that you don't care about, when you want to explore the city something is blocking your path because they want you to do certain things first. I've had more fun surprise trading than playing this game, most of my hours are actually me being AFK while surprise trading. The wild area is good but the popups are obnoxious, I saw a video where someone complained about it but I thought it wouldn't be such a big deal but it's actually really bad, this game's graphics are not good either and it still lags on certain areas. I actually don't recommend buying this game, and I'll probably never buy another Pokemon game if they all play like this, GameFreak needs to innovate, I don't have a problem getting interrupted while on route's by other trainers and such but getting interrupted in cities by some characters that you don't care about just so they pretend that the game has a plot, it's a hard pass from me. I'll keep looking forward to new Pokemon games but I will not buy them without watching some reviews first and see if it's any different from this dumpster pile of a game.… Expand
  26. JosuexYrionx
    Jan 21, 2020
    0
    Eto eta mux mal. Sonido roto, pikemonss de la horilla de infierno, jraficos peores q el ET de Atari, sta critica esta esha x un fanatic de pikomons de 90 anos q te descuartizan x completo.

    Mushas gracias, Sony x traer un guego de Kojima
  27. Dre286286
    Feb 1, 2020
    1
    Scam. Do not buy this game. I luckily bought a used copy from gamestop and returned it in the first three days. Terrible that they lied about everything and then purposely did not finish game to sell you expansions.
  28. Flui
    Jan 24, 2020
    4
    Compares badly to pokemon battle revolution or even pokemon colosseum. These games are 10-15 years old.
  29. Ulthos
    Aug 24, 2021
    3
    Cyberpunk of the pokemon games.

