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. MikoloPulo
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This game is rushed and unfinished. No matter how many times they try and say otherwise, this game was rush out of the door, since Pokemon game releases are tied to merchandise and such (I mean, Pokemon is the highest grossing franchise for a reason). But because of this, we get a subpar entry, which lots of cut content, awful graphics, and a lot of decisions that will make you go: "What the ****
  2. Iconic2511
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Absolutely appalling how hilariously bad these games are. This is the most profitable franchise in history and what you get is pure trash. The only reason the game is popular is because it's Pokemon, not because it's good. It has frame rate issue, incredibly easy without option to turn off exp share (like really?), the worlds are devoid of content and barren. Oh and there's no post gameAbsolutely appalling how hilariously bad these games are. This is the most profitable franchise in history and what you get is pure trash. The only reason the game is popular is because it's Pokemon, not because it's good. It has frame rate issue, incredibly easy without option to turn off exp share (like really?), the worlds are devoid of content and barren. Oh and there's no post game either! It's the bare minimum for a Pokemon game and fans deserve better. There's nothing special about this game at all, and the devs half arsed all of it.

    This isn't even mentioning the total lack of a story. The series is becoming like any other yearly sports series. They release the same game over and over and people buy it cause of the name.    … Expand
  3. danisc23
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    It's good to have a new main Pokemon game, I've started enjoying it a lot, but since the 3rd medal I've started to get bored of following the same pattern (Gym, Rival, History, Route, capture all new accesible Pokemon in wild area). I ended rushing the game.

    The idea of ​​being able to see the Pokemon in the world is great and I hope they keep it in future games. The open area is    It's good to have a new main Pokemon game, I've started enjoying it a lot, but since the 3rd medal I've started to get bored of following the same pattern (Gym, Rival, History, Route, capture all new accesible Pokemon in wild area). I ended rushing the game.

    The idea of ​​being able to see the Pokemon in the world is great and I hope they keep it in future games.

    The open area is really empty and there is nothing that motivates you to go beyond the limits of your level, there is no secret to discover or possibility to capture a strong Pokemon, it is not even worth it to level up your team.

    The history leaves no room for imagination, since the beginning the feeling of legend fades and the events and discoveries are too obvious. Also the game drives you in every step.

    The routes are short, with 4 or 5 enemies at most, this does not have to be something bad, it is preferable to a long and empty route, but they give the feeling of a small region, they also have no secret path, maybe a short detours to obtain an object.

    The cities and towns feels empty, not because of the NPCs despite they do not tell much but at least offer Pokemon exchanges or give you useful items. The problem is that, despite the changing environment between cities, they all offer exactly the same.

    In my opinion Galar has no personality, it is not a region that I will remember for its design or its cities, the NPCs do not tell anything about the region or about the town in which they live.

    Gyms are very easy, they all starts with a minigame (not always a puzzle) and then you fight against the leader, it would be nice if the leaders surprises you with the choice of Pokemon, for example if I go to a water-type gym it is very likely that I will go with an electric team, a counter pick from the gym leader would be fine to make this choice less obvious.

    About the difficulty of this game. As soon you stop to capture different creatures on each route or return to the open area every time they give you a new medal to capture creatures that you could not previously the level of your team goes well above the story.

    I have avoided any comments about the graphics, animations, or dexit, I like the game to keep its portable style. I think fans will ignore it this time, however GameFreak now knows what people are waiting for the new generation.

    The music is excellent, this soundtrack deserves a better game.    … Expand
  4. H3x3nh4mm3r
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    absolutely brilliant game.
  5. NintendoGuy64
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    As a lifelong fan of Pokemon games, I was ecstatic when a new mainline Pokemon game was announced for the Switch, a home console! Pokemon Gen 7 was alright, but a little too slow and easy for my tastes. But for Gen 8 all I was expecting was a nice polished HD Pokemon game, I didn't need an open world or anything as it is Gamefreak's first home console Pokemon title, after all. But no, thatAs a lifelong fan of Pokemon games, I was ecstatic when a new mainline Pokemon game was announced for the Switch, a home console! Pokemon Gen 7 was alright, but a little too slow and easy for my tastes. But for Gen 8 all I was expecting was a nice polished HD Pokemon game, I didn't need an open world or anything as it is Gamefreak's first home console Pokemon title, after all. But no, that isn't what we got. We got an unfinished game, with over half of the national Pokedex not in the game, choppy, reused animations, reused models when they said they were brand new, even easier difficulty, a significantly shorter campaign as well as next to no post-game, not to mention many other features removed. All I have to say is, why? Pokemon is the highest most profitable franchise of all time, and Nintendo has been hitting it out of the park lately with great game after great game, like Zelda, Mario etc. So why had Pokemon not improved too? It's only gotten worse with time. I hope Nintendo can step in next time and help/replace Gamefreak, as the way these games are, I have no hope for the future of the franchise… Expand
  6. CzDelta92
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Im loving the game so far, this game gets right many pokemon interactions and NPCs feel alive i can almost hear their voice in my head haha, the fact that dex is cut and megas/crystals has been a breath of fresh air, getting rid of the same meta that plague previous versions has been fine and theres so many pokemon that team compisitions and themes are not an issue, ive seen so many peopleIm loving the game so far, this game gets right many pokemon interactions and NPCs feel alive i can almost hear their voice in my head haha, the fact that dex is cut and megas/crystals has been a breath of fresh air, getting rid of the same meta that plague previous versions has been fine and theres so many pokemon that team compisitions and themes are not an issue, ive seen so many people giving it a bad review without even owning or playing the game just because **** said so that is laughable.… Expand
  7. coh11
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Sin duda alguna el peor pokemon de la historia, gráficos decepcionantes, recorte brutal de pokemons, de mundo abierto nada, todo muy pasillero, area silvestre vacía, el juego mas corto de todos, animaciones medicores...
    La decepción del año
  8. Basednredpilled
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Bad graphics. Bad animations. Even bad music. Extremely short. No postgame content. No national dex. Bad story. Bad characters. Permanent exp share. Do i have to continue? I gave it a 2 instead of 0 just because some of the new pokemon have good designs. Nobody should buy this game.
  9. FGDireito
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    I was going to give this game a solid 5, it's not a bad game but neither it's a great game, this is just fine, but the more I think about it the more disappointed I get.
    This is a 60€ game it as to be compared with its Switch peers of the same price and not like it's a random indie game, this game rightly deserves the tough love that it's getting, just because it's Pokémon doesn't make it    I was going to give this game a solid 5, it's not a bad game but neither it's a great game, this is just fine, but the more I think about it the more disappointed I get.
    This is a 60€ game it as to be compared with its Switch peers of the same price and not like it's a random indie game, this game rightly deserves the tough love that it's getting, just because it's Pokémon doesn't make it automatic free from criticism.
    The technical issues in this game are just unacceptable for 2019, pop-ins everywhere in a very small 10m radius makes the world feel empty and bland. Animations look so stiff and outdated, why does the world freezes around me while I fish or climb ladders? Why are some background battles just white voids when even the Let’sGo games had that right? The textures quality is all over the place too, the worst ones are in par with Nintendo64 and the best ones are 3DS quality, but please don’t forget that this is a Switch game.
    The camping is quite cute actually but shallow, pokéjobs are ok but forgetful just like the whole dynamax thing is just a gimmick, the wild area looks like the main selling point this time but it’s just meh, a nice idea but really poorly executed and with almost no exploration after the first full run, the world is pretty much a straight line, there is no kind of exploration, do you remember places like Mt. Mortar, Seafoam Islands or Whirl Islands? There is nothing like that here, the most dungeon-like exploration you will get is something like Viridian Forest and it never gets more difficult than that.
    The game difficult is non- existent like the post-game, also why is the exp.share mandatory? Give us more options, don’t take them away...
    I don't even care about the lack of National Dex drama, but I do understand why people are upset about it, also the National Dex was cut with the excuse on delivering better animations and a more carefully crafted game but the overall game polish is worse than ever, plus lots of other cut content, the quality of the game is 100% more important than not having all the Pokemon for sure. I would rather have a high quality game with 100 Pokemon than a stinker with 1000 Pokemon. When will we get battle animations like Pokémon Battle Revolution? Aren’t battles the main selling point anyway? We shouldn't be here comparing animations from OG Pokémon Stadium (1998) with Sword/Shield, yet here we are, how is this acceptable!? This is Pokémon they have deep pockets they can make it, hire or outsource more people if you need.
    I am not going to talk about the new pokémon designs since that is a subjective opinion, but I quite like Dragapult.
    For me pokémon peaked with HG/SS and the highest point of its ambition was BW/BW2, Pokémon Sword/Shield feels and looks like a rushed game, it needed that extra year and more ambition to become something special...    … Expand
  10. MrJohns
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Another rushed, disappointing mess for longtime fans of the series. Its a short, buggy and way to easy Game. They cutted and removed a lot (Dexit, Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves). Graphics are bad, and there are several Technical Issues. And then they Reused a lot and added boring Gimmicks like Dynamaxing. Don't support this kind of Greedy Garbage!
  11. Jaxks
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    But used, fun 5hour game but some how more lazy than past titles. Not clear That not all of the pokemon are in the game but not even a hint a moves being deleted.

