Pokemon Sword

 Switch
User Score
4.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 5909 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,997 out of 5909
  2. Mixed: 852 out of 5909
  3. Negative: 3,060 out of 5909
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  1. Artatm
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    So Nintendo creates breath of the wild and Mario odyssey - then delays Metroid because it’s not up to snuff - wow pokemon is going to be good - fast forward to release .... yeah not so much - So the textured look legitimately sloppy in places, it’s not just stylistic they are upscale and stretched, charters float over them looking rigid and plastic it’s like a bad mobile game not somethingSo Nintendo creates breath of the wild and Mario odyssey - then delays Metroid because it’s not up to snuff - wow pokemon is going to be good - fast forward to release .... yeah not so much - So the textured look legitimately sloppy in places, it’s not just stylistic they are upscale and stretched, charters float over them looking rigid and plastic it’s like a bad mobile game not something you expect from Nintendo on there main console, this ain’t no portable mini title no more game freak this is the big league and you fluffed it with the worlds most profitable franchise - wow - oh and you lied about it too - games out in the wild the reasons you gave for less pokemon have been proven untrue / you cut beloved content and didn’t innovate one bit, dynomax - give me a break - how about you voice the pokemon - even just the np characters in the cut scenes?! It’s 2019! Some of it is charming, a lot of the new designs look nice and cute and interesting - it’s hard not to it’s pokemon but the level of laziness here is just unforgivable - they even publicly announced it wasn’t there main project- holy hell fire?! You got some super secrets other billion dollar franchise up your selves? No?! You just want to betray your fan base and nickel and dime them with a high price game with less content than a indie game jam. Protest by reviewing pokemon - tweeting/Facebook/reddit/YouTube - let Nintendo know they need to take back pokemon.… Expand
  2. AverageT
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Probably the most controversial pokemon game yet, 2/3rds of the dex removed along with tons of moves and features. In what was supposed to be the holy grail of pokemon games sadly development was rushed, mistakes were made and the developer went on to lie to the public about it. I wanted to see past all that and still enjoy a pokemon game and found a very short story with reused animationsProbably the most controversial pokemon game yet, 2/3rds of the dex removed along with tons of moves and features. In what was supposed to be the holy grail of pokemon games sadly development was rushed, mistakes were made and the developer went on to lie to the public about it. I wanted to see past all that and still enjoy a pokemon game and found a very short story with reused animations and no music? I was stumped when I came across a pokemon I could not catch because I wasn't high enough level. I couldn't even throw the pokeball! Sadly the game is as easy as ever. While it's as fun as any other pokemon game, its probably the most lackluster of all the main series titles.… Expand
  3. PointingGaming
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think the game is extremely good so far, as someone who has played Pokémon since Gen 1 I am quite happy, there are some features they did remove, some with obvious reasons some without. Such as global trade, in the previous games they were flooded with cheated in shinys and legendaries. It adds more challenge to the game so you can’t just trade a garbage Pokémon for one super high leveled, and they made it so you can’t catch a Pokémon higher level than what your gym badge allows.

    I enjoy the wide open areas and being able to see other players in the wild areas. I think the dynamaxing is cool, and a lot better than the mega evolutions and the special moves and other gimmicks they have had in the previous games in the main storyline.

    In terms of new pokemon it was a hit and a miss, they have some good ones and some terrible ones. It’s about the same as gen 5 where they had some great ideas, and they also had some absolutely retarded ones.

    So far I am happy with this game, and I am about half way through it I have to say it was money well spent. A lot of people may hate on this game but I believe that it deserves more credit than it is givin considering this is the first main story game that has come out for the Pokémon franchise that isn’t completely pixelated.    … Expand
  4. yj1995
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Gamfreaks cuts more than 50% of Pokemon, they betrayed fans and lied to consumers.
  5. Sampletext
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    I am a huge pokemon fan and so it pains me to see a what could have been an amazing game turn out so terribly. Gamefreak lied about improving the animation and models of the pokemon. they are the exact same as the old ones and they cut over half the dex for it despite the models being in the code for lets go. even if we look past that (which is really hard to) the game is incredibly bareI am a huge pokemon fan and so it pains me to see a what could have been an amazing game turn out so terribly. Gamefreak lied about improving the animation and models of the pokemon. they are the exact same as the old ones and they cut over half the dex for it despite the models being in the code for lets go. even if we look past that (which is really hard to) the game is incredibly bare bones. the game is incredibly easy like the last and this time with more features being removed. the new op gimmick this time is dinomax/gigamax which is different because you can make you pokemon big for 3 turns and it definitely doesn't trivialize most of the game. the game looks almost exactly like a 3ds game and if you said it was on the gamecube i wouldn't be surprised except for the better colour quality. Pokemon has never been an RPG you play for the story but the somehow managed to fail at that as well. the evil team is a joke the writing is awful and the pacing is incredibly slow. Picture
    the tutorial of sun and moon except almost the entire game including the aggressive hand holding. Not to mention that this game is 20$ more for less content. the fact that every other series that made the jump to the switch improved so much is just adding even more fuel to the fire at this point when every other big series nintendo has had changed so much and Nintendo finally starting to listen to their fans its even more of a slap in the face. This game on its own wouldn't be awful it would be mediocre if it was from a smaller company but its from the developers of the largest media franchise in the world don't tell me they couldn't put out a better product. This game could have been amazing if it had another year or two of development and could have been so much better. I expected the first main game on console to be huge and completely change the series as we know it but instead they removed more and more of what I loved    … Expand
  6. rcc10galaxy
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    I don't have other choice. Amazing game yo oave the future for this awesome saga.
  7. Kureiton
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    The number of things Sword and Shield do wrong would be inexcusable for any other major release, much less one from a series that makes as much money as Pokémon. This game looks like a 3DS game, has a by the numbers story, has some of the most mediocre music in any Pokémon game, and just looks plain unfinished in most areas. Sword and Shield has far less content than older Pokémon games;The number of things Sword and Shield do wrong would be inexcusable for any other major release, much less one from a series that makes as much money as Pokémon. This game looks like a 3DS game, has a by the numbers story, has some of the most mediocre music in any Pokémon game, and just looks plain unfinished in most areas. Sword and Shield has far less content than older Pokémon games; the story is around 15 hours long, and its post-game is quite frankly pathetic. The Wild Area, toted as the next evolution of the franchise, is completely bare bones and forgettable with the only real highlight being the raid battles. Dynamaxing is also quite a disappointment; they are extremely infrequent and hardly change a thing about battles. They are a sorry replacement for Mega Evolutions, and I even think Z-moves are superior as a mechanic.
    The fact that the game only allows the use of 40% of the Pokémon compared to every other title in the franchise that allowed the use of every Pokémon that had been created up to that point is far from the worst part of the experience. I could easily forgive this change if I felt the exclusion of Pokemon allowed for a better overall experience in terms of content, graphics, and animations. However, all three of these areas pale in comparison to the 3DS games, which is saying something as I feel the 3DS games were already lacking many of the things that made the DS special. The fact that these games are significantly worse than the games that came out earlier on inferior hardware while also being $20 more is completely inexcusable.
    That is not to say there are no positives to this game; the gym leader battles are quite engaging, and I love the sports aesthetic these games are going for. Additionally, I quite like the designs for most of the new Pokémon as well as the human characters even if there are some notable failures in both departments. However, they still do little to change my overall perception of the game. I don't just think Sword and Shield are bad games; I think they represent how poorly Game Freak has handled this franchise ever since they made the jump to 3D. Game Freak needs some serious restructuring as well as a change in design philosophy if they ever want to make excellent Pokémon games again. I love this franchise to death, but I cannot ignore all of the failings of these games in order to call it a good or even average game.    … Expand
  8. Reethok
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This is quite literally the biggest disappointment in the franchise. DO NOT BUY.
  9. Jesus107
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The game is underwhelming for Nintendo Switch. It seems like it has not been through Quality Assurance. The quality of the game various if you have played it. One give away is that in some area you can find gorgeous sceneries, high definition background, but in some area it’s like a student project, character floating, Pokémon running on the spot without moving, Pokémon model disappearedThe game is underwhelming for Nintendo Switch. It seems like it has not been through Quality Assurance. The quality of the game various if you have played it. One give away is that in some area you can find gorgeous sceneries, high definition background, but in some area it’s like a student project, character floating, Pokémon running on the spot without moving, Pokémon model disappeared randomly. The wild area is supposedly the selling point of the game, but it is just boring. Lack of color compared to Pokémon Let’s go series. System lagged enough to annoyed me. Gameplay is like a slide show, I go from point A to B, have a unskipable dialogues, then move to point C. Story is nonexistent. I’ve heard that there’s a crucial bug that crushes your game and deletes your game files. It has not yet happened to me but the game do crush a lot.