    I decided not to buy a Switch because how disappointing this game is. Recently had a chance to play and finish the game and glad I didn't buy a Switch just to play this mediocre game(because it is a pokemon game). All the zones felt like a straight line with no incentive to explore, story was bad and the pokemon were missing. Music was good though.
  30. Ellielove
    Feb 1, 2020
    0
    Game is extremely short, clocking in between 10 and 15 hours for new players, and full of bugs and glitches. Many features such as the trading station have been removed and are now paid features. Models are jagged and rough, like what would be expected in an N64 or original Playstation game, and most of the textures aren't any better. The Wild Area is extremely small and barren, and twoGame is extremely short, clocking in between 10 and 15 hours for new players, and full of bugs and glitches. Many features such as the trading station have been removed and are now paid features. Models are jagged and rough, like what would be expected in an N64 or original Playstation game, and most of the textures aren't any better. The Wild Area is extremely small and barren, and two separate towns are nothing more than long hallways. It's a very ugly game with a very shallow story and characters, clearly rushed out in order to take in money without any effort.… Expand
  31. Warbringer
    Feb 21, 2021
    1
    No story. No Pokedex. Not all Pokemon available. Only handholding. Content locked behind DLC. Content locked behind third party apps like "Pokemon Home" "Pokemon Bank" "Nintendo Switch Online". Gamefreak lied to all of us and they admited it.
  32. Lightning_Chasr
    Mar 1, 2020
    4
    More of the same, with less of what makes the series special to so many. Ugly open world area but beautiful towns. Spotty online. The most cinematic the series has ever been, sadly ruined by a lack of voice acting.
  33. dbbuu
    Feb 21, 2020
    1
    The only redeeming factor this game has is that's it's Pokémon, and I unfortunately like Pokémon a lot.
  34. Persona5Royale
    Feb 22, 2020
    0
    Utterly awful and the characters are unlikable such as one of your rivals Hop. The shield version is much better due to better gym leaders and a better ledgendary.
  35. Adriella01
    Feb 22, 2020
    4
    Not much to say. It is pretty linear. There is not much freedom to do something else than the story besides catching and leveling pokemons while progressing to the next city. I wished there would have been some sidequests or hidden areas to explore for additional items like back then in Pokemon Gold/Silver. 15h gameplay time and you're done. And if you want more you have to pay 25€ for theNot much to say. It is pretty linear. There is not much freedom to do something else than the story besides catching and leveling pokemons while progressing to the next city. I wished there would have been some sidequests or hidden areas to explore for additional items like back then in Pokemon Gold/Silver. 15h gameplay time and you're done. And if you want more you have to pay 25€ for the next small expansion pass.… Expand
  36. geuduen
    Feb 28, 2020
    2
    I didn‘t play the game so much but was before Engine Cuty trying to catch some Pokémon and threw 30 pokeballs( all I had) just to see it allways getting out, the Pokémon was just 2 lvl over my strongest Pokémon but there seems to be no chance to get it. WTF? Why? Why I can‘t catch it and it ignores my commands like in the old titels? What a **** hope I can swallow my anger and play itI didn‘t play the game so much but was before Engine Cuty trying to catch some Pokémon and threw 30 pokeballs( all I had) just to see it allways getting out, the Pokémon was just 2 lvl over my strongest Pokémon but there seems to be no chance to get it. WTF? Why? Why I can‘t catch it and it ignores my commands like in the old titels? What a **** hope I can swallow my anger and play it again at the moment it doesn’t look like it. Thanks for letting me throw 55€ in the garbage!… Expand
  37. Taerared
    Mar 5, 2020
    3
    Unfortunately, the newest entry in the Pokemon series is... confusingly directionless. It doesn't feel like Game Freak made these two games for any reason other than making money. About 60% of Pokemon are gone, and there isn't much to replace them. The game is also incredibly easy, a five year old wouldn't have any trouble beating it. There's also a lack of post-game content. C'est la vie...
  38. byen
    Mar 12, 2020
    1
    I used to be so into this game, but now things that did annoy me that I usually don't let get to me now just make me visibly mad and annoyed. While I will admit this game does some things really well, characters like Hop and Sonia have suddenly started to piss me off. I don't think there has been a single game that has annoyed me to the point where I just don't wanna own the game anymore,I used to be so into this game, but now things that did annoy me that I usually don't let get to me now just make me visibly mad and annoyed. While I will admit this game does some things really well, characters like Hop and Sonia have suddenly started to piss me off. I don't think there has been a single game that has annoyed me to the point where I just don't wanna own the game anymore, don't wanna hear about it, or just straight up don't want to even glance in its direction.… Expand
  39. Sorrelfur
    Mar 25, 2020
    1
    Got to be honest this game disappointed me. I love the series and I've played every single game. I got both sword and shield and I wanted to play both. But after play shield I regretted my decision so much. The map is insanely small, there's not a full pokedex. And the worst of them all the expansion. That is disgusting on Nintendos part and it screams money hungry. Should've know with howGot to be honest this game disappointed me. I love the series and I've played every single game. I got both sword and shield and I wanted to play both. But after play shield I regretted my decision so much. The map is insanely small, there's not a full pokedex. And the worst of them all the expansion. That is disgusting on Nintendos part and it screams money hungry. Should've know with how crappy the game was that they were planning this. 60 bucks is NOT worth it and neither is the expansion. You shouldn't have to pay like 100 dollars to play a decent pokemon game. Nintendo needs to reevaluate themselves and this decision.… Expand
  40. AntiArmys120
    Jun 22, 2020
    0
    No pusieron a bidoof y ademas pusieron mucho pasto y poco contenido, pero lo peor es que recortaron media pokedex para darla en dlc (ni siquiera pusieron a bidoof x2)
  41. MANXMAN76
    Aug 31, 2021
    4
    This game was and is still soooo unfinished everything about this speaks rushed most of the game is just the sun and moon scripted reused as well as every asset from that gen just copied over this is by far one of the worst pokemon games to release to date with so many removals from mechanics to even pokemon hell we had pokemon follow you in let's go but we have to buy DLC to be able toThis game was and is still soooo unfinished everything about this speaks rushed most of the game is just the sun and moon scripted reused as well as every asset from that gen just copied over this is by far one of the worst pokemon games to release to date with so many removals from mechanics to even pokemon hell we had pokemon follow you in let's go but we have to buy DLC to be able to have pokemon follow you in specific areas this was a blatant cash grab what we need is more time on mainstream pokemon games and have bigger teams pokemon is the biggest grossing franchise in the world and it all started from videogames and least amount of effort is being put into the franchise is the games the new BDSP remakes and legends games look so bland and boring that I don't have faith in this game franchise anymore but look at Pokkén Tournament and snap they are what a mainstream Pokemon game should look like and not a cash grab… Expand
  42. Niwai
    Jun 11, 2021
    2
    Нет русского языка. Игра и так не шедевр, а без русского вообще шлак. Русский язык третий в мире, но разработчику пофиг.
  43. NotShiny
    Jun 27, 2020
    0
    I've bought this game because I was hyped for a new generation. However, I can't get an egg shiny. It depress me that this game is so bad that it can't let me get a shiny. Gamefreak pls fix ur game. #BringBackNationalDex
  44. martinho_99
    Feb 7, 2021
    1
    This is just a pure impudence! A game with grafics from the early 2010s, 20h story, no voice actors and only this few pokemons for the same price as AAA Games like God of war or RDR2?? Don't even talking about the poorly designed new Pokemon, the unnecessary Gigamax or raids. Additionally it is far too easy, difficulty settings would be soooo necessary. I know you can't compare Nintendo toThis is just a pure impudence! A game with grafics from the early 2010s, 20h story, no voice actors and only this few pokemons for the same price as AAA Games like God of war or RDR2?? Don't even talking about the poorly designed new Pokemon, the unnecessary Gigamax or raids. Additionally it is far too easy, difficulty settings would be soooo necessary. I know you can't compare Nintendo to the high quality game studios of nowadays but with Breath of the wild, SM Galaxy or SM Odyssey they showed that they can make good games too. As a hardcore Pokemon fan from almost the very beginning I grew up having every game and tons of merchandise, but Pokemon lost me already years ago - the shows and the games. Zelda and Mario grew up as a frenchise but Pokemon is more childish and easier to play than ever. Make a good game, throw out all the annoying stuff that forces you to play the game longer without real content, bring back Mega Evolutions and move the whole thing into 2020s gameplay!… Expand
  45. Xephlogo
    Jul 26, 2020
    0
    This game is by far the worst mainline Pokémon game. There is no story, few Pokémon, dynamaxing is basically mega evolution but worse. The fact that the dlc, which costs $30 USD by the way, isn’t even worth is besides adding onto the Pokémon you can get in the game. At this time, the Isle of Armour has dropped and it only added around an hour of story to the game. 0/10 would not recommend
  46. Black_S
    Feb 28, 2022
    3
    Not acceptable. Many bugs, lies, DLCs etc.
    It is 3DS like game at switch for full price.
    Gamefreak is burned.
  47. ATamashiro
    Nov 3, 2020
    0
    This game is incomplete in many ways, bad graphics, animations, bugs, glitches and not worthy of a mainline pokemon game on switch. There is no excuse for making such a bad game.
  48. Petrokolos
    May 22, 2021
    0
    Nintendo's most boring, sterile, unimaginative IP. Only buy this if you want to punish your children for failing a class in school.
  49. Oreun
    Oct 11, 2021
    3
    El juego se siente vacío e inacabado. Las animaciones se ver pobres y no sirven como excusa para quitar unos 500 Pokémon. Una vez te pasas el juego principal, no tienes nada que hacer después. Desde luego los peores 60€ que he gastado en mi vida. Por favor Game Freak, recapacita.
  50. Jejeff
    Jan 23, 2021
    0
    Gamefreak stopped in 1996. Terrbile technical issues, animations and lacks challenge.
  51. Suza
    Jan 28, 2021
    0
    No good story
    No good visual
    No challenge
    No new good features
    No all pokemon
    Need Nintendo Online
    Need DLC
    Need Pokemon Home
    Why this game even existe.
  52. ladiebird
    Feb 24, 2021
    2
    I really wanted this game to work, but it didn't.