    If they didn't allow you to transfer any pokemon over I would be more than happy but having just a select few seems wrong. After the 'story' there's No post game unlike in the ds games. All in all the character designs are good    But used, fun 5hour game but some how more lazy than past titles. Not clear That not all of the pokemon are in the game but not even a hint a moves being deleted.

    If they didn't allow you to transfer any pokemon over I would be more than happy but having just a select few seems wrong. After the 'story' there's No post game unlike in the ds games. All in all the character designs are good the style looks nice in some areas but it does not make up for the ugly new pokemon that where made to replace old ones and the lack of things to do in the game.    … Expand
  12. Mkikuchi
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    "Yet another rushed, disappointing mess for longtime fans of the series. Considering the emphasis that was placed on the graphics and animation quality before the S/S' release, you'd expect them to at least run at a consistent framerate or not blatantly copy/paste animations from prior games; but neither of these came to fruition. Not worth losing half of the games' cast for.

    Objectively,    "Yet another rushed, disappointing mess for longtime fans of the series. Considering the emphasis that was placed on the graphics and animation quality before the S/S' release, you'd expect them to at least run at a consistent framerate or not blatantly copy/paste animations from prior games; but neither of these came to fruition. Not worth losing half of the games' cast for.

    Objectively, as long as the gameplay's good, graphical quality is a non-issue. Unfortunately, as with the 3DS era, Sword and Shield are dumbed down for the mobile phone generation. You're never made to go more than a few battles without healing, and if you can stomach that you can look forward to endless handholding and WOW CHARIZARD REMEMBER THIS KANTO POKEMON?

    If you have any semblance of critical thinking skills, don't buy these games."    … Expand
  13. TutelarSword
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Pokemon has always been one of my favorite games, however, the design choices made by Gamefreak are rampant with this entry of the series. There are almost no routes in the game, and those that exist are linear. There is a town that is made up of a single road with the only door usable being to the Pokemon Center. There are no dungeons or caves of the sort, instead, the Wild Area tries toPokemon has always been one of my favorite games, however, the design choices made by Gamefreak are rampant with this entry of the series. There are almost no routes in the game, and those that exist are linear. There is a town that is made up of a single road with the only door usable being to the Pokemon Center. There are no dungeons or caves of the sort, instead, the Wild Area tries to fill this role, but with many issues. It has poor graphics with Pokemon being birthed from the void to populate the area, as well as trees spawning from nothing. The area is empty and feels poorly thought out compared to other Switch games like Breath of the Wild. The removal of 60% of old Pokemon and 20% of old moves, as well as megas and Z-moves is also a disgusting practice which gives an ill boding for the future of the games. Gamefreak needs to seriously reconsider their design choices and patch in the many missing features (Pokemon, moves, GTS, etc.), as well as fix the many bugs such as those breaking SD cards, freezing the game, and causing unbearable amounts of lag.

    Many reviews you see that are positive simply boil down to "The games killed my wife and kids, but at least I can catch a Pikachu again. 9.5/10" which is utterly disgusting and reeks of poor journalism or faux reviews to prop up the game for the less informed.    … Expand
  14. Noctis_Strife
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The First Pokemon I wont buy. First, what negative: - Over 400 Pokemon were cut, so much less variation in battles against other players - several technical issues like spawning and despawning NPCs, Trees and Pokemon right in front of your eyes all the time, framerate issues in the wild area, the whole game world is freezing when u climb ladders .. etc. - the highly praised new feature theThe First Pokemon I wont buy. First, what negative: - Over 400 Pokemon were cut, so much less variation in battles against other players - several technical issues like spawning and despawning NPCs, Trees and Pokemon right in front of your eyes all the time, framerate issues in the wild area, the whole game world is freezing when u climb ladders .. etc. - the highly praised new feature the wild area is empty af, much smaller than trailers suggest and a graphical and technical mess - the post game is extremly blunt and not much to do - the "story" of this game is the worst and thinnest in the franchise - the game is easy af, Game Freak really doesn't care about long time fans - Exp share among the whole team should be optional - some of the music tracks are really annoying and not enjoyable - the pokemon franchise is stagnating, you really see no revolution at all, on the other site there is Zelda and Mario who tried sth new and the games were amazing
    Whats postive: some cool pokemon designs, that's all
    Can't recommend this mess of a game, Go and buy the 3DS Pokemon games, whenn you haven't played theam already, much more content much more everything    … Expand
  15. Skizor
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    I have already cleared everything including postgame. This is going to be a spoiler free review, i will only focus on the positive and negative aspects and what needs to be improved.

    Positives: *Some areas in this game look absolutely gorgeous, like the towns Ballonlea and Circhester. *Most of the new Pokemon look pretty good. *IVs and EVs, and by extension Competitive battling,    I have already cleared everything including postgame. This is going to be a spoiler free review, i will only focus on the positive and negative aspects and what needs to be improved.

    Positives:

    *Some areas in this game look absolutely gorgeous, like the towns Ballonlea and Circhester.
    *Most of the new Pokemon look pretty good.
    *IVs and EVs, and by extension Competitive battling, are more accessible than ever.
    *You can change your Pokemon's Nature with Mints.
    *Pokemon Camp, with new features, such as said Currydex.
    *New "Open-World" Wild Area for encountering higher level Pokemon.
    *Most in-depth trainer customization to date.
    *Move Tutor/Remover/Name Raters are now in every Pokemon Center.
    *You can access PC almost anywhere.

