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. Bruhhh_
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Subpar experience littered with issues, disappointing for a AAA title sitting with giants like BOTW or Smash Ultimate. Not the game for hardcore fans, but if you casually play Pokémon, you should find some enjoyment in it somewhere.
  2. Ziop98
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Low quality graphics, Game Freak lied about dexcut connected to new models and better animation, the story is probably the worst for a main line pokemon game, no post game, bad soundtrack, just 3 legendary, new pokemon desgins suck. Probably is worse than LGPE, which was in my opinion the worst pokemon game until this
  3. LucioSoliz
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Nothing that this game has to offer can excuse the cut content from old games
    All it has is the bare minimun: "good" graphics, nice visuals, music, character design, new pokemon, and new mechanics, all these are the bare minimun of each game. Yet this game lacks of day cycle, changing only for events or cutscenes. Following pokemon, post game, music in legendary battles. It has too many    Nothing that this game has to offer can excuse the cut content from old games
    All it has is the bare minimun: "good" graphics, nice visuals, music, character design, new pokemon, and new mechanics, all these are the bare minimun of each game. Yet this game lacks of day cycle, changing only for events or cutscenes. Following pokemon, post game, music in legendary battles. It has too many bugs and glitches, its very bad optimized, truly disrespectful for a 60$ games, i would rather use that money to support other games and skip this gen..    … Expand
  4. papode
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Unfortunately, these games are a huge step back in all that the recent games have brought as innovations to the old formula from Pokémon Red/Blue. Again striking their more-than-loyal fanbase, Game Freak shows its laziness and lack of concern for what pleases players the most. The disappointments are numerous: recycled animations, bad Pokémon designs and worst of all, the fact that in this game the ubiquitous motto “gotta catch’em all” never made less sense: only 400 of the more than 800 Pokémon are not coded in the games archives. This all boils down to a mediocre iteration that deserves some criticism.… Expand
  5. GGSamurai
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Very disappointed in how this game was handled. Would not recommend to those looking to play the game with any of their favorite mons seeing as they will most likely not be in it. Gameplay is as repetitive as ever
  6. MrXjinglez
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    The game is incomplete with a lot of bugs and graphical issues, the story was decent but the post game is almost non-existent, 455 Pokemon were cut from the game because they had to recreate them from scratch even though it was found to be the same old models from the 3ds era, unfortunately if game freak wouldn't have lied about it and fixed the issues stated above this would be a goodThe game is incomplete with a lot of bugs and graphical issues, the story was decent but the post game is almost non-existent, 455 Pokemon were cut from the game because they had to recreate them from scratch even though it was found to be the same old models from the 3ds era, unfortunately if game freak wouldn't have lied about it and fixed the issues stated above this would be a good game, thats why my score is 2/10.… Expand
  7. Orion_
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Oh boy, where do I begin. I used to be a fan of Pokemon. I loved the designs, I loved trying to collect every shiny, just collecting as a whole used to be my favorite part of the series. But, that's no longer an option. There's no way to have a "complete" collection, because they have cut the majority of the dex; and for what gain? Surely not the graphics, which are about as good as thatOh boy, where do I begin. I used to be a fan of Pokemon. I loved the designs, I loved trying to collect every shiny, just collecting as a whole used to be my favorite part of the series. But, that's no longer an option. There's no way to have a "complete" collection, because they have cut the majority of the dex; and for what gain? Surely not the graphics, which are about as good as that of the Wii U or earlier consoles. The entire game is the exact same cookie cutter setup we've gotten before. No originality whatsoever. The Pokemon? Basic beyond belief and really just "modernized" versions of older Pokemon. Then, ghere's the matter of the game heaving a rather serious issue of potentially wiping your ENTIRE SD card data - including every other game you may have. I can no longer support a company that has managed to be so out of sync with their fanbase.… Expand
  8. AnthonyDFG
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    At the beginning of the game, serious performance issues are already notorious. The game lags in certain parts and there are awkward moments where nothing is happening and you're just waiting for a cutscene to resume. The handholding is unbearable and the Kanto-throwbacks are off the charts. Charizard will get praised half a dozen times before you can pick your first Pokémon. Hop is aAt the beginning of the game, serious performance issues are already notorious. The game lags in certain parts and there are awkward moments where nothing is happening and you're just waiting for a cutscene to resume. The handholding is unbearable and the Kanto-throwbacks are off the charts. Charizard will get praised half a dozen times before you can pick your first Pokémon. Hop is a cheap knockoff of Hau and thus the game breaks the long tradition of making every new rival unique in some way.

    As the game goes on, you begin to notice that GameFreak engaged in false advertising. We were promised that the models had been remade from scratch. However, the meshes are the exact same in most cases. The few exceptions are models that got minor updates around the mouth area, presumably to eat curry. Some textures got updated but there are indications that the process might have been automated. Indeed, there isn't even a distinction between, say, the eyes and the fur of a Pokémon. Instead, they look entirely like inflatable balloons. The animations, it can be shown, have been reused too. In that direction, even the game engine was demonstrably forked from Let's Go. It's too hard to see what is made "from scratch" in this game, as even the music is a remix of sample libraries from 2013.

    The Galar region looks gorgeous in pictures but it has serious issues when you actually play it. The routes are small corridors without any intricacy. Even the wild area can be traversed in a few minutes. The forests and caves are not puzzling in any way. There is no sense of exploration or adventure. Many buildings are completely locked. The ones you can enter might look the exact same inside as they didn't even bother to shuffle furniture around. Trees look like they were imported from the Nintendo 64. The berry trees in particular look completely out of place, as if they were from another game entirely; it's really incredible that there was such a massive oversight and nobody raised an objection. There was no effort to make the water look good and the reflections are buggy. The grass and terrain textures are an eyesore. Walls and caves textures are straight out of the Sega Dreamcast. Weather is illogical and poorly implemented. You can "ride" trains but they didn't even bother animating it as it's just a black screen and you have magically teleported: even Gold and Silver had more effort into it. To top it all, time bizarrely freezes when you use stairs.

    Instead of being allowed to ride your Pokémon, you're stuck with a goofy bike that even works on water. Pokémon don't have turn animations and they pop in and out of nowhere which is very awkward and breaks the immersion, defeating the entire point of overworld encounters. Then again, trees and people do it too. You are also not allowed to even throw a Poké Ball at higher level Pokémon so it's hard to see what is the point of including them so early into the game. You can't pet your Pokémon and the Pokémon Camp is an inferior version of Pokémon Amie and Refresh. The option to play with a ball is so poorly programmed that it's hard to believe it passed the testing stages. In battles, big species like Wailord and Tyranitar are butchered by the downscaling algorithm. There are many bugs that are baffling such as trainers disappearing when certain attacks are used. We were promised this would be the game that long time fans had been waiting for but that seems extremely unlikely.

    The story is dull, rushed and boring. Interesting side characters get little screen time. It's obvious the story was not their focus this time. However, the game is not cohesive in any way so it's hard to see what even was their focus this time. Indeed, there is very little content as there's barely any postgame at all while the main story can be leisurely beaten in 12 hours assuming you aren't the kind of player that loses to NPCs. Some towns have interesting themes but they are massively underdeveloped and the "city" surrounding the Battle Tower is peak laziness: it's just a cardboard background. The region feels lifeless in general and the subpar method chosen to spawn people doesn't help. Major features like the GTS were cut and simple features like volume control are locked under key items. The level scaling is very poor as you're massively overleveled early on without any grinding, then there is a sudden spike in difficulty that can't be accounted for, and finally you go back to being overleveled even if you skip optional battles.