    I liked a couple things; the league tournament and new gyms were really nice. A lot of the new Pokemon are very interesting and well-designed, which makes me want to use them. The designs of many of the characters were also very good. Nessa, Bea, Hop, Bede and Marnie were some of my favourites, but their personalities didn't really live    I really wanted this game to work, but it didn't.

    I liked a couple things; the league tournament and new gyms were really nice. A lot of the new Pokemon are very interesting and well-designed, which makes me want to use them. The designs of many of the characters were also very good. Nessa, Bea, Hop, Bede and Marnie were some of my favourites, but their personalities didn't really live up to their designs in my opinion. That might be because the game lacks any interesting animations and voice acting, something which is really noticeable at certain points (at Piers' gym, for example). Finally, the character customisation is really nice, despite the fact that you can't customise your face, and at the start of the game your hair and eye colour has to be compatible with your skin (for some reason).

    A few of my main gripes:

    1. For a switch game, it's pretty ugly. I really liked some of the towns and one or two routes, but choppy animations, boring battle backgrounds and out-of-place animations ruin it. The wild area makes this especially obvious, with large empty areas, dark lighting, Pokemon popping into existence out of nowhere and weird looking trees. The berry trees look completely different from the normal ones, which is weird, but both are strange and look out of place beside the cleaner character models. The wild area itself is a fun addition, but would be a lot better if there was more effort put into it.

    2. The gameplay is about as repetitive as expected. There is barely any innovation on the traditional formula, which is sad, and the super-effective system makes things very easy, but the same can be said for every other Pokemon game before it. I know the game is mostly aimed at children, so I won't let the difficulty level affect my view too much, but it would be nice to have some kind of difficulty options. It's just not very fun, and leaves no room for interesting strategies.

    3. GameFreak was blatantly obvious about cutting corners to get this game out as fast as possible with a smaller team. I initially wasn't mad about Dexit (they probably have to cut Pokemon out at some point) but the (paid) DLC adds a lot of these Pokemon back in. DLC isn't worth the price tag, especially when you consider the game as a whole.

    For me, at least, SwSh was the final push I needed to stop buying new main-line Pokemon games. I didn't buy the Sun and Moon games because I was bored by Kalos, and wish I'd stuck to my guns for this title. Spend your money elsewhere.    … Expand
  53. BigBoiBranby
    May 11, 2022
    3
    "Mum! I want a new Pokemon game!"
    "We have Pokemon at home."
    This is the Pokemon "at home", and nobody wants it. Its lacklustre, bland story can't save it from the dreadfully dull linear gameplay. Points are scored for the one and only saving grace, being the wild area, a semi open world where Pokemon magically pop out of the ground when you reach their draw distance and the scenery    "Mum! I want a new Pokemon game!"
    "We have Pokemon at home."

    This is the Pokemon "at home", and nobody wants it.
    Its lacklustre, bland story can't save it from the dreadfully dull linear gameplay.
    Points are scored for the one and only saving grace, being the wild area, a semi open world where Pokemon magically pop out of the ground when you reach their draw distance and the scenery is ripped straight out of a Nintendo 64 Zelda game.
    The animations and Pokemon models are simply upscaled version of the models from the 3DS, showing a distinct lack of effort on Gamefreaks part. This is just one of the many corners that have been cut in this game.
    I won't talk about the new Pokemon designs, because although there are a couple of good additions, the majority are instantly forgettable or so horrifically mashed together that they leave you questing existence itself.

    What you're left with is a hollow shell of a Pokemon game, dumbed down yet again in order to appeal to "a wider audience". No challenge, no originality and no heart put into creating it.

    A real shame.    … Expand
  54. nickaer101
    May 11, 2021
    0
    love win a Pokémon that I'm fighting gets to to use 3 different moves before I get to use one is and the win you do get said Pokémon you can only use one so i see a **** game that just don't what you to have fun they only give you 2 master ball through out the whole ass game and then expect you to catch more legendary with out it win and then have to throw 200 ultra ball to get onelove win a Pokémon that I'm fighting gets to to use 3 different moves before I get to use one is and the win you do get said Pokémon you can only use one so i see a **** game that just don't what you to have fun they only give you 2 master ball through out the whole ass game and then expect you to catch more legendary with out it win and then have to throw 200 ultra ball to get one legendary for the mission for my short answer just don't buy waste of a $100 just play the old ones or newer games… Expand
  55. DrPebba
    May 13, 2021
    4
    this has to be the worst high budget game ive ever played, to quit the good stuff out of the way i have to say the game looks good, it has ok graphic in some parts but its inconsistent in other like the nintendo 64 trees, the new pokemon are ok i guess some of them have cool design like toxicitry and grimmnsnarl but most of them are forgettable and ok thats enough the lame parts, theythis has to be the worst high budget game ive ever played, to quit the good stuff out of the way i have to say the game looks good, it has ok graphic in some parts but its inconsistent in other like the nintendo 64 trees, the new pokemon are ok i guess some of them have cool design like toxicitry and grimmnsnarl but most of them are forgettable and ok thats enough the lame parts, they removed more than the half of species to improve graphics, funny how the graphics are just ok, the story is bad, short, and easy, the wild area is terrible, the pokemon are just unnatural they dissapear and the behavior is repetitve, there is nothing to explore and its just to small, the villages are tiny, even some 3ds towns are bigger, and overral the game could just be made for the 3ds if you downgrade the graphics and remove the wild area, there isnt anyything interesting to do when you beat it, the online you have to pay, yeah how fun and it isnt even good. then shortly after release they announce a dlc that could have been in the main game, no thanks. this isnt the worst game of all time, but from a rename company like nintendo its actually the worst rename game i have ever played. dont throw your 60 dollars away and use it on a better game… Expand
  56. Tiziown
    May 22, 2021
    0
    The worst game in the series, short, boring, plain story, plain characters, too many cuts and horrible addings like the Gigamax.
  57. Berd
    May 25, 2021
    0
    Short, bland, no content, and little innovation. Feels very barebones and not worth full price. Maybe $15
  58. Burnhard
    Jul 4, 2021
    3
    This is, without a doubt, the weakest game in the whole series. It's even more linear than Ultra Sun, and it's about as easy as the Let's Go games.