    Negatives:

    *Hundreds of Pokemon were cut from the game, such as previous Starters, Legendary Pokemon, and many others.
    *100+ Moves were cut, the most notable being Return/Frustration, Pursuit, and Hidden Power. Signature moves of certain Pokemon were also cut, even though the Pokemon themselves are in the game, like Vespiquen's Heal Order and Woobat's Heart Stamp.
    *There are multiple examples of the game feeling rushed or unfinished, like how the "Corviknight Taxi" Fast-Travel system doesn't have an animation and is just a screen fade, every NPC walking on rails, time stopping when you climb a ladder, and the entire Wild Area feeling empty, with low-resolution textures, pop-ins, and broken shadows.
    *Any battles that are not major battles, such as Wild Battles and most Trainer Battles, have the same generic backgrounds. When you are outside, the battle always takes place on a dirt road with grass, trees, and mountains in the background, and when inside a building, the battle uses a generic white void for a background.
    *Post-Game Content is confirmed to be very short, less than 2 hours to complete, similar to X&Y. It's basically just "catch Box Legendary, go to Battle Tower."
    *Most Pokemon Moves, and the Pokemon themselves, have had no noticeable improvements made to their models or animations. Everything that isn't brand new is recycled, and even some of the brand new stuff, like Hop, uses recycled animation, from Hau.
    *Riding a Bike forces you to wear an ugly biking outfit instead of your custom clothes.
    *Most of the "Story" takes place off screen, and only really makes an appearance near the end of the game. The "Story" itself is also lackluster, in that it's incredibly short and forgettable.
    *The EXP Share is mandatory, and cannot be turned off. This makes the game very easy.
    *Strange changes that don't make much sense logically, like how the sound control settings are locked behind a Key Item you get from a random NPC in Motostoke City.

    Summary:

    IMO this is the most disappointing Pokémon game i played, since i had high expectations about this game being on a console like Switch.
    They really need to add all Pokémon back in the game since there is nothing here to justify the cut of so many Pokémon.
    GameFreak need to hire more devs so they can polish and finish this games better.    … Expand
  16. Mv85rasdlkjf
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    AutoSave doesn't work often.
    Your SaveData corrupt often.
    Graphics are 3DSish, so bad. Character animation is awful. Your Pokemon are just fired. Stressful and painfully slow game mechanics. 10 years old girl has big **** and the player feels paedophile yourself. This is truly early 2000's game, not 2019 game. You should play Death Stranding on PS4. I believe Nintendo bought    AutoSave doesn't work often.
    Your SaveData corrupt often.
    Graphics are 3DSish, so bad.
    Character animation is awful.
    Your Pokemon are just fired.
    Stressful and painfully slow game mechanics.
    10 years old girl has big **** and the player feels paedophile yourself.

    This is truly early 2000's game, not 2019 game.
    You should play Death Stranding on PS4.

    I believe Nintendo bought some reviewer on IGN.    … Expand
  17. DiogeneLaerzio
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Game is legitimately terrible, people are starting to realize and awaken from their eternal slumber, Game Freak is getting away by publishing terrible games. It won't happen this time, and verily so indeed.
  18. Drackey
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    The transition to the Switch was not without losses. For having played it: more than 400 Pokémon have been deleted without offering any real counterpart, no postgame, excessive linearity, very average animations for a home console, disconcerting ease, fortunately the city graphics and the OST catch up. We would have thought that Game Freak would have learned from their mistakes by fixingThe transition to the Switch was not without losses. For having played it: more than 400 Pokémon have been deleted without offering any real counterpart, no postgame, excessive linearity, very average animations for a home console, disconcerting ease, fortunately the city graphics and the OST catch up. We would have thought that Game Freak would have learned from their mistakes by fixing the many flaws of Sun and Moon, but unfortunately the game follows the overall line of the 7G without correcting its flaws, even worse the absence of the national pokédex and mega-evolutions make it a less complete game.… Expand
  19. Pipistrele
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    Not great, not terrible, and generally way better than I expected it to be. Good things (such as music and overall presentation) are pretty damn good, and less-than-good things (underutilized wild area and silly plot) are mostly fine and don't distract from player experience too much. A lot of things may feel more glaring in context of the whole Dexit situation, or TGC's poor attempts atNot great, not terrible, and generally way better than I expected it to be. Good things (such as music and overall presentation) are pretty damn good, and less-than-good things (underutilized wild area and silly plot) are mostly fine and don't distract from player experience too much. A lot of things may feel more glaring in context of the whole Dexit situation, or TGC's poor attempts at damage control, but as its own game, it's still and solid Pokemon title that has the same warm atmosphere and enjoyable core gameplay. All in all, I recommend avoiding the hate/hype train and watch some professional reviews for better judgment - especially with a lot of claims on its "awfulness" being exaggerated by public outlash at the moment.… Expand
  20. ZackAce
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    I was so excited to play this next gen pokemon game...but the game is just a joke.
    Main story is around 20 hours,its linear , towns feel empty with nothing to do, wild areas are very unpolished with framerate issues and nothing to explore , game is super easy , half of the pokedex is missing and the models of pokemon and characters are reused from previous games. Dynamax is ridiculously    I was so excited to play this next gen pokemon game...but the game is just a joke.
    Main story is around 20 hours,its linear , towns feel empty with nothing to do, wild areas are very unpolished with framerate issues and nothing to explore , game is super easy , half of the pokedex is missing and the models of pokemon and characters are reused from previous games. Dynamax is ridiculously stupid compared to mega evolution...it feels like gamefreak is unable to make a pokemon game the franchise and the fans deserve.    … Expand
  21. zbegra
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    This is a good pokemon game. Having lots of fun!
  22. Sephsekla
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Disappointing.

    So many Pokemon (the main point of the games) completely cut for the first time ever. Some interesting concepts that could have been great but clearly weren't given the dev time to flourish. An unfinished game that could have been the best one.
  23. Gamermangamer
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Was promised a game for "long time fans of the series" now my living dex will probably have to be locked in Pokemon jail (home) and half my competitive mons won't be usable until I pay for another game at the same price as smash ultimate or breath of the wild. My disappointment is immeasurable, and less than half my day is ruined, because the game is like 10 hours long, and if I wanted 10Was promised a game for "long time fans of the series" now my living dex will probably have to be locked in Pokemon jail (home) and half my competitive mons won't be usable until I pay for another game at the same price as smash ultimate or breath of the wild. My disappointment is immeasurable, and less than half my day is ruined, because the game is like 10 hours long, and if I wanted 10 hours of entertainment I would've bought the LoTR extended trilogy for half the price… Expand
  24. aoike
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    The good:

    -The new minimalist UI is a sleek upgrade from previous games in the series. -8th generation Pokemon designs are great, with only a few exceptions. -The visuals and art style of the new towns is fantastic and in some places makes up for the game's poor graphics. -The new stadium format for the gym leader battles is fun. -Trainer customization. The neutral: -The music    The good:

    -The new minimalist UI is a sleek upgrade from previous games in the series.
    -8th generation Pokemon designs are great, with only a few exceptions.
    -The visuals and art style of the new towns is fantastic and in some places makes up for the game's poor graphics.
    -The new stadium format for the gym leader battles is fun.
    -Trainer customization.

    The neutral:
    -The music is polarizing, some great tracks yet some of the worst the series has to offer.