    In short, this game is awful for advanced players, mediocre for casual players and it's desirable that this is nobody's first Pokémon game, least they get the wrong impression. It is the worst Pokémon main duo ever released and the only positive aspects are derived from the standard Pokémon formula. Being understaffed isn't even remotely enough to explain the unacceptable low quality of these games; GameFreak has serious leadership issues.    … Expand
  9. 300549248
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    You'd be an absolute retard if you bought this game. Please read all the generally unfavourable reviews, they are all true! Use your money for something else.
  10. ToshiroTakashi
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    What an amazing game! I'm not a diehard Pokemon fanboy, but I grew up playing Pokemon Yellow on my Game Boy when I was a kid in the late 90s. Now that I have a Switch, it's so great to play this game on on the go and on my tv. I can recommend everybody to play this game. It feels traditional but also very new. It's this mix that makes the game so nice to play.
  11. rockugun
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Buen juego, por fin un pokemon de consola, ojala empiecen a meter los antiguos pokemon por que la gente le tiene mucho cariño a alguno de ellos.
  12. shoUlo
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This is not Pokemon
    Unfinished product for a whole 60$. Don't waste your time and hopes for it.
  13. Caino87
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    The game seems rushed and poor compared to other games on the same console. Glitches, graphic flaws, Dex cuts, the absence of exploration....it all makes it a very poor game considering that it is the first main game on a new generation console (after the 3DS). Most of the fun requests from the past have not been listened to and the game is more and more orientated to a younger public,The game seems rushed and poor compared to other games on the same console. Glitches, graphic flaws, Dex cuts, the absence of exploration....it all makes it a very poor game considering that it is the first main game on a new generation console (after the 3DS). Most of the fun requests from the past have not been listened to and the game is more and more orientated to a younger public, even though it was advertised as a game for long time fans (that are now in their 30s). On top of that, the very misleading campaign and the very odd looking reviews it’s reviving from “game critiques” makes the whole picture even more odd and suspicious.… Expand
  14. Pepe4k
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Es el mejor Pokemon en cuanto a contenido y entretenimiento, eso nadie puede negarlo.
  15. Khan2308
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    una real mierda pero claro los CONFORMISTAS y CASUALS diran lo contrario, 3 años segun ellos desarrollando estos titulos para que? para ver ese asqueroso popping? para ver las animaciones y modelados reciclados? para ver los fallos con los npc? todo mal. gamefreak a caido en la mediocridad.
    quiero un pokemon de calidad y no en estas condiciones, se merece todas las criticas negativas por    una real mierda pero claro los CONFORMISTAS y CASUALS diran lo contrario, 3 años segun ellos desarrollando estos titulos para que? para ver ese asqueroso popping? para ver las animaciones y modelados reciclados? para ver los fallos con los npc? todo mal. gamefreak a caido en la mediocridad.
    quiero un pokemon de calidad y no en estas condiciones, se merece todas las criticas negativas por lo mal echo que esta el juego.    … Expand
  16. ryuraf1
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The game is just unfinished. It's totally uncleaned, the designs are bad, the graphics are trash, the ost is boring, everything here is wrong. The prior games look better than this. This game could easily be made in Nintendo 64. The gameplay is boring, the story is short, there is not even a single good thing in Pokemon Sword and Shield. It's just a way of the company making money. AThe game is just unfinished. It's totally uncleaned, the designs are bad, the graphics are trash, the ost is boring, everything here is wrong. The prior games look better than this. This game could easily be made in Nintendo 64. The gameplay is boring, the story is short, there is not even a single good thing in Pokemon Sword and Shield. It's just a way of the company making money. A offense for the fans.… Expand
  17. KamiNoKaze
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    У игры огромная куча проблем - с технической точки зрения, игра отстала на лет 15 от своих конкурентов, куча багов визуальных, периодически вылетает, анимация хромает, дизайны новых покемонов напоминают скорее персонажей, вырезанных из фильмов студии Пиксар, нежели чем поков, сюжет еще примитивнее, чем обычно. Музыка буквально вызывает головную боль. В боях поки до сих пор стоят какУ игры огромная куча проблем - с технической точки зрения, игра отстала на лет 15 от своих конкурентов, куча багов визуальных, периодически вылетает, анимация хромает, дизайны новых покемонов напоминают скорее персонажей, вырезанных из фильмов студии Пиксар, нежели чем поков, сюжет еще примитивнее, чем обычно. Музыка буквально вызывает головную боль. В боях поки до сих пор стоят как истуканы на разных концах поля. Те, что по идее должны быть размером с дом, почему-то не выше взрослого человека. Большинства из перечисленных проблем не было в Colosseum, XD и Battle Revolution. Из единственного плюса могу отметить низкую продолжительность игры, хотя бы не придется долго лицезреть это убожество. ГеймФрику стоило лишний год и миллион бакс на игру выделить, вместо того, чтобы врать покупателям, что они якобы что-то там улучшают.… Expand
  18. Allacar
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Very disappointing game. Over half the pokemon were cut. Over 140 pokemon moves removed. Reused 3ds models and mediocre graphics. The first main line pokemon game for switch needed more development time and polish.
  19. Come_on_son
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Wow. Absolutely wow. This game is a walking tutorial. Linear and bare bones and empty as ****. I have only played 3 hours and I had to see what the metacritic was. Sure enough, this is the worst rated game i've seen all year. Do not buy this game or any GameFreak game EVER. I can't believe what this is now. I thought Sun and moon were bad. The whole time I knew this thing was going to floo.
  20. Rebelvong
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Great new addition to the series and a good start to the home console. I love the new features of convenience like exp candy and nature mints. Really recommend to existing and new fans
  21. Atmoslink
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    A shadow of it’s former self, Game Freak continues to demonstrate that they have no idea what makes a game fun and run well too. Large features were removed from past generations and in return we see a price increase. Everything from the graphics to the gameplay points and Sword and Shield being a lazy port of a terrible 3DS game.
  22. Haolen
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    The game is totally boring and repetitive as hell, if not for the grass would have a 0
  23. g33b
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Pokemon sword and shield are woefully incomplete not only compared to their predecessors but also the developer’s very own claims about this generation’s capabilities.

    The game is not only a glitch filled mess but show a lack of compassion and care for a series that goes back more than two decades. The story itself lasts 20 hours at most when focusing on completing the game and the wild    Pokemon sword and shield are woefully incomplete not only compared to their predecessors but also the developer’s very own claims about this generation’s capabilities.

    The game is not only a glitch filled mess but show a lack of compassion and care for a series that goes back more than two decades. The story itself lasts 20 hours at most when focusing on completing the game and the wild area gets stale faster than you would expect. To give this claim context, I can spend anywhere between 40-70 hours completing any of the generation 3-5 games. Oh and post game? Post game consists of being a glorified errand boy for 3 hours.

    To buy this installment is not only to say you are ok with Gamefreak's shortcomings, but it is to promote Gamefreak cutting corners in the future. To conclude, please don't buy this game as is, it is no where near worth the $60 price tag.    … Expand
  24. Octo
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    The game’s a buggy mess with a terrible plot, multitude of insane design choices like locking volume controls behind a random npc or evolution methods more complex than arcane summoning rituals, the game also has issues with pop in and lag.
    Even worse is the fact there’s a bug that will nuke your SD card and possibly brick your switch.
  25. fanzocker
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Richtig schlecht programmiert die sollen sich schämen hätte ich es nicht für 4.99 bekommen bei einem gewissen Shop dann hätte ich es mir nicht geholt. Wie kann man ein so dermaßen unfertiges Spiel herausbringen
  26. HectorHbo
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Pokemon sword es un juego muy incompleto, la verdad es que esperaba mucho del juego al ser su primera entrega en la consola Nintendo switch, pero me desilusionó rotundamente al ver ciertas cinemáticas o eventos del juego. Se nota de lejos que no se esforzaron en el.
  27. Vartemis
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    To see the franchise sink to lying to players and cutting out half the content is beyond disappointing. The quality drop is apparent and I will not be purchasing future titles.
  28. NicoLink91
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    One of the best Pokémon game ever ! Galar is such a beautiful region, with a lot of new Pokémon (original, new form etc...)
  29. BiggestGuyUUUU
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    During the marketing period for these games, I was sorely tempted to drop a fat uno when it came time to submit user reviews. This, primarily, was due to the dex cut, but (most) of the consequences of that, are, quite frankly, overblown. And there do exist silver linings to Dexit as well, strangely. It’s not a terrible game. Perfectly playable, but i still have to say that it’s an anemicDuring the marketing period for these games, I was sorely tempted to drop a fat uno when it came time to submit user reviews. This, primarily, was due to the dex cut, but (most) of the consequences of that, are, quite frankly, overblown. And there do exist silver linings to Dexit as well, strangely. It’s not a terrible game. Perfectly playable, but i still have to say that it’s an anemic shadow of what Pokémon once was.
    With this in mind, I’ll go through the positive and negatives.