    It is impossible to think that this is a main title Pokémon game. Any price would be too much for it if they don’t fix the bugs. I give 1 point only for the curry mini game.    … Expand
  10. Silverk42
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    The base game of any pokemon game is fun because capturing and battling all these amazing mods is fun! Unfortunately that's the only good thing about Pokemon Sword and Shield. There is nothing about these games that makes them improvements over earlier iterations of the series. They have stripped many features and have not made the effort to make Pokemon's first major appearance on a homeThe base game of any pokemon game is fun because capturing and battling all these amazing mods is fun! Unfortunately that's the only good thing about Pokemon Sword and Shield. There is nothing about these games that makes them improvements over earlier iterations of the series. They have stripped many features and have not made the effort to make Pokemon's first major appearance on a home console amazing. So unfortunately I have to rate this game negatively as once again it makes no effort to improve upon previous iterations.… Expand
  11. thegeekninja
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    I've played for an hour now and am enjoying it..but will update later as soon as I complete it. Jeez.
  12. Akaus852
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    I love the way you can skip the forced battle, the game itself is a gem. Love the way they put some of the Pokémon Let’s go effect in battle.

    Still to complete the game
  13. Wakarahen
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Gamefreak, why you lie?
    I mean, it's obvious that players would discover it was all a big lie, then why getting on the bad side of players?
    This brand need to get back to high quality, this is unacceptable for the company of one of the highest selling game brand.
  14. patches777
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    This is a GOOD GAME and I say this having played every generation of pokemon mainline adaptations since the release of the first generation for the gameboy (I'm 28 years old). It's no better and certainly not worse in comparison to previous games (my favorite generation was II specifically crystal version and my least favorite generation was VII sun and moon). There are a lot of positivesThis is a GOOD GAME and I say this having played every generation of pokemon mainline adaptations since the release of the first generation for the gameboy (I'm 28 years old). It's no better and certainly not worse in comparison to previous games (my favorite generation was II specifically crystal version and my least favorite generation was VII sun and moon). There are a lot of positives in this game including the decent graphical upgrade and transition to a hybrid handled/home console, battle mechanics, exploratory factors (wild area), entertaining gym battles/spectacle and post game competitive battles. There are a few negatives however like restrictive world environments, fairly easy computer AI and some drawn out narratives in the overall story. A lot of negative reviews are from fans who are upset about the national dex cut, potentially reused animations and the removal of broken competitive features (mega stones, z-moves, previous legendaries) and it seems as if they are just trying to make a statement to the developers for not getting what they specifically wanted without playing the game to its fullest. Do not let the overly vocalized cynicism and negativity surrounding this game rob you from experiencing the game for yourself, as it is another solid installment in an overall highly entertaining and satisfying franchise.… Expand
  15. Obbi
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Probably the weakest title in the main series yet. The main Story mode is substantially shorter than previous titles, and has the least post-game content since Gen I. Part the reason the story mode's so short may be due to how easy it is to get over-leveled and crush all the challenges.

    That said, it's still Pokemon, so if you're looking for Pokemon and for some reason are not willing    Probably the weakest title in the main series yet. The main Story mode is substantially shorter than previous titles, and has the least post-game content since Gen I. Part the reason the story mode's so short may be due to how easy it is to get over-leveled and crush all the challenges.

    That said, it's still Pokemon, so if you're looking for Pokemon and for some reason are not willing or able to play a previous installment, then this will probably scratch that itch.

    It has a lot of great quality of life stuff for fine-tuning your Pokemon, even if some of it's locked behind beating the Story first. Being able to change a Pokemon's Nature, and just dumping EV Vitamins into them, are something I'd like to see continue in future editions. Being able to swap out your Pokemon Party from anywhere is fantastic, as well as having the Pokemon Centers act as the hubs for Move Reminders/Deleters.
    That said, there's also weird changes, like having wild Pokemon be un-catchable if you haven't gotten enough badges for the level range. Exp Share is always on, which admittedly I would use it or leave it on in previous titles anyway, but this go around it seems...a bit busted? I'd have my Drizzile just mow down whatever all the time, and the entire rest of the party is only a few levels behind him despite rarely participating. I believe this to be the main culprit behind the bottomed-out difficulty curve.

    Graphics are acceptable for a Pokemon game, pretty lackluster for a Switch game. Art design for some of the areas are really cool, and the new Pokemon have some great designs too. Technical wise, It basically looks like Pokemon X/Y upscaled, only the larger resolution shows off more graphical quirks. I don't think Game Freak can do 3D very well.

    Wild Area, and by extension Raid Battles, are actually pretty cool at the start, but quickly turn sorta tedious when they prove to not be much of a challenge.
    Pokemon Camp is fine. It's Pokemon-Amie++ and I never had a problem with that feature. Curry making is kinda fun, and having your own "Curry dex" for all the recipes is nice.

    PokeJobs are just sorta there. They sorta remind me of dispatch missions in Final Fantasy Tactics or something. Nothing really to comment on there.

    Dynamax is...also just there. It's like some weird amalgamation of Z-Moves and Mega Evolutions, where the Pokemon's stats get boosted and all their moves change to things resembling Z-Moves.It doesn't seem bad, and I'm sure there's people that dig it. I just never bothered with any of that stuff anyway.

    Overall, just really mediocre. Without even getting into the missing Pokemon, the game itself clearly suffered some development issues. More time was needed on this one. I definitely recommending passing, unless you can get it for cheap, or they provide content patches like Kirby Star Allies to make it more of a content-complete Switch title.    … Expand
  16. Epsil
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    To start, this game will turn your console into an unusable brick with no warning if your SD card happens to be formatted to exFAT specs. If you read nothing else, understand that you put your entire Switch at a dangerous level of risk whenever you turn this on. For a more technical explanation: The Switch has a volatile section of its memory that Game Freak found some reason to useTo start, this game will turn your console into an unusable brick with no warning if your SD card happens to be formatted to exFAT specs. If you read nothing else, understand that you put your entire Switch at a dangerous level of risk whenever you turn this on. For a more technical explanation: The Switch has a volatile section of its memory that Game Freak found some reason to use nonstop, and it makes this game at least ten times more likely to cause errors that will turn off access to your SD card and, if it's exFAT instead of FAT32, corrupt it, your internal memory, and your NAND (think the files that would make Windows function, like system32, but for a game console) simultaneously. People have turned their switch on after a crash to see nothing but an orange screen that can't be recovered from.

    However, the game itself:

    Has horrible music that warps itself whenever your pokemon "dynamaxes" (gets bigger for 3 turns).

    Has bad graphics you wouldn't expect in earlier installments.

    Has 40% of the central content (the collectible creatures) compared to the previous installment in the series.

    Has a tenth of the side content (literally any activity you'd expect that isn't the main combat system or story) you would expect from this series.

    All of these observations are from an uncommentated, candid look at the game through a live stream through its entire story mode and post-game story mode. As it's a turn based game, there's no chance for it to "feel different" by having it in your hand.

    It should be noted that the graphics and animations were touted as the game's central focus for months by the director of this game, and that all the content missing in this game should simply be considered a sacrifice for them. Dataminers recently found that the models and textures for the collectible pokemon that made it into the game were imported directly from the game before it, essentially reducing the director's argument down to a lie to justify a lack of effort. If you think that anyone nitpicking the graphics is doing it purely for the graphics' sake, know that the people who gave you this idea were not doing it in good faith.

    This game is not worth $60. Compared to earlier installments, it's not worth $40. Until the bug where it kills your console is fixed, it's not worth $10, but if you play it before then you could be paying up to $300 purely because you wanted it day 1.