    The bad:

    -The new wild area, whilst a good idea in conception, ends up feeling empty and lifeless with little to explore.
    -The routes are both small in size and quantity, with only 10 in total and not a single dungeon more complex than Viridian Forest, it finds itself being frustratingly linear from start to finish.
    -The game is insultingly easy. It holds your hand through it's entirety, constantly "gifting" you with heals and revives making sure to remove any single semblance of challenge it could have had. Similarly, the removal of the ability to turn the exp share off, which isn't an issue in and of itself, leaves your party over-leveled for almost all battles due the game's to poor balancing; you actively have to avoid trainers and wild Pokemon to stop this. (Almost all of the difficulty issues would be moot if Gamefreak added in difficulty options for once)
    -The characters are mostly bland carbon copies from previous games, with the better designed and more interesting ones being few and far between.
    -Pokemon, moves and features from past games are cut for seemingly no reason other than Gamefreak simply ran out of time before release.
    -The game is far too short, ranging from 15 to 25 hours with almost no post game to make up for it.
    -Dated animations and graphics compared to other Switch JRPGs like Dragon Quest XI.

    Overall, Pokemon Sword and Shield are rushed and unfinished games with clear potential unfortunately hindered by a myriad of glaring flaws.    … Expand
  25. Aleph_0
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    The quality of this game REALLY does not justify the cuts that have been made. Graphics are severely dated with some awful resolutions and clipping. The world is so linear it feels like a hallway with a cutscene every few steps. The endgame is nonexistent. The battle animations are taken straight from the old games. And honestly, the new Pokémon designs are some of the worst I’ve everThe quality of this game REALLY does not justify the cuts that have been made. Graphics are severely dated with some awful resolutions and clipping. The world is so linear it feels like a hallway with a cutscene every few steps. The endgame is nonexistent. The battle animations are taken straight from the old games. And honestly, the new Pokémon designs are some of the worst I’ve ever seen. Most of them look like a couple overlapping shapes with a painted on face. GameFreak really phoned it in on this one. Time to give Pokémon to someone else.… Expand
  26. HonestGear
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    This is the first time that my disappointment was so great that I felt like a needed to write a review. Sword and Shield overall is bad. Like its new Dynamax mechanic, its all show and no substance.
    Let's start with the good points first since the bad ones greatly outnumber them.
    -The only good points I can think of is that the game makes it easier to change the EV and IV of your    This is the first time that my disappointment was so great that I felt like a needed to write a review. Sword and Shield overall is bad. Like its new Dynamax mechanic, its all show and no substance.
    Let's start with the good points first since the bad ones greatly outnumber them.
    -The only good points I can think of is that the game makes it easier to change the EV and IV of your pokemon. Previously invisible and tedious to control, there are now items that make it easier to make the perfect pokemon you want.
    -Greatest trainer customization so far, although that's to be expected.

    Unfortunately that's the only good thing about the games.Here's a list of its bad points
    -The game is graphically bad. It looks like a 3DS game only with a shiny coat of paint,or in this case filters and bloom, to distract you from that. Characters spin in place to turn, Pokemon float and hover endlessly, the animations are recycled from earlier games, the battle animations are lacking in all departments.
    -Characters and Pokemon suddenly pop into existence in front of you.
    -The infamous Pokemon cut debate. Pokemon were removed from the game with no intention of them being added back. They promised a higher quality models and animations for it but that is clearly not there. Models are reused exactly the same with just higher textures, the models are off-scale, a lot of characters animations are reused and battle animations dont line up properly, e.g kicking to headbutt, the model just moving up and down with no movement to attack, fire and water attacks just coming out from somewhere on the model and not lining up with their mouths or wherever the attack is supposed to come from.
    -The game is piss easy. Not that other pokemon games werent easy but they offered a challenge. It's so easy that there is no gratification from winning. It is also very short.
    -The pokemon designs are bad. Everyone has some designs they dont like but these ones just felt a whole lot of miss rather than hit. A lot of them are so overly humanoid and uninspired that they dont feel like pokemon. You cant just draw a human, replace it's head and feet and call it a pokemon. A lot of them also feel like they were made just for the purpose of a joke and a pun. In the end the majority of the new pokemon feel like they were created as a singular cartoon character for a show specifically made to be likeable instead of being designed as members of a species of animals.
    -The greatest problem is the immersion. Pokemon is a role playing game. Immersion is a great deal in these kind of games. Their goal is to make the player feel like they are part of their world. Sword and Shield problems, even some minor ones I didnt list, all come together to ruin it.
    --The new Open Area feels like a mismatch, Pokemon suddenly appear from underground even if it makes no sense for them to do that, they spin in place and their movement does not sync up with their walking animations, they hover instead of moving. Crazy weather patterns 10 steps next to each other dont make sense.
    --The overworld pauses in time when traversing the Z axis.
    --The jump to 3D wasnt kind to pokemon. The routes are so linear that they railroad you to place. From the 3D vantage point you can see whatever is up ahead removing any dungeon-like challenge. You are railroaded in place by knee-high ledges that act as barriers leaving you only to imagine what the rest of the world is like, out of the tiny path you are forced into.
    --The world is small and empty. In earlier games you could interact with a lot of stuff, books, people, tvs and more. They gave you tidbits on the story, the background or even just gossip. This made the world feel alive. Instead in this game, a lot of it is removed, which along with the small railroaded world make the world feel dead.
    --The battles feel off, as said before the pokemon are off scale and their attack animations dont line up properly. The bad animation are even shown in the new camp feature allowing you to see up close items suddenly appearing in your pokemon's hands and their movement not syncing up with their walking animation.
    --Bad textures.
    --No "dungeons".
    All of these could be insignificant on their own but combined they ruin the feeling of immersion. The world feels fake, hurriedly stitched together and bursting at the seems.

    In the end, Sword and Shield had great some great ideas but even those are not fleshed out properly. Instead of moving the games forward it even took steps back. The first home console release of Pokemon deserved better than this shoddily put together cashgrab.
    Buy something else and if you want your pokemon hit, play the old games because you are not missing anything of worth. Let's hope the developer goes back to the drawing board and stays there for quite a while.    … Expand
  27. kazui
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    It's a beautiful game, really engaging, and as for 2 hours in it feels just as good as the old ones. Lack of all Pokémon is inconvenient, and thus game will be lacking few old friends, but it makes you try new things which is not always bad. The only bug issue for me is lack of GTS
  28. Kanobelegaur
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Game lacks in content, graphics and music are sub par, story is bland and uninspired. Many features cut from previous games that were heavily enjoyed, such as mega evolution. Opening scene is jarring without voice acting,
  29. Griknor
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    this game and its counter part are a mess. reused assets from the 3ds titles, reused animations, over 55% of pokemon are missing regarless of the fact that every game on much less powerful hardware and smaller game size had all the missing pokemon and the missing moves. gigamax is nothing more then a shiny gimmick that loses its charm well before you start playing or using it. the gamesthis game and its counter part are a mess. reused assets from the 3ds titles, reused animations, over 55% of pokemon are missing regarless of the fact that every game on much less powerful hardware and smaller game size had all the missing pokemon and the missing moves. gigamax is nothing more then a shiny gimmick that loses its charm well before you start playing or using it. the games constantly bug out and have framerate, unstable graphics, unstable models and resolution issues, and when its not bugging out its just ugly with poor quality textures. everything in game feels floaty, like you arent grounded and could fly off any second. the new designs are for the most part ugly or too digimon looking to be a pokemon(this has been a major problem since xy, though black and white has its fair share of issue designs), this heavily clashes with older designs and causes quite the confusion for people who know of pokemon but dont keep up with the series. the game is far to easy and lacks any nuance, this is in part due to the direction they keep forcing the games to go, this should be an rpg not a instant gratification simulator. this is a poor quality game on the levels of fallout76, avoid purchasing at all cost.… Expand
  30. LuckyAbsol
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Your average pokemon game that'll probably be fun for the casual fan. The story is below par compared to past pokemon games, suffering from clear pacing issues towards the end. The graphics were only slightly better while some of the animations are also lacking. Clear pop ins and low resolutions textures litter the game while severals bugs are also present. For example, the battleYour average pokemon game that'll probably be fun for the casual fan. The story is below par compared to past pokemon games, suffering from clear pacing issues towards the end. The graphics were only slightly better while some of the animations are also lacking. Clear pop ins and low resolutions textures litter the game while severals bugs are also present. For example, the battle backgrounds not always matching up with battle. The quality of life changes were very welcomed but the EXP Share was still too strong and could not be turned off.