    CONS:
    -The dex removal screams of a calculated $$$ ploy. It wasn’t long before the infamous announcement of the Dexit that Home was touted as a more comprehensive replacement for Bank. Yes, it probably won’t be much more expensive and more accessible, but forcing thousands more people to pay for services like Bank than before just to have a hope of bringing their “bros” in is a bit sleazy, no?
    -Lack of post-credits content. The fact that facilities have been cut down to the battle tower clones and those only is bad enough. Even worse, there are fewer “modes” than previously. No Triples or Rotations. No Sky Battles. There’s no way to switch up how the traditional 1v1 or 2v2 turn based battle format is played. Even young kids could easily get bored with it. -Graphics and animations look kinda unpolished. There’s tons of stuff that implies last minute reusing of assets and codebase from LGPE. I’m not blaming this on the dev team, despite their convoluted coding methods since the days of GSC. No. Nearly everything unfinished with this title can be laid squarely and exclusively at the feet of the corporate suits in charge of scheduling product release schedules. Delaying the game by 9 months to a year would have resulted in a massive improvement in all aspects.
    -Removal of vital moves from the game. Pursuit, Signal Beam, Toxic, and others are the lynchpin of entire strategies when players duke it out. We’re looking at a serious winnowing of viable play styles on Pokémon that might not have many other options.
    -The story is a paraplegic Frankenstein birthed from the loins of XY and SM. It all got shoved into the last hour before the credits roll and even some characters in the game call out how stupid it is. I won’t spoil it tho. It’s mercifully sparse otherwise.
    -Game gives you way too many good free items. Having lots of free heals dropped into your lap is staple since 2010. But they do it way too often in SWSH. Also, the presence of competitive teambuilding items has a downside in that grabbing more than one or two of each optimizes your team to where no in game foes can hope to mount a serious challenge.
    -Wild Area didn’t really get filled out enough. It’s pretty small and way too packed with Max Raid beacons. Locking encounters behind badges was also inane.
    -God, the sound control mechanics are infuriating. See for yourself.
    -Who authorized the mechanics of D-Max Airstrike? And giving Gyarados Power Whip? PROS:
    -LANDORUS IS GONE! DEFENSIVE ICE TYPES GOT REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH OFFENSIVE ONES! NO MORE TAPUS! Dexit actually has a chance to produce a more balanced metagame so long as they ban Max Airstrike and Gyarados both.
    -James Turner did a good job directing most of the new monster designs. The only truly heinous one IMO is Eiscue.
    -Of all the non-Japan-inspired regions, Galar does the best job at paying homage to its basis, that being the UK. -Competitive teambuilding is easier than ever, and it appears early on that stall is going to be far less workable than before. Entry hazards are now less centralizing.
    -The Gym challenge now feels like an actual sporting event. This is a good thing.
    -Really good character designs. Even the most critical fans online have at least one new face they applaud GF for creating.    … Expand
  30. Capcom_X
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    no hay nada que destacar es un juego muy inferior a sus entregas anteriores es malisismo y con ese pooping es todavia mas malo el juego parece un juego de ps2
  31. Duelz
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Played the game for around 8 hours Before returning it. I was disheartened and very disappointed. I am a long time returning fan of Pokémon and would go as far as to say that the Pokémon games have been some of the best I’ve ever played. Pokémon Soul Silver, Emerald and Platinum were games of pure perfection
  32. waladislau
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Bring back nacional das, de want a full game experience, with ALL pokemons!
  33. rpacoc
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    En serio nintendo nos querían ve con cara de idiotas con este juego de mala calidad a puertas del 2020? esto no tiene nombre.
  34. Aaargh
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Note: this a temp review after 2h of gameplay. Only played Pokemon Yellow before.

    Gameplay: there are too many short cutscenes in the first 2h of the game and some of them feel pointless. Using a wall of text on an NPC for some exposition would've been fine. On the other hand the gameplay itself is fun. It gradually evolves and becomes more interesting (however I'm pretty sure more    Note: this a temp review after 2h of gameplay. Only played Pokemon Yellow before.

    Gameplay: there are too many short cutscenes in the first 2h of the game and some of them feel pointless. Using a wall of text on an NPC for some exposition would've been fine. On the other hand the gameplay itself is fun. It gradually evolves and becomes more interesting (however I'm pretty sure more experienced pokemon gamers will find it tedious). Due to the levelling of your entire team, you learn abilities for all your pokemon at a steady pace. I'm not sure yet if that's a good or bad thing but it definitely caters to the instant gratification syndrome.
    Visual: The open world could use some anti-aliasing to remove the ragged edges. The next game absolutely needs more polishing. The pokemon animations in the world don't bother me at all. In the battles however, they should at least have a few distinct battle animations. So far only Meowth has one but I have only gathered 10 pokemon.
    Audio: the npc do not have voice actors. This bothers me. Sure neither does Mario or Zelda but they don't really need that. This game would be more immersive with voice actors. So far the pokemon don't even feel distinct in sounds, animations, ... The world doesn't feel alive despite the many things it has to offer. The music is superbe on the other hand.

    This game doesn't really feel like a AAA game but I will give it some leniency because it is the first one a home console. It is fun to play but for a company like Gamefreak raking in the millions of $$$ they should do better next time. I think this game is worth 40-50€. I payed 48€ but I'd be disappointed if I would've payed 60-65€. Hopefully they have a team working on some asset updates or general polishing to improve upon it.    … Expand
  35. Pedrosky
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    una real porqueria en verdad no se esforzaron nada es un juego de 3ds en hd las animaciones mal echas recortes en items, tm-hm, pokemon etc etc y como si fuera poco un pooping horroroso y ellos mismos destacaron que era para pulir la calidad y es mentira
  36. Xd36
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This is the rating it deserves, this was supposed to be the best Pokémon game in the entire series...and it is the worst **** you could play on your switch
  37. Askwer
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Weak game, has terrible graphics for the present day. Besides having cut of content.
  38. Beelzul
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Bought, played and immediately returned. That is how bad this Pokemon experience was this time around. Not only is the Gigantimax feature completely uninspired it is also a less valuable addition than the Mega-Evolution/Z-Move, in my opinion. That of course pales in comparison to the generally bad PR. The culling of the "playable" character rooster which Gamefreak decided to do this timeBought, played and immediately returned. That is how bad this Pokemon experience was this time around. Not only is the Gigantimax feature completely uninspired it is also a less valuable addition than the Mega-Evolution/Z-Move, in my opinion. That of course pales in comparison to the generally bad PR. The culling of the "playable" character rooster which Gamefreak decided to do this time around has been a hated thing in any other game with multiple playable characters, for example Super Smash Bros. so it is only a matter of course, that it will be equally, if not more, hated in a franchise which predicates itself on a slogan like "gotta catch em' ALL". As a massive detriment comes additionally, that the graphic and loading distance themselves are sub par compared to other switch games which makes them inexcusable.

    TL;DR: Lackluster PR. Lackluster execution. A clear don't buy    … Expand
  39. Buhan
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    It's terrible, worst pokemon game in the series. They also lied to us about making new 3D models(which turned out to be the exact models from Sun&Moon games) which was the whole reason they couldn't include pokemon from previous generations. #gamefreaklied
  40. HonestKyarrii
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    As a huge Pokemon fan, this was a major disappointment. Most of the negative reviews are justified in my opinion - people have a legitimate reason to be upset.

    Nothing is new, everything is cookie cutter. Same exact gameplay with same corny encounters at every turn. The only positive thing I can say about this game is the new features they added are great (no more EV training, can    As a huge Pokemon fan, this was a major disappointment. Most of the negative reviews are justified in my opinion - people have a legitimate reason to be upset.

    Nothing is new, everything is cookie cutter. Same exact gameplay with same corny encounters at every turn.

    The only positive thing I can say about this game is the new features they added are great (no more EV training, can change natures, access box from anywhere, etc.)

    GameFreak continues to not even come close to their potential or the consumer expectations. Look around you GameFreak, it's time to wake up.    … Expand
  41. burntlime
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    cut content with no improvements to justify it. i’ve been a hardcore pokémon fan for as long as i can remember and this is the first pokémon game (including spinoffs) i can say i genuinely hate the existence of. if it wasn’t for the greed of gamefreak wanting the game out by christmas, they wouldn’t have needed to change their policy, and we could still have all the pokémon. also thecut content with no improvements to justify it. i’ve been a hardcore pokémon fan for as long as i can remember and this is the first pokémon game (including spinoffs) i can say i genuinely hate the existence of. if it wasn’t for the greed of gamefreak wanting the game out by christmas, they wouldn’t have needed to change their policy, and we could still have all the pokémon. also the animations look like **** sans just a few, and i’m an animator myself. don’t support gamefreak’s absolute greed. spend your money on something gorgeous and fun like luigi’s mansion 3.… Expand
  42. Justos91
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Its a bit embarrassing to be a part of the fandom, but this is the best 3d pokemon game without a doubt.
  43. WutangDan
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    A very middle ground game for game freak. Having grown up and played every single pokemon game it is sad to see the national dex dropped and only 400 pokemon kept in the game. That said however the game does keep its charm and the good parts of this game can sometimes make you stop and appreciate how good they are however the bad part (and there is a lot) make you forget the good parts inA very middle ground game for game freak. Having grown up and played every single pokemon game it is sad to see the national dex dropped and only 400 pokemon kept in the game. That said however the game does keep its charm and the good parts of this game can sometimes make you stop and appreciate how good they are however the bad part (and there is a lot) make you forget the good parts in an instant. If you are looking for a average pokemon game with a decent story and good competitive gameplay then I recommend picking this up. However if you are looking for a game like its predecessors then I recommend giving this title a miss… Expand
  44. Lollipoop
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    I think it goes in the right way
  45. IhSeVe
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    I love the Pokémon series, Pokémon Black 2 is one of my favourite games of all time, but this game have so many problems (animations, grafichs, dex cut, and more importantly the lies said by Game Freak).
    It's a soulless game, done with no efforts by Game Freak.