    I love Pokemon. If you're new to it, go play Pokemon Black 2/White 2, or HeartGold/SoulSilver, or Emerald, or Platinum. Literally any game but this. If you're not new, and completely hypnotized into eating whatever scraps Game Freak gives you, wait for the third version of this game, because this one is barebones to a fault. This will be the first entry in the entire series that I did not give a chance.    … Expand
  17. Surff
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Story is uninteresting, graphics are very low for the Switch, new Pokemon look like Digimon, the game is way too easy, the game holds your hand and there's no replay value.
  18. Fox-the-dog
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    Mal trabajo de parte de GameFreak...
    Pokémon ha sido una franquicia que he seguido desde pequeño y me he jugado todos sus títulos de la franquicia.
    Puntos Buenos: -Historia decente -Banda Sonora muy buena -Rejugabilidad Puntos Malos: -Reciclaje de animaciones de títulos de 3DS -No incluye a todos los Pokémon (siendo algo irónico ya que el slogan de la franquicia es “Atrapalos a todos”)    Mal trabajo de parte de GameFreak...
    Pokémon ha sido una franquicia que he seguido desde pequeño y me he jugado todos sus títulos de la franquicia.
    Puntos Buenos:
    -Historia decente
    -Banda Sonora muy buena
    -Rejugabilidad
    Puntos Malos:
    -Reciclaje de animaciones de títulos de 3DS
    -No incluye a todos los Pokémon (siendo algo irónico ya que el slogan de la franquicia es “Atrapalos a todos”)
    -Falta de gráficos siendo una consola más potente que una portátil como la Nintendo 3DS.
    Conclusión: Un trabajo flojo y hecho solamente para sacar otra entrega anual de Pokémon como es habituado.
    Sí es que eres Casual o un nuevo jugador de Pokémon está entrega será un juego para pasar el rato.
    Pero como seguidor y fan de la saga es una patada en el trasero.    … Expand
  19. GamerReviewNews
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    A very great game in the series with a lot of most wanted features
    Online mmo like co op
    An open world area
    A free camera
    Version exclusive gyms
    A jerk rival
    Pokemon both random encounters and found in the grass
    A home console experience
    These games will not disappoint any Pokemon fan neither will it stop making new fans never play a Pokemon game again
  20. CeilYurei
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    Too many features cut, including moves and features, pokemon with movesets not matching stats, and all sorts of frame rate drops and even slowdown and lag on the start screen. It also completely destroyed other's entire data on their sd cards through a glitch. The game is generally too easy, with tons of hand holding and free heals, catching pokemon is hardly a challenge, even compared toToo many features cut, including moves and features, pokemon with movesets not matching stats, and all sorts of frame rate drops and even slowdown and lag on the start screen. It also completely destroyed other's entire data on their sd cards through a glitch. The game is generally too easy, with tons of hand holding and free heals, catching pokemon is hardly a challenge, even compared to other entries. Worse, everything is recycled from gen7, even the plot. The animations are definitely subpar compared to comparable titles, No way can I give it much higher than this. It is generally a disappointment, even when i did not expect much. 50% price increase for less than half the content, and less than 80 new pokemon. All the promises were lies and just fake excuses.
    Best thing to come out of it is SOME of the new pokemon,and new trainer designs, luckily the community is full of good artists to give us quality r34 and other fanart.    … Expand
  21. Temjinz
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    I purchased this game with some discontent, after reading all the leaks, the truth is, as a pokemon game, is Fine, just fine, its not the terrible disaster some calim it to be, while the game is indeed enjoyable and the best looking pokemon game untill now, its also true that Game Freak could have don a better job. for newcomers this will be an enjoyable adventure, while to us PokeboomersI purchased this game with some discontent, after reading all the leaks, the truth is, as a pokemon game, is Fine, just fine, its not the terrible disaster some calim it to be, while the game is indeed enjoyable and the best looking pokemon game untill now, its also true that Game Freak could have don a better job. for newcomers this will be an enjoyable adventure, while to us Pokeboomers the lack of a national dex and some graphics issues means the game could be a lot better, bit its surely not a mediocre game. aslo the competitive aspect of the game is far more reachable now, as its mechanics allow to a more casual game.… Expand
  22. TsukasaHiiragi
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Once again, a typical broken release that clearly displays an utter contempt for the customer especially from the so-called 'professional journos' who clearly skirt around the absolutely horrendous issues Sword and Shield let alone completely ignoring the ethical questions.

    I could write a huge chunk here, but literally everyone else has said the exact same thing and it really isn't    Once again, a typical broken release that clearly displays an utter contempt for the customer especially from the so-called 'professional journos' who clearly skirt around the absolutely horrendous issues Sword and Shield let alone completely ignoring the ethical questions.

    I could write a huge chunk here, but literally everyone else has said the exact same thing and it really isn't worth my time to just repeat everything, so I'll leave with this - don't bother with Sword or Shield, if you haven't got Pokemon Let's Go, then I'd recommend that over this right now, PLG isn't perfect by any means but right now, its a lot better than this.

    Will Sword and Shield get better over time? Most likely, but right now - it needs a lot more work and patches.    … Expand
  23. airman1414
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    This is clearly the best pokemon title released to date. Between features graphics and battling you will not be disappointed.
  24. OwTheEdge
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    This Pokemon Game is awesome. Its balanced. The Graphics are ok. The Story is also ok. This Game is great. Its recommended
  25. TapiaXD
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Sadly Pokemon SwSh is a gigantic step back in the main saga. How sad that GameFreak does this.
  26. Bluro
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    El juego mantiene la formula clásica de Pokemon y agiliza algunas cuestiones que lo hacen precioso. Los gráficos me parecen geniales! No entiendo el boicot por parte de otros fans.
  27. greninjaX
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    gamefreak lied. they said they were cutting pokemon because they were making new models with high quality animations, but that is simply not the case. everything was recycled from the 3DS game. there was no reason to cut pokemon. gamefreak needs to learn they can't get away with this. don't support this game
  28. GARU94
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Oh Pokémon, one your series main themes is evolution and yet, you refuse to evolve your already tired formula. Not only that but you also made your catch phrase "Gotta catch em all" impossible to fulfill for the first time. I just don't get it.

    The game in itself is kinda okay, there's fun to be had and enjoyment to be found, but it is still the same game we've been playing for more    Oh Pokémon, one your series main themes is evolution and yet, you refuse to evolve your already tired formula. Not only that but you also made your catch phrase "Gotta catch em all" impossible to fulfill for the first time. I just don't get it.

    The game in itself is kinda okay, there's fun to be had and enjoyment to be found, but it is still the same game we've been playing for more than 20 years despite being housed on a significantly more powerful machine than any other mainline Pokémon game combined. In fact, in MANY regards, it's worse and has less features than previous games.

    The game is extremely linear, you literally walk straight corridors from one town to the next, and when you arrive there, there's hardly anything to do in them. No more complex caves/buildings/forests, no more places that you gotta get back to when you get the right abilities, it's just restrictive corridors town after town.

    The battles are exactly as you remember. But now, dumbed down further as you don't even gotta remember type matchups anymore since the game tells you which of your moves is effective and which isn't against your opponent (I know this was added in S&M), coupled with how slow battles still are (And a lack of speed up button for some inexplicable reason), it just gets tiring. Not to mention the universal experience share system just makes it so you don't even have to put effort on training your new/weaker Pokémon.

    The wild area, despite being the ugliest place in the Galar region, is still the only ray of hope this game gives me for the future. It's not perfect by any means, but it takes Pokémon out of its comfort zone by adding free moving camera, roaming Pokémon of any level, secrets and hidden items all over the place. It's just a small experimentation that could hint at (hopefully), the direction the games are going to take in future installments. As of right now, it's interesting the first couple times you visit it, but it gets old rather quickly and starts feeling like a glorified Safari Zone sooner than later.

    Technically speaking. it's 2019 and we still have characters moving their lips to no sound, characters doing full 180 rotations while walking in place, low image quality and an inconsistent 30fps despite the extremely unimpressive graphics. Unacceptable.

    Overall, I'm disappointed but not surprised. I just hope Game Freak starts taking criticism more seriously or give another developer a chance to make a Pokémon game in their stead (Imagine a Pokémon game by Monolith Soft? Glorious).    … Expand
  29. Xenxibre
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    1 point for the pkmn formula, 1 point for some songs and 1 point for some pkmn designs the rest of the game is not woth to add more score
  30. JeyPapou
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    I've received my copy yesterday, and while I was pretty hyped about the game, the deception hit me hard This Pokemon feels unfinished, unpolished and far from any optimization when we take in account his predecessors It is too short, lackluster in content and barely in the standards of a 2019 game.

    Many reviews give this game a ridiculously bloated score. If you are looking for a true    I've received my copy yesterday, and while I was pretty hyped about the game, the deception hit me hard This Pokemon feels unfinished, unpolished and far from any optimization when we take in account his predecessors It is too short, lackluster in content and barely in the standards of a 2019 game.