    I must also add that the soundtrack was very forgettable this time around which is strange for a pokemon game, the postgame is also extremely short with it only being about 1-2 hours long. The battle tower makes a return but it's been stripped down to it's bare bones.    … Expand
  31. BeforeJam
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    By far the worst entry in the series yet. Pokemon cut, features cut, moves cut and much more with nothing to replace it with. Graphics look like a polished GameCube game at best. Framerate routinely goes through the floor for no discernible reason whatsoever. Massive disappointment and a hideous step back for this series.
  32. GarchompGang
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Simply a rushed incomplete mess. The game feels like it should have premiered on the original wii since the graphics are so lackluster for a AAA console game. I do not recommend.
  33. TioBizarro
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    18 h aprox main game plus 2h post game. Less than half dex programed. Gig/Dinamax is not properly animated. Barely use the currydex. Barely use the power of N.Switch. A hugh step back in the saga.
  34. Imperio92
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    The worst of the franchise by far. Lackluster animations, textures, coding and a lot of issues everywhere. A rushed game no matter where you look it.
  35. Primpy
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Absolute **** of a game. Brings almost nothing new to the table (on the contrary, it removes plenty of already existing features), the graphics look like they're stolen from Ocarina of Time, it has a tiny rendering distance, the animations are atrocious or lazy, boring story, glitchy as **** Do not buy this game if you have any self respect as a consumer.
  36. ME123
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Half the dex, no challenge, ugly Pokémon designs (that hack James Turner).

    Not worth anyone’s time. It’s the worst main line Pokémon game I’ve ever played.
  37. Ray-Zide
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Honestly not that good of a game
    Just X/Y with less features and lags quite a bit and has less pokemon than a DS game from 10 years ago
  38. Fatyok
    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, 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
  39. Erlox
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    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
  40. Pariah_0
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    As JUST a Pokémon game, the rating would be higher, maybe a 5 or 6. But as a video game compared to others of a similar genre this is a hard 3. On top of the drastic content cuts made from previous (already declining) mainline Pokémon games, this game in particular has severe graphical, hardware, and gameplay issues that are just irredeemable for a triple A franchise. The new mechanic isAs JUST a Pokémon game, the rating would be higher, maybe a 5 or 6. But as a video game compared to others of a similar genre this is a hard 3. On top of the drastic content cuts made from previous (already declining) mainline Pokémon games, this game in particular has severe graphical, hardware, and gameplay issues that are just irredeemable for a triple A franchise. The new mechanic is not creative at all and dumbs down the combat instead of following the tradition of adding an extra element. The new designs are lazy and uninspired. I was sincerely expecting more from this franchise. Can not recommend.… Expand
  41. XeliMoon
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    The game is fun and if you like Pokémon then this is a game for you.
  42. naashinashi
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Aside from the most polarizing controversial decision ever made in the Pokemon History in not allowing to transfer many pokemons you've caught by only permitting the ones seen in Galar region in, there are several other flaws on this game that just makes it really frustrating and not worthy only playing for people expecting a more robust pokemon adventure. The game feels at many timesAside from the most polarizing controversial decision ever made in the Pokemon History in not allowing to transfer many pokemons you've caught by only permitting the ones seen in Galar region in, there are several other flaws on this game that just makes it really frustrating and not worthy only playing for people expecting a more robust pokemon adventure. The game feels at many times incomplete, lacking in many areas as seen from many of the buildings and specially large landmarks such as a church not being able to enter, cities being just large corridors with its really usefulness being the pokemon center and the gym.

    The change into a very linear game and the large amount almost empty cities hurts the charm of it. Your rival interrupts you several times and the amount of cutscenes is comparable to Sun and Moon if not larger. You can skip movies, but cutscenes are not skippable(except the tutorial one). The linearity increases when you realize routes are just corridors and there are essentially NO dungeons in the game. There are caves but nothing with a more or equal complexity like Mt. Moon, Rock Tunnel, Silph Co. Mt. Coronet etc. There is not even a Victory Road in the game.

    Another point I want to touch is the Wild Area, which is the biggest main feature in the game. The Wild Area just as the trailers showed and I have experienced; is a large slob of terrain with open camera and its own weather system (that tends to change quite abruptly). You can meet several pokemons in there (many of them are very high level, which you cannot catch until you have a gym badge for its equivalent level). The problem with wild area is that it's rather barren, with not much to do besides catching some pokemon and doing max raid battles. While going around the wild area, at times it laggy just as if there were some frame drops( and even worse if you go online with your friends there) the pop up distance for pokemon is very short, so a lot of times pokemons and berry trees can pop at a point blank distance or extremely close from your location which is pretty jarring and it can have you unwillingly bump into them.

    There are many other aspects I've disliked on this game, but in overall it's just your normal pokemon experience, a new region, new pokemon to find except there is much less to do than previous entries and there is not much to do post game. I just wished that there was more investment and ambition put in this game, because as it is right now, it's not worth $60.    … Expand
  43. mantishimself
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    It's a really good pokemon game. Not sticking to the tired formula and streamlining the roster is the way to go.
  44. Skyblue93
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Let me just get this outta way first, I’m a massive Pokémon fan. I’ve never been more disappointed. Gamefreak not only betrayed fans but outright lied to consumers. The games still have the same problems plaguing the franchise ever since gen 6.

    The story is bad, the writing is bad, the characters are bad, the pacing is bad. The main villains and evil team keep progressingly getting more    Let me just get this outta way first, I’m a massive Pokémon fan. I’ve never been more disappointed. Gamefreak not only betrayed fans but outright lied to consumers. The games still have the same problems plaguing the franchise ever since gen 6.

    The story is bad, the writing is bad, the characters are bad, the pacing is bad. The main villains and evil team keep progressingly getting more embarrassing each generations. The game keeps getting easier easier easier literally brain dead play through.

    On top of charging more for these games, they cut content. I don’t even need to write it down. I’m sure anyone who bothered to read the reviews of these games know what I’m talking about.