    P.S Sorry for the probable broken english.
  46. pico901
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This game is simply not worth 60 not even half the price! GameFreak (Masuda) Lied to us for cutting 60% of the pokedex for ''better animations'' all we seen is some dynamax animations and RE USED battle animations! this is just a quick crashgrab! out of town the graphics are simply laughable unfinished and unpolished! The trees look worse then most ps2 games the rock textures wow! theThis game is simply not worth 60 not even half the price! GameFreak (Masuda) Lied to us for cutting 60% of the pokedex for ''better animations'' all we seen is some dynamax animations and RE USED battle animations! this is just a quick crashgrab! out of town the graphics are simply laughable unfinished and unpolished! The trees look worse then most ps2 games the rock textures wow! the rocktextures! there have been massive framerate issues in dynamax battles i saw a player fishing in a town area then when the battle came the background changed to the wild area! Inhouse battles get backgrounds simply not matching with the enviroment you just battle in a void. The gym missions are so easy to the point you can just walk to the other side without anything stopping you! You get so many potions revives and all that bullcrap u find it everywhere! the game is dumbed down so much with so many missing features. This game is unfinished and unpolished even pokemon lets go pika and evee are better polished and even looking better in alot of aspects. Gamefreak failed and i will never be buying anything pokemon related ever again! ''improved animations'' when my raboot pokemon used the move headbut and it kicked instead of actually headbutting this game is the fallout 76 of pokemon and the casual fanboys will never admit this shame on you! shame on gamefreak and shame on Nintendo for letting this come out! It's all about money these days and you can clearly see it TAKE THIS L gamefreak!… Expand
  47. Alexalaparrilla
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This game is such Cash grab These games are honestly insulting and I will be surprised if people will still be playing them in a week, much less in a month.
    They are such a blatant rushed cashgrab, and the postgame is just an empty pile of fake promises
  48. Spaxe
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    My copy of Sword and Shield came in the mail a bit early yesterday, and while Sword and Shield are pretty cute games, I have to admit there are some glaring problems that make this game feels like it was needed to bake in the oven a tad bit longer. For starters, I just want to say I never cared for the controversy surrounding these games about not being able to transfer all of yourMy copy of Sword and Shield came in the mail a bit early yesterday, and while Sword and Shield are pretty cute games, I have to admit there are some glaring problems that make this game feels like it was needed to bake in the oven a tad bit longer. For starters, I just want to say I never cared for the controversy surrounding these games about not being able to transfer all of your pokemon, so this review is in no way biased towards that. There are, however, other issues that did drag down the experience for me. I often ran into performance issues. Frame drops, trees or objects randomly popping up in view; and while at times the game does seem beautiful and comfy, at other points the game almost seemed sloppily put together.
    The games are far too easy to the point of boredom, even for a Pokemon game. I felt myself being overleveled very quickly. I was often taking down opponents only in one singular attack, despite not going out of my way to fight many monsters. The new EXP share, which spreads experience across your whole party, seems to amplify this problem. It seems as if the game was not balanced with this feature in mind, as my entire team were several levels ahead of our opponents for most of- if not, the entire game. The adventure lasted roughly about 12 hours for me to complete, which is awfully short for an RPG, and there isn't much you can do after the journey is over. Might I add this game only has 10 routes, previous entries having about 30ish.

    I will not get into story spoilers in this review, but the games are a bit more linear than I was expecting. My main criticism stems from Hop, your happy-go-lucky friend and rival, who always seems to interrupt the flow. There is hardly a moment where you can walk around without being interrupted by dialogue or a cutscene by him or some other character. I audibly groaned whenever Hop appeared on screen. I do like a good story, but I would also like to be able to play through the game without my rival breathing down my neck. Trainer customisation in this game is something I appreciated. Customizing your character is the widest it has ever been in this series, complete with photogenic trainer cards that capture the essence of your character. I find this feature very wholesome and cute, with many expressions and poses to chose from.

    I was looking foward to seeing the wild area being a reimagined safari-zone full of life, but unfortunately: it is large, empty, and barren. Models walk around a bit stiffly, and the textures are a bit dated and lackluster for a console game in 2019. Animations from this game can either be very well done, or extremely lacking. There was one instance where one of the major pokemon in the story mode didn't even have a turn animated for it's walk cycle. The pokemon's entire model was just rotated 180 degrees, which was very noticeable and bizarre. However, speaking of which, I do like the very diverse set of pokemon this generation. There are quite a lot that you are able to catch in the region, old and new; and they are all pretty unique and sometimes goofy in design.

    The newest feature, Pokemon Camp, was very charming. I loved the animations in this mode, they were definitely at their peak here in terms of quality. It was quite entertaining to see my Scorbunny/Raboot play with the Feather Wand Toy I had. Pokemon in camp interact with each other and it feels very lively. Making curry was cute. However, I do have my problems with it. For starters, the AI for the pokemon can seem a bit buggy, where they might get stuck walking in one place. I can't say it's common but it did break the immersion a bit. There was one instance where I had no background in the camp at all, which seemed like a bug. But then I encountered a battle with a background very similar to this, and I can only assume it was intentional? At times, I almost felt there was more time and effort put into this side-activity than the actual battle system.

    At it's core, it is definitely a Pokemon game. The basic formula of Pokemon works in these games. However, I was still disappointed, and I can without a doubt say that this is the least amount of enjoyment I've gotten out of a mainline pokemon game so far. Pokemon Sword and Shield fails to truly innovate despite being the first mainline entry on any type of console, and I cannot say that it is a sixty dollar Pokemon game at all. It feels rushed, poorly optimized, and half-baked. Can I see a child enjoying this game? Yes. Can I see a newcomer to the series enjoying this game? Possibly. Can I see a longtime pokemon fan enjoying this game? Not likely, unfortunately.    … Expand
  49. LifeHistory
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    I've never finished a Pokemon game before. But I have played many of em for at least 13h+ each. And Every time I get the same thought, that these Pokemon games are all the same.

    They only change the graphics a bit and even now with this latest Pokemon game the graphics are pure trash. And don't get me started on the stupid designs of all Pokemon's which are only reskin from many years    I've never finished a Pokemon game before. But I have played many of em for at least 13h+ each. And Every time I get the same thought, that these Pokemon games are all the same.

    They only change the graphics a bit and even now with this latest Pokemon game the graphics are pure trash. And don't get me started on the stupid designs of all Pokemon's which are only reskin from many years ago and nothing has changed. Also the Gameplay still boring and childish.

    Another thought that makes my brain hurt, is how do these Pokemon games get such high score is beyond me.

    There will never be Faith in humanity again ever......    … Expand
  50. DrRedMD
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The most disappointing Pokemon game ever trying to coast by on its formula alone. It's hard to say that this even meets the minimum expectations for a Pokemon game, because it very much does not. When generation 2 came out, this franchise was pushing the envelope of what could be done on the system. Now, it's a shadow of its former self; A Switch game that looks like it should be on theThe most disappointing Pokemon game ever trying to coast by on its formula alone. It's hard to say that this even meets the minimum expectations for a Pokemon game, because it very much does not. When generation 2 came out, this franchise was pushing the envelope of what could be done on the system. Now, it's a shadow of its former self; A Switch game that looks like it should be on the N64.

    The problems aren't restricted to graphics alone (although they are very much terrible). Delivering less than 100 new Pokemon, the game has the audacity to cut more than half of the full roster of Pokemon, with the developer lying that it was due to making new models. It was quickly discovered they were just importing the old ones, so if they're willing to lie about something like this, why trust them about anything else? They're cutting moves as well, despite reusing animations.

    The new feature called Dynamax is just a 3 turn size boost to your Pokemon. Nothing too exciting, but don't worry, they kept the excitement somewhat by cutting ALL Mega Pokemon and Z-moves. Gone are all those original designs, and instead we now have Gigantimax which is the same thing as Megaevolutions, but only for 3 turns, and this time given to Pokemon like Charizard again.

