User Score
4.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 5909 Ratings

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  1. Nov 19, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game was really good and I actually enjoyed it but the story was really short. Beat the game in 2 days and it really wasn't that hard. The best part about the game was probably the wild area. You can do a lot there and it shows there's more than just story Expand
  2. Jan 12, 2021
    8
    → Attrapez-les tous !
    Étant fan des jeux Pokémon depuis tout gamin, je ne pouvais pas passer à côté du petit dernier. Celui-ci reprend fidèlement le concept tout en ajoutant quelques nouveautés. L'histoire est comme d'habitude avec la franchise, plutôt enfantine. j'ai trouvé que les développeurs se la joué petit bras avec les terres sauvages, qui servent à remplir un grand morceau de map
    → Attrapez-les tous !
    Étant fan des jeux Pokémon depuis tout gamin, je ne pouvais pas passer à côté du petit dernier. Celui-ci reprend fidèlement le concept tout en ajoutant quelques nouveautés. L'histoire est comme d'habitude avec la franchise, plutôt enfantine. j'ai trouvé que les développeurs se la joué petit bras avec les terres sauvages, qui servent à remplir un grand morceau de map avec beaucoup de Pokémon disponibles, et quelques mécanismes qui ne resteront pas franchement dans les annales. D'ailleurs côté créatures, il y en a un bon paquet présent à attraper. Du côté des graphismes, c'est très chouette. Bien qu'il ne soit pas parfait, il propose néanmoins une aventure digne de ce nom et franchement très agréable.

    Sortie en novembre 2019 / Développé par The Pokémon Compagny.
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  3. Nov 19, 2019
    9
    Gráficamente se podría mejorar, pero tampoco esta tan mal: es mas estilo a Anime. No he visto bajada de fps en ningún momento, aunque como he dicho se puede mejorar.
    La Banda sonora esta muy bien currada y más cuando estamos luchando en un gimnasio. La historia deja mucho que desear, aunque bueno.... ningún juego de Pokémon ha tenido una historia muy allá.
    La duración, pues bueno, he
    Gráficamente se podría mejorar, pero tampoco esta tan mal: es mas estilo a Anime. No he visto bajada de fps en ningún momento, aunque como he dicho se puede mejorar.
    La Banda sonora esta muy bien currada y más cuando estamos luchando en un gimnasio. La historia deja mucho que desear, aunque bueno.... ningún juego de Pokémon ha tenido una historia muy allá.
    La duración, pues bueno, he tardado unas 25 horas en pasármelo y todavía me queda muchas cosas por completar (pokedex, torre batalla, etc) y la jugabilidad; hay cosas viejas que ya vimos en entregas anteriores y cosas innovadoras. El juego es mas accesible al público (mas casual). Lo mas malo es la Dex (no están todos) y la historia (que podría habérselo currado mas). En mi canal Zona Manine hago un Análisis mas detallado sobre el juego.
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  4. Nov 19, 2019
    8
    I've been playing Pokémon since I was very young, starting with Gen 1. I don't have the time for all the 'beneficial natures' or 'competitive movesets' or 'balanced metagame' that most of these negative reviews seem so hugely focused on.

    Fact of the matter is that I enjoyed this game. A lot. More than any main series or spin off title in the series since gen 5. Sure it has the odd flaw,
    I've been playing Pokémon since I was very young, starting with Gen 1. I don't have the time for all the 'beneficial natures' or 'competitive movesets' or 'balanced metagame' that most of these negative reviews seem so hugely focused on.

    Fact of the matter is that I enjoyed this game. A lot. More than any main series or spin off title in the series since gen 5. Sure it has the odd flaw, but if you're really put off continuing this beloved franchise by some absolute nonsense like breeding mechanics etc then you probably shouldn't be playing Pokémon. Let people enjoy things, don't tear a game down purely because of some stupid thing that makes literally zero difference to the non-entitled portion of the audience
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  5. Nov 19, 2019
    9
    It's not perfect, but it's a Pokemon game that lets me do everything I expect from a Pokemon game, and then some.

    Having it on the Switch is something I've been wanting for a long time!
  6. Nov 19, 2019
    8
    Muy buen juego, no se lleva mas por la falta de pokemon, pero fuera de eso excelente trabajo, un poco corto, el que te correteen los pokemon es algo muy divertido, asi como el tambien buscar uno en especifico, con solo ver lo y tocarlo puedes iniciar la batalla, el encontrar objeto por las excursiones dinamax es perfecto y rápido.
  7. Nov 19, 2019
    8
    Playing this game is definitely a trip if you are not a new player to pokemon, if anything they made this game for the newer kids to the franchise from what i feel, i do enjoy the pokemon they add but am taken away from the fact that they take away majority of our hard work with the fact that our usually included national dex has been casted away. it hits me like DMC: devil may cry gamePlaying this game is definitely a trip if you are not a new player to pokemon, if anything they made this game for the newer kids to the franchise from what i feel, i do enjoy the pokemon they add but am taken away from the fact that they take away majority of our hard work with the fact that our usually included national dex has been casted away. it hits me like DMC: devil may cry game where it has become another game made differently to support the franchise but almost as if they threw this game out only to be somewhat unfinished but it is not a horrible game, it has many things about this game that keeps me coming back especially encounters, the fashions, the evolution's and i see what can seem underwhelming about this game but it is still solid, can't wait to finish it, I'll come back after i finish it. Expand
  8. Nov 19, 2019
    8
    It has definitely no stunning gameplay, it also doesn't have the sickest graphics, but this isn't what pokemon is all about. Many people are for example sad, that they can't take all their 700 Pokemon to their new-gen. I for one, who has started playing Pokemon with 10 and Pokemon black, am happy, that I now don't have to catch up with all (would be nearly 1000 Pokemon I guess) to get myIt has definitely no stunning gameplay, it also doesn't have the sickest graphics, but this isn't what pokemon is all about. Many people are for example sad, that they can't take all their 700 Pokemon to their new-gen. I for one, who has started playing Pokemon with 10 and Pokemon black, am happy, that I now don't have to catch up with all (would be nearly 1000 Pokemon I guess) to get my full Pokedex. I now have a chance to play Pokemon as it felt in the first-gen when you could catch 99% of the pokemon you need to complete your dex in one game. This is and Shinihunting is a very calm experience, which defenetly has the charm Pokemon should have! 8/10 Expand
  9. Nov 19, 2019
    9
    I believe this game is great. I had so much fun creating my team, with new and interesting pokemon, such as dragapult, grapplockt, centiscorch and others. The main story, though lacking, is fun and interesting to play through. I understand that the game is not perfect, but is a great addition to the nintendo switch lineup, and I would recommend it to anyone who asks.
  10. Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Thisgame is a good classical RPG of the pokemon Genre, and by its look by far the best one. It doesnt really brother me, that there arent all pokemon in the game, singe it provide many hours of fun, it deserves a 9. It isnt quite perfect tho. The lag in online play is pretty noticable yet still its pretty good playable. The level scaling is the best of ALL TIME it was quite challenging andThisgame is a good classical RPG of the pokemon Genre, and by its look by far the best one. It doesnt really brother me, that there arent all pokemon in the game, singe it provide many hours of fun, it deserves a 9. It isnt quite perfect tho. The lag in online play is pretty noticable yet still its pretty good playable. The level scaling is the best of ALL TIME it was quite challenging and i like that. Theyve learned from the past, and thats good. Expand
  11. Nov 19, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Just recently finished the game, and I had a blast with it! Although I was not happy with half the pokedex being removed, I quickly got over it after seeing a lot of the cool pokemon in the region, my favorites being Dragapult and the hilarious yet powerful Appletun. I also really enjoyed the characters although Hop being a little too lame of a character. The game surprised me and the negatives are outweighed by the positives Expand
  12. Nov 19, 2019
    9
    This game is gorgeous, and despite a couple animation quirks, it more than delivers as a worthy first Pokémon Switch entry. The new mon designs are fun and interesting, the characters and creatures look wonderful, and the gameplay is a real step up from the previous title. A fantastic, engaging, and very well executed title.
  13. Nov 19, 2019
    8
    This game has some problems that it shouldn’t have, but overall super fun game, and one of the best games on Switch. I do feel like the game isn’t finished in a few areas and the story is kinda lacking, but most locations look beautiful and the new Pokémon are awesome. There aren’t really any drops in frames and no graphical glitches... or any glitches of any kind so I don’t know whatThis game has some problems that it shouldn’t have, but overall super fun game, and one of the best games on Switch. I do feel like the game isn’t finished in a few areas and the story is kinda lacking, but most locations look beautiful and the new Pokémon are awesome. There aren’t really any drops in frames and no graphical glitches... or any glitches of any kind so I don’t know what everyone is talking about. This game is great Expand
  14. Nov 19, 2019
    8
    In no way does this game deserve a 4 out of 10

    Look I love pokemon, I have adored the franchise since the first game and followed it all the way through. This by far, is the most immersive pokemon world to date. It is the best looking pokemon game by far ( which should be expected ). Is it without flaws? No, no pokemon game is. I went into this game extremely sceptical and even
    In no way does this game deserve a 4 out of 10

    Look I love pokemon, I have adored the franchise since the first game and followed it all the way through. This by far, is the most immersive pokemon world to date. It is the best looking pokemon game by far ( which should be expected ). Is it without flaws? No, no pokemon game is.

    I went into this game extremely sceptical and even hating on G.F for the flaws but after playing I have been swayed.

    cons:
    - The story is kinda short
    - The difficulty is a little easier ( but still harder than Sun and Moon )
    - The textures and some environments could be designed much better
    - Lack of NPC's and things to do outside of story and catch pokemon

    Pros:
    - The world is gorgeous, the towns are huge and ooze atmosphere and the routes look lovely
    - Gen 8 is one of my fave generations of pokemon designs ever, I've seen maybe one or two duds.
    - The additional of pokemon that run around adds a level of immersion and ease that I adore
    - The wild area is a great building block to something far better
    - Competetive play has been made far easier with nature changing, IV checking and EV changers being far more available.
    - Music

    I have played 13 hours and I just got the 5th badge, if you take it slow and don't steam roll it you can very easily have a 20-30 hour game experience long before you catch all the pokemon.