    Many reviews give this game a ridiculously bloated score. If you are looking for a true RPG and an innovative game, this is clearly not made for you. The game, as the reviewers love to remind us, is fun at its core because it is a pokemon game, yet it is made so badly, that even that fun wavers after a few hours especially when the empty world feeling and the soulless npcs start showing up. The nostalgia goes also away when you realise that many of your older companions were cut for absolutly no justifiable reasons, and you find yourself with one of the worst pokemon games ever made.    … Expand
  31. Kwafka
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    I really wish this were a game I could recommend to anyone, because I love Pokémon, but this game simply isn't worth your time, especially at a 60 dollar price-tag. There were some good parts I enjoyed, like the Pokémon Camp feature, the wild area, and the wonderful new Pokémon designs, but the game overall falls shorts in a lot of aspects that make a good RPG. For starters, the game isI really wish this were a game I could recommend to anyone, because I love Pokémon, but this game simply isn't worth your time, especially at a 60 dollar price-tag. There were some good parts I enjoyed, like the Pokémon Camp feature, the wild area, and the wonderful new Pokémon designs, but the game overall falls shorts in a lot of aspects that make a good RPG. For starters, the game is essentially completely dungeonless. The routes, caves etc. are all easy to follow paths from A to B with little to do on the side. The difficulty in battles is kind of pathetic, especially now that the EXP Share mechanic is forced with no toggle to turn it off. The balance is also a mess; even if you're early into the game, a few max raids in the wild area will give you more than enough EXP. Candies to let you get grossly overleveled, further reducing the game's difficulty... and everything I've written up until now has failed to mention all the lies, cut content and general anti-consumer practices that went into making this game. If you have any respect for the Pokémon franchise, you shouldn't buy this game. The switch has plenty of better RPGs.… Expand
  32. Ryansnipes21
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Amazing switch game. Everyone who says it’s not good isn’t a true Pokémon fan. It follows a non tradition story of gyms and strictly gyms. It has the flow of the anime. Very linear, yet still allows for a grand adventure. Has a good story, good characters, and great animations. How can anyone not like it
  33. Kylekid
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    I'm a huge pokemon fan, but I'll tell it, this game isn't worth it! They cut like 60% of the old pokemon and moves for what purpose? The animations and graphics are underwhelming even for the switch console, the story is boring and weak. I will be fair, I liked many new pokemon, such cool ones, but the price we paid for this was too high. I knew the game will be bad, but not this bad...I'm a huge pokemon fan, but I'll tell it, this game isn't worth it! They cut like 60% of the old pokemon and moves for what purpose? The animations and graphics are underwhelming even for the switch console, the story is boring and weak. I will be fair, I liked many new pokemon, such cool ones, but the price we paid for this was too high. I knew the game will be bad, but not this bad... Hope next games they bring back the fun that is pokemon for me. My conclusion: Don't buy it.… Expand
  34. ZykerB
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    This game is so cool! The atmosphere redefines the series, and I have never been this impressed with the new Pokemon and presentation. The last Pokemon game I played was on the DS. The transition of that game to this game is amazing! Man, Pokemon Black 2 is great!
  35. DieserEineMartn
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    It is a Pokemon game. But not a good one.
    Dexxit, below mediocre graphics, features that got cut without a reason like Megas, no "animations" to compensate for (Pokemon Stadium looks better than that cmon) amount to a package that is literally an insult to all long time pokefans and a disappointing present for any younger child. Its pretty sad that it has come to this. I hope that Pokemon    It is a Pokemon game. But not a good one.
    Dexxit, below mediocre graphics, features that got cut without a reason like Megas, no "animations" to compensate for (Pokemon Stadium looks better than that cmon) amount to a package that is literally an insult to all long time pokefans and a disappointing present for any younger child. Its pretty sad that it has come to this. I hope that Pokemon gets in the hands of some more competent developers. Nintendo, let your Mario/Zelda/Splatoon teams work on the next games!    … Expand
  36. Tseppelin
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The worst Pokemon game ever... Worst Pokemon and worst content, Also so much cutted off
  37. ILovePokem0n
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    So, for starters, I have played the game. Second of all, I'm a huge fan of this beautiful franchise ever since I first got into the series.
    That said, I have huge issues with these games. I'll list them:
    > The map is small and devoid of any meaningful content. Even compared to prior games like USUM or even XY, the map is with only ten routes and not a single real dungeon quite    So, for starters, I have played the game. Second of all, I'm a huge fan of this beautiful franchise ever since I first got into the series.
    That said, I have huge issues with these games. I'll list them:
    > The map is small and devoid of any meaningful content. Even compared to prior games like USUM or even XY, the map is with only ten routes and not a single real dungeon quite underwhelming and the hyped Wild Area is indeed almost embarrassing. The lack of any dungeon or anything to explore in this region is just sad.
    >The Wild area. It is just... so empty. Not much to do, not much to see, and those few structures that are scattered around have no or only little available interactions with the player. This is also the part of the game that looks quite awful with weird textures that could have been directly imported from Colosseum or even Stadium and some weird shaders like on the water textures where Pokémon barely look natural.
    >The plot. I see that GF at least tried to present us a villain that actually has some comprehensible intentions and motives, but the execution was a clear downgrade compared to the last four generations. Instead of building the story up with dialogues or battles, the game follows a simple 'From-A-to-B' scheme and in the end, only shoehorned the villain in. It's just sad because I actually liked the villain, but he was clearly 'dumbed' down a little bit to make it clear that he is evil. The intrusive and distracting interactions with the champ, your rival and Sonia didn't help the plot to become better.
    > The post-game. It's not existing. Seriously. After the short main quest, you only get to catch the cover legendary and an inferior version of previous battle towers. You could also do some raid battles and some rematches, but that's it. There is no new post-game route or city to visit, there is no expansive battle facility to explore, and overall, just feels bland and uninspired and a clear step back from previous games.
    > The difficulty. Like so many things of these games what you could and should expect from a game released on a home console, it is missing, the forced XP share isn't helping. Even without any raid battles, such as I did, you're usually at least two or three levels above your next gym leader and the NPCs don't use any tactics. There was only one battle where I had to seriously think about what to do next (Raihan), but overall, it's toddlers-levels of difficulty, just insulting even to children or young teens. USUM, even though also criticized for its lacking difficulty, at least had some difficult battles against Necrozma, the totems, Lusamine and the champ. So it's nothing that you can't expect from Pokémon.
    > Last but not least, the unjustified Dexcut. The game was already lacking so many things, and they've doubled-down on it by cutting out more than half of the Pokémon and some one hundred moves. They've tried to explain it with the hard work of upgrading to the animations and the models and while the former I'll mention later, the latter wasn't true and thus a lie told by GF to justify an unjustifiable offense against the very core of Pokémon: collecting.
    But there was also some good stuff!
    >The competitive scene has become more accessible and refreshing with some much-needed QoL improvements like nature mints.
    >Some of the animations look beautiful, although most of them have to fight with the bad quality of most textures used in the game.
    > It's still a mainline Pokémon game, it's very core is still fun, at least at the beginning.

    Overall, sadly, one of the worst and most controversial entries of the series, after my honest experience. The good and bad sides of the games must be honestly discussed without any toxicity or harassment of either side, and I hope GF will for once listen to its consumer base. There are other, far better games out there for the Switch, and they should be used as a Christmas present for children or those who stayed a child inside. But not this one, the negatives far outweigh the positives, and with honest corporate reviews gone, I tried my best to showcase the good and the bad of the game.    … Expand
  38. thezora99
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Why should I care writing an original review for this game if I can just copy paste what others wrote. I would do the same thing Gamefreak did with this entry. They recycled everything from their 3ds games and told us they need to cut the pokemon because of too much work. After Bethestas lies, this is the biggest s*** that has happened in the gaming industry this year.
  39. Pikiri
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    If you’re a die hard pokemon fan this is still a pokemon game, but I can’t recommend it otherwise. An unprecedented amount of content was cut and recycled, from missing pokemon to empty routes, towns and more. All of which would be excusable if the game had been polished, but it was seemingly sacrificed for nothing. It seems to be a culmination of all the issues in previous games whileIf you’re a die hard pokemon fan this is still a pokemon game, but I can’t recommend it otherwise. An unprecedented amount of content was cut and recycled, from missing pokemon to empty routes, towns and more. All of which would be excusable if the game had been polished, but it was seemingly sacrificed for nothing. It seems to be a culmination of all the issues in previous games while bringing new ones like an incredibly short run time.… Expand
  40. terraff6
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    i love what they did to this franchise and dont let the haters make it bad on you cause of no national dex (which i dont care for) its a relaxing game that you can also play on your own time and on the go. a total must get
  41. A_Yuki
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Been playing Pokemon since the first generation, Red, Blue Yellow.
    Been playing Pokemon Sword for at least 10 hours, already and I enjoy the game a lot.
    Most Pokemon game I gave 9/10 except for Silver and Black 2 that was a 10/10 Only minor detail is the lack of anti-aliasing , beside that, the game is good. Is the national dex matter to me? No. I had a Main team and sadly, I was    Been playing Pokemon since the first generation, Red, Blue Yellow.
    Been playing Pokemon Sword for at least 10 hours, already and I enjoy the game a lot.
    Most Pokemon game I gave 9/10 except for Silver and Black 2 that was a 10/10
    Only minor detail is the lack of anti-aliasing , beside that, the game is good.