    I refuse to give this game what would be considered a minimal score of 3 or whatever. This game is an incredible disappointment, and the worst instalment of the Pokemon franchise. Unless something changes with the next iteration, don't feel the need to buy this, or future games.    … Expand
  51. AgusRemastered
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    La verdad que es una decepción esta generación, habiendo terminado el juego debo decir que me costó llegar hasta el final porque encontré al juego demasiado sencillo, la baja curva de dificultad, el sistema de leveleo parecido al de Lets Go, la baja competitividad del modo historia y, obviamente la reducida Pokédex, hacen a este juego verdaderamente insufrible y poco amigable con losLa verdad que es una decepción esta generación, habiendo terminado el juego debo decir que me costó llegar hasta el final porque encontré al juego demasiado sencillo, la baja curva de dificultad, el sistema de leveleo parecido al de Lets Go, la baja competitividad del modo historia y, obviamente la reducida Pokédex, hacen a este juego verdaderamente insufrible y poco amigable con los jugadores veteranos de Pokémon, si en un momento me llegué a ilusionar con esta generación, una vez pasado el juego me terminé de convencer de que esta entrega es un paso en falso para la saga, siendo incluso peor que la sexta y séptima generación.… Expand
  52. Rudiboy
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Honestly just an unfinished cash grab game, I've always been a fan of the games but for the first time I will (and recommend others too as well) be skipping on this one.
  53. Miellon
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. These games are simply the worst in the series so far, the dexcut is just one of the huge flaws with this entry.
    Uninspired and reused animations, inexistent routes, repetitive post-game, and few interesting new pokémon designs.
    Oh, not to mention some dumb play choices such as blocking you from catching high-level pokémon if you don't have the right gym badges.
    Anyway, same gameplay as always, same story, not many cool additions but a lot of cut content.
    Bad game 3/60    … Expand
  54. Edsonfloresl
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    It sucks, everything feels wrong. Gamefreak lied to all the fanbase. Everything is incomplete
  55. Lykos_51
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Gamefreak lied, I understand that the process of adding all pokemon might be difficult I'm not even that bothered by it, but when you give an excuse that you are cutting half more than half of them to make brand new models and animations and just end up porting the ones from the DS games, that's just disrespectful. They gave us an open area that is basically empty and somehow has horribleGamefreak lied, I understand that the process of adding all pokemon might be difficult I'm not even that bothered by it, but when you give an excuse that you are cutting half more than half of them to make brand new models and animations and just end up porting the ones from the DS games, that's just disrespectful. They gave us an open area that is basically empty and somehow has horrible graphics and pokemon appearing out of thin air. How can they have the budget of the biggest entertainment franchise ever, and still deliver this half assed lazy work. Nintendo should be ashamed at the quality of this game compared to things like odyssea and breath of the wild,… Expand
  56. kopaka
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    This game is a disaster. A major disappointment in literally every regard. Even if it was suspected, somehow, GameFreak outdid themselves, making their games even worse.
  57. Bst011
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Bad graphics, a lying developer, poor working conditions for devs, massive amounts of cut features, game breaking bugs, SD card corrupting bugs, console bricking bugs, and general poor performance have mad this the worst pokemon game in the franchise. Do yourself a favor and get Sun and Moon
  58. NotAChansey
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    For a long time pokemon has been criticised for it's lack of originality, but its fans always appreciated to care and attention to detail that gamefreak would put in to each new release.
    Poke.on sword/shield is the product of board room think tanks analysing what does and doesnt need to be in pokemon for it to sell.
    Sword and shield are the result of a practice of reducing a game to the    For a long time pokemon has been criticised for it's lack of originality, but its fans always appreciated to care and attention to detail that gamefreak would put in to each new release.
    Poke.on sword/shield is the product of board room think tanks analysing what does and doesnt need to be in pokemon for it to sell.

    Sword and shield are the result of a practice of reducing a game to the least amount of effort possible (no new animations, cut pokemon, re-use of assets, removal of many beloved details and features i.e. mega evolution, weather cycles, global trade network).

    Detractors will say its unfair to demand high effort products from gamefreak, I think that is a pathetic opinion only those who wish to stay on a company's good side would hold. The fact of the matter is that gamefreak is trying to see what they can get away with, vote with your wallet.    … Expand
  59. BigHonDaNet
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    As a long time Pokemon fan I feel incredibly disappointed in this game and the Pokemon franchise as a whole. It’s becoming clear to me now that Gamefreak simply does not care about us, the fans any longer, just our wallets. These Pokemon games are just a quick, lazy attempt at a cash grab rather than the game long time Pokemon fans were promised. We’ve been disappointed with Pokemon gamesAs a long time Pokemon fan I feel incredibly disappointed in this game and the Pokemon franchise as a whole. It’s becoming clear to me now that Gamefreak simply does not care about us, the fans any longer, just our wallets. These Pokemon games are just a quick, lazy attempt at a cash grab rather than the game long time Pokemon fans were promised. We’ve been disappointed with Pokemon games coming out year on year now but never enough to speak up, however that’s all changed this time round with the absolute slap in the face that is sword and shield. Gamefreak have not only given us a half baked, unfinished game that feels like it’s from 2004 but they even tried pulling the rug over our eyes and lying about why the games were lacking in some rather big features. The graphics are terrible, animations and models are reused from previous games, npcs are just copied and pasted throughout the incredibly bland and boring overworld and half the time the background of the battle scene isn’t even appropriate for where you actually are. With all of these problems I find it disgusting that Pokemon have the audacity to charge over $60 for these games and what’s worse, don’t even have the courage to acknowledge all the criticism and admit their wrongdoings. This is simply unacceptable.… Expand
  60. CrunchyShadow
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Do not buy this game. GameFreak misled and took advantage of the fanbase. This game, along with its counterpart Pokémon Shield, are little more than upscaled 3DS games. Models for many Pokémon are confirmed to be identical to those in Sun/Moon. The animations are garbage. The environments are barren. The fans deserve better.
  61. Compa21
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Let me explain why it's good.

    +Graphics: not what most of us expected, the game looks AMAZING! Not bad like what we saw before, it's very colorful! +Gameplay: it's so much better than Sun and Moon, the gyms are back and better than the trials we've had to deal with before. +Small Pokedex: We don't have to waste weeks trying to catch em all, there's a small enough dex to complete     Let me explain why it's good.

    +Graphics: not what most of us expected, the game looks AMAZING! Not bad like what we saw before, it's very colorful!

    +Gameplay: it's so much better than Sun and Moon, the gyms are back and better than the trials we've had to deal with before.

    +Small Pokedex: We don't have to waste weeks trying to catch em all, there's a small enough dex to complete the game with ease!

    +Sound: The music is not bad, but it's not great, however the sound effects are great!

    +Story: Definitely better than the 3DS games, probably the best story since Platinum!    … Expand
  62. caronte69
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    de los peores juegos de pokemon que he podido jugar, bugs, menos contenido (pokemons), contenido innecesario (curry) animaciones recicladas. Con la excusa de que este juego es para niños no significa que no podamos exigir algo mejor, soy fan de pokemon desde la 1ra generación jugando con mi game boy color, y no he comprado otro juego de pokemon desde blanco y negro 2, por que sinceramentede los peores juegos de pokemon que he podido jugar, bugs, menos contenido (pokemons), contenido innecesario (curry) animaciones recicladas. Con la excusa de que este juego es para niños no significa que no podamos exigir algo mejor, soy fan de pokemon desde la 1ra generación jugando con mi game boy color, y no he comprado otro juego de pokemon desde blanco y negro 2, por que sinceramente pokemon x y, sol y luna ya no me volvieron a llamar la atención, hasta pokemon go es mas divertido y con mas contenido.… Expand
  63. ER_Scorpion
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    I'm a HUGE fan of the Pokémon series, have been playing since Platinum and went through all the generations. But what Game Freak did to this game is unforgivable. Cutting half of the National Dex in order to provide poor and extremely simple animations and graphics is something Pokémon players wont forget.
  64. lneesan
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    The game is full of graphical glitches. It is short and lacking in things to do, not only after completing the meek rush for the champion title but afterwards as well. The game design is sloppy and quite obviously rushed. This is not a finished product and it should not be billed as such. There are a few positive things about these games but the bad far, far outweighs the good. A thoroughThe game is full of graphical glitches. It is short and lacking in things to do, not only after completing the meek rush for the champion title but afterwards as well. The game design is sloppy and quite obviously rushed. This is not a finished product and it should not be billed as such. There are a few positive things about these games but the bad far, far outweighs the good. A thorough disappointment for long time fans of the series.… Expand
  65. UniversalReview
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Pokémon Sword/Shield are fun, fresh, new Pokémon experiences. You can catch nearly one-hundred new creatures, explore never before seen towns and cities, and interact with a colourful cast of new characters. However, the same can be said for every new Pokémon generation in the history of the franchise, and for perhaps the first time ever, the cuts and flaws really start to bring thePokémon Sword/Shield are fun, fresh, new Pokémon experiences. You can catch nearly one-hundred new creatures, explore never before seen towns and cities, and interact with a colourful cast of new characters. However, the same can be said for every new Pokémon generation in the history of the franchise, and for perhaps the first time ever, the cuts and flaws really start to bring the experience down.

    Through two decades of handheld releases with the same formula, the question was always there: “what if?” What could Pokémon look like, what could the series achieve, if finally freed from limited handheld hardware and brought onto modern home consoles?

    As it turns out, the answer is more of the same. And that is exactly the problem.