    This game is not perfect, nor did I really ever think it was going to be, Gamefreak was plauged by the Pokemon forced release cycle and were using far greater hardware for the first time with Pokemon,

    They built and engine, it does work, but it needs refinement, on the next pokemon game they won't need to build an engine. they'll be able to focus solely on refinement and I believe they will do so.

    This as a stepping stone into the future of pokemon is great and I am positive the future games will show how much they are capable of listening and adapting the criticism. Gamefreak has done it before, so I am sure they'll do it again.
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  15. Nov 19, 2019
    8
    No cumple con el objetivo de atrapar público nuevo, exceptuando el área salvaje continúa siendo un Pokémon clásico (sin pokédex nacional) Falta de pulido y texturas en ciertas zonas, fondos blancos, desaparcen entrenadores y caída de frames, reutilizado de moldes, en cuanto a historia es buena y si eres fan o as tocado un Pokémon antes te atratapara hasta terminarlo las dinámicasNo cumple con el objetivo de atrapar público nuevo, exceptuando el área salvaje continúa siendo un Pokémon clásico (sin pokédex nacional) Falta de pulido y texturas en ciertas zonas, fondos blancos, desaparcen entrenadores y caída de frames, reutilizado de moldes, en cuanto a historia es buena y si eres fan o as tocado un Pokémon antes te atratapara hasta terminarlo las dinámicas implementadas y la diversidad de cosas para hacer son sus puntos fuertes Expand
  16. Nov 19, 2019
    8
    Played for a few days now and really enjoying it. My first experience since Pokemon Red and it’s taking me back. Nice that my son can play/watch too. It’s now got him in to Pokémon Go which again is a great thing! Voice acting (although I know it is expensive and arduous) and a full Pokédex would have allowed me to give a 9 or 10. There is a lot of text and to fully submerge myself in toPlayed for a few days now and really enjoying it. My first experience since Pokemon Red and it’s taking me back. Nice that my son can play/watch too. It’s now got him in to Pokémon Go which again is a great thing! Voice acting (although I know it is expensive and arduous) and a full Pokédex would have allowed me to give a 9 or 10. There is a lot of text and to fully submerge myself in to the world would have been easier without having to read so many MPC’s boring comments! Overall, a great game that delivers lots of promise for the future of Pokémon on the Switch. Expand
  17. Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Secondo me molto bello e valido critiche ingiustificate l'unica pecca è che dura poco
  18. Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Great Game. Had a lot of fun and enjoyed it alot. I absolutely recommend trying it out and have fun
  19. Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Pokemon Sword and Shield changed the negative trends we've been seeing in pokemon games since generation 5. While everyone is complaining about the national dex they are ignoring the fantastic new pokémon in this game. The difficulty isn't there yes that's true but the wild area and other things make up for it. The new changes to gyms made me actually excited to enter a gym for the firstPokemon Sword and Shield changed the negative trends we've been seeing in pokemon games since generation 5. While everyone is complaining about the national dex they are ignoring the fantastic new pokémon in this game. The difficulty isn't there yes that's true but the wild area and other things make up for it. The new changes to gyms made me actually excited to enter a gym for the first time in quite some time. It all feels much better and more satisfying even if the difficulty isn't there. I went ahead in the wild area and spent hours there, the game encourages you to do so thus playing it in your own way, so when you end up beating the game in your own way it gives you an amazing feeling. I enjoyed every second I was playing this game but it isn't perfect, for the majority of the beginning of the game Hop holds your hand through the first gym i believe. The post game is a bit underwhelming and the end of the main game can linger a bit. Team yell isn't much of an evil team at all but your focus on the gym challenge makes it so the game doesn't really need one. All the major plot twists were predicted but that doesn't make any of them less satisfying to uncover. The linear region lead to me to feel the progression and the wonderful scenery allowed me to love every second playing this game. It appeals to old pokemon fans and new pokemon fans, for what nintendo was trying to do pokemon sword and shield hit it right on the head. Expand
  20. Nov 20, 2019
    8
    It’s Pokémon that’s all and I don’t care if all the Pokémon are in the game or not.
  21. Nov 21, 2019
    9
    I find it sad how on the 2 previous 3DS games the user score was less than 1000 people, now you see those fake negative scores/reviews on a really good game.
  22. Nov 21, 2019
    8
    is alright. played 50 hours min-maxing my team but didn't have a lot to do with a said team outside of playing with friends. the story is bad, environment and graphics i like. QOL improvements are really solid and a big step up from previous games.
  23. Nov 21, 2019
    8
    Je ne comprends pas les notes des gens.... Si vous avez déjà joué à Pokémon avant, le jeu est plus beau, plus riche, il ajoute de la coop, une zone ouverte, des pokémons visibles... Pour un jeu Pokémon, il est génial. Par contre il est toujours aussi facile, et malheureusement aucun choix de difficulté possible. Mais en même temps c'est écrit Pokémon sur la boite pas witcher ou xenoblade.Je ne comprends pas les notes des gens.... Si vous avez déjà joué à Pokémon avant, le jeu est plus beau, plus riche, il ajoute de la coop, une zone ouverte, des pokémons visibles... Pour un jeu Pokémon, il est génial. Par contre il est toujours aussi facile, et malheureusement aucun choix de difficulté possible. Mais en même temps c'est écrit Pokémon sur la boite pas witcher ou xenoblade.
    Le prochain il a interet d'avoir :
    - Pokédex complet
    - mode hard : pas de multi-xp, taux de capture plus bas, prix plus élevés..
    - un vrai monde ouvert
    - l'antialiasing ON
    - le retour des GTS
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  24. Nov 21, 2019
    8
    Good game with many things to do. Don't understand all the hate reviews. Please give this game a chance it's really fun
  25. Nov 21, 2019
    9
    I LOVED the game. It has an interesting story with ties to British mythology, a lot of great characters, which I all love (in exception of maybe 2 people). The soundtrack also isn't "weak" compared to Toby Fox' song and especially the late game music is absolutely great. The graphics also look, maybe not technically, but art style wise really good. It only took me 25 hours to finish theI LOVED the game. It has an interesting story with ties to British mythology, a lot of great characters, which I all love (in exception of maybe 2 people). The soundtrack also isn't "weak" compared to Toby Fox' song and especially the late game music is absolutely great. The graphics also look, maybe not technically, but art style wise really good. It only took me 25 hours to finish the game but that doesn't really matter to me since I pretty much enjoyed every second of it, and I still sink a lot of additional time. The only two things I didn't really like (also why it's not a 10/10) were the wild zone and some Pokemon being shiny locked (legendaries and starters). The wild zone is too empty and really slows down the game if the switch isn't docked. The Dynamax raids are great though and also really good for shiny hunting. I honestly didn't really notice the absence of the National Dex when playing, so I can't really subtract points because of that. Expand
  26. Nov 21, 2019
    8
    Muy buen juego. Con diferencia el juego de pokémon más inmersivo hasta la fecha, el mundo se siente muy vivo y te crees lo que ves
    Un punto muy a favor es que han dejado atrás a algunos pokémon y movimientos, dando importancia a las nuevas incorporaciones y dando un giro de 180º a todo el meta-game casposo vigente en entregas anteriores.
    Efectivamente, gráficamente es mejorable en muchos
    Muy buen juego. Con diferencia el juego de pokémon más inmersivo hasta la fecha, el mundo se siente muy vivo y te crees lo que ves
    Un punto muy a favor es que han dejado atrás a algunos pokémon y movimientos, dando importancia a las nuevas incorporaciones y dando un giro de 180º a todo el meta-game casposo vigente en entregas anteriores.
    Efectivamente, gráficamente es mejorable en muchos aspectos, pero el arte está bien conseguido y consigue atenuar este factor.
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  27. Nov 22, 2019
    9
    I adore the game very much. But it also has a certain con. I rated a 9 because I love how the aspects and the coloring including the story line was. I am not a fan of the cut more the re used animations. But I love the wild side of it and the bike rides including the flying taxis. But I still wished they put more time into the game like fix the map
  28. Nov 21, 2019
    8
    I am enjoying this game. Yes, I know the graphics aren't spectacular, but I am willing to look past that as this is a Pokemon game after all . The gameplay is fun, the new Pokemon are great, and when it all comes down to it, it's a game that I want to keep playing. My one complaint would be that the game does hold your hand on the main campaign a little bit too much. All in all, II am enjoying this game. Yes, I know the graphics aren't spectacular, but I am willing to look past that as this is a Pokemon game after all . The gameplay is fun, the new Pokemon are great, and when it all comes down to it, it's a game that I want to keep playing. My one complaint would be that the game does hold your hand on the main campaign a little bit too much. All in all, I think most of the reviews from fans are too low, and this game deserves better. Expand
  29. Nov 22, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is an unbiased review and my experience with the game. Overall I had a good time in Galar but it suffers from many problems and I was constantly questioning aspects of the game as I was playing.

    The GOOD

    There are many new pokémon with really creative and cool designs.

    Gameplay is still fun.

    The new camping and the way you are able to interacting with your pokémon was honestly amazing. Hopefully this gets improved for the games to come.

    The removal of random encounters was a blessing. The world felt more alive when you can see the pokémon walking around and interacting with the world.

    The gym challenges was really creative and fun.

    Although the graphics are not great there were a few places that were inspiring and unique.

    Character cusomization is great.

    Music is good and at times great (winter town and the first forest near your house)

    Ballonlea city looks amazing, sad you only go to the gym and then you are out of there. Team yells city was also really cool.