    Is the national dex matter to me? No. I had a Main team and sadly, I was using the same team, over and over and over again in every new game. For me, it's a new beginning using some new and some old. I didn't check if my Main pokemon were in the game. If they are, good if they aren't, good as well. For me, it's fresh start.
    I respect good and valid criticism and I might share some of them,

    That's my opinion. Yours can differ    … Expand
  42. zshbr0
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Unlike what IGNorant completely bribed by Nintendo said, this game is the franchise's WORST Pokémon, completely pitiful, had huge potential, but for no reason, cut off all the features that had hit in previous games like Z Move, Mega Evolutions, new Pokémon and its forms, to put this total junk that is Dynamax that is basically the same Pokemon but with broken and giant stts, completelyUnlike what IGNorant completely bribed by Nintendo said, this game is the franchise's WORST Pokémon, completely pitiful, had huge potential, but for no reason, cut off all the features that had hit in previous games like Z Move, Mega Evolutions, new Pokémon and its forms, to put this total junk that is Dynamax that is basically the same Pokemon but with broken and giant stts, completely pathetic, is so frustrating that you can not even describe it here, just please do not listen to these big media saying that the game is good, it is definitely NOT, it is terrible even more for such a rich franchise, just do not buy it because it is pitiful, total disappointment... GameFreak considers neither its fans nor its customers, disgusting company!… Expand
  43. YeguadeSasel
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This is not a new generation pokemon game.
    It’s only a good way to do so much money without wasting much.
    #GameFreakLies
  44. Seanhiruki
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    I have been seriously loving this game. I’ve been a fan since Red. It’s a beautiful, fun and enjoyable game. I have had no problems that the “leaks” claimed. It’s not perfect but no Pokémon game is. The lack of national dex sucks but it doesn’t break the game.
  45. JirenLaboMX
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Not all pokémon are in the game
    Ps2 graphics
    Ps1 animation
    Handholding for the intere game
    The game feels rushed for be aveliabe before christmas
  46. Mckaos
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Pokemon Sword and shield is a decent game at best, And an abomination otherwise. With casualized gameplay, things such as exp sharing, early max revives, HMs being removed, Level locking and more, I can't be anything but disappointed. I give this game a 4 because it's playable and fun. But it loses those 6 points because of the flaws. -400+ pokemon were removed from the game. I don't carePokemon Sword and shield is a decent game at best, And an abomination otherwise. With casualized gameplay, things such as exp sharing, early max revives, HMs being removed, Level locking and more, I can't be anything but disappointed. I give this game a 4 because it's playable and fun. But it loses those 6 points because of the flaws. -400+ pokemon were removed from the game. I don't care about the graphics, but excuses for removing them are false. For hardcore fans, this game is a huge letdown. They're catering far too much to a young, lazy, and casual audience.… Expand
  47. Ethanmcu
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    I have grown up with these games and this one is just as amazing if not better
  48. SamKr3w
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    The pokemon Games never advance, and this is not the eception, A waste of the switch's potential.
  49. 9to10Gaming
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    The worst Pokemon game I’ve ever played. Graphics are a joke for the Switch and 10-15 years behind. 60% of the Pokédex is missing. The Wild Area is ugly and empty, Pokémon just pop up a few meters in front of you. It’s super easy and linear, you can’t turn off the XP sharer... the Game has way too many flaws. GameFreak should take a break for a couple years and make a Pokémon game weThe worst Pokemon game I’ve ever played. Graphics are a joke for the Switch and 10-15 years behind. 60% of the Pokédex is missing. The Wild Area is ugly and empty, Pokémon just pop up a few meters in front of you. It’s super easy and linear, you can’t turn off the XP sharer... the Game has way too many flaws. GameFreak should take a break for a couple years and make a Pokémon game we deserve… Expand
  50. dan_chaos
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    No compren este producto incompleto, realmente no vale el precio completo y solo merece que lo bajen pirata.
    Si lo compran es su problema pero espero que no sean de los desafortunados que se les borro todas las partidas guardadas en la Switch como le ha ocurrido a varios.
  51. Inflitrado
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    16 horas con el juego y ya estoy por encima del nivel de todos los entrenadores del juego. La introducción tarda más de media hora por si sola y no haces más que caminar del punto a al punto b, mínimo tuviera musgo bonito para mirar como en Zelda pero no. Los gráficos parecen tomados del proyecto de Unity de algún fan con demasiado tiempo libre y no de una de una compañía
  52. paum
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    No national dex. Poor quality animations and models. Low resolution textures. Extremely easy, to the point of boredom. Terrible pop-in and slowdown. No voice acting. Constant hand holding. Barely any post game and what's there is not challenging. Permanent experience share. The core gameplay of raising and catching Pokémon is still fun, but there are many other, better made, PokémonNo national dex. Poor quality animations and models. Low resolution textures. Extremely easy, to the point of boredom. Terrible pop-in and slowdown. No voice acting. Constant hand holding. Barely any post game and what's there is not challenging. Permanent experience share. The core gameplay of raising and catching Pokémon is still fun, but there are many other, better made, Pokémon games to play instead of this rushed mess. Is this what the Switch can deliver? Absolutely disappointing.… Expand
  53. Joobsh
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    BUYER BEWARE. NOT NECESSARILY THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT

    Please read this first before deciding if it is right for you or a loved one. I’m sure some people will find enjoyment in this game. but I feel it is Inexcusably awful. Even leaving out controversy, let’s look at this objectively. -This game has 10 total routes, or in other words very few areas to explore -Some key features such as    BUYER BEWARE. NOT NECESSARILY THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT

    Please read this first before deciding if it is right for you or a loved one. I’m sure some people will find enjoyment in this game. but I feel it is Inexcusably awful.

    Even leaving out controversy, let’s look at this objectively. -This game has 10 total routes, or in other words very few areas to explore -Some key features such as volume control are hidden behind optional characters. This is reminiscent of Mario Sunshine, which hid screen tinting behind a specific skippable character.
    -model of characters does not match in game lore, and is blatantly inconsistent.
    -there are problems with loading assets despite this being a switch title. It pales in comparison to the likes of Breath of the Wild. FPS is atrocious. -The game has a general feeling of being rushed to completion. No meticulous care, no “wow” factor. -Myself and others are finding this game too easy. The justification from the company is that this is for young kids, yet when my generation were children we relished in the Challenge. It’s so disappointing to see what should have been a hugely successful game flop so hard.    … Expand
  54. CL4P-TP
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Too easy, Pokémon missing with no sign of coming back, next to no post game content. That's already really really bad. Dynamax is boring and Mega Evolution and Z Moves which were great are probably gone forever too.

    Last AND least the graphics are a catastrophe. Battle backgrounds are pretty much the same with no variety based on your location, many Pokemon have the same models as on    Too easy, Pokémon missing with no sign of coming back, next to no post game content. That's already really really bad. Dynamax is boring and Mega Evolution and Z Moves which were great are probably gone forever too.

    Last AND least the graphics are a catastrophe. Battle backgrounds are pretty much the same with no variety based on your location, many Pokemon have the same models as on the 3ds (sometimes with some polygons added) and attack animations weren't improved on at all. This makes me wonder why so many Pokemon were cut to begin with if they basically reskinned the last games.

    TERRIBLE, I'm a Pokemon fan for most of my life (since I'm 7 and now I'm 21) and these games are an utter disappointment.    … Expand
  55. Baltzac
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Malos gráficos, animaciones reutilizadas, media pokedex en fin un juego que la saga pokemon no se merece
  56. Riczen
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    The game is underwhelming for Nintendo Switch. It seems like it has not been through Quality Assurance. The quality of the game various if you have played it. One give away is that in some area you can find gorgeous sceneries, high definition background, but in some area it’s like a student project, character floating, Pokémon running on the spot without moving,
  57. Braydon64
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    I don't a believe any game actually deserves a 0, so I'm giving this a 1/10. I'm giving this a 1/10 not because of the gameplay or content (which would be a 6.0 AT BEST & even that's stretching it) but simply because Game Freak straight-up lied to us & they are making asinine business decisions. As Pokémon fans, we deserve better for $60.
  58. GiaKommo-o
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Sword and Shield are bad even in Pokemon's shallow standards; half of the Pokemon are wiped, the story is incredibly lacklustre and shoved down your throat, the characters are basically 2 dimensional and the TEN (10) routes are pretty much decorated corridors. The wild area feels empty, and the only thing keeping this from a lower score are the admittedly cool and well designed newSword and Shield are bad even in Pokemon's shallow standards; half of the Pokemon are wiped, the story is incredibly lacklustre and shoved down your throat, the characters are basically 2 dimensional and the TEN (10) routes are pretty much decorated corridors. The wild area feels empty, and the only thing keeping this from a lower score are the admittedly cool and well designed new additions to the roster.… Expand
  59. fenix19851234
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Pokemon Sword (and by extension, Shield) is the newest mainline entry in the Pokémon franchise. The first console mainline pokemon game on a console, expectations are high and rightly so but does the game deliver? Simply: No, it doesn't.