    To all the people who keep supporting Gamefreak...why?    … Expand
  45. einszweidrei
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Just like most other Game Freak games, one step forward costs two steps backwards. In our case, the first step backwards might be the fact that the national dex and thus intergenerational 'mon ownership are pretty much dead - without ANY WILL to FIX THAT through an UPDATE! - and they want to you to buy a SCAM called Pokémon HOME until your favorite mon eventually gets into a new game ifJust like most other Game Freak games, one step forward costs two steps backwards. In our case, the first step backwards might be the fact that the national dex and thus intergenerational 'mon ownership are pretty much dead - without ANY WILL to FIX THAT through an UPDATE! - and they want to you to buy a SCAM called Pokémon HOME until your favorite mon eventually gets into a new game if you're lucky. But let's talk about the games themselves... once again, the difficulty is nonexistent. By that i mean nonexistent to the point that it takes kids for idiots - you're basically constantly overleveled without even trying. And there's no hard mode to justify that. (in previous games, you could disable that item that gives exp to the whole party to prevent the overlevel, but you can't even do that anymore)
    And the game is a wild ride of bad decisions, like locking the SOUND SETTINGS behind a key item. . Also just like Sun/Moon again, the game constantly annoys you with unskippable dialogs every new route or town. I mean, the dialogs really aren't the problem, but if you intend to play this game again, not being able to skip them will quickly annoy you. We're talking about a fastforward/skip buttons, something about as normal as saving your game! I won't go too much into spoilers, but this game prevents you from catching a certain Pokémon, while Heartgold/Soulsilver allowed you to catch it in a similar situation back then. It may be a bit frustrating for anyone to see this happen. (also, yeah, it's true, sometimes NPC pop out of nowhere, i'm not really annoyed by that, though)
    That being said, the game has good to it. The max raid battles are quite fun and feel like actual bosses (more than the Totem Pokémon from Sun/Moon), and the game is an improvement in some aspects, like the intro of gym leaders battle, which feels really smooth. Or the fact that you can now skip the catching tutorial if you catch a mon with the few balls that are given to you at the start.
    I hope you'll have more fun than me if you do get it!    … Expand
  46. WBL
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    If a pokemon game have not all pokemon, why it'called pokemon?
    #Thank you gamefreak#
  47. doczeroone
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    preview: Well, the graphics look shockingly bad at first for a game of this generation. But I got used to them very fast. It´s Pokemon, if you played 1st or 2nd gen or Pokemon go, you´ll feel right at home. I would recommend this game for beginners or kids. I did have some fun or kinda addicted to catching the little creatures, the designs of some are unmemorable but others were cute.
  48. masudashostage
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Marvelous! Amazing! Such unbelievable detail and haters are salty! Masuda entertains again! These games ultimately nail Pokemon's overall imaginative nostalgic theory.
  49. Rumin
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    They've gutted the national dex, some pokemon moves, items and reused the 3ds models, removed Mega evolutions, and many other features. And for what? Pokemon needing a 30s animation to become gigantic only to faint to one super effective move, rendering the process needless, textures that look like they have been directly copied from N64's OOT, the gameworld freezing when using anyThey've gutted the national dex, some pokemon moves, items and reused the 3ds models, removed Mega evolutions, and many other features. And for what? Pokemon needing a 30s animation to become gigantic only to faint to one super effective move, rendering the process needless, textures that look like they have been directly copied from N64's OOT, the gameworld freezing when using any ladders, save files deleted upon crashing, models of trees and other gameworld object popping up in front of you, rather than in a more illicit manner as you would expect from a multi-billion dollar franchise, I cannot even begin to fathom what sort of thinking process goes through their incompetent developers while making this game, did they skip their Object Oriented Programming classes? Laziness? Indifference?
    Absolutely shameful display. Apply yourself, Gamefreak.    … Expand
  50. lylog
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Bugs, no endgame, half pokedex, mediocre graphics, less features than previous games...should i keep talking?
  51. ReviewGuy13
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    So much from the previous games have been removed, even more so than normal. The lackluster story, graphics, and Pokemon designs don't make up for what little additions have been given. 55% of Pokemon being removed also ruins the "catch em all" idea. The game does have some nice designs and good human characters. Those aren't enough to make this game anything more than another 8 gym slogSo much from the previous games have been removed, even more so than normal. The lackluster story, graphics, and Pokemon designs don't make up for what little additions have been given. 55% of Pokemon being removed also ruins the "catch em all" idea. The game does have some nice designs and good human characters. Those aren't enough to make this game anything more than another 8 gym slog with worse quality than all the other games.… Expand
  52. Lahcenecw
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Best game Pokemon.

    The sentiment of Master is be real, online is cool.

    Thank you Gamefreaks.
  53. Deal_Sealer
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    What an absolute dumpster fire.
    It is devoid of effort, as can be seen in the visual department. Textures are painful to look at and the models are horrendously basic as they look like they're mass produced without attention to detail and are constantly clipping with the environment. Speaking of environment, the places you can traverse are just depressing. The wild area advertised as a    What an absolute dumpster fire.
    It is devoid of effort, as can be seen in the visual department. Textures are painful to look at and the models are horrendously basic as they look like they're mass produced without attention to detail and are constantly clipping with the environment. Speaking of environment, the places you can traverse are just depressing. The wild area advertised as a step in a new direction is a complete joke. It's certainly smaller than Oot's Hyrule field, yet just as empty and uninteresting. Cities and Dungeons on the other hand are just poorly designed hallways that lead you to the next area.
    Gameplay is not well thought out. The new gimmick is underwhelming at the very least. They build it up high and it ends with an anticlimactic ohko, since this game still possesses baby-proof difficulty despite the playerbase being mostly adults and the advertising claiming it's for long time fans. Contrary to being an open world, this game is still a linear experience with NPC's still interrupting you with cutscenes.
    The amount of content in this game isn't bare-bones, no rather it is insufficient and has regressed compared to previous entries in the franchise. Surely you've heard by now about cut pokemon, cut moves and other trashed content. What makes this worse is the fact that the game reuses assets from previous games.
    This trash heap is the result of complacency, and a lack of effort and dedication. If it had been developed with care and the consumer's satisfaction in mind, it would have been a polished title with a lot of content complementing the new features. Sadly, this is not the case.    … Expand
  54. Harki7
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    The most beautiful Pokémon game yet. The scenery is great to look at and all the small touches in the detail really make it great. The amount of new and old Pokémon together is great, I have some of my old favorites and some new favorites (Sobble). The story is great but there’s parts of it I have a slight issue with. The QoL improvements are great, an always there escape rope is somethingThe most beautiful Pokémon game yet. The scenery is great to look at and all the small touches in the detail really make it great. The amount of new and old Pokémon together is great, I have some of my old favorites and some new favorites (Sobble). The story is great but there’s parts of it I have a slight issue with. The QoL improvements are great, an always there escape rope is something I would never of thought of but it’s handy to have. Great first step for GF onto a HD console, already look forward to what’s next for Pokémon.… Expand
  55. Otonaburu
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    What should have been a giant leap to significantly stronger hardware feels more like a port from 3DS. New features and improvements come at way too high a price, both literally and figuratively (half of the Pokemon gone, for starters). Gamefreak continues to disappoint and Pokemon as a series stands out as a black sheep among other loved Nintendo franchises on Switch.
  56. Raikou
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    It's such a good game, best game in the series yet! Dexit bothers me but I ain't hating on it blindly like all the haters.
  57. Vicieta31
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Aunque la gente no para de quejarse por el tema de la pokedex es un buen juego, uno de los mejores aunque la gente no quiera admitirlo, porque meter mierda es más divertido.
    Muy recomendable
  58. Markksnow
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    This is by far one of the best games in the series...the best graphics by a long shot we have gotten and some of the best gameplay features however the game is not perfect there are minor issues that could be fixed with a patch but more than likely we won't see any real change till diamond and pearl remakes or the gen 9 games I want to give this game a perfect score but I feel like that'sThis is by far one of the best games in the series...the best graphics by a long shot we have gotten and some of the best gameplay features however the game is not perfect there are minor issues that could be fixed with a patch but more than likely we won't see any real change till diamond and pearl remakes or the gen 9 games I want to give this game a perfect score but I feel like that's not exactly a fair thing that's me being a little bit biased… Expand
  59. nowigen
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Pokemon games are as stagnant as Ash's age. Highest-grossing media franchise can't even afford a proper developer or just voice acting.
  60. Pedoomer
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    This is not the best pokemon game ever like some other reviews are saying, but it's pretty good. I don't really care about the story or pokemon in general, but there's plenty of cute & funny characters to pleasure myself at, and that's more than enough for me. If you're gonna buy any 1 pokemon game though, i'd recommend buying Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon instead, it's the pokemon game with theThis is not the best pokemon game ever like some other reviews are saying, but it's pretty good. I don't really care about the story or pokemon in general, but there's plenty of cute & funny characters to pleasure myself at, and that's more than enough for me. If you're gonna buy any 1 pokemon game though, i'd recommend buying Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon instead, it's the pokemon game with the highest amount of cute & funny characters, and it has satisfied my twitching joystick for many sleepless nights.… Expand
  61. Zerato
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    The game is meh not even counting the Pokemon what is taken out doesn't equal to what was gained if you have nothing better to do and find a used copy in a few weeks that'll be the only time is say to get it.
  62. miaumelon
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    -Reused models from past games
    -Reused animations from past games
    -10fps
    -nintendo 64 texture
    -limited content
    -the game looks awful
    -the animations are so bad