    The BAD

    No national dex (didn't bother me but does for a lot of people)

    Most characters were often made to goofy or anoying. Instead of cool characters they often run around with phones and do stupid poses. The 8th gym trainer could have been this mysterious and interesting guy but he really isnt.

    The story was really weak and poorly done. You basically just go around defeating gyms and at the end it picks up a little bit but it is still bad, weird and confusing. Chairman Rose's was a terrible villian and it honestly feels like it was a decision they made 1 month before launch.

    Not much of post gameplay.

    Team Yell doesnt really do much expect block paths and sometimes battle you.

    Wild area is enjoyable but still feels very empty.

    Normal battles almost gave me headaches, from the encounter until you can use any moves there are 4 different cutscenes. When a pokemon uses a move there are also a bunch of cuts. When your opponent throw a new pokeball you dont see them do it it just cuts away from them and then a pokeball comes flying from their direction. It makes the characters feel like robots.

    Many walking animations feels off and it looks weird.

    CONCLUSION

    Good game but maybe not a what I was expecting, does fix a few problems but doesnt really inovate the series that much. Most kids will probably have a good time. You only play the game to catch, battle and train pokemon and explore the region. Not for story or the characters. Dynamax is meh, it works but just barely.

    You will most likely have a nice time but you will notice problems.

    If it wasnt one of the best game series of all time it would have been an 8 or 8.5 but since it is I can only give it a 7.5.

    If rounding off to an 8
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  30. Nov 28, 2019
    8
    El juego es entretenido, esperaba muchísimo menos de esta entrega pero al adquirirlo me dejó sorprendida de lo entretenido que es.
    Loa gráficos sí son un salto de la 3ds para mejor ya que en algunas ciudades se ve bastante bien, mas sin embargo para una Switch quedaron cortos.
    La historia pues, Pokémon no suele tener una gran historia nunca, pero la dinámica de las incursiones y al área
    El juego es entretenido, esperaba muchísimo menos de esta entrega pero al adquirirlo me dejó sorprendida de lo entretenido que es.
    Loa gráficos sí son un salto de la 3ds para mejor ya que en algunas ciudades se ve bastante bien, mas sin embargo para una Switch quedaron cortos.
    La historia pues, Pokémon no suele tener una gran historia nunca, pero la dinámica de las incursiones y al área salvaje es bastante entretenida.

    Me gustó lejos de lo que oensaba que sería un pésimo juego.
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  31. Nov 23, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ich bin kein Fanboys und sondern ein Pokènom OG und gebe meine ehrliche Meinung zu dem Spiel ab sowie ich es bei jedem anderen Spiel mache. Zuerst mal Das Spiel macht unglaublich viel Spaß und ist wunderschön.Die sotory ist nicht zu kurz sondern lang genug. Einige Routen sind zu kurz und manche orden kamen auch viel zu schnell hintereinander. Die Story hätte man auch viel besser gestalten können wenn man ein richtiges böses team eingebaut hätte. Es kamen sehr viele pokemon bei Trainern aus der 5. Genrationen zum Einsatz was ein bisschen einseitig vorkam wenn man das Spiel schnell durch gespielt hat. Aber das waren auch schon alle Kritik Punkte von mir und das Spiel macht das auch alles eigentlich wieder weg. Deswegen auch 9 Punkte von mir und keine 8 oder noch weniger. Ich hoffe einige teilen die selbe Meinung wie ich würde mich sehr freuen. Und jeder der sagt oder schreib das spiel hat Bugs oder stürzt ab TOTALE LÜGEN das ist mir in 45 Stunden Spielzeit noch KEIN EINTIGES MAL AUFGEFALLEN und ist noch kein mal.passiert also lässt euch mal nicht verarschen!!! Expand
  32. Nov 23, 2019
    9
    El juego es entretenido y engancha bastante, podría mejorar un poco la parte gráfica pero fuera de eso está bastante bien
  33. Nov 23, 2019
    9
    A solid Pokémon game despite whiners complaints. The wild area is a great addition and the game looks and feels phenomenal
  34. Nov 23, 2019
    9
    This game is awesome! Exactly what I wanted in a console version. I’ve played about 5-6 Pokémon games through the years and this is either my favorite or second favorite behind sun-moon. I don’t notice the lack of national dex or missing Pokémon I guess since I’m not a hardcore kneed to catch them all!!!’ Pokémon player. I enjoy to play the games until beat main quest and that’s it. IThis game is awesome! Exactly what I wanted in a console version. I’ve played about 5-6 Pokémon games through the years and this is either my favorite or second favorite behind sun-moon. I don’t notice the lack of national dex or missing Pokémon I guess since I’m not a hardcore kneed to catch them all!!!’ Pokémon player. I enjoy to play the games until beat main quest and that’s it. I try to catch as many Pokémon as I can and level them up as I progress and that’s as fun as ever in this one! Expand
  35. Nov 23, 2019
    9
    The game honestly got review bombed pretty hard

    I found the game really enjoyable and I will find myself coming back to it. I understand why people are mad, No National Dex, cut features, questionable graphics, but overall the games are a blast! Although there wasn’t much of a story I will admit, the game overall was still fun. The gameplay was really good and I loved how it was made.
    The game honestly got review bombed pretty hard

    I found the game really enjoyable and I will find myself coming back to it. I understand why people are mad, No National Dex, cut features, questionable graphics, but overall the games are a blast!

    Although there wasn’t much of a story I will admit, the game overall was still fun. The gameplay was really good and I loved how it was made. It deserves better reviews
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  36. SKG
    Nov 23, 2019
    8
    Jumping into this Pokemon game has been a bumpy ride. Hearing all the controversy made me concerned. But now that I've actually played it I can finally give my honest opinion of it. First off the graphics. Seeing so many good looking games on the switch it made me look forward to Pokemon. The game has both good and terrible graphics. The Pokemon look fine and some areas look beautiful butJumping into this Pokemon game has been a bumpy ride. Hearing all the controversy made me concerned. But now that I've actually played it I can finally give my honest opinion of it. First off the graphics. Seeing so many good looking games on the switch it made me look forward to Pokemon. The game has both good and terrible graphics. The Pokemon look fine and some areas look beautiful but others are not good, for example the wild area. The wild area really makes this game worthwhile with the Pokemon walking about and an actual movable camera. It's big and fun to walk around in but the graphics are terrible and it has horrible frame rate drops when connected to WiFi. In all with all it's problems it's still fun to play in especially with raid battles which I'll get into later. Next the story is something I have mixed feeling about. Pokemon really tried to mix up how they write there stories with this game but it feels weird. From playing tons of Pokemon games with great story's this game feels rushed and not much thought went into the story. The only really good parts of the story are short and only happen toward the end. The characters are half and half. Your rival is ok his personality grows throughout the story but it's kinda really boring. Other characters are great such as the gym leaders, Bedde, and Marnie. It's just a bummer that they don't really expand on there characters. You want to make a connection to them but can't because the story won't let you. Now with gameplay it's the same old Pokemon game except with a few changes that some will hate and others will love. One exp share does make the game easier which is a little bummer. I was finding myself not finding the game a challenge which made me wonder why gamefreak doesn't add different difficultys to balance out there game. Next are raid battles which at fist I didn't really think would be fun but oh man was I wrong. Raid battles have allowed me to play with my friends unlike any other Pokemon game has. There exillerating and the addition of dinamaxing really makes it fun. The dinamaxing moves look amazing and they remind me old the good old days of mega evolving and Z moves. The basic turn base battle system is the same which is great. It brings back memories of playing my fist Pokemon games. In the end Pokemon Sword/Shield are fun games. Yes there are a lot of things that Gamefreak needs to work on in there next game but it all comes down to if the experience was enjoyable. The things that really stood out and bothered me I eventually ignored and forgot were there. I had a great time playing this game and I don't believe this game deserves a 0 or a perfect 10 but an ok score. I do hope though that Gamefreak learns from there mistakes and the positive and bring out a game on the switch which earns an amazing score in the near future. Expand
  37. Nov 24, 2019
    8
    Me parece un muy buen juego por cosas como los nuevos pokemon, la historia, las incursiones y como se han tomado el competitivo pero hay un par de aspectos que no me gustan como que el juego es muy lineal y muy corto (la historia) pero por lo demas me gusta mucho
  38. Nov 25, 2019
    8
    Sword and Shield - Hate or Love?

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

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

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

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

    Now to Sword

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

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

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

    National Dex/ Pokedex

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

    Difficulty

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

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

    Note: English is not my native language, im sorry if this is kinda hard to read. :)
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  39. Nov 25, 2019
    9
    I have reviewed Pokemon Shield but as they are both quite similar here the same review.

    --- This is a great game - I had a lot of fun playing it and enjoyed the whole thing. It isn't a 100 % there yet and is still a bit rough around the edges but I don't regret buying or playing it. The game play is nice and works well - there are three things bothering me within the game - 1. you
    I have reviewed Pokemon Shield but as they are both quite similar here the same review.