    I know Pokemon games aren't meant to be very challenging, but there isn't one even slightly challenging moment in this game. The exp. share can no longer be turned off, which is a fine change for people who hate grinding (like me), but for    This is, without a doubt, the weakest game in the whole series. It's even more linear than Ultra Sun, and it's about as easy as the Let's Go games.

    I know Pokemon games aren't meant to be very challenging, but there isn't one even slightly challenging moment in this game. The exp. share can no longer be turned off, which is a fine change for people who hate grinding (like me), but for people who didn't like the modern exp. share, it must really suck for them.

    I never cared too much about the lack of a national dex (there are much bigger problems with the game), but it's still really lame how they didn't include all of the Pokemon in this new SWITCH game. Game Freak would rather have people pay for their favorite Pokemon alongside the game. It's consumer hostile. Aside from that, the game looks like they just up-scaled 3ds textures and models for the switch (and some of the textures still look like they're on 3ds). The character and Pokemon animations are either reused or just really basic. Speaking of reused character animations, the new rival, Hop, reuses a few animations that were used for Hau in the gen 7 games.

    Speaking of Hop, he is pretty much just a copy and paste of Hau, as he goes through a very similar and generic character arc of having initial high hopes about being a trainer, then being shot down toward the end, but somehow regaining his confidence because another person told him something off-screen. The rest of the characters in the game are just as one-dimensional, which is a shame because most of the character designs look really good.

    At least the game's music is pretty good... There we go, like that's hard for a Pokemon game to do.

    The reused Pokemon models (as well as the new ones) are good as well, as their colors were given much more saturation in this game, making them look miles better than the washed out, pixelated models from the 3ds games. That being said, it's just the same old 3d models from Gen 6, which was over 6 years old by the time this game came out.

    Moving on to the story, however, it sucks. It's pretty much just a copy of Sun and Moon's story, but way lazier. To tell it short: seemingly evil team isn't actually that evil, and the corporation chairman Rose runs is the bad team all along. Thing is, there is no build-up or anticipation for that twist like there was for Sun and Moon. The game would genuinely be better if there wasn't an evil team at all. If Game Freak wanted to keep Team Yell (the seemingly bad team that ends up actually helping the player), they shouldn't have made Chairman Rose the villain. It's a pointless and stupid twist that didn't need to be added.

    Notice how I've been saying "this game" instead of "these games"? It's because there are next to no differences between them, just like every other Pokemon game (yes, even the good Pokemon games suffer from this).