    Do NOT trust reviews, they made me waste $60, you all should be ashamed.I thought this game were good just because everyone likes pokemon, this is a scam do NOT buy this game.
    Alot of paid reviews here, huh? Let's bring balance.
  63. Tatertodd
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    It's very clear Gamefreak did not even try when making this game. its really sad because ive always been a huge pokemon fan, I played 2 hours of this game and dont think I'll be playing any more of it.
  64. lejou123
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    gamefrik are liars and thieves.

    le jeux le plus facil de la seri / des graphisme de gamcube / pokemon+ attaque suprimer avec une excuse bison / animation a chié / les starter horrible / pas mal de bug .

    the worst pokemon console games
  65. Josh098
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Genuinely inferior to the handheld games, as a game which was promoted as the first mainline Pokemon release made specifically for the Switch, it completely fails to deliver and continues GameFreaks obsession of completely removing features/improvement and adding half baked ones to replace them instead of building upon improvements from game to game. The textures and overall look of theGenuinely inferior to the handheld games, as a game which was promoted as the first mainline Pokemon release made specifically for the Switch, it completely fails to deliver and continues GameFreaks obsession of completely removing features/improvement and adding half baked ones to replace them instead of building upon improvements from game to game. The textures and overall look of the game outside of a couple of flashy models and animated moves are laughable compared to other games on offer and even Pokemon games in the past. The issue of cutting the National Dex is also a major red flag as one of the best things about Pokemon was being able to have the same ones with you from game to game but obliviously a lot of people will no longer be able to do this but the important thing to stress is that even with this feature cut, the game still feels bad and shallow compared to other entries in the series so the excuses they offered that the rest of the game would benefit from the culling of the National Dex has failed to materialise in my view… Expand
  66. ErronBlack
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    66% of Pokémon gone and for what? A rushed completely unfinished casualified Pokémon game. You’re literally the best selling franchise of all time, a multi billion dollar franchise. Everyone should expect much higher quality than this and all the backlash was to expected. At least the guys behind the Sonic movie had the decency to fix their product. And worst of all yall cut Bidoof...
  67. gilgameow
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    A novel take on Pokemon's mainline formula, whose initially intriguing ideas have since been squandered by a shockingly vapid and spiritless execution that fails to sweep a long list of shortcomings and questionable cuts under the rug. Pokemon Sword offers a bare-bone, railroaded experience that may satisfy less demanding players, but personally could not deliver an enjoyable ride whereA novel take on Pokemon's mainline formula, whose initially intriguing ideas have since been squandered by a shockingly vapid and spiritless execution that fails to sweep a long list of shortcomings and questionable cuts under the rug. Pokemon Sword offers a bare-bone, railroaded experience that may satisfy less demanding players, but personally could not deliver an enjoyable ride where all of its predecessors could.… Expand
  68. thvbh
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    After "it all comes together" and "ultra changes", generation 8 adds more lies to GameFreak's pile of shame. They promise a lot, and they again fail to deliver in almost every single aspect. This time, however, the technical shortcomings, lack of polish, and shortage of ambition is covered up by a veil of scam-level dishonesty from the developers themselves and a blanket of praise fromAfter "it all comes together" and "ultra changes", generation 8 adds more lies to GameFreak's pile of shame. They promise a lot, and they again fail to deliver in almost every single aspect. This time, however, the technical shortcomings, lack of polish, and shortage of ambition is covered up by a veil of scam-level dishonesty from the developers themselves and a blanket of praise from "unbiased" game critics, whose reviews sound more like advertisements than genuine reviews.

    The decision to cut over half the existing Pokémon from the game under the pretense of filling the game with content and quality animations wouldn't be so bad if the results could be seen in the game. However, the games are just as hollow as their predecessors, if not even more. Complete lack of difficulty, constant hand-holding, horrible plot, insufferable cutscenes and barely anything to do post-game is something that seems we will have to get used to, as it's apparently the new standard from now on, and any future games will probably be evaluated with regards to the bar set this laughably low.

    Pokémon is finally dead. As an avid fan since red and blue, I say it with a heavy heart. What started six years ago, with the release of Pokémon X and Y, finally came to fruition - a game so hollow and dumbed down, that even the awful past two generations look full of content compared to it. What was once a flawed, but ultimately fun franchise with a mediocre, but really passionate team of developers behind it, finally succumbed to the disease of brand-loyalty blinded fanbase that can see no wrong in the games as long as they have the Pokemon logo stamped on. This tremendous fall in quality is entirely their fault and no one else's - this is the best time for GameFreak to implement egregious monetization schemes in their next games, as not only will they evade any criticism from game critics, but will be largely praised for it by a large group of fans, which is truly asinine.