    ---
    This is a great game - I had a lot of fun playing it and enjoyed the whole thing. It isn't a 100 % there yet and is still a bit rough around the edges but I don't regret buying or playing it. The game play is nice and works well - there are three things bothering me within the game - 1. you cannot turn off or filter all the notifications you receive on the lower left hand side for online playing, 2. the instructions for how cooking works are a bit too limited, 3. the limitation of implemented Pokemon (even though I don't think, that this is such a big deal).
    Otherwise I think it is a great game with a really great story, great game play and I really enjoyed that the game and the opponents you face have actual emotions and things happen, that you don't naturally expect. I also really enjoyed the graphics and the 3D world - how the Pokemon run around on the map and I can actually see them - that was great and an awesome addition.
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  40. Nov 25, 2019
    10
    People are very dramatic about the re-used animations and tree graphics. I have been playing Pokemon since gen 1, and I actually really enjoyed this game. After the first 3 gyms, the difficulty spikes, and it got much more enjoyable. The wild area was awesome to explore, and I hope the expand upon this concept in future games to give it more of a BOTW feeling. Some of the starter designsPeople are very dramatic about the re-used animations and tree graphics. I have been playing Pokemon since gen 1, and I actually really enjoyed this game. After the first 3 gyms, the difficulty spikes, and it got much more enjoyable. The wild area was awesome to explore, and I hope the expand upon this concept in future games to give it more of a BOTW feeling. Some of the starter designs were dissapointing, there was some very entertaing dialouge, and the dynamax mechanic added a new element. This is the most unique Pokemon technique I have played in a very long time. Expand
  41. Nov 25, 2019
    8
    Pokemon Sword es un juego con detalles que lo vuelven agridulce, pero viéndolo como un paquete completo consiguió sumergirme en el mundo Pokémon como nunca antes había hecho otro juego la saga.

    Lo mejor: -Soundtrack -Batallas de gimnasio con más peso en la historia -Nuevos pokémon -Diseño de los personajes principales -Mecánicas más pulidas para respetar el tiempo del jugador
    Pokemon Sword es un juego con detalles que lo vuelven agridulce, pero viéndolo como un paquete completo consiguió sumergirme en el mundo Pokémon como nunca antes había hecho otro juego la saga.

    Lo mejor:
    -Soundtrack
    -Batallas de gimnasio con más peso en la historia
    -Nuevos pokémon
    -Diseño de los personajes principales
    -Mecánicas más pulidas para respetar el tiempo del jugador (competitivo)
    -Recorrer el Área Silvestre
    -Cinemáticas

    Lo peor:
    -Poca dificultad
    -No intro al inicio del juego
    -No zoroark
    -Caídas de framerate, sobre todo al estar conectado a internet
    -Animaciones inconsistentes, unas padres, pero otras muy simples
    -Algunas texturas bastante vergonzosas en elementos del mundo
    -Historia corta y poco profunda
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  42. Nov 25, 2019
    9
    Pokemon looked better then it ever has before. All of the routes and towns look great, but the the wild area looks worse than the rest of the game. All of the new Pokemon look great. Going back to the old style of Gym Battles and adding in an island trial like thing for each gym was fun.
  43. Nov 25, 2019
    8
    I enjoyed Pokemon Sword. The game is just what i expected it to be. I had a great time just breezing through the game with 30 Pokemon. Is that so wrong? The absence of the national dex is not a big deal to most of the people playing the game. Most people are also not reading every article online about how the models are re-used or the game can wipe your save data, most of the time thoseI enjoyed Pokemon Sword. The game is just what i expected it to be. I had a great time just breezing through the game with 30 Pokemon. Is that so wrong? The absence of the national dex is not a big deal to most of the people playing the game. Most people are also not reading every article online about how the models are re-used or the game can wipe your save data, most of the time those issues don't affect the game play.

    I didn't walk through the game saying, "wow. this game sucks." No. Its Pokemon. It what I paid for. I didn't wait for a game that would sweep every game at the game awards. No, I bought Pokemon. People asking the game to be completely remade from the ground up is a fantasy. They already have a game on the switch and would never do what the fans wanted. i completely new and refreshing experience. No, its the same formula every game. Expecting something new after a game already being on the switch is kinda ridiculous.

    issues with the game. Yes most things such as the national dex being removed is a big deal to some people. Sorry, but not every Nintendo game has a Smash budget. It is a shame that I don't get to have some of my favorite Pokemon though. Also, the controversy about game breaking bugs and re-used models. The sd card save wipe is a REALLY big misconception. This only happened to specific copies of the game with specific sd card and only in Japan. People in the west complaining about this have no clue about the actual terms of the glitch.

    I liked the game, but it had some issues, hence my review score. A game i can enjoy is always a 8/10 in my books. I shouldn't give a bad review just because other peoples experiences were bad. Like bruh.
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  44. Nov 25, 2019
    8
    The thing I disliked the most was the lack of in game content, but I think they made up for it in their PvP and PvE content. Sure the story is shorter in comparison to others, but I believe that the story was not the focus. They really made the competitive scene and the user to user interactions a lot of fun.

    By getting rid of the, they did alienate some of their audience but I don't
    The thing I disliked the most was the lack of in game content, but I think they made up for it in their PvP and PvE content. Sure the story is shorter in comparison to others, but I believe that the story was not the focus. They really made the competitive scene and the user to user interactions a lot of fun.

    By getting rid of the, they did alienate some of their audience but I don't think that's a reason to disregard the game. There's so many cool new pokemon and by cutting some pokemon others get a chance to shine in the competitive scene. I know not a lot of people may not even play competitively but if there ever was a time to get into it, now would be the best time. They have made competitive so much more approachable.

    Now I wanna talk about raid battles. Joining up with 3 other friends and taking on these gigantic pokemon is a lot of fun. And you can help friends who might want to get some really good pokemon or even a gigantamax pokemon.

    The graphics are not the best graphics of all time, but for pokemon I think they are a step in the right direction. I've seen some people compare them to games that focus on realism, like Death Stranding, but that's not what pokemon is about. People play pokemon for the gameplay. Sure nice graphics are wonderful, but gameplay is much more of a focus.

    To summarize, this is a pokemon game. It's not winning any awards for story or graphics, but I don't think where the true value of this game is. The best part about pokemon in general is exploring a vast world with never before seen pokemon (which I think the wild area does very well). There's a lot of fun to be had outside the lacking story. I highly encourage all pokemon fans to get this game or at least don't ignore it. Newcomers might be turned off by all the vocal "haters" of the game, but I implore you to make your own opinions on the game. Having been a fan of pokemon since I was a kid with pokemon platinum, I can say I enjoyed this game a lot. It may not be the perfect pokemon game, but it sure is a lot of fun.
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  45. Nov 26, 2019
    10
    Love it! Lack of national dex sucks, but I'm loving all the new stuff and Pokemon. Wild Area is the future.
  46. Jan 9, 2020
    10
    It's an excellent game, the best thing about it, is the dynamaxing system where your Pokemon becomes gigantic, definitely recommend it (EDIT) Now that the upcoming expansions are releasing soon, I can expect to see more potential with 200 more Pokemon coming into the game, including all past legends from Dialga, Xerneas, Kyogre, Lunala. And one last thing, they need to reverse those reviewIt's an excellent game, the best thing about it, is the dynamaxing system where your Pokemon becomes gigantic, definitely recommend it (EDIT) Now that the upcoming expansions are releasing soon, I can expect to see more potential with 200 more Pokemon coming into the game, including all past legends from Dialga, Xerneas, Kyogre, Lunala. And one last thing, they need to reverse those review bombed comments, 'cause they didn't know until the expansions were announced. Expand
  47. Nov 28, 2019
    9
    I thought it was a good game overall, with some minor bugs that I have yet to experience since release.
  48. Nov 29, 2019
    9
    If you are a Pokemon fan, you need this game. Everyone can complain all they want but, this game is really good. Obviously, not all the Pokemon are in this game, and yes, Gamefreak was pretty lazy working on a lot of the things in the game. This game has pretty decent story, or above average Pokemon story, but this game is very addicting to me at least. I am a huge Pokemon fan, and weIf you are a Pokemon fan, you need this game. Everyone can complain all they want but, this game is really good. Obviously, not all the Pokemon are in this game, and yes, Gamefreak was pretty lazy working on a lot of the things in the game. This game has pretty decent story, or above average Pokemon story, but this game is very addicting to me at least. I am a huge Pokemon fan, and we haven't gotten our own original Pokemon game since the original Sun and Moon games, so this game really gives me that Pokemon game I have been wanting since I played ORAS and XY. There is some tutorials skips you can do, (not a whole bunch) but its still is a quality of life improvement, and there is some convenient tweaks in the menus. Also at the beginning of the game its a little mysterious, and interesting to hear the "legends" of Zacian and Zamazenta. And you have multiple rivals, a friendly one, a rude one, (like Gary) and a weird one. But I think my favorite part about this game is the new Pokemon, they are awesome! There is so many different type combos, for example, a lightning and poison type Pokemon. Also the designs are just so good, you notice them right away from the beginning of the game. They are probably the best Pokemon we've got since Hoenn. (In my opinion) Even though Gamefreak is struggling to move their new games to a more home console sense, I think they did just enough right to satisfy me with this awesome new game. Hopefully they start realizing the massive disappointment from fans, and start to work just a little bit harder on the next game. Expand
  49. Nov 30, 2019
    8
    Pokémon Shield yet again delivers the fantasy of becoming a trainer on the Switch, though it feels rough around the edges, like it was rushed. Very unlike a Nintendo game.
  50. Nov 30, 2019
    9
    Melhor na minha opinião, jogo do pokémon uma coisa que não gostei foi o Bede
  51. Dec 1, 2019
    8
    This is pokemon people. Nobody goes to pokemon for a deep story, or good animations. Yes, gamefreak did not deliver in what they said. What they did do is deliver a game for die hard pokemon fans. Not for casuals who play the story and then put the game down.

    Simply put, if you're a die hard pokemon fan and love collecting, and battling competitively (for 20 minutes LMAO) this is the
    This is pokemon people. Nobody goes to pokemon for a deep story, or good animations. Yes, gamefreak did not deliver in what they said. What they did do is deliver a game for die hard pokemon fans. Not for casuals who play the story and then put the game down.