    Sword/Shield are a graphical upgrade from their 3DS predecessors, yet still look mediocre for their hardware. They offer plenty of new features, at the expense of everything new introduced the previous generation. They promise a new experience, yet have less content than DS and Gameboy Advance games released 10-15+ years ago.

    It could be argued that Sword/Shield are a product of Gamefreak’s shifting design philosophy. Since 2013’s X and Y, franchise leaders have made it clear that accessibility is a priority. Case in point, 2014’s ORAS famously removed Pokémon Emerald’s Battle Frontier because “kids would get frustrated with the difficulty”, completely disregarding the millions who grew up with the games regardless.

    This mentality is present in every aspect of Sword/Shield, actively removing player-choice in many situations. They are arguably the most linear games in the franchise: outside the Wild Area, you’ll be moving from A to B, with a noticeable lack of traditional “dungeons”, various inaccessible areas and major plot points happening off screen. Even worse, the EXP-Share is no longer optional. To many, it was a major factor in XY and beyond being far too easy, resulting in the player often being over-levelled for major battles, and its removal limits player choice for no good reason. By focusing on simplicity and linearity, Sword and Shield are easier and shorter experiences that feel less like adventures and more guided tours.

    But now comes the main event: Dexit. You are finally unable to “Catch ‘Em All”, with roughly 500 creatures unable to be transferred into Sword/Shield. Disregarding forcing players to use a (likely paid) service to store Pokémon in the meantime, improved visuals were specifically cited as the reason for this decision. Sadly, that simply isn’t true. Sword/Shield look mediocre for their hardware, in many cases lacking simple details such as battle backgrounds and decent textures. Furthermore, many animations and models are outright reused, and while it isn’t confirmed if Gamefreak lied about “new models”, it’s indisputable that a AAA title in 2019 shouldn’t look this poor, especially if visuals are used to justify shortcomings elsewhere.

    However, perhaps Sword/Shield are expansive enough to justify the cut content? Sadly, this isn’t the case either. Sword/Shield are roughly 15-20 hour games, average for the franchise, and offer significantly less post-game content compared to many previous instalments. Sword/Shield cost $20 more than previous Pokémon experiences: console prices, but nothing about the formula, length or content volume reflects that. New features like the Wild Area are fun, but every new Pokémon game in history has brought new features to the table, and nothing about Sword/Shield particularly screams bigger or better.

    Sword/Shield are undoubtedly fun games. But to many, they’re also indicative of a stagnation that has plagued the franchise over the past five or so years. Sword/Shield are on a home console, but downgrade the graphics and they would be indistinguishable from any 3DS Pokémon release. Sword/Shield are the fourth consecutive yearly Pokemon games, and unfortunately don’t even stand out from the pack, let alone compete with games like Breath of the Wild and Smash Ultimate. In 2019, on the most powerful hardware yet, the bare minimum simply isn’t good enough anymore.

    When your game offers less content than DS releases from 2009, that’s a sign things need to improve.    … Expand
  66. Cool_Fella
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    These games had great potential but for reasons unknown to me Game Freak has continued taking this series deeper into this downward spiral in quality, aiming to achieve nothing more than mediocrity and failing to even achieve that. The move to the switch making it all the more obvious where these games fall short.

    Keeping this in mind, do I think these games are inherently unenjoyable?    These games had great potential but for reasons unknown to me Game Freak has continued taking this series deeper into this downward spiral in quality, aiming to achieve nothing more than mediocrity and failing to even achieve that. The move to the switch making it all the more obvious where these games fall short.

    Keeping this in mind, do I think these games are inherently unenjoyable? No, I think someone, especially children could have fun with these titles, the classic Pokémon formula of catching, training and battling is still there, though encumbered by bad game design choices, subpar presentation and without much evolution from previous titles, I'd even argue they're a step backwards with the removal of many of the Pokémon that made this series and it is today and the removal of mechanics such as mega evolution.

    Taking a step back from the gameplay, the design of the Galar region and many other elements of the game show a lot of potential, playing through this game there were times when I honestly found myself getting pretty into and immersed in it, before being taken right back out of it by some jarring lack of quality, be it a pivotal moment in the story entirely lacking any music for no real reason, some embarrassingly bad animations or one of many other glaring issues in these games.

    The Galar region itself has some really nice elements and environmental design, of course, some parts of these environments look a little outdated such as the trees which I'm sure nobody who's been keeping up with Pokémon news online hasn't seen by now, but there were a couple of other instances where I noticed poor quality models and textures in the overworld and it took me out of my immersion a bit, though other than these issues the region has a pretty nice art direction, the main issue for me is the lack of NPCs in the region leading to even a lot of the smaller areas (which is a lot of the areas unfortunately) feeling very empty, not just out and about on routes but even in a lot of the game's towns and cities.

    Finally the story, without spoiling anything, I found the story to be pretty lackluster and sure, it IS a Pokémon game, they're not renowned for their stories, though there have been some good ones in the series' past. Throughout the game the story didn't seem too interesting, but it's not too in your face either which is an improvement from Sun and Moon, though it felt to me as though it was almost too uninvolved with so much character progression happening off screen it made it kind of hard to feel invested in the story and characters and made me care even less about the story when they tried to turn the cutscenes up to 11 late into the game, finding myself rather bored as I skimmed through a lot of mediocre dialogue from characters I hardly knew or cared about.