    I can't rate this game highly in good conscious. It's still a Pokemon game, and because of that, the game play is still kinda fun. However, the lack of any slight amount of challenge, content (if you don't bother with the DLC), and with almost everything else around the game play being poor make Sword/Shield the worst in the mainline series. I'd rather play the buggy original Red and Green versions from Japan.    … Expand
  59. capchaba
    Jul 14, 2021
    4
    This is by far one of the worst pokemon games ever. It still is a lot of the same thing but worse. The first game where it's impossible to fulfill the pokedex, the animation looks old, there are many indie companies that can do a better job than what game freak did to this game. Play it only if you are a pokefan. If you are new to the franchise, just skip it.
  60. goodpoint
    Jul 19, 2021
    0
    Pokemon Sword is hands-down the worst use I have ever made of 60$.
    Half the game feels like an overbearing walkthrough and like the developers had no faith that the player could figure anything out for themselves. I understand they catered to kids this time around especially but... really? Even as a ten year old I would've felt insulted.
    The animations are lazy and terrible. I mean, they    Pokemon Sword is hands-down the worst use I have ever made of 60$.
    Half the game feels like an overbearing walkthrough and like the developers had no faith that the player could figure anything out for themselves. I understand they catered to kids this time around especially but... really? Even as a ten year old I would've felt insulted.
    The animations are lazy and terrible. I mean, they couldn't even animate a woman pacing back and forth a couple times properly.
    The incredibly short render distance does a fantastic job at destroying immersion.
    The story is in your face and devoid of all subtlety.
    The starter pokemon are more human than pocket monster. Really, is the design team being run by furries? I have no problem with furries, but... come on.
    The wild area is the most boring thing I have ever experienced in a video game, and I've played a lot of games.
    The only good word I have for this game is that a few new pokemon are cute and they came up with some nice gym leader designs. But that's the bare minimum for a pokemon game.
    Overall, this is very disappointing. Even for those satisfied with the game, I urge everyone to steer clear of similarly flawed pokemon games until the higher-ups step up to the table if you want more out of this company. If you want them to return to making truly great games. Because, you know why this game is so flawed? Because they didn't have to try. People ate it up anyway. I put my blind faith into this game, hoping for something that I wouldn't have to force myself through. Something that I would actually enjoy. And I was mistaken, and so were many others.
    I'm going to go play Soul Silver, now. Just play that one if you want a good pokemon game.    … Expand
  61. zhekon03
    Aug 17, 2021
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 2021 год а русского языка нет, зато реклама с русской озвучкой, неплохо, а так тяжело выделить переводчика для этого хотя игра и нет так велика как кажется.… Expand
  62. Winter320
    Sep 19, 2021
    4
    Let’s just get this straight, these are a low point in the franchise in almost every way and don’t live up to the standards that the first mainline home console pokemon should have. As a series about catching and evolving monsters, game frEAk refuses to evolve and sticks to the same tried and tested formula from 25 years ago. These games are empty and linear at every turn with “routes”Let’s just get this straight, these are a low point in the franchise in almost every way and don’t live up to the standards that the first mainline home console pokemon should have. As a series about catching and evolving monsters, game frEAk refuses to evolve and sticks to the same tried and tested formula from 25 years ago. These games are empty and linear at every turn with “routes” that are more just straight lines and a one-way progression system that kills replayability. You can’t leave a town with some kind of road block forcing you to do everything the game wants you to do before moving on. This story is cheap, filled with plot holes and one sided characters. The wild area is just an open plain with bad textures and aimless wild Pokémon with a short draw distance. The area is reminiscent of hyrule
    field from ocarina of time with its emptiness but at least that had secrets to uncover as you explored. This game is still unpolished with noticeable frame drops appearing was you even try to move around. The cut Pokédex just adds to the disappointment as there are basically no new animations (unlike what was promised) and they stick to the 8 year old ones from X&Y. The online is pitiful and now costs a subscription fee to use which baffles me and I could keep talking. There are more detailed and critical reviews on the web that can give more info but overall, these games are a boring at best.    … Expand
  63. cyansilvia
    Oct 7, 2021
    0
    I can't use my favorite Pokémons in this game.
    I think center of this game's series is Pokémons, but my impression is that those who make this game, don't think that. In my opinion they make much of people character then Pokémons. So I don't like this game.
  64. SnorlaxGeek
    Jan 29, 2022
    4
    Um jogo feio e pouco original. Um absurdo o que a Gamefreak está fazendo com a franquia Pokémon.
  65. 32fromdiscord
    Jan 29, 2022
    0
    Pokémon Sword and Shield are by far the worst entries in the series. There's not even a debate to be had about it. Anyone defending these games should reconsider their life decisions.
  66. Robert95
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Literally an incomplete game, this game had too much potential to be the first mainline games on switch
  67. RiceTwice
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    Absolutely horrible in so many aspects that it would take me hours and hours to write this review. This has been by far the worst entry in the franchise and everyone involved in it's creation should be ashamed. #GameFreakLied
  68. Bruhboinohomes
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    Rushed game, brought nothing new and exciting to the series, dynamic and gigantamax are a ridiculous gimick that require minimal skill level and are simply broken in their base stats. Game graphics and animations are a mess especially as this a AAA title game with one of the largest companies helping fund the game and put it on a system that has supported beautiful and great games, likeRushed game, brought nothing new and exciting to the series, dynamic and gigantamax are a ridiculous gimick that require minimal skill level and are simply broken in their base stats. Game graphics and animations are a mess especially as this a AAA title game with one of the largest companies helping fund the game and put it on a system that has supported beautiful and great games, like the breath of the wild. Game freak has honestly no excuse for producing a game of this incomplete and almost ps2 looking quality game. Game freak needs to get their so stuff together and think about their fans and a good game rather then money … Expand
  69. Theze
    Nov 17, 2019
    1
    The game is waaayyyy to short. It looks straight off of a 3ds. To much cut content leaves the postgame with much to be desired. One of the worst games in the series in my opinion. Pretty much Sun and Moon 3. There are some fun moments in the game which is saving it from getting a zero but way to lackluster for being on a home console
  70. Caasalazarsa
    Nov 16, 2019
    4
    I feel it's gonna happen like X/Y people loving at first and later realize it had nothing special to offer with no replay value. With the fact a community member can fix and can even include not programmed mod, there's no way to defend such level of incopetence and laziness.
  71. Janguru
    Nov 17, 2019
    1
    Classe 1988. Pokemon mania presa in pieno. Gamefreak ha sempre dimostrato involuzione nei suoi giochi al contrario delle sue creature. Il brand più redditizio al mondo che sfida la fiducia cieca di tanti appassionati. Forse questo gioco andava bene se fosse uscito per GameCube e sottolineo il forse. Assolutamente sconsigliabile finanziare questo tipo di strada intrapreso da gamefreakClasse 1988. Pokemon mania presa in pieno. Gamefreak ha sempre dimostrato involuzione nei suoi giochi al contrario delle sue creature. Il brand più redditizio al mondo che sfida la fiducia cieca di tanti appassionati. Forse questo gioco andava bene se fosse uscito per GameCube e sottolineo il forse. Assolutamente sconsigliabile finanziare questo tipo di strada intrapreso da gamefreak praticamente da pokemon cristallo in poi… Expand
  72. Leisj
    Nov 20, 2019
    2
    Pokemon Sword and Shield truly defines what Game Freak had become ever since the release of X and Y, mediocre. This new title feels less like a Pokemon entry and more like a mobile game. It suffers from bugs, awful coding, pitiful framerates, reused animations, awful texturing, dismal draw distance, and many odd, idiotic moves that have set this game up to be one of the worst games of thePokemon Sword and Shield truly defines what Game Freak had become ever since the release of X and Y, mediocre. This new title feels less like a Pokemon entry and more like a mobile game. It suffers from bugs, awful coding, pitiful framerates, reused animations, awful texturing, dismal draw distance, and many odd, idiotic moves that have set this game up to be one of the worst games of the year.
    Everyone knows by now that Game Freak has lied to their fans and customers with their outrageous claims made during the development of the game. They claimed that they cut pokemon and moves to make way for better animations and models and to improve the competitive balancing of the game. Of course, it was leaked that all the models, textures, and animations in the game are reused from older titles. Was it so hard to make new models and animations? Was it so hard to establish a competitive ban list that didn't affect casual players? Was it so hard to do your job?

    How can a Pokemon game in 2019 run at a locked framerate of 30 FPS on a console that can run Doom and Wolfenstein at average to above average FPS? Why are the "wild areas" so barren and empty? Why are the textures for trees and grass worse than those found on Pokemon Stadium for the N64? Why do I need a special in-game item from an NPC to simply lower the volume of the game? These choices are bizarre and ruin the experience for anyone who didn't even care about the national pokedex's removal in the first place.