    Simply put, if you're a die hard pokemon fan and love collecting, and battling competitively (for 20 minutes LMAO) this is the game for you. If you're a casual who is just going to play the game for story, you would have fun for about 10-15 hours, and that's it. So the choice is yours.
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  52. Dec 1, 2019
    9
    As someone who has played the game, I can give an honest review on it. I will start with the negative aspects of the game, which is mainly the graphical side of the Wild Area. The concept is great and it's fun to travel around and explore, however, some graphical polishing is needed. There is some minor lag in there as well, but this seems to have been reduced after some serverAs someone who has played the game, I can give an honest review on it. I will start with the negative aspects of the game, which is mainly the graphical side of the Wild Area. The concept is great and it's fun to travel around and explore, however, some graphical polishing is needed. There is some minor lag in there as well, but this seems to have been reduced after some server maintenance.

    The story isn't the best there is, but the characters are nicely designed and written. It's not something as large scale as Gen 7, but the game offers more freedom to roam around as well.

    The game isn't challenging, which is nothing new to Pokemon. Some battles such as Nessa's gym can be tough if you're not prepared, but the rival still not having a full team at all times makes little sense

    I hope there isn't going to be a third version or sequel style games to this next year. Actually, I hope the next games aren't next year (if they're solid remakes, it might work), but the release of annual games is a bit harmful

    However, the positives outweigh the negatives here. Yes, the national dex isn't here and megas and the (mostly unpopular) Z-moves are cut. But Dynamax is more than just Pokemon enlarged; it gives a chance to most Pokemon and its rules and levels can be used strategically. Gigantamax adds to that as well

    Pokemon Sword and Shield seem to focus on the world and culture of Pokemon. The Gym Challenge, the popularity of leaders, the trainer cards, engaging with your Pokemon through camping. You're no longer a lone kid on a journey with few people caring about your gym challenge; the whole region is out there cheering for the likes of you. This is a really nice touch that I hope will be continued.

    The game features a lot of quality of life improvements, from ev training to leveling up and box management, it's easier and sleek. Even breeding seems to have become more accessible (plus 2 daycare centers). Moreover, a form of fast travel is available, and HMs are still out which is very refreshing

    The new Pokemon designs for the majority are really charming and wonderful! This is an objective point of course, but the variety and types available are excellent. The game's dex is around 400 Pokemon, but the way they're spread out across the wild area and routes are balanced enough

    Camping is a great way to engage with your Pokemon, it's so cute! Cooking curry is also fun and has its uses as well. Not only the animations in it are charming and give the Pokemon personality, several animations across the game have been improved (yes, including battle animations. Some rarely used ones are still the same however)

    Trainer costumization has been vastly improved and I love the variety of options offered! The music is amazing as well, and it's good to see that the exp share is more balanced than before
    Finally, the y-comm could be better. I liked having surprise trades in the background, but making a BETTER version of GTS would have been nice. However, Y-comm isn't terrible. Definitely a step up from Festival Plaza

    There are a few things to address regarding the spread of misinformation about the game:
    -The moves removed are mostly Z-Moves and obsolete ones such as rage. New ones have been added, as well as TRs which are one-use TMs. This means there is close to 200 moves you can teach your Pokemon through TMs and TRs
    -The glitch that deletes the save game isn't the game's fault, it's the formatting of the SD card and it's a very uncommon issue
    -The glitches that some people talked about were due to emulators and rigging said emulators purposefully

    In general, the game is charming and falls right into the same engaging and features of previous Pokemon games (main story, side features such as camping, wild area, curry dex, pokedex, trainer cards..etc, post-game, post-game battle facility).
    The expectations of both a botw style game and full roster of Pokemon are unrealistic, the game is fun and has a lot to offer and is not only an improvement from gen 7 in many ways, but in many ways a step in the right direction, even if it's a small step in some areas
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  53. Dec 2, 2019
    8
    The 8th Generation of Pokemon games are the best in the series since Pokemon Black and White 2 way back in 2012. The expansive Galar Region has so much to do and, while linear for the sake of the story, opens up a lot more opportunities in the post game. The huge Wild Area makes completing the Pokedex a breeze compared to previous games, with most if not all available Pokemon showing up inThe 8th Generation of Pokemon games are the best in the series since Pokemon Black and White 2 way back in 2012. The expansive Galar Region has so much to do and, while linear for the sake of the story, opens up a lot more opportunities in the post game. The huge Wild Area makes completing the Pokedex a breeze compared to previous games, with most if not all available Pokemon showing up in some part of the Wild Area. Max Raid Battles are a joy to take part in, especially when you find a rare Gigantamax Pokemon to take on with your friends. Some gripes I have with the game: Obviously, the absence of the National Dex. This ended up not being too big a deal to me as I love all the available Pokemon in Sword and Shield. However, it would have been nice to let us transfer our Pokemon at all. This did not stop me from enjoying the game, however. My all time favorite Pokemon, Absol, is not in this game. Does that hinder my experience? No! There are 400 Pokemon in this game. I will find someone to take Absol's place on my team, and that was relatively easy. The characters in this game are very fleshed out, especially Hop, Sonia, Marnie, and Bede. Overall, Pokemon Sword and Shield offer a Pokemon experience we haven't had in a long time. Expand
  54. Dec 7, 2019
    9
    I've actually yah know, played the game, unlike most of the poo poo brain reviews on this game review and I would like to say. THIS GAME IS EPIC
    The story revolves around the epic battles of Galar and not the chosen one hosh posh of previous titles. And as a result the battles are epic. The pokedex cut has resulted in a vastly more interesting competitive scene.
    Almost all complaints
    I've actually yah know, played the game, unlike most of the poo poo brain reviews on this game review and I would like to say. THIS GAME IS EPIC
    The story revolves around the epic battles of Galar and not the chosen one hosh posh of previous titles. And as a result the battles are epic. The pokedex cut has resulted in a vastly more interesting competitive scene.
    Almost all complaints about this are unfounded. Graphics are pretty then they ever been for Pokémon (I have no idea what you morons expected it's a switch game of course it's not hyper realism)
    To new and old fans it's truly a must buy.
    No its not perfect or everything we've wanted. But it's a big step in the right direction for Pokémon.
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  55. Dec 8, 2019
    9
    This installment of the pokemon franchise is not bad, on the contrary of what every other pokemon fans say. The lack of a national dex does not really take away from the game in a casual perspective and will itch that need for a pokemon game. The animation aren't perfect, but the graphics are good for this game, it fits. An HD triple A graphics does not fit with the game and so the artThis installment of the pokemon franchise is not bad, on the contrary of what every other pokemon fans say. The lack of a national dex does not really take away from the game in a casual perspective and will itch that need for a pokemon game. The animation aren't perfect, but the graphics are good for this game, it fits. An HD triple A graphics does not fit with the game and so the art direction is good for the game. Expand
  56. Dec 10, 2019
    8
    Aunque no sea lo que muchos fans esperaban, pokemon sword es realmente un buen juego de pokemon, trayendo nuevas mecánicas interesantes como lo és el dynamax y el Área Silvestre, este último aunque se ve que hay mucho que pulir es el primer paso para una nueva forma de jugar pokemon. Por último sólo queda decir que en el apartado gráfico deja mucho que desear tomando en cuenta que este esAunque no sea lo que muchos fans esperaban, pokemon sword es realmente un buen juego de pokemon, trayendo nuevas mecánicas interesantes como lo és el dynamax y el Área Silvestre, este último aunque se ve que hay mucho que pulir es el primer paso para una nueva forma de jugar pokemon. Por último sólo queda decir que en el apartado gráfico deja mucho que desear tomando en cuenta que este es un juego de Nintendo Switch, pero aún así no es un grave impedimento para disfrutar de este juego. Expand
  57. Dec 19, 2019
    8
    I liked pokemon sword but I think it could be better if there was no better gamefrak worked on pokemon lets go the game is enjoyable with many mistakes, a lot on this page exaggeratedly classified by the clipped pokedex, which is a bad game, when in reality is not a bad game, it is simply mediocre but bad it is not to say polish the game but considering that this game only had inI liked pokemon sword but I think it could be better if there was no better gamefrak worked on pokemon lets go the game is enjoyable with many mistakes, a lot on this page exaggeratedly classified by the clipped pokedex, which is a bad game, when in reality is not a bad game, it is simply mediocre but bad it is not to say polish the game but considering that this game only had in development 200 workers and that we are talking about a hybrid where the graphics approach a ps4 because the truth it was obvious that this would literally happen to people just screaming of anything I give it an 8.5 not because it is bad, but because it is a mediocre development and that it could improve by 35% Expand
  58. Jan 7, 2020
    10
    My son got this game for Christmas, he is 9 and loves pokemon, you could say he is a walking pokedex!
    So this review is from him, after all he is the target audience in my opinion.
    So graphics, he was very pleased with the game and how it played and looked, yes there are some problems as other reviews have suggested but they by no means detract from the enjoyment of the game. He found the
    My son got this game for Christmas, he is 9 and loves pokemon, you could say he is a walking pokedex!
    So this review is from him, after all he is the target audience in my opinion.
    So graphics, he was very pleased with the game and how it played and looked, yes there are some problems as other reviews have suggested but they by no means detract from the enjoyment of the game.
    He found the game very easy to play and navigate, in his first play through he just wanted to get the gym badges as quickly as possible so did find some of those a little challenging at times. The second play through has been much easier as time has been taken to level up and evolve his pokemon to make the game easier and he has actually stopped to look for the various collectables dotted around the map, which are numerous.
    There were a couple of things he found a little disappointing, these were the length of the game, 8 days and 10 hours the first time, although the second play through he is up to 10 hours already and only completed 3 gym badges, so to make the game last I would recommend taking your time. The other issue he had was the lack of extra things to do once the game was complete, there are no side missions as such so he has resolved to try and collect all 400 pokemon available in the game.
    He insisted I give it a score of 10 as he loves the game that much but I thought a score of 7 or 8 was more realistic mainly due to the length of the game and the odd graphical glitch that I saw pop up every now and again.
    So if you are expecting an in depth RPG this is probably not for you but if you're 9 and love pokemon then it's a no brainer!
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  59. Jan 11, 2020
    10
    One of the best Pokémon games I’ve ever played. Great visuals, awesome gameplay.
  60. Sep 21, 2020
    10
    Un muy buen juego. No es el mejor pokemon, pero es muy divertido. Tiene unos graficos muy bonitos y unos diseños encantadores en lo que a pokemon se refiere. Un juego que brinda incontables horas de diversion junto a tus pokemon favoritos( de esta generacion, al menos. Esperemos que en el futuro añandan a los de anteriores generaciones, o en los futuros juegos de pokemon al menos). MuyUn muy buen juego. No es el mejor pokemon, pero es muy divertido. Tiene unos graficos muy bonitos y unos diseños encantadores en lo que a pokemon se refiere. Un juego que brinda incontables horas de diversion junto a tus pokemon favoritos( de esta generacion, al menos. Esperemos que en el futuro añandan a los de anteriores generaciones, o en los futuros juegos de pokemon al menos). Muy divertido y recomendable. Expand
  61. Mar 24, 2020
    9
    Online battles are great, music and visuals are great. Raid battles are decent, the story is a bit weak. Every time something interesting is close to happening the 'adults' take care of it and sideline the main character
  62. Apr 4, 2020
    10
    It's fun.
    The ash part also existed.Gredo 10 points
    I hope all Pokémon will appear next time.
  63. Apr 9, 2020
    10
    I would say the greatest pokemon game ever, absolutely massive and vert satisfying.
  64. Apr 11, 2020
    10
    I loved these games. I am about to put on 1000 hours on the games and not stopping any time soon.