    What's left is to hope that a team of talented developers will see the growing disenchantment with the series and decide to step in, fill the void and dethrone the corrupted king of the monster catching genre.    … Expand
  69. DaReaIFreak
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    oof I really tried to enjoy the game but it just is not possible.
    Aside from the lie to the community why the dexit occurred I don't even feel like the game improved in other aspects in general.
    Sound control hidden behind a key item you have to find is one of the worst game designs I've seen in a while. The graphics are not up to par with other Switch titles, overworld freezing on    oof I really tried to enjoy the game but it just is not possible.
    Aside from the lie to the community why the dexit occurred I don't even feel like the game improved in other aspects in general.
    Sound control hidden behind a key item you have to find is one of the worst game designs I've seen in a while.
    The graphics are not up to par with other Switch titles, overworld freezing on climbing ladders, music completely missing in key scenes, battle backgrounds are now often just generic, complete lack of post game, wild areas (the big new feature) is mostly void of everything, npcs/interactable entities popping up randomly if you're already like 1-2 seconds away from it.
    This game feels like a completely rushed out game which was planned for the 3DS.
    At least the other feature camping is pretty neat but I wouldn't pay another 60€ just to camp with my Pokemon.    … Expand
  70. Wasabi_Beats
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    It's pokemon! If you enjoyed the previous ones your going to enjoy this one. It's an amazingly charming game with the same Pokemon magic!
  71. AnzuRed
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    A disappointing, on-rails steamroll from start to finish. Even ignoring the Pokedex cut, the story is a mess, the game is linear, and there's nowhere near enough content to justify the price being marked up from the 3DS games.
  72. KamiyaIan
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    A lazy game with half of Pokémon. I can't understand why they removed sooooooomany Pokémon.
  73. Ademi
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    HONEST REVIEW:
    I must say: I am disappointed to the max (no pun intended...)
    - severely lacking postgame - the story is rather short - the graphical performance and the animations are horrendous for a console game! People turn like a mummies in 180 degrees, grass patches and other areas look barren and - the music is just okay - Dynamax and Gigantamax are unnecessary mechanics and    HONEST REVIEW:
    I must say: I am disappointed to the max (no pun intended...)
    - severely lacking postgame
    - the story is rather short
    - the graphical performance and the animations are horrendous for a console game!
    People turn like a mummies in 180 degrees, grass patches and other areas look barren and
    - the music is just okay
    - Dynamax and Gigantamax are unnecessary mechanics and shallow gimmicks, it's hard to care for them. Mega-Evolutions and Z-moves were more approachable and, especially Mega-evolutions, added a new flaire to old, forgotten pokémon
    - the characters are not that interesting. The rival Hop and the champion Leon are pretty much THE EXACT SAME characters as the rival and the professor from Sun and Moon, same dynamic, same personalities etc.
    - the download version crashes the SD card and deletes ALL other games you have, dear god
    - they force you to use the Experience Share which was in the last two generation at least an item that could be toggled on and off --> it makes the game damn too easy
    - the Wild Area, the major selling point, is really not that beautiful, it's empty and laggy, and the weather changes after every other 20 feet, it's hyper unrealistic and breaks the immersion...!
    - there are NO dungeons or riddles whatsoever, the routes are predominantly only linear railroads from A to B... many closed up locations (such as a castle, you can't enter it - why???)
    - the cut pokédex didn't really add to my enthusiasm, if I'm being honest
    - some pretty good moves were removed from the game and I can't fathom why (Return e.g.???)
    - overall just really lackluster, you can see that they either
    1) didn't care and wanted to produce a product as fast as possible to make as much money as possible (brand loyalty, shilling)
    2) or that they didn't have enough time to polish it properly

    I'm thoroughy disappointed... these are the first proper pokémon games on a console. This generation doesn't start well. Mind you, many of these issues were NOT present in the handheld games but they cost 20 dollars more now so evaluate thoroughly if this game is really worth your time and money.    … Expand
  74. konus43
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Good Pokemon games. Love the wild areas and new pokemons are awesome.
  75. audi1005
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Less Pokemon, less move, less play-time,
    no Elite Four. no mega, no z-move, no GTS.    … Expand
  76. Luzon
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Mediocre at best, we all know that that the switch isn't the most powerful hardware there is in the world but despite that many companies do manage to create a pleasent graphicical experience with a game. Unfortunately with pokemon that is not the case total which is weird because you are paying 15$ extra this time to play the game.. If you compare pokemon with fire emblem,, zelda botw,Mediocre at best, we all know that that the switch isn't the most powerful hardware there is in the world but despite that many companies do manage to create a pleasent graphicical experience with a game. Unfortunately with pokemon that is not the case total which is weird because you are paying 15$ extra this time to play the game.. If you compare pokemon with fire emblem,, zelda botw, Mario or dragon quest (which has over 700 different kinds of monsters you see an immediate big difference. Almost if there's a full console generation between them in terms of hardware. About 60% of the pokemon are removed, expshare is forced and you can't catch some higher level pokemon when you don't have the correct badges.… Expand
  77. PokemonFan21
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This game is an example of how don't do a video game. Gamefreak tried to do another Pokemon game rushing it and this is the result. A game unfinished with many problems like bugs, bad graphics, extremely easy game, another bad history and a bad postgame. I hope in the future that could change, but Gamefreak have chosen a path only thinking in the money. I just wish games like Pokemon BW2This game is an example of how don't do a video game. Gamefreak tried to do another Pokemon game rushing it and this is the result. A game unfinished with many problems like bugs, bad graphics, extremely easy game, another bad history and a bad postgame. I hope in the future that could change, but Gamefreak have chosen a path only thinking in the money. I just wish games like Pokemon BW2 HGSS, or Pt, but those times will never come back.… Expand
  78. rheelly
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    If this would not have the Pokemon label on it, people would destroy it.
    Compared to what other games have accomplished in the last decade, this game is a sad reminder of how GameFreak doesnt even have to try, just because the Pokemon brand is as strong as it is.
    The game does have its moment, but it plays very unfinished, it's very short compared to other Pokemon games, there are bugs    If this would not have the Pokemon label on it, people would destroy it.
    Compared to what other games have accomplished in the last decade, this game is a sad reminder of how GameFreak doesnt even have to try, just because the Pokemon brand is as strong as it is.
    The game does have its moment, but it plays very unfinished, it's very short compared to other Pokemon games, there are bugs and in the end it just feels like a dissapointment.    … Expand
  79. Chrise
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    I play Pokemon mostly for the collecting, breeding and shiny hunting. I had really hoped to play this, despite all the various negative issues, but If I can't keep all the ones I've collected so far, there's no point.. I don't want my hard earned shinies to sit in limbo because they can't be used in Sword and Shield.
  80. NormalReview
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    At this point GBA titles were better in almost every aspect outside of the graphical update. A lot of great things got removed, changed for worse, you can tell the soul that used to be there got sucked out ages ago.

    Please, don't let this franchise continue like this. The flaws that were there are still here after 2 generations and instead of listening Game Freak decides to lie to their    At this point GBA titles were better in almost every aspect outside of the graphical update. A lot of great things got removed, changed for worse, you can tell the soul that used to be there got sucked out ages ago.

    Please, don't let this franchise continue like this. The flaws that were there are still here after 2 generations and instead of listening Game Freak decides to lie to their fans instead. If you can have fun with these games good for you.    … Expand
  81. THXGF
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    The game is frickin great. Period.
    The limited dex provides a fresh new experience finally forcing players to change their teams

    The game is rockin good, the best one in the franchise after that trash of USUM
  82. ringomi
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    Two steps forward, five steps back.
    While this game has quite a few welcome additions in this first outing on a home console. It takes away some beloved and used features, moves and pokemon in a competitive scene. The visuals look barely better than the previous generation on the 3DS, e.g. constant popup, NPC and pokemon are rendered it seems at arms length. Graphical gliches, gameplay    Two steps forward, five steps back.
    While this game has quite a few welcome additions in this first outing on a home console. It takes away some beloved and used features, moves and pokemon in a competitive scene. The visuals look barely better than the previous generation on the 3DS, e.g. constant popup, NPC and pokemon are rendered it seems at arms length. Graphical gliches, gameplay bugs and crashes are inexcusable.    … Expand
  83. ChicoGamer
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Esta es la nueva experiencia RPG Pokémon de la que se hablaba? Sigue siendo la misma fórmula de siempre que a estos vagos de GameFreak les encanta, sólo que con menos Pokémons, con un apartado técnico LAMENTABLE para ser una Switch y unas animaciones recicladas de otros juegos y ya no hablemos de la duración del juego y el Lategame, una decepción total y dinero tirado a la basura.
  84. skilly225
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    This is massively improved from Sun and Moon and significantly better than the poor outing that was X and Y. It's the same pokemon formula with streamlined QoL features and nothing as useless as the Pokepelago or the Festival plaza.

    The difficulty with the "Set" battle option is higher than Sun and Moon but on par with other games like ORAS, it's not significantly easier or harder in    This is massively improved from Sun and