    All of this coupled with a nice, hefty $60 price tag just shows Game Freak's laziness, incompetence, and money-grubbing attitude towards their consumers. These "critic" reviews clearly explain the issues in the games, yet the scores don't match with the blatant, obvious, experience ruining issues found in the title. The only reason this game gets a two is because, at the very least, the game was readily available at launch and booted up when inserted into the Switch...    … Expand
  73. Giuseppe98PG
    Nov 29, 2019
    0
    Motivazioni dello 0:
    - Il gioco dura pochissimo
    - La storia è frivola - I nuovi pokemon sono pochi (ho faticato tantissimo a costruire una squadra di 8 generazione) - La regione è minuscola - Le aree selvagge sono noiose, tutte uguali e non hanno uno scopo - la GTS è stata rimossa - Primo gioco pokemon nel quale puoi catturare solo 3 leggendari - Primo gioco pokemon con un endgame    Motivazioni dello 0:
    - Il gioco dura pochissimo
    - La storia è frivola
    - I nuovi pokemon sono pochi (ho faticato tantissimo a costruire una squadra di 8 generazione)
    - La regione è minuscola
    - Le aree selvagge sono noiose, tutte uguali e non hanno uno scopo
    - la GTS è stata rimossa
    - Primo gioco pokemon nel quale puoi catturare solo 3 leggendari
    - Primo gioco pokemon con un endgame noioso e frivolo
    - Primo gioco pokemon senza un vero team cattivo
    - Non ci sono attività side al di là del parco lotta

    Non trovo neanche interesse nel finire il pokedex come nei titoli precedenti. Non importa la mancanza del pokedex nazionale, io volevo giocare un gioco pokemon completo, non uno spinoff pagato anche di più    … Expand
  74. Zekroxin
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    All the Old Pokemon Games are much better than this what they Selled us as Pokemon Game Story really Bad gameplay okay but all in all half done and Trash.
  75. Azoputamadrelol
    Nov 17, 2019
    0
    Que onda con este juego? Parece hecho con el culo .-. Mediocridad al 100% no vale lo que cuesta
  76. Pio3d
    Nov 17, 2019
    0
    Corners were cut, pokèmons were removed, dumb gimmicks were added... seriously, go replay sum and moon, they are awkwardly better, don’t waste your money on that corner cutter trash
  77. Plansh
    Nov 17, 2019
    0
    O jogo é o pior da franquia pelo simples fato da pokémon Company ter tido preguiça em colocar a National dex, removendo mais de quatrocentos pokémon e mais de 100 golpes
  78. scoub
    Nov 17, 2019
    2
    This is the most linear game to date. There is zero room for exploration and no dungeons whatsoever. Aside from an optional area, every single route and town is a small hallway where all you have to do is press forward and the game essentially plays itself until you get interrupted by another cutscene.
    The graphics are also extremely subpar compared to other Switch games. It looks like it    This is the most linear game to date. There is zero room for exploration and no dungeons whatsoever. Aside from an optional area, every single route and town is a small hallway where all you have to do is press forward and the game essentially plays itself until you get interrupted by another cutscene.
    The graphics are also extremely subpar compared to other Switch games. It looks like it was directly ported from the 3DS and most parts of the game look rough or straight up unfinished.
    Do not play this game. It's not worth your time.    … Expand
  79. Fweb34
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    The game is fun, but it is fundamentally a handheld game. Not a console game. The online functionality is non-existant. Waiting to find a raid or get people to join yours simply does not work well at all. You can wait for over an hour re-trying to get people in your raid with the 3 minute time limit and you might have one person join, when realistically you NEED 4 real players to completeThe game is fun, but it is fundamentally a handheld game. Not a console game. The online functionality is non-existant. Waiting to find a raid or get people to join yours simply does not work well at all. You can wait for over an hour re-trying to get people in your raid with the 3 minute time limit and you might have one person join, when realistically you NEED 4 real players to complete the high level raids. Its really dissapointing how little effort was put into this game. We took one step forward with the pokemon franchise and 5 backwards. Really disappointed.… Expand
  80. SammyHauguth
    Jan 15, 2020
    1
    Max Raid Battles sucks, can't find other people to team up with which is no fun because the NPC's use Magikarp, and what is Magikarp now again? Yes, the worlds most pathetic Pokémon there ever is!

    Edit:
    And the end credit is unskipable... Another thing that is ****
  81. GerfyGerber
    Nov 18, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Finished the whole game in 16 hours. Story was very bland and boring, with no villain until the last hour of the story that was completely obvious and really sucked. 2 legendaries after last gen had a lot of great ones. Of course there's Dexit, which I personally didn't care much about, but it's still worth mentioning. The online is godawful even for Nintendo standards. Characters were handholdy and bland the whole game through, with only Marnie being somewhat interesting. Wild area is neat, but the ever present lag just sucks the fun out of it. Dynamaxing is a dumb mechanic, and Gigantimaxing is even dumber, the Corviknight that I raised from a Rookiedee CAN'T gigantimax because reasons, I have to catch a specific one from a raid battle, what happened to bonding with Pokemon?? Only good thing i can really was is that the music was great as usual.

    Overall, very bland, short and incredibly disappointing. Stop pushing a Pokemon game out every year, it is killing this once great franchise.    … Expand
  82. KasaiWolf
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    If I could I would score a 0 for these games.

    -GameFreak lied about the models and cut 400 odd Pokemon for it.
    -Wild area is very lazily done and very bad graphically
    -Games feel very empty in design and in length
    -Almost no post game
    -No mega evolution or Z moves.