    I am happy with the direction the games are going.
  65. Apr 13, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is fun to play. I love the whole new world and being able to play with my pokemon in the camp. The new pokemon are cute and finally not based on gears or ice-cream so I was excited about that. The storyline is like every other pokemon game. It's alright, could be better but overall what you would expect from a pokemon installment. It's definitely not a Black or White storyline but it isn't as bad as Sun and Moon's. I was happy they brought back gym badges and were no longer sticking to this trial stuff that was introduced in Sun and Moon. Overall I had fun with the new mechanics, being able to dress up my character again, and enjoy another Pokemon Master adventure.

    That being said there are some downfalls. Every now and then there can be some glitches. Doing online with a friend can be hard even if you do local play. It's not perfect but it is better than nothing. The major set back for me was the lack of a full national dex and being able to bring over all my pokemon that I spent years collecting. I've been playing pokemon since the original yellow game and have loved to collect them all. After years of doing it, I finally have my full national dex in the pokemon home (was in bank but moved it. Would recommend pokemon home to anyone who has pokemon from old games that they want to bring over to the new system). Not being able to enjoy my full national dex in the new series is frustrating. They seem to continue the trend of only allowing the dex in the game to limit the pokemon allowed in it and keeping the national dex to the Pokemon Bank and Pokemon Home applications. I believe it started in Sun and Moon and seems to be a trend they want to keep going. Hopefully that changes but it's hard to say. For someone who really wants to be able to bring their old pokemon to this new game, I wouldn't recommend it but would recommend Pokemon Home.

    Besides that, this is a fun game and I had a blast playing it. I would recommend to any Pokemon fan that wants a new adventure.
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  66. May 2, 2020
    10
    This game is incredible! I have almost finished the game at around 18 hours into the game, The gym battles start easy and get harder and harder to the point where you may have to attempt the gym several times before getting the badge which is fun as it makes the game more challenging, sure the story line isn't the longest in the pokemon franchise but its fun, the visuals are nice andThis game is incredible! I have almost finished the game at around 18 hours into the game, The gym battles start easy and get harder and harder to the point where you may have to attempt the gym several times before getting the badge which is fun as it makes the game more challenging, sure the story line isn't the longest in the pokemon franchise but its fun, the visuals are nice and relaxing, mechanics are simple and nice, performs well on my Nintendo Switch (Which is less than a week old writing this). One of the best pokemon games I have played. It may not be the most challenging pokemon game but its certainly fun to play. I never felt bored plaything this game because there was always a challenge you need to complete to progress.

    This isn't the game for everyone but as a pokemon fan I don't mind this game at all, sure it is a bit rushed but as long as I enjoy it then its fine for me, for you, that's for you to decide if you enjoy this game or not.
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  67. May 9, 2020
    10
    I don't know why people hate this game but for me this Pokemon game is absolutely good. The soundtrack of this game is magnificent. Although the story was short, I enjoyed every second of it.
  68. May 13, 2020
    8
    Playing this game was overall a beautiful experience.

    I'll quickly go through the critical points for which Sword and Shield come off as underappreciated (at least in Metacritic's peer reviews). Ok, I'll give that the game has some awful battle animations, Double Kick being the prime example, but not every single animation is like that a lot of them are actually amazing and very
    Playing this game was overall a beautiful experience.

    I'll quickly go through the critical points for which Sword and Shield come off as underappreciated (at least in Metacritic's peer reviews).

    Ok, I'll give that the game has some awful battle animations, Double Kick being the prime example, but not every single animation is like that a lot of them are actually amazing and very polished, like every single signature move, or even Quick Attack and Brave Bird.

    The 3 rivals all share two things: they have a great character arcs (especially Hop), and that you can sweep their whole teams with the correct lead. I'm more than a fan of the former, and not so much of the latter.

    Outside of some underwhelming animations, this game looks quite well (it's not technically on par with peak Switch titles, but that's always been the case for Pokémon). Also, this game has plenty of great music, if there's something that Game Freak never gets wrong, that's the music.

    The introduction of Wild Area and visible encounters in a main series game is more than appreciated, and I'd like to see these expanded in later releases.

    This game also adds some quality of life improvements, such as the Corvinight Taxy, which is Fly but can land or routes, being available early in the game, the Escape Rope is now an unlimited Key Item, and cities are allowed to have more than one pokémon center.

    Of course, not everything can be positive, or the score would be a 10/10. I guess I don't have to introduce you to the Dexit (hopefully this one will get patched away), and that abomination that's the Y-Comm. This game is also too easy: the only remotely challenging battles are one fo the first 3 gyms, depending on the starter you chose, and Dandel, for the rest, even without grinding for a single second, you find yourself sweeping entire teams with just your lead, including the gym leaders. Last painful note, there's hardly any exploration in the whole game, not even a single puzzle (outside of a couple of gyms), or dungeon (no, the corridor mines don't count).

    Bottom line, Pokémon Sword and Shield are enjoyable titles, but they are severely lacking in some aspects.
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  69. May 18, 2020
    10
    Amazing game. Best pokemon game in quite some time with amazing graphics and new mon as well as a cool region. Only big drawback was team yell. Incredibly annoying and stupid team
  70. Jun 24, 2020
    10
    Iconic game, haters gonna hate, i love all the new pokemon, the music and the battles
  71. May 29, 2020
    10
    Excelente juego, el mejor de la franquicia y por fin tiene DLC !!! espectacular
  72. Jan 16, 2022
    8
    The game is fine and user reviews are greatly exaggerated, you know what you getting here before you even start it and it does just that - it very much looks and plays like X/Y, just at higher resolution. There is a wild area which is sort of a bridge to full 3d title we are getting soon and yes it lags in online mode, besides that the world is mostly linear, but with a fair amount ofThe game is fine and user reviews are greatly exaggerated, you know what you getting here before you even start it and it does just that - it very much looks and plays like X/Y, just at higher resolution. There is a wild area which is sort of a bridge to full 3d title we are getting soon and yes it lags in online mode, besides that the world is mostly linear, but with a fair amount of detail. Not every pokemon made it, even after the expansions and that sucks but you still have plenty to play with. I would say go for it if you had a long break and need to scratch that itch, otherwise its not a must play. Expand
  73. Oct 22, 2020
    9
    Love it! Perfect game to play working from home. Same Pokemon style and fun to project on the big screen.
  74. Jun 25, 2020
    10
    Overall i love this game even though the pokedex controversy was a minor blow, i kept an open mind and got pokemon sword and just finished the isle of armor dlc pack part 1 and i enjoyed it very much so.
  75. Jun 21, 2020
    8
    Pokemon SW/SH is great in innovation, with the wild area, Pokemon have introduced a excelent and very fun experience when is about catching pokemon, maybe we´re missing the national pokedex, but in fact, is something that you forget when you´re enjoying the adventure. Althought the fact of seeing Pokemon appearing of no-where is something that kills the immersion, is something that shouldPokemon SW/SH is great in innovation, with the wild area, Pokemon have introduced a excelent and very fun experience when is about catching pokemon, maybe we´re missing the national pokedex, but in fact, is something that you forget when you´re enjoying the adventure. Althought the fact of seeing Pokemon appearing of no-where is something that kills the immersion, is something that should be improved in next titles. In my opinion this titles are a good begining for the franchise on home consoles. Probably not the best titles, but are fun and they have a lot of innovation that should be enjoyed. Expand
  76. Jun 23, 2020
    9
    The game looks a lot better than on the 3ds and easier to get shiny's. The only thing I truly don't like with this game is that it's not that difficult to beat the game. Auto exp that will just over level your pokemon.
  77. Sep 26, 2020
    10
    i would giv this game a 7 if it werent for marnie...... 10 best game best game masterpiece 10/10
  78. Jun 26, 2020
    8
    Probably the strongest entry to the series since Diamond and Pearl. The reduced Pokédex is not an issue, for once I actually completed it and caught all 400 pokemon. The level grinding is severely cutdown thanks to the introduction of Raid Dens and their generous rewards for completing them, mainly the XP Candies (think rare candies but the store brand version).

    The cons are that the wild
    Probably the strongest entry to the series since Diamond and Pearl. The reduced Pokédex is not an issue, for once I actually completed it and caught all 400 pokemon. The level grinding is severely cutdown thanks to the introduction of Raid Dens and their generous rewards for completing them, mainly the XP Candies (think rare candies but the store brand version).