    My final thoughts; these games are probably the easiest the series has ever been with the exception of the Let's Go! games. If you're looking for a challenge it's not here. If you're looking to collect a whole bunch of Pokémon most of them are not here either. If you're looking for a simple, easy Pokémon game and don't care too much about substance then you might enjoy this game if you don't get bored of it too quickly, but ultimately with the amount of content cut and reused, with hardly anything added in return I don't think it's worth the money, you can find a lot of better games on the Switch for the same price or less.    … Expand
  67. mrfrank79
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. La llegada a Galar termina convirtiéndose en un mar de malas decisiones, la historia es floja, Los pokemon de anteriores regiones reutilizan modelos de 3ds, no como Masuda dijo en una entrevista,.v… Expand
  68. Kaseladen
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Unfortunately, Exceedingly average.
    Lacking in content compared to previous titles, from post game to pokemon to just the content of routes themselves.
    Its an odd balance, at times I feel the game tries to drive home 'bigger is better' and suffers from large empty areas, such as the wild area. At others, routes are so short its just a few feet to the end. Story-wise, the game is just    Unfortunately, Exceedingly average.
    Lacking in content compared to previous titles, from post game to pokemon to just the content of routes themselves.
    Its an odd balance, at times I feel the game tries to drive home 'bigger is better' and suffers from large empty areas, such as the wild area. At others, routes are so short its just a few feet to the end.
    Story-wise, the game is just as intrusive as Sun and Moon, if not more so, so if that bugged you there you'll feel it here too. The difference, I feel, is that at least Sun and Moon had a plot. Its practically non-existent in Sword and Shield until right at the end. So most of the time you're being led around and interrupted for no real reason (and unfortunately no, that 'skip cutscene' option does not let you bypass most of this).
    Difficulty is nonexistent, between constant heals offered and exp share being forced. Its *incredibly* easy to become overleveled.
    Mechanically, the game suffers from many questionable decisions. Single use TM's are back, now dubbed TRs, in addition to normal TMs. Of course, most of the more sought after moves have been relegated to this single use item. Dynamaxing combines the worse parts of Megas and Z moves, while limiting them to rarely being used (raids and gym leaders for the most part only).
    The other selling points of the game are the Wild Area and raids. Raids are just an easy grind to gather TRs and exp items. The wild area is large, empty, and visibly pretty poor. It has potential, but exists in a very bare bones state.
    I could go on at length, but it boils down to one thing: disappointment. I don't know if Gamefreak is getting burned out or if they're really just that out of touch with fans and inept with console development. Its pokemon, at its barest form, and that's all. Its a shame that pokemon suffered so much in the step from handheld to console.    … Expand
  69. johnseer
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Is the better Pokemon ever, have a lot of new things, and is possible to played portable and docking
  70. Enima
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This is everything wrong with the series, a terrible direction that began with X/Y. Graphics of a ps2 tie-in, anonymous soundtrack, awful pokémon design, no content, dex cut in half, more than 100 moves removed...I could sadly keep going, listing a lot of other terrible problems. As a long time fan, this is more than depressing. Disgraceful. How can a sane person give this "game" more thanThis is everything wrong with the series, a terrible direction that began with X/Y. Graphics of a ps2 tie-in, anonymous soundtrack, awful pokémon design, no content, dex cut in half, more than 100 moves removed...I could sadly keep going, listing a lot of other terrible problems. As a long time fan, this is more than depressing. Disgraceful. How can a sane person give this "game" more than 5 is beyond my comprehension. Even the most passionate fan, like me, should see through all the lies and incompetency that filled Pokémon Sword & Shield. i hope that something like this never happens again, this is the Chernobyl of video games. At this point I would prefer if the series ceased to exist, being allowed to finally rest and putting an end to those last episodes that completely and irremediably ruined it forever. R.I.P Pokémon (1996 - 2013)… Expand
  71. Sosuneki
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Great game with beautiful graphics, game play is smooth and were able to catch pokemon which is all that really should matter... Scorbunny was my choice for a starter though Grookey and Sobble were all high on my list. Super happy we got what we did and I'm super excited to see the new meta that will brought from having a limited dex.
  72. zdemigodx
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    This is an insult of a pokemon game, yet because its still pokemon it is fun to play through.
  73. FilthyActs88
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Pokémon sword and shield is a game of pure mediocrity when discounting all of the technical issues. It does not do anything exceptional or ground breaking and it is another entry that coasts off the brand name. The main story is just ok, its filled with unskipable cutscenes that often have slowdowns due to poor optimization. The story suffers from the same issues as sun and moon where itPokémon sword and shield is a game of pure mediocrity when discounting all of the technical issues. It does not do anything exceptional or ground breaking and it is another entry that coasts off the brand name. The main story is just ok, its filled with unskipable cutscenes that often have slowdowns due to poor optimization. The story suffers from the same issues as sun and moon where it truly doesn’t feel like your characters story which defeats the point of it being an rpg. The draw distance is genuinely abhorrent and further shows that gamefreak have shown themselves to be incompetent game developers. The game is ridiculously easy and “streamlined” which in this case means dumbed down. The game is short only being around 14-17 hours long which is a ripoff. Most industry standard rpgs range between 60-80 hours long while sword and shield is only a fraction. The graphics are bad there is no other way of putting it, they are low poly and the texture are hilariously low resolution. The colors are washed out and this looks like someone first attempt in unity trying to make a game. You have to compare this game to other games in the industry, gamefreak needs their feat held to the fire and should no longer be allowed to coast off the Pokémon name. I do not recommend purchasing these games, they are cash grabs made by developers who can’t even program a game right and that is just pathetic how a company can’t even do their job right because they are that incompetent.… Expand
  74. The90sFan
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Has everything you would expect from a new Pokemon release, but never does more than the bare minimum. The graphics are mediocre, story uninspired and the game is both extremely linear and very easy. DS Pokemon games from 2006 had more content, freedom and ambition than this. What happened?
  75. naxtinguisher
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Gamefreaks latest entry in the pokemon franchise leaves much to be desired as many big features were cut for no apparent reason. Speaking of big features one of the main selling points of this game was the dynamax battles, however these get much too easy very quickly it feels like this was an idea they threw in at the last second as the game doesn't really seem to be designed to facilitateGamefreaks latest entry in the pokemon franchise leaves much to be desired as many big features were cut for no apparent reason. Speaking of big features one of the main selling points of this game was the dynamax battles, however these get much too easy very quickly it feels like this was an idea they threw in at the last second as the game doesn't really seem to be designed to facilitate these battles, the mandatory xp share allows you to level up rather fast early in the game making raid battles and gym battles feel like fighting a weak route 1 pokemon. While camping with your pokemon and making curry can be fun for about ten minutes I don't really understand why it exists other than to look at cute creatures when you're bored of what the main game has to offer, which isn't much. Most pokemon games I've played throughout my life I've managed to get enjoyment out of for at least 100 hours, after playing this game for 20 I felt I had seen everything it had to offer. I did enjoy the wild area for awhile, however the appalling draw distance took me out of any immersion I may have experienced, overall I feel this game could have benefited from a longer development time or even collaboration with another team.… Expand
  76. Parkai
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Game feels horrendously unfinished. The starter designs are some of the worst I’ve ever seen. The story of the game feels rushed and inconclusive, with strange plot holes that should have been noticed during development. The animations (barring a few signature moves) are horrific eyesores, with models spinning aimlessly and few dedicated animations. More than half of the Pokémon roster isGame feels horrendously unfinished. The starter designs are some of the worst I’ve ever seen. The story of the game feels rushed and inconclusive, with strange plot holes that should have been noticed during development. The animations (barring a few signature moves) are horrific eyesores, with models spinning aimlessly and few dedicated animations. More than half of the Pokémon roster is also unavailable to be transferred, which has been a series staple since the early 2000’s. However, the trainer customization and card system are very fun, and the QOL changes are excellent as well. I really wanted to enjoy this game, but it left me with an awful taste in my mouth.… Expand
  77. gah_amaral
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is by far the worst pokemon game yet , and I am so sad about this. Despite all the critics before the launch, I was really hyped for this game, but the lack of polish, the hand-holding "story", the uninspired map design, the bad cutscenes, the easy to catch legendaries ( eternatus is auto-catch and zamazenta you can use masterball), and so many more problems killed the game for me. We need to let GF knows that we are not OK with this.… Expand
  78. Delancie
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    No all pokemoni, crappy graphics, The Pokemon company doesn't love his fans
  79. GaryOakPR
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    The games have cut so many well established features in comparison to previous games in the franchise. This includes not only the infamous Dexcut, but also the GTS and moves such as Hidden Power. As for the Dexcut, 490 species of Pokemon were cut, and only 81 new species were introduced.
    There are a couple of welcomed quality of life updates, but they still don't make up for the vast    The games have cut so many well established features in comparison to previous games in the franchise. This includes not only the infamous Dexcut, but also the GTS and moves such as Hidden Power. As for the Dexcut, 490 species of Pokemon were cut, and only 81 new species were introduced.
    There are a couple of welcomed quality of life updates, but they still don't make up for the vast amount of content cut.
    In conclusion, 60% off the score for cutting 60% of the Pokemon :^)    … Expand
  80. NegativeRamos
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    This Pokémon nowadays does not deserve a score higher than 5/10, since not only its technology but its mechanics are outdated and backward. I know this series suited for kids, but kids had grown while Pokémon didn’t. Children in new generation need more than a HD NDS-like Pokémon, which Gamefreak made for so many years robbing our money.
  81. Hours
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    They cut about 400 pokemon for absolutely no reason. They first claim it's for the animations then we see the animations and they're bad. Then they claim it's because they had to make models from scratch then that's debunked. And now they just do the shrugging tom meme as to why the game is so horribly bad.
  82. SpeedwagonxD
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Within 6 hours after starting my adventure my game crashed!!! I have to start from the beginning again!!!!!
  83. MichalisRbw
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    A mediocre transition into a more powerful console for the pokemon franchise, giving a taste of potential but never quite going there
  84. nicksobis
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    It's still fun, cause the formula of The core pokemon games Will always be good. Althought, the technical issues and laughable graphics cant be ignored. We re talking about The most valuable franchise in the world. It deserves way better than this.
  85. Shinku002
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    La peor basura de titulo de pokemon en la historia!,sin megaevoluciones!(lets go pilachu y eevee si tenían), sin movimientos z,reciclado de manera vaga,recortadisimo en pokemones ejem no esta squirtle,bulbasor solo chardmander por charizard :v,recortado en movimientos,los pokemons mas feos que eh visto nuevos!,la hitoria mas corta de todos los juegos de pokemon,el lets go de switch duraLa peor basura de titulo de pokemon en la historia!,sin megaevoluciones!(lets go pilachu y eevee si tenían), sin movimientos z,reciclado de manera vaga,recortadisimo en pokemones ejem no esta squirtle,bulbasor solo chardmander por charizard :v,recortado en movimientos,los pokemons mas feos que eh visto nuevos!,la hitoria mas corta de todos los juegos de pokemon,el lets go de switch dura 25h, este 15 :v,el diamante y perla 41, esta lleno de bugs,los graficos son de lo peor para una switch!,un arbol y las montañas que ellos enseñaron presumiendo parecian de n64 por dios!, etc,ademas los de nintendo(si los de nintendo quien es el que manda en su querida consola?) presumian de la obra y oda de este pokemon!,en fin, por algo la nota… Expand
  86. DeadLink
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. O jogo apresenta muitos problemas como o corte de movimentos e Pokémon, além de uma render distance que não condiz com o tamanho do mapa, porém o jogo assim como os demais é muito divertido e tem um dos melhores começos de jogo (senão o melhor) da franquia em que você pode pular a maioria dos tutoriais maçantes e encontra com o lendário logo de cara. Por favor gente, não precisa das a mesma nota que eu , mas, não de zero, o metacritic vai apagar essas notas de hate então de a nota que o jogo realmente merece (e só de nota se jogou).… Expand
  87. Noraver
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    What can I say that hasn’t already been said?
    Nintendo/The Pokémon Company need to give the rights to another company. Game Freak has grown lazy, complacent, and puts no effort or passion into these games anymore.
    It definitely is sad when a game 20 years old on N64 (Pokémon Stadium 2), or a game on the Wii (Pokémon Battle Revolution) have more character/personality in their Pokémon    What can I say that hasn’t already been said?
    Nintendo/The Pokémon Company need to give the rights to another company. Game Freak has grown lazy, complacent, and puts no effort or passion into these games anymore.
    It definitely is sad when a game 20 years old on N64 (Pokémon Stadium 2), or a game on the Wii (Pokémon Battle Revolution) have more character/personality in their Pokémon than the mainline games do.
    Not to mention, better animations.
    This is no longer the company/game line I used to know and love.
    The highest grossing franchise in the world, and they can't produce a decent game on the newest console hardware?
    Pathetic, absurd, and genuinely disappointing.