    You are transported into the colourful world of Galar, brimming with new Pokemon and offering a challenge much familiar to any seasoned pokemon trainer    Pokemon Sword (and by extension, Shield) is the newest mainline entry in the Pokémon franchise. The first console mainline pokemon game on a console, expectations are high and rightly so but does the game deliver? Simply: No, it doesn't.

    You are transported into the colourful world of Galar, brimming with new Pokemon and offering a challenge much familiar to any seasoned pokemon trainer to become the most powerful pokemon master of the region. A big part of pokemon charm is its extensive world building which isn't really present in Sword. The large open seeming cities only contain a handful of places you can explore with buildings and areas deceptively giving the appearance of much more. It advertised a wild area, with over world sprites and new Pokemon encounters but for the most part is completely barren with graphical issues and only a limited range of pokemon to catch. Gone is the dream of catching 'em all with over half of the current Pokémon being cut from the series for the first time.

    Stories in pokemon mainline games have never been praised for their brilliant writing but Sword and Shield pales in comparison to even the series' weakest points. The characters archetypes are painfully already overdone with previous games, with the rival being a direct copy in terms of personality and animations to the last. Characters such as Bede and Marnie although seem promising at start, don't really have story development and don't give the time for the player to relate or to grow attached to them. The evil team is also painfully irrelevant with them only appearing at the end briefly and Team Yell being more of an annoying backstop than anything.    … Expand
  60. StickyRobot
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Short game, bad graphics, mindlessly easy story, pointless gimmicks, and a largely non existent plot. That's ignoring the fact that half the Pokemon and about 100 moves were slashed from the game files.

    All this for dollars... unless you want access to the games online content which is hidden behind a 20 dollar paywall. This game offers a laughable amount of content for the 60-80 dollar price.
  61. Jefflocher
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    I like all the new Pokemon and the new mega evolut.... I mean giantmax forms. Honest to Arceus, I like the new Pokemon. Sword and Shield are rushed bare bones games. Pokemon should be held to the same standards as all of Nintendo's other franchises. Take your time and evolve the franchise. Just like Zelda. Just like Mario. Just like Fire Emblem. Just like Smash. Exactly like every otherI like all the new Pokemon and the new mega evolut.... I mean giantmax forms. Honest to Arceus, I like the new Pokemon. Sword and Shield are rushed bare bones games. Pokemon should be held to the same standards as all of Nintendo's other franchises. Take your time and evolve the franchise. Just like Zelda. Just like Mario. Just like Fire Emblem. Just like Smash. Exactly like every other Nintendo IP.… Expand
  62. Lorek
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Horrible graphics, gameplay is too easy, no dex national. If someone thinks this game is fun, that person might be an iddiot.… Expand
  63. MagaiverKing007
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Best Pokemon game ever, Game Freak deliver us a delightfully experience that bring back the good memories of playing the 90’s Pokemon games.
  64. mariofenix
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The series I once loved is now ran by people who think they can lie to the fans. MORE THAN HALF of the National Pokedex was cut in order to "make the models from scratch" and work on "high quality animations", but the datamine exposed GameFreak's lies because models and animations are reused from the 3DS games.
  65. funkmclovin
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    TL;DR: "Been there, done that." This game offers nothing new for Pokemon fans nor RPG fans.

    As a long-time Pokemon fan, I'm disappointed that GameFreak has chosen to strip away so many features that have been beloved by fans. Many players, myself included, play Pokemon games for a specific experience that Sword and Shield simply does not offer. If you are a collector, this game does not    TL;DR: "Been there, done that." This game offers nothing new for Pokemon fans nor RPG fans.

    As a long-time Pokemon fan, I'm disappointed that GameFreak has chosen to strip away so many features that have been beloved by fans. Many players, myself included, play Pokemon games for a specific experience that Sword and Shield simply does not offer. If you are a collector, this game does not feature every Pokemon. If you are a competitive player, this game reduces the amount of Pokemon and moves available to use. If you like a story-based RPG, this is lukewarm at best. If you've played any Pokemon game that has come before this, you've played a better Pokemon game. Despite the upgrade in graphics, despite the brand-new region, I feel more at home playing an installment such as Soul Silver for the DS. If you prefer a more story-rich current-gen console experience, play the new Dragon Age. Hell, if you want a console Pokemon game, buy XD Gale Of Darkness, whose graphics are on par with this, a game released 14 years later.

    This game is good only for new Pokemon fans or those fans who are just desperate to play a new Pokemon game on the Switch console, and even to those people, there exists the Let's Go series.

    I, for one, hope that GameFreak's next foray into Pokemon is not nearly as clumsy or poorly thought out.    … Expand
  66. Vexi
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    this game is second best in the series, only to Gen IV, Everything is streamlined and so fun. Yes there is some noticeable pop in, and a lot of aliasing on some models a little far a way, but its easily forgiveable. The towns look beautiful and the soundtrack is amazing. Character customization is improved on from US/UM.
  67. amed_fonseca
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    el juego se ve muy bien a pesar de todo lo que han dicho, para ser el primer juego de la saga principal desarrollado para una consola casera esta excelente, por lo que llevo jugado me parece un gran juego de pokemon así que no tengan miedo al comprarlo, si el juego les llama la atención no se arrepentirán al comprarlo, juego 100% recomendado.
  68. TMR
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Too much stripped content to justify any score. Dexit aside, the game suffers from poor graphics and framerate issues, dumbed-down gameplay which is far too easy, poor animations and horrible designs of the new Pokémon.

    The game has strayed far from its roots and is a shell of its former self.
  69. Aloubin
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This is the game that shows us how GameFreak is a mediocre company, killing one of the best franchises of all time, I remember playing so many times Pokemon Red & Blue when I was a kid, all of their sequels where awesome, I never played sun & moon but after they announced Pokémon for the Switch I was hype, but after the announcement everything went downhill, the graphics, the gimmicks, theThis is the game that shows us how GameFreak is a mediocre company, killing one of the best franchises of all time, I remember playing so many times Pokemon Red & Blue when I was a kid, all of their sequels where awesome, I never played sun & moon but after they announced Pokémon for the Switch I was hype, but after the announcement everything went downhill, the graphics, the gimmicks, the lack of Pokémon’s and the excuses they gave us (less Pokemon for better graphics and those models at the end are the same from the 3ds game but a little good looking, gamefreak with this game spit in the face at us, the fans, some fans drink the spit but others realize how much of a disgrace this game is… Expand
  70. Pomiculteur
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    I was already a bit disappointed by the removed feature, but now the game f*cked up my micro SD card.
  71. Shmeat
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    I'm enjoying myself. The majority of criticism probably would exist if the full DeX was there, but now people are just finding every small nit pick to complain about. It's a good game.
  72. Sylhfer
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    I was a bit disappointed when they announced the Pokedex cut of over half the Pokemon for improved graphics and better animations. But even that was a lie by Game Freak to save themselves from launching a game riddled with bugs and otherwise unfinished product. This game will go down in history as the worst they've produced and the backlash of the fans is justly deserved.
  73. PokeMaster22222
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. There's so many problems with it:

    1) Pokemon models reused from XY; only change is lack of compression (which was previously needed for 3DS), and shading. 2) Pokemon animations are incredibly static, lifeless and basic - Tomb Raider on the original PlayStation had better animations. 3) Move animations are still incredibly basic and lifeless too; Tail Whip, for    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. There's so many problems with it:

    1) Pokemon models reused from XY; only change is lack of compression (which was previously needed for 3DS), and shading.
    2) Pokemon animations are incredibly static, lifeless and basic - Tomb Raider on the original PlayStation had better animations.
    3) Move animations are still incredibly basic and lifeless too; Tail Whip, for example, just flips the user around and shakes them about - no actual tail movements. Double Kick is still just basic hops instead of actual kicks, a la Battle Revolution.
    4) NPC movement is incredibly stiff, static, and robotic.
    5) Insane amounts of pop-in.
    6) Overworld uses very low-quality assets for trees and the like.
    7) Pokemon in the Wild Area aren't tied to any thematic area, just wander about, and generally look very artificial and lifeless.
    8) Over 470 (~60%) of 809 older Pokemon completely removed.
    9) A slew of moves removed.
    10) Mega Evolution removed.
    11) Dynamax isn't exciting or a worthwhile innovation, since it's a temporary scaling-up of regular models only able to be used to specific areas.
    12) Pokemon model size scaling is way off; Pokemon are way too tiny compared to what they should be. For example, Tyranitar and Wailord should be huge; instead, they appear smaller than the Trainers.
    13) Box Legendary battle has no music.
    14) Game is incredibly linear, I've heard.
    15) There's an insane amount of free heals and auto-heals present, EVEN DURING THE ELITE FOUR CHALLENGE. You know, the challenge where you traditionally had to go through five battles in a row, relying on whatever healing items and general strategies you had?
    16) Permanent Exp. All effect ruins any kind of challenge, and there's no way to turn it off, unlike the 3DS games.