    The cons are that the wild area is bland, and Isle of Armor was already a big improvement over the originals design. The new pokemon added are meh aside from the legendaries and starters. Oh, and there’s too much story handholding and Hop sucks. It’s aimed at children, so I get it, but kids aren’t THAT hopeless. I beat Pokemon Yellow at 5-6 years old.

    Closing thoughts: To rub salt in the wounds of the people review bombing it, it’s the fastest selling switch game of all time. This was the precursor to The Last of Us 2 review bombing, despite that game being the fastest selling game on the PS4. Coincidentally, they have the same reader review score.
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  79. Jul 23, 2020
    8
    Juego bastante disfrutable para los fans de pokémon presenta los fallos que tiene la saga hace bastante tiempo, como una historia bastante infantil y sin sentido, no incorpora todos los pokémon con la excusa de realizar mejores animaciones, pero se puede observar que por ejemplo los movimientos y animaciones del rival son las mismas del juego anterior. Lo positivo es que mejora el sistemaJuego bastante disfrutable para los fans de pokémon presenta los fallos que tiene la saga hace bastante tiempo, como una historia bastante infantil y sin sentido, no incorpora todos los pokémon con la excusa de realizar mejores animaciones, pero se puede observar que por ejemplo los movimientos y animaciones del rival son las mismas del juego anterior. Lo positivo es que mejora el sistema de crianza para jugar competitivo haciendo que sea más fácil y rápido que en generaciones anteriores, los combates finales son interesantes y con un buen nivel y el diseño de los pokémon es muy bueno, junto a que a pesar de sus defectos el juego se siente liviana y no se hace aburrido jugarlo. Expand
  80. Jul 16, 2020
    9
    I've never really understood why there is so much negativity directed towards this game. The graphics certainly could have been better, there's no real debate there. But some of the most well-written characters in a series not very full of those, the amazing Wild Area and overall good extra content made me like it.
  81. Jul 11, 2020
    8
    When the trailers and announcements first started appearing rumoring the absence of a national Pokédex and the inclusion of only 400 of the 809+ Pokemon (now 893+), I didn't have the urge to buy it like I did for all other main line pokemon games. Especially with the exclusion of Mega evolution, and the poor cutscene animations, the game had needed much to be desirable. Despite gamefreaksWhen the trailers and announcements first started appearing rumoring the absence of a national Pokédex and the inclusion of only 400 of the 809+ Pokemon (now 893+), I didn't have the urge to buy it like I did for all other main line pokemon games. Especially with the exclusion of Mega evolution, and the poor cutscene animations, the game had needed much to be desirable. Despite gamefreaks promise of there being completely new pokemon animations and cutscene animations, both were still clearly present with many pokemon animations appearing as far back as 2 generations prior. This however I believe is not really that perplexing despite the developers' promises as old assets are often used in newer games naturally to save time, resources and production cost which should instead be used to improve upon other parts of a game.

    The wild area graphics such as the infamous tree textures and the stiff pokemon animations are obviously a big let down, I remember the many comparison made to it, most notably the open world of Zelda: Breath of the wild. Despite the wild area being a rather shoddily done job, and being it having much to be desired, I am not particularly displeased as it is the first open world experience, though limited, and the wild area itaelf is magnificent. It also seems that gamefreak has used some feedback on the open world of the Isle of Armor DLC. I bought it near launch regardless and found the story and gameplay to be great,. Contrary to popular opinion I believe dynamax is a great gameplay mechanic added to the game albeit being a less enticing combination of mega evolution and z-moves.
    It has many competitive benefits and are a great aid in any battle. I believe that the competitive scene can truly be cemented with the inclusion of dynamax, mega evoltion and z-moves, allowing for much more stretegic play and a lot less stalling due to an increase in wall-breaking.

    The story itself heavily differed from the traditional stories of old pokemon games as there was no villain team. It had some similarities with Sun and moon's story. The characters however were much more well thought out than in previous games such as the character development of Hop being similar to Wally but much more involved. Leon being made to appear as a great champion much more than any previous game's champion, even going as far as having a remix of the hall of fame being his battle music which perfectly encapsulates his persona and character arc.

    The music in this game was absolutely fantastic with some being nearly or as good as Zinnias's battle theme, PWT final battle theme, Ultra necrozma's theme etc. To name a few, we have Marnies's and Bede's battle themes, the battle tower battle theme made by the illustrious Toby Fox, the champion battle music, the wild area music, Mustard's final battle theme etc. I believe gen 8 music overall is nearly on par with gen 5.

    To name a few unmentioned but nice mechanics: the apparel and customisation in this game, camping and curries, trainer card customisation, pokejobs, max raids, enhanced experience training, nature mints, controllable pokemon league that makes much more sense, and pokebox system.

    One very important and much appreciated thing this game has that no other pokemon game has ever had is a DLC. To explain very briefly why this is the best thing to ever happen to mainline pokemon games: every other mainline pokemon game to come out has always either been a remake or a second version of the game, what concerns us however are the second versions (such as Yellow, Crystal, Emerald, Platinum, Black 2 and White 2, Ultra sun and Ultra moon) all of which had additions and improvements to their older counterparts but too miniscule to be considered worth buying, this is apparent in their sales also as these games have significantly less sales. What the DLC does to benefit us and game freak is rather obvious, it gives us new content for less money whilst guarenteeing a lot more sales than a second iteration would. If this is gamefreak's new formula for the mainline games, it will greatly benefit both parties long term.

    Overall, the absence of key battle mechanics from the past two generations including the absence of many many moves and pokemon definitely knocks off a few points from my rating of the game, as does some poor animations and clear laziness in some parts of the game's development. However, this game is great like any other mainline pokemon game, it has all the mechanics and quirks befitting its status as being part of one of the most illustrious, and important series of games to ever exist. I believe it is a great addition to gamefreak's collection and also an important learning curve for gamefreak. Despite how well-received the game wasn't, I personally still believe that it excelled in many ways and performed better than many of its predecessors in some aspects, and will be remembered as an important game for how great and how bad it was.
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  82. Jul 20, 2020
    10
    This game is amazing! The Galar Region is beautiful and brought to life by a variety of Pokémon from previous generations. The landscape and semi open world is vast and creative as well as the assemble of characters. There’s always something to do and there are new Pokémon as well. I throughly enjoyed this game and highly recommend it!
  83. Jul 23, 2020
    10
    El mejor juego de Pokémon sin duda!! Uno de los mejores juegos para Nintendo Switch
  84. Nov 10, 2020
    8
    Pokémon Sword and Shield are not perfect. Not at all. They are missing Pokémon, have not the best story and don't look amazing. But, they're fun. It is fun to see the nice graphics (which I think look good but others don't), it is cool to explore the game and catch new Pokémon. It is fun to play with your Pokémon in Pokémon Camp. It is fun to shiny hunt, to try and get dex completion, itPokémon Sword and Shield are not perfect. Not at all. They are missing Pokémon, have not the best story and don't look amazing. But, they're fun. It is fun to see the nice graphics (which I think look good but others don't), it is cool to explore the game and catch new Pokémon. It is fun to play with your Pokémon in Pokémon Camp. It is fun to shiny hunt, to try and get dex completion, it is just a fun game that I enjoy. I just hate seeing constant negativity on the internet, and personally find these games very fun. Expand
  85. Aug 21, 2020
    10
    overhated it’s not a bad game it’s not exactly a good game either but it’s fun and that’s what matters i wouldn’t actually give it a 10/10 i just am to counter the trills my real score would be 8/10
  86. Aug 26, 2020
    10
    Is a fantastic game...............................................................................................
  87. Sep 12, 2020
    10
    My first experience with the Switch Pokemon games and I was not disappointed. Massive improvement over the 3DS era of Pokemon.
  88. Sep 28, 2020
    10
    This game's pretty fun if you are a fan of Pokemon. The game isn't that good but I wouldnt give it a 4.6 like the user reviews on Metacritic show. It definetely deserves more then that, at least above 5.5. If you have friends that are interested in Pokemon, you could easily go around having fun in Max Raid Battles. And since DLC 2 is coming and you'll have the ability to catch moreThis game's pretty fun if you are a fan of Pokemon. The game isn't that good but I wouldnt give it a 4.6 like the user reviews on Metacritic show. It definetely deserves more then that, at least above 5.5. If you have friends that are interested in Pokemon, you could easily go around having fun in Max Raid Battles. And since DLC 2 is coming and you'll have the ability to catch more legendaries, that's gonna be even more fun. Give it a chance. Expand
  89. Nov 22, 2020
    10
    This game… is truly something else.

    Hear me out. I love this game. A lot. I’m just gonna get that out of the way right now. So if all you wanna read are the negative reviews (which you’ll find plenty of…) then get the heck out of here. I have my gripes, which I’ll get to in a bit… but overall, the positives outweigh the negatives by SO MUCH, that it’s hardly worth a rating reduction.
    This game… is truly something else.

    Hear me out.