    #GameFreakLied    … Expand
  88. Mrich747
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The critics calling Sword and Sheild "the best Pokemon game ever" are a bunch of delusional hacks. I want to start this review off by stating that I was excited for this game and desparately wanted the new formula to work well. Unfortunately, it does not work. What we have here is a diluted Pokemon experience that has been crudely adapted to be played by half-wits with the attention spanThe critics calling Sword and Sheild "the best Pokemon game ever" are a bunch of delusional hacks. I want to start this review off by stating that I was excited for this game and desparately wanted the new formula to work well. Unfortunately, it does not work. What we have here is a diluted Pokemon experience that has been crudely adapted to be played by half-wits with the attention span of a Slakoth. The improved explorability and new features are little consolation to how lazily crafted and half finished this game feels. The missing pokemon are irrelevant when the game is such a stark downgrade in terms of quality, replayability, and explorability. The need to strategize has been all but eliminated and the game itself is largely linear. Gamefreak led us to believe that the controversial Pokedex cuts and gameplay revisions were done in the pursuit of making a triple-A quality "Pokemon: Breath of the Wild" type of experience. What we got, instead, is a 3DS game pretending to be a full-fledged console game. Nintendo can do better than this; Gamefreak and the Pokemon Company can do better than this; Pokemon fans can do better than this. There's only trash here, folks.… Expand
  89. parara123
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    No effort put into this game. I'm convinced gamefreak doesn't even know how to make a 3D game. First mainline pokemon game I'm not buying. I can't believe that my favorite franchise has died.
  90. Girlpills
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Decent game for 2009 standards.
    Not the quality you expect from pokemon game.
    People complaining about graphics should also reconsider their console choice.
    It's a nintendo switch game ffs.
  91. JustrzBustrz
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    It’s an amazing feat how soulless this game feels compared to previous entries in the Pokemon franchise. This game feels like a direct downgrade to any of the recent Pokemon games, feeling like there’s less content overall with not much to add back to give a grand experience with. And there’s much more to the story than just Dexit. Worse graphics and animations, large content cuts, theIt’s an amazing feat how soulless this game feels compared to previous entries in the Pokemon franchise. This game feels like a direct downgrade to any of the recent Pokemon games, feeling like there’s less content overall with not much to add back to give a grand experience with. And there’s much more to the story than just Dexit. Worse graphics and animations, large content cuts, the game holds your hand and is more tedious with its constant cutscenes and bland story, and its limited locations along with very little post-game. If you want to get this game, good for you, but in my opinion, it just feels like one step forward, two steps back. Even the good additions isn’t enough to save it.… Expand
  92. Alexmira
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    A lot of potential but lazy execution. Gamefreak had the possibility to develop the best pokemon in the series and the **** up
  93. autisticgod
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    A game that cuts out half of the creature namesake of the series to supposedly save development time, the final product they presented is a mediocre rushed mess without any of the substantial graphical or animation wise improvements they said were possible now. Most assets are recycled straight from the 3DS(which is not a negative per se but contradicts what Masuda said), and while thereA game that cuts out half of the creature namesake of the series to supposedly save development time, the final product they presented is a mediocre rushed mess without any of the substantial graphical or animation wise improvements they said were possible now. Most assets are recycled straight from the 3DS(which is not a negative per se but contradicts what Masuda said), and while there are good animations like pyro ball those are few and far admist all the unexplainedly levitating wingulls, pokemon rotating 360 degrees on their axis, numerous draw distance issues with pokemon and trainers appearing and disappearing out of nowhere, the trainer animations freezing when you use ladders and more. All elements that while not gamebreaking show a blatant lack of care about their overworld which is one of the main adverstised selling points, hell the pokemon barely interact with their enviroment and overall feel like puppets(some exceptions like falinks and greedunt) which was outdone by the spinoff Pokemon Ranger on DS. As for the wild area itself it's not nearly as big as it appears to be and while I'll be the first to admit the deviation from corridor routes is a good thing the rest of the game wasn't improved at all(and even features only 10 routes with most of them being short) on that aspect, it's always a half-step forward and one step back with GF. As for the story it's basically a copypaste of SM with a new coat of paint. Joke villain team of misfits? Check. Corporate villains that call upon an otherwordly entity for their plans and mess up the world because of it? Check. Hau copypaste? CHECK. They even use the same animations I'm not kidding. Even the game's new gimmick dynamaxing is a boring rehash of megas and zmoves conjoined together. While Sword and Shield have some charming ideas the severely lazy execution and preference at recycling the old concepts and ideas the game ends up feeling very stale and unoriginal and definitely not the full scale console adventure we've all dreamed as kids.… Expand
  94. veteranplayer88
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I never think i would give a bad rating to a pokemon game. I'm really dissapointed... that's what happen when you make a lazy game only thinking about money, not listening the players, long time fans. This game is buggy, graphics are mediocre comprared to other switch games, pokemons models are from 3ds models, except new ones. But they really lied to us. And the worst, they excluded alot of content. No mega evolutions, no zmoves, lots of excluded moves, more that 400 pokemon excluded. Thats so so bad. I would like to give a good rate, but this is just bad. This game could be good, some new things are cool, but isnt enough. I hope they dont do this again, or i will not buy any more.… Expand
  95. Reizig
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    As a longtime Pokémon fan im very disapointed , the game just feels rushed and unfinished Hope gamefreak learns from their mistakes :(
  96. Mr_Genesis
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Game is extremely fun, haven't owned a Pokemon game in 12 years. interesting game play.. Undocked graphics could use a little polish but overall really enjoyable game.
  97. ellub
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Straight and clear, they cut dex, promised amazing animations, said the models were all redone and what did we get? a wild game with textures from Nintendo 64, the Wild Area is horrible, animations and models completely recycled from 3DS, junk post game, Pokémon designs seem to have come out of Cartoon Network, cut over 100 moves being some key to the competitive, tehy cut megaStraight and clear, they cut dex, promised amazing animations, said the models were all redone and what did we get? a wild game with textures from Nintendo 64, the Wild Area is horrible, animations and models completely recycled from 3DS, junk post game, Pokémon designs seem to have come out of Cartoon Network, cut over 100 moves being some key to the competitive, tehy cut mega evolution, they cut z-moves, junk movements, looks like characters are inside a microwave in cutscenes, junk story, and worse, the game costs $ 60, the same price as Zelda Breath of te Wild :)… Expand
  98. theoftime12
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Un juego gráficamente muy inferior la les go Pikachu, pero que Pokémon ultra sol y luna, un diseño de pokemon muy infantil, una historia aburrida.
  99. Glemmer
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Excellent game besides all the dexit drama. … Expand
  100. Cuddly1337
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Pokemon Sword (and its Brother) is an incredibly unpolished game. It feels like GameFreak never tested these games for bugs. These bugs are not just small unnoticeable things like in GameBoy games. Music is missing from certain battles, NPCs (without Abra) can teleport (both in the overworld and when battling some NPCs), and you can suddenly stop time by being on a ladder. There even isPokemon Sword (and its Brother) is an incredibly unpolished game. It feels like GameFreak never tested these games for bugs. These bugs are not just small unnoticeable things like in GameBoy games. Music is missing from certain battles, NPCs (without Abra) can teleport (both in the overworld and when battling some NPCs), and you can suddenly stop time by being on a ladder. There even is yet another save corruption glitch in these games, and it isn’t like talking to 1 NPC and surfing on specific tiles either.
    Even looking past the glitches, the main story is insultingly easy, even for children. The only places children can explore are in the wild areas and they are filled with nothing of interest (besides more examples of a lack-o-polish). Your kids might also be scared of the Camp feature since their Pokemon can do weird and unintended things. I personally also didn’t like being limited on what I could catch based on Gym Badges as I (and your kids) could easily lose out on a Pokemon they wanted to catch, and you are overleveled anyways.
    I’ll give the game some points though. While many designs are pretty sub-par, most of the new Pokemon are very well designed. And is series tradition, the music is still very good, even if it is the weakest soundtrack so far.

    Unironically, just get Let’s Go Pikachu or Let’s Go Eevee if you want to get a Pokemon game for your kid. They have more polish and are much more appealing to children.

    btw I reviewed Shield first and Sword has the same problems.    … Expand
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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.
    Read full review
  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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