    Overall I could write forever on why these games are bad but this should scratch the surface.
  83. klkevinkl
    Nov 17, 2019
    3
    The latest entry into the Pokemon series feels bare. There's ten routes, two caves, two forests, a battle tower, and one big "Wild Area." With most cities having three identical buildings you can enter and a Pokecenter/Mart, a clothing store, and a hair salon, towns feel absolutely empty. Much of the game focuses around just going from gym to gym and whenever the B plot comes up, theyThe latest entry into the Pokemon series feels bare. There's ten routes, two caves, two forests, a battle tower, and one big "Wild Area." With most cities having three identical buildings you can enter and a Pokecenter/Mart, a clothing store, and a hair salon, towns feel absolutely empty. Much of the game focuses around just going from gym to gym and whenever the B plot comes up, they literally tell you to let the adults take care of it while you go to the next gym. While some areas like the dark forest on the way to the Fairy Gym is nice with the interactive light up mushrooms, much of the game just feels barren. The Wild Area is also poorly designed, with arbitrary Pokemon levels that sometimes scales and sometimes does not. The result is that about halfway through the game, you will encounter Pokemon you cannot catch until two gyms later. Dynamax Pokemon are interesting, but the fact that you cannot use them outside of gyms and the Wild Areas make them kind of pointless most of the time. And for some reason, legendary Pokemon cannot use Dynamax. The raids are the worst as you have to match up with AI players to try to bring down the giant Pokemon and their stupidity will usually cause you to fail. I tried to get other players, but all the online features for the game were broken and by the time I finished the game about eighteen hours later, I still could not complete my first equivalent of the Wonder Trade that I started the moment that it was available (about 30 minutes in). The gym puzzles are interesting, but they gave up on those about halfway through with some dungeons not making sense at all, such as the rock type gym being on the snowy mountain. Towards the end of the game, the opponents you face suddenly jump ten levels too, making it seem like something was missing. But the biggest problem of all is the pitiful selection of Pokemon. For the first time ever in any Pokemon game, I reached the end of the game without a team that I felt confident with taking down the champion because I just did not have the ability to deal with many different types due to the limited selection of Pokemon. By the end of the game catching every unique Pokemon that I encountered, I had about a hundred Pokemon, but perhaps only ten of them were actually usable due to poor status values.

    The only thing positive I can say was that the gym leader battles definitely feel a lot more exciting. Most trainers will move when they declare an attack now. When you get to the gym leader battles in that stadium, the crowd reacting to knock outs is absolutely amazing. It was a shame that the same effort was not put into other battles too. The gym trainers on the way to the gym leaders did not even have a background.    … Expand
  84. ZaydelJmz
    Nov 17, 2019
    4
    Low effort on this year Pokemon Game. We can get the most awesome RPG game of this gen and we get a 3DS game on a bigger screen, Game Freak lied...
  85. Zenol31
    Nov 17, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Estaba muy entusiasmado con este juego, pero resulta que es menos incluso los juegos 3DS y aún así que te costarán 20 euros adicionales, en comparación con las entregas anteriores de Pokémon...Sufre en gran medida de una historia torpe y de ritmo pobre que no le da suficiente tiempo para que su elenco brille y se desarrolle. La historia en sí misma está reutilizando muchas animaciones de la última entrega, aunque el juego comienza con fuerza, se siente apresurada y superficial hacia el final. Tan superficial como su historia es el mundo del juego, la región de Galar, que presenta solo 10 rutas, bastante cortas que tienen poca o ninguna exploración.El juego no cuenta con mazmorras tradicionales, y casi nunca tienen más de dos caminos de ramificación. La característica más anunciada del juego, Wild Area, es un desastre decepcionante que muestra la mayoría de los problemas técnicos, opciones de diseño de juego cuestionables y textos de baja resolución y velocidad de fotogramas inestable, junto con el mundo del juego estéril, que carece de detalles o contenido. Pero desafortunadamente, los problemas no terminan ahí. Se eliminaron más de 100 movimientos del juego, de pokedex deja fuera más del 50% de los Pokémon de generaciones pasadas, el postjuego es increíblemente decepcionante. El nuevo truco de esta generación, Dynamax, tiene un tema prometedor: luchas Pokémon gigantes inspirados en Kaiju, que, lamentablemente, no está a la altura. Los nuevos diseños y personajes de Pokémon son encantadores y creativos, pero no justifican una compra de 60 Euros… Expand
  86. Nati
    Mar 14, 2021
    0
    This DLC has absolutely destroyed Pokemon Sword/Shield Ranked matching.

    Ranked is just an imbalanced JOKE now that requires zero skill or knowledge and spamming Legendaries. Urshifu is OP... I dont care about your "debate" That pokemon is OP. Not to mention other STARTLING imbalance issues that has ruined a long history of great competitive gameplay. Way to kick the hardcore fans    This DLC has absolutely destroyed Pokemon Sword/Shield Ranked matching.

    Ranked is just an imbalanced JOKE now that requires zero skill or knowledge and spamming Legendaries.

    Urshifu is OP... I dont care about your "debate" That pokemon is OP. Not to mention other STARTLING imbalance issues that has ruined a long history of great competitive gameplay.

    Way to kick the hardcore fans Pokemon, this was a rediculous decision. 0/10    … Expand
  87. Gelider
    Nov 17, 2019
    1
    Es un juego q no merece la pena , popping, animaciones recicladas , gráficos malos ( hasta ps2 tiene mejores gráficos) faltan pokemon , dificultad nula , etc
  88. DjNinjaRj
    May 4, 2021
    0
    Bad Game I Do Not Like Tghis Game, It Poopy HEAD This Is Not A Real Pokemon Game
  89. Gagnef
    Nov 22, 2019
    0
    -The game is short.

    -Many Pokémons have been cut to get "better animations", when the combat animations that are there are soulless and bad.

    -The graphics are sometimes worse than a N64 game.