    Game Freak LIED when they said they made brand-new models; they never officially told us how many Pokémon were missing, or how many moves were missing. This game feels incredibly rushed and incomplete, yet Game Freak has no plans on patching the missing content in.

    If you're looking for a good RPG on the Switch, try Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Fire Emblem: Three Houses or Octopath Traveller. If you're looking for a good Pokémon game, get a New 3DS XL and buy Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire and Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon - hell, buy Platinum, HeartGold or SoulSilver, Black or White, and Black 2 or White 2, since these DS games are still by far the best Pokémon games I've played.

    DO NOT SUPPORT SUCH LACK OF EFFORT. DO NOY BUY POKÉMON SWORD OR POKÉMON SHIELD.    … Expand
  74. Leci
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Horribly rushed, had false advertising, game is a joke when it comes to difficulty, many features were stripped away just to charge extra for them despite being extremely overpriced already.
  75. Pablo92
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    A really rushed game, not worth the time or the money. poor quality models, textures, animation an cuts everywhere, in the pokedex, in the features, etc. please gamefreack this series deserves better.
  76. SSZ
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Not the best Pokemon games out there, several features such as the national dex have been removed, the game is extremely easy and short and there are some things in this game that no one really asked for like the exp share being on at all times. Hopefully the next games are good though.
  77. Ralet
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Worst pokemon ever. No full pokemon transfer. No online global pokemon trade. Short and boring story. Has the worst graphic as a switch game.
  78. Alexblue
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The clear lack of quality, effort or concern for the customer is appalling. The graphics are total garbage for a $60 game on the switch, the dex has been cut by 60%, the story is nonexistent. I can go on about the game being as hand holding as possible and the lack of any sorts of endgame or the total reduction of the battle tower to practically nothing. This is not a good pokemon game when Zelda and Mario jumped to the Switch they made amazing steps forward. But SwSh? Nope, it's a watered down 3ds port and worst of all the company lied about all sorts of things. This is not how you treat your customers, especially not long time players like myself.… Expand
  79. lucs28
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    To put simply, I'm disappointed. I've played Pokemon my entire life, I've played all generations, all remakes, and to put it simple, this is the first time I feel a new gen is walking backwards. The cut pokemon, the claimed new animations and models being the same, the linearity, the lack of post game content, everything feels so lazy, so rushed, so soulless... The polemon concepts and theTo put simply, I'm disappointed. I've played Pokemon my entire life, I've played all generations, all remakes, and to put it simple, this is the first time I feel a new gen is walking backwards. The cut pokemon, the claimed new animations and models being the same, the linearity, the lack of post game content, everything feels so lazy, so rushed, so soulless... The polemon concepts and the region concept are still great, but it just isn't enough anymore. Up your game gamefrak, its effing 2019… Expand
  80. AnotherPerson77
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The cutting of Pokemon was a change that I had expected (albeit dreaded) to come sooner or later as the series total Pokemon and alternate forms would continue to grow, I have never had an interest in the competitive landscape or catching every Pokemon so the reveal of the decision was disappointing to me, but somewhat understood. However I still believe this was a poor decision given thatThe cutting of Pokemon was a change that I had expected (albeit dreaded) to come sooner or later as the series total Pokemon and alternate forms would continue to grow, I have never had an interest in the competitive landscape or catching every Pokemon so the reveal of the decision was disappointing to me, but somewhat understood. However I still believe this was a poor decision given that this is the first mainline Pokemon game to be released on a console, this is a big moment for the series and should have been taken far more seriously. I also believe that with a sacrifice this major, something of similar or greater value must be given in return. The cutting of Pokemon could have given Game Freak the opportunity to greatly develop the animations and personalties of the Pokemon kept in the game, perhaps reintroducing following Pokemon or having more dynamic interactions with them. Alternatively, the story and world could be more developed and based around the Pokemon that inhabit the region. Or the graphical prowess of the development team could be shown in the environment, with their time being spent on designing a more interesting world instead of reworking the Pokemon.
    Unfortunately, none of this came to pass. While it is undeniable that the visual design of the game is better than what has come before (with the exception of some poor texture mapping on trees and rocks) I and many others do not believe that it has reached an acceptable level given the superior hardware the games are using. The games feel like an upgrade to Sun and Moon but lack the style that made Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee visually pleasing and still have some incredibly poor textures. Not to mention, the animations for the game have been shown to be reused and to freeze whenever a player climbs a ladder. For a game that had 3 years of development (1 for concept and 2 for production) and is charging £60/$60 at launch (going up against Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey) combined with being a part of the most profitable series in the world, this is completely unacceptable.
    But the biggest and most insulting aspect of these games is Game Freak’s dishonest marketing of the games, only serving to further stoke the flames between the developers and consumers. Not only did Game Freak avoid mentioning the cutting of previous Pokemon until being directly questioned about it by a reporter and later confronted by the angered fan-base, they have also provided blatantly false reasoning for why the cutting was necessary. The studio claimed that the cutting of previous Pokemon was due to them being forced to remodel them for the new hardware, however this was shown to be a malicious lie by data-miners, who discovered that they were re-using the previous models. This also brought their statement that the reason for the cutting of 50% of the previous Pokemon, mega evolution and Z moves was to improve the online and competitive matches into question, with many people believing that these features were cut either out of laziness or as a result of trying to release a new game every year since 2016 (I personally believe the former). While the re-use of previous models is accepted as an industry standard and shouldn’t be criticised, blatantly lying to consumers about your product should never be excused.
    But even with all of the controversy aside, the games still fall short even as Pokemon games. There is very little experimentation, with many of the story elements being reused from Sun and Moon (such as the fake evil team, the main mechanic being the result of a powerful Pokemon radiating a mysterious energy and even many of the character design sharing similar design elements to those seen in previous games). Most of the new elements of the game, such as dynamaxing, feel hollow and meaningless as they were clearly created with the intention of being abandoned next game rather than being included out of a genuine passion to develop and improve on the mechanics of the previous games. No effort was taken to improve on the storytelling of the series (which suffers from an overabundance of cut-scenes) or the difficulty curve (which is pathetically easy), showing a huge disconnect between the studio and their fans.
    The only area of the game that warrants praising is the soundtrack, which is of excellent quality as always and deserves a large amount of praise for the variety of styles and use of soundscapes in some of the tracks.
    Unfortunately, even if you are a hardcore Pokemon fan, their isn’t much this game offers to warrant it’s £60/$60 price. I don’t even believe that £30/$30 wouldn’t be acceptable. I would recommend giving this game a skip, Game Freak should not be rewarded for poorly managing a project and producing a lackluster product (whether by intention or not). By not buying these games, we can hopefully encourage them to produce a better quality game next time.    … Expand
  81. Bibboi54
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    The game is by no means a perfect or great great game but it's really not as bad as people say it is. An average game deserves and average score most of the negative reviews are just people who are salty that it isn't as good as the other games in the series. But if you take away the other games and just focus on this one, it's an average game. Nothing else to really elaborate on otherThe game is by no means a perfect or great great game but it's really not as bad as people say it is. An average game deserves and average score most of the negative reviews are just people who are salty that it isn't as good as the other games in the series. But if you take away the other games and just focus on this one, it's an average game. Nothing else to really elaborate on other than if I could give it a 5.5 i would because it's not quite deserving of a 6. I rounded up to be nice.… Expand
  82. DerplandMcherp
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Lmao the game is great..probably the most fun I've had in a Pokemon game
  83. LordCheezey
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Utter "Meh" compacted onto a cartage. I want to believe that this game would be good, but as it turns out, is so utterly boring, that I can't bring myself to play it again. The battles are too easy, many of my favorite Pokemon are outright missing, and worst of all, the battle animations are still as crappy as always.
  84. MajesticCorgi
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    This game certainly isn't a bad game. At its core, it's a Pokemon game, and that by definition is a hard formula to mess up. The problem here is that it doesn't bring much to the table, and a majority of the positive elements going for it are shared with other Pokemon games. If you're going to play the game one time through and put it down afterwards, it's probably still a solid experienceThis game certainly isn't a bad game. At its core, it's a Pokemon game, and that by definition is a hard formula to mess up. The problem here is that it doesn't bring much to the table, and a majority of the positive elements going for it are shared with other Pokemon games. If you're going to play the game one time through and put it down afterwards, it's probably still a solid experience (albeit not worth the $60 MSRP in my opinion), but it just doesn't bring much value to the table for those who really want to sink their teeth in and play for 100+ hours.… Expand
  85. NerdHerd93
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Nice game. Game freak did the best thing not to add all pkms.
  86. Bilboswagginz
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Pokemon will always be good but never be GREAT. Catching the new mons (which I think are pretty well designed) and interacting with the pretty diverse cast of characters while you battle through eight gyms is a fairly failsafe formula that has always been enjoyable. Unsurprisingly Pokemon Sword checks all these boxes and is a certainly enjoyable playthrough. However, once one attempts toPokemon will always be good but never be GREAT. Catching the new mons (which I think are pretty well designed) and interacting with the pretty diverse cast of characters while you battle through eight gyms is a fairly failsafe formula that has always been enjoyable. Unsurprisingly Pokemon Sword checks all these boxes and is a certainly enjoyable playthrough. However, once one attempts to try to enforce their own playstyle or control the game constantly frustrates at every turn. Having plodding linear progression with limited options for things like exp share one feels rather talked down to by gamefreak. These certainly are childrens games but methinks the company is underselling how smart kids can be and what they can pick up on. After the main game is completed is where the bulk of my complaints come to. This game has the least number of routes in any mainline pokemon game with very few being postgame content. There is a short (2 3 hour) story mission where you capture the third legendary, and there is a lackluster battle tower (with no bosses) and then of course completing the pokedex. No other legendaries no significant geographical locations significant enough to engross for any long period of time. No mount silver, no white forest, nothing. With development of videogames on a whole being hard more expensive and more time consuming, game freak may be damned if they continue down this path. Releasing one game a year worked for them for a while, but the cracks and poor management are starting to show and I don't know how long they will be able to slide by with a lackluster product. Especially for 60$ 5/10 BUY IT USED IF AT ALL… Expand
  87. thrwycr
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Enormous amounts of cut content, bold-faced lies from developers used as excuses, incredibly poor use of the hardware, overall an obviously unfinished game. Definitively the worse in the history of the franchise.
  88. Gandara2000
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Este juego tiene falta de demasiado contenido, no tiene pokedex nacional, megaevoluciones, movimientos z, las animaciones y modelos de los pokemon son reciclados, escenarios con graficas mediocres, la historia queda en segundo plano, su post game es demasiado corto, y se desaprovechan las unicas novedades como el area silvestre.
  89. Nexer
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Nuevo comienzo... Una nueva aventura, e de decir que me a sorprendido gratamente este nuevo juego de la saga, detrás de toda la controversia que tiene el juego empezando por la famosa pokedex , que sed me sinceros , si os ponen a los 1000 pokemon ¿que porcentaje de personas con el juego comprado la completan entera?¿ aunque sea la actual con mas de 400? ¿un 10% tirando a lo alto?. QuieroNuevo comienzo... Una nueva aventura, e de decir que me a sorprendido gratamente este nuevo juego de la saga, detrás de toda la controversia que tiene el juego empezando por la famosa pokedex , que sed me sinceros , si os ponen a los 1000 pokemon ¿que porcentaje de personas con el juego comprado la completan entera?¿ aunque sea la actual con mas de 400? ¿un 10% tirando a lo alto?. Quiero decir, que para la mayoría de publico, el juego así como esta, es muy sobresaliente.