    I love this game. A lot. I’m just gonna get that out of the way right now. So if all you wanna read are the negative reviews (which you’ll find plenty of…) then get the heck out of here. I have my gripes, which I’ll get to in a bit… but overall, the positives outweigh the negatives by SO MUCH, that it’s hardly worth a rating reduction. It isn’t at all, to me.
    The game is so well-thought-out and just… fun. It really felt like a Pokemon game, despite there being so many new features. Like Dynamaxing, and the open-world style of the Wild Area. I mean, it’s pretty hard to incorporate a sense of nostalgia into a battle that has none of the mechanics or styles of the original games. This game achieves it. And I love every second of it.
    I can tell so much work went into this game. The attention to detail, the humor, the animations. Everything is amazing. The game builds up tension like a movie. There’s a real story there. And while it may not be fair to say things about the other games, saying they’re inferior because they don’t have animations, but it may just be true. In the old games, if you lost, then it’s just… “Oh, I lost… well, time to go crush the Elite Four.” In this, I’m nervous. It plays out battles so well, and the tension is real. Although playing out battles is a problem I actually do have with this game. Not in storyline-important battles, but in the wild. When grinding in the old games, the wild Pokemon were often far inferior to you and you can wipe them out in a second. In this, when you battle them, it takes about as long as a regular trainer battle and about as hard. When grinding, you just want to get them out of there and keep going, right? But no, in this it takes 20 minutes to defeat a wild Meowth.
    I have no problem with the difficulty level in this game. I guess I’m just terrible at Pokemon because I had a lot of trouble, contrary to everything everyone else says. I didn’t often lose all my Pokemon (only 4 or five times the whole game) But I did have to often run back and forth between Pokemon centers and other stuff, and I used them less and less throughout the game, but medicines played a major role in my survival. Seriously.

    The story for this game is kind of all over the place but in a good way. There are some plot points that are brought in and then only used at the end of the game, or other things. The main post-game story is pretty short, and the characters brought in are well-developed but just feel thrown in, because the post-game is so short. The post-game actually kind of feels like the actual storyline, so much (SPOILERS HERE!) so I forgot I was even the champion. (SPOILERS END HERE!) It comes down to preference whether or not you think that’s a good thing. I do think it is, but there’s a chance that I have a bias and just want to love this game. Because I do. I do love this game.

    The game is pretty funny. Funniest Pokemon game since Ranger, actually. There are pretty noticeable character arcs, which isn’t something you get in a game normally. Hop is a really likable character (as are all of them) and every single character is memorable and plays a part in the story. My problem with Hop is that he is constantly challenging me, sometimes right before or after I battle, and either I’m in deficient health already, or I’m going to be in deficient health when I go into my next battle.
    
So that’s a bit annoying.

    There’s actually a lot more to do for post-game, I haven’t quite done it yet. I won’t be touching the DLC content for this review, just the immediate post-game.

    Game Freak lied to us?! I don’t care! Honestly, I’m not enveloped in international media at all. I had no idea that Game Freak said anything about the Pokedex. Honestly, after a little bit of time spent in comment wars over whether or not this game is a masterpiece or an abomination, I still don’t know what they lied to us about! I assume the Pokedex. Anyway, 1,200 Pokemon is DEFINITELY enough for me. Isn’t that more than it was in the whole franchise when it came out?

    The Wild Area is a step in an amazing direction. I can’t wait to see what Game Freak does with it in future games. It’s basically open-world now, it’s fantastic! By now I've been playing post-game for a week, and still haven’t discovered everything in the open-world part of the game.

    The graphics and animation are gorgeous. I don’t think Game Freak made them cartoony because of laziness, and in my opinion, it shows. Amazing.

    Hilarious and well-developed characters make the game really fun to play.

    I really like how straightforward it is. For the direct story (SPOILERS HERE!), at least, it’s just, beat this gym, then beat this gym. Beat all of the gyms until you get to the Championship. All the while subtly hinting at the ulterior storyline.

    I love this game so much.

    Ten. Out. Of. Ten.
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  90. Nov 26, 2020
    9
    I really enjoyed my time with Pokemon Sword, sure it is not the most impressive game graphically or story wise, but compared to the previous entries in the series like Pokemon SM and Pokemon USUM this game made me remember the joy there is to find in Pokemon Games. I found Galar really interesting and the settings simply cool. The game focuses mainly on becoming Champion which I reallyI really enjoyed my time with Pokemon Sword, sure it is not the most impressive game graphically or story wise, but compared to the previous entries in the series like Pokemon SM and Pokemon USUM this game made me remember the joy there is to find in Pokemon Games. I found Galar really interesting and the settings simply cool. The game focuses mainly on becoming Champion which I really liked because usually I simply don't like the story in other Pokemon games, so I liked not wasting much time on it, I also really liked the new Pokemon. Simply put this is a fun game and that is what I expect from a Pokemon game Expand
  91. Dec 1, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i picked up pokemon sword Christmas last year i would say that it has a great story and great selection of pokemon though the removal of the national dex and the Sudan difficulty spike around the third gym is very frustrating. even with the expansions it which you cant access till post game so their really isn't much to do with them in conclusion the game is really good with a few flaws Expand
  92. Jan 5, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After waiting a year to purchase this game due to the bad reviews and press, do not believe the bandwagon. I have been playing Pokemon since I was child and my first game was Pokemon Diamond and I fell in love with the franchise. Sword is another advancement for Pokemon that I am enjoying. I got the game on the 24th for $40 and have already put 25 hours into the game. Now like with past titles the end game content is lacking and I don't see a lot of legendaries to be caught without paying for switch online which is a bummer, but the story telling has gotten better. I do believe team yell could have been better, but the idea of going against the establishment of wishing stars and staying true to your roots is a good meaning to teach kids. As well, it goes to show that not every organization has the best interest. I wish they would have went more in depth and embraced the dark of the story, but it was good for what it was for a children's game. I loved Hop. He may have not been a rival, but he was a good partner to explore the game with and to go through his character arc. He makes a lot of dumb decisions, but it is nice to see him grow. Bede I thought was handled well and I looked forward to every encounter to beat his cocky attitude. As well the professor in this game is awesome. I loved being able to go on a journey with her and watch her grow. The after game is about an hour or two of extra content and it was fun. I like the idea of your character and Hop being the two new heroes of the region and Hop wanting to be a professor. Now, my only complaint is the hand holding. It is too much and for me it would been cool if the game let you figured it out on yourself, especially since we live in the world of the internet now compared to 2007. I had fun, the graphics are good in hand held mode (I play my switch only in handheld), battles were fun, and the game is relatively easy if you a veteran player. Found myself getting stuck at certain battles because I was under prepared and didn't take the game lightly. Exp share didn't bother me cause I hated grinding in other games and the national dex is not a big deal. Majority of players do not finish the dex and I would prefer to keep the amount of Pokemon under 500 per game so it is not overwhelming and kills my motivation to catch them all. I think this game is worth picking up and I am happy with it. I'm glad I gave it a shot and didn't listen to all the misinformed and entitled spoiled players who want their cake and to eat it too. This game was everything I personally wanted from a mainline 3D Pokemon game and I am happy with it. I hope you enjoy the experience. Should note I will most likely not buy the DLC since I am not a big fan of DLC content to begin with. Oh, and before I forget the wild area is a good idea, but it is lacking with replay-ability unless you are into grinding for xp candies with dumb AI trainers. Would have prefer cycles of only certain days you can catch certain Pokemon. Expand
  93. May 17, 2022
    9
    Pokemon sword is an amazing game but the game needs more flying type pokemon more fighting in the game dynamax is cool but i prefer mega evolution
  94. Dec 16, 2021
    10
    This is by far my favourite Pokémon game ever

    There’s an excellent selection of Pokemon, vast and incredible looking areas, and one of the absolute BEST things: you can see the wild Pokémon! Rather than having to search in long grass and encountering the same Pokémon over and over you can now see them in the grass, such a great feature Plus there are 2 x DLC with new missions, Pokemon and
    This is by far my favourite Pokémon game ever

    There’s an excellent selection of Pokemon, vast and incredible looking areas, and one of the absolute BEST things: you can see the wild Pokémon! Rather than having to search in long grass and encountering the same Pokémon over and over you can now see them in the grass, such a great feature Plus there are 2 x DLC with new missions, Pokemon and areas, so good to be able to expand and play more of an already amazing game

    I honestly don’t think there will be a better Pokémon game than Sword/ Shield, it takes everything fun from the old games and puts it all into one. If you’ve played every previous game or if you’ve not played any of them, you MUST try this game!
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  95. Dec 30, 2021
    8
    I liked the game, but the DLCs ruin it. In the DLCs has exclusive TMs and exclusive Pokémons.
  96. Jan 10, 2022
    9
    Nice game. Beautiful graphic, nice gameplay and more new pokemon. I really like this game. But the pokedex doesn't have the national dex and this game doesn't has full pokemon too.
  97. Jan 18, 2022
    10
    È molto divertente. I nuovi pokemon aggiunti sono molto belli e ben fatti.
  98. Oct 14, 2022
    8
    I genuinely had a blast with this game, the graphics are gorgeous and a huge step above anything on the 3DS, plus it's based in Great Britain! With mainline entries I always focus more on story, I am not big on random encounters so walking around the open world areas was a cool change up to actually see Pokemon walk about. I am glad this feature moved onto further iterations of the gamesI genuinely had a blast with this game, the graphics are gorgeous and a huge step above anything on the 3DS, plus it's based in Great Britain! With mainline entries I always focus more on story, I am not big on random encounters so walking around the open world areas was a cool change up to actually see Pokemon walk about. I am glad this feature moved onto further iterations of the games adopting the open world format. Overall this is not the best Pokemon game but, a solid next-gen entry. Expand
  99. 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.
  100. Feb 1, 2022
    9
    I genuinely don't understand the hate for this game. This game was a great addition to the franchise, they let you explore and catch whatever pokemon you want, the first few areas aren't the dumb "why catch anything here" areas for once, and the tutorials are basically GONE. By the end of the game, I caught myself having the level of fun i had with Pokemon Crystal+Pokemon Sapphire as aI genuinely don't understand the hate for this game. This game was a great addition to the franchise, they let you explore and catch whatever pokemon you want, the first few areas aren't the dumb "why catch anything here" areas for once, and the tutorials are basically GONE. By the end of the game, I caught myself having the level of fun i had with Pokemon Crystal+Pokemon Sapphire as a kid. 10/10 recommend this game, while the weather and a few other things are janky, the core game is still a blast. Expand
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 87
  2. 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. 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.
  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]