    -No voice acting even though it seems like there was supposed to be there.

    no
  90. nafechinde
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. this game does not deserves your hard earned money, save it for much much better indie games on pc… Expand
  91. PokeBluedude
    Feb 24, 2020
    4
    I have played every pokemon (main title) game since original blue and red version and sadly I think this is the worst iteration of a pokemon adventure ever. I'm sure that seems a bit steep to some, those that have enjoyed it for example, but it's what I feel. The whole netdex thing and marketing of the game didn't help its case. But mostly its the game. Its just not AAA. Way to much handI have played every pokemon (main title) game since original blue and red version and sadly I think this is the worst iteration of a pokemon adventure ever. I'm sure that seems a bit steep to some, those that have enjoyed it for example, but it's what I feel. The whole netdex thing and marketing of the game didn't help its case. But mostly its the game. Its just not AAA. Way to much hand holding. Constantcutscenes and an annoying rival.… Expand
  92. YhuSel
    Nov 17, 2019
    0
    Un juego aburrido, lineal, con errores gráficos fatales, sin doblaje, texturas de los años 1995 e historia y dificultad demasiado fácil "para niños" prácticamente es un juego que no merece el precio y el tiempo que se espero por el.
  93. Toutong
    Nov 17, 2019
    3
    The Pokemon franchise suffers the same problem as FIFA (verdict at the end).
    The core game will always be a good experience therefor you will ALWAYS have fun with the games and devs knows that therefor they go for the way that makes them the most money, aka releasing a game per year.
    Releasing a game per year comes at the cost of improvement, the problem does not come from Sw&Sh it    The Pokemon franchise suffers the same problem as FIFA (verdict at the end).
    The core game will always be a good experience therefor you will ALWAYS have fun with the games and devs knows that therefor they go for the way that makes them the most money, aka releasing a game per year.
    Releasing a game per year comes at the cost of improvement, the problem does not come from Sw&Sh it comes from every Pokemon games, why did it explode on that game? Because it's a switch to a new console therefor you expect those improvement the most at that moment.
    National dex controversy: It would be ok if they actually did why they said they removed it but they didn't.
    Animations: With a switch game that can handle a ton of things (perf wise) you'd hope for better animations, if an attack uses a Pokemon's feet it should be shown, not asking for a special animation for every move but like 5 standard animations + a few specific animations for iconic moves, I don't think that asking a lot.
    Game optimization: Considering the graphics of the game it should run at 60 fps constantly, it runs at 30 fps drops at 20 FPS in some places in the wild area while offline.
    Online: Complete mess, dropping to 10 fps constantly, some freezes, Nintendo makes people pay an extra for that, it should be way better than that.
    Graphics: Compared to other Switch games it's not up to the standard and it's absolutely should be compared to other Switch games on graphics that's completely fair, it's of course not the only thing that matters.
    Map: Way too linear design with only 10 roads in the game, the wild area is a nice addition but in reality with the capacity of the Switch the game should be a total open world not just one wild area and a smaller map.
    Post game content: Barely anything and what we have is not good, spamming dynamax raid fight at the end is not good content.
    Improvements over main title games: Wild area, Pokemon popups, Fixed some things for competitive.

    Verdict: If the game was the first Pokemon game ever created it would be a 7 or a 8 but it's not and should be judged based on the actual improvements especially at a generational change , the fact that there is not a lot of improvements and actually worse in a lot of things compared to older Pokemon games, it's a 3 for me.    … Expand
  94. Samuelde
    Nov 19, 2019
    0
    Pokémon espada no es un mal juego pero es increíble que en 2019 no puedan poner a todos los Pokémones y no puedan hacer luchas como en Pokémon stadium
  95. Frutch
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    Critics are blind or got brainwashed from Gamefreak itself.
    This company lied and released the worst Pokemon of the entire series.
  96. NaKaGaWa13
    Nov 19, 2019
    0
    Game Freak killed that game for me! No National pokedex, no starters from previous generation, no Totodile, no Croconaw, no Feralligatr...Weird leveling system...Worst Pokemon game ever..
  97. Jojoca
    Nov 19, 2019
    0
    Rushed game, gamefreak lied,this is a disrespect for pokemon fans,anyway i hope the next game they give the best to bring back the true fans
  98. James9000
    Nov 19, 2019
    0
    So many issues that it's almost un enjoyable the first two hours are hand holding cringe
  99. Shellshock010
    Nov 20, 2019
    0
    It looks and feels like the product of a rushed production with ZERO effort into making anything worth the players time. GameFreak holds the reins to the highest grossing franchise in the world and they can't even animate the characters in their own games? Pokemon sword and shield look like a 3DS game with less content and more technical issues. The online is unplayable due to the lack ofIt looks and feels like the product of a rushed production with ZERO effort into making anything worth the players time. GameFreak holds the reins to the highest grossing franchise in the world and they can't even animate the characters in their own games? Pokemon sword and shield look like a 3DS game with less content and more technical issues. The online is unplayable due to the lack of optimization and due to an unstable netcode. I've spent 20 years playing pokemon but now I got tired of not holding GameFreak accountable for their lack of respect towards fans. You want good pokemon games in the future? Don't waste your time on these last two.… Expand
  100. lucasts02
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    Holy Jesus, 100 dollars on the bundle for a trash game. Cant even play 5 hours of the game, it is a disguting gameplay.
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Awards & Rankings

79
#79 Best Switch Game of 2019
1
#1 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 87
  3. Negative: 0 out of 87
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 30, 2020
    80
    Sword & Shield stumble in a few areas and history may not be kind to them, but they're setting up a future that I'm excited to see. [Issue #44 – January/February 2020, p. 73]
  2. GameCritics
    Feb 6, 2020
    75
    I enjoyed my time with Pokemon Sword and Shield, but I ended feeling conflicted. I appreciate many of the changes and felt that it generally respected my time, but I almost felt like a passive participant. The more complex gym challenges had a meatier role, but the narrative shouldn’t have been shoved to the side. Overall, I would recommend it to players who want to have a Pokemon experience, but this one won’t stick with me the way the older ones have.
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  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Jan 14, 2020
    78
    Pokemon Sword/Shield is uncharacteristically user-friendly: now there’s no need to backtrack half across the world to heal your entire team of pokemon or to get to a particular city, for example. [Issue#242, p.66]
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