    Otro debate es las animaciones, ¿Perdón? yo a cada paso que doy veo animaciones TOTALMENTE nuevas, incluso los detalles mas mínimos están cuidados, el movimiento de unas pulseras de un personaje, el pelo ondeando, decorado, me parece un juego excelente, con otros juegos de la saga no tenia ni la mitad de animaciones que tiene este Pokemon Espada y Pokemon Escudo, pero solo se fijan en animaciones básicas como andar o girar, y ¿y todo lo demás? yo veo los personajes sus gestos, incluso las miradas de los entrenadores con los que combates en mitad de rutas , y las veo muy pulidas.

    Entrando en las nuevas mecánicas, me parece perfecto todo lo nuevo, área silvestre, encargos, incursiones, campamentos... y mas cosas que depara la aventura.
    Para nada el juego dura 20 horas, a mi parecer dura bastante mas para un usuario medio de Pokemon, simplemente con esas mecánicas que comente anteriormente mas la historia se te va a ir mas de 20 horas, pero claro, hablo de usuarios que quieren probar todo lo que ofrece un juego.

    En resumen, el juego lo veo estupendo, comparándolo con anteriores de la saga es perfecto, cambiada totalmente de otras aventuras empezadas como siempre , esta le da un giro mas, tanto el área silvestre como muchas mecánicas que encontraremos en el juego se ven que son un comienzo de le futuro de pokemon y sinceramente me parece lo mejor que pueden hacer.    … Expand
  90. Trainercool
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    These games are way too easy. Finished way too quickly and overall not worth $60. The poor quality, consistent hand-holding and lack of freedom is just unacceptable from the largest franchise in the world. Pokémon had a very very very rough jump to home console, here’s to hoping future games in the franchise learn from this.
  91. VloggyBuddy
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    The game is far from perfect. A few steps forward, a couple steps back. Yes the Pokemon omissions suck, but it's still a good game. I'm just gonna leave a 10 score.
  92. DRGXIII
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Full of Bugs and glitches, 3ds style graphics, less features than previous games, half of the pokedex was removed for what turned out to be lies,constant stuttering,and still a bare-bones endgame.
  93. HeartsandCrowns
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think the game is super impressive and I do acknowledge the flaws. I was disappointed that my favorite pokemon wasnt in this game, but it didnt deter me.… Expand
  94. FatBoyNibbles
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Amazing experience for a new switch title.
  95. Jeod69
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Shame, pure shame

    Ps1 Grafics and poor animations, even de 2d pixel grafics are better. Half pokedex Difficult is a complete joke.. Bugs Short game No postgame This game is complete disaster, only a blind fan can defend Gamefreak One of the biggest videogame companies, with millions and millions, buy new developers gamefreak, do something great, expend time and love, not this    Shame, pure shame

    Ps1 Grafics and poor animations, even de 2d pixel grafics are better.
    Half pokedex
    Difficult is a complete joke..
    Bugs
    Short game
    No postgame

    This game is complete disaster, only a blind fan can defend Gamefreak
    One of the biggest videogame companies, with millions and millions, buy new developers gamefreak, do something great, expend time and love, not this trash.

    Should have graffics like Zelda, should have an adult story, should have all pokemons, live world, all movements, and of course the difficult, my god, if you want, yo can finish the game with 0 loses, is ridiculous, the only way to make it mord hard is play with your own rules, for example, if a pokemon goes down, that pokemon is dead for me, is the only way, without this, the difficult is a joke..    … Expand
  96. Kira-to-zero
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Same kind of game, pros that had previous games cut off, no megas, no z moves, 140 moves cut off, poor animations, less than the half of all the existing Pokemon, cutting the competitive to 40% at the real competitive capacity, I will get yokai watch 4 better graphics and something new, at least soundtrack of pokemon sword is not bad at all. If you have a 3ds and you are considering on selling the 3ds and your previous pokemon games, do not, best to have all the pokemon, and all the features, you don’t have to pay for online, +the pokemon hoe and pokemon bank, at least will pay Around 90 or 100usd. For this pokemon sword or shield and to have the experience incomplete… Expand
  97. Shillmons
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gamefreak lied, the game is a mess, models, graphics, barely any story, save your money… Expand
  98. GarciaSmith
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    El peor Pokémon de todos , nada de inovación , pokemones gigantes encerio. Niantic se caga en su fanbase y está se extacia , pésimo.
  99. Afx07
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokemon espada es posiblemente el juego menos ambicioso de la franquicia, tras jugarlos 40 horas, me parece satisfactorio el sistema de combate, podrá no incluir la Pokedex nacional, pero sigue siendo Pokemon, gráficamente lo veo bien, la historia si bien no es compleja me parece interesante el toque histórico que le quisieron dar.… Expand
  100. Obelich
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Me gusto mucho el juego el modo como lo han echo esta genial lo unico por lo que no pongo 10 es por que el compartir experiencia es de lo unico que no me gusta, de los demas esta muy recomendado
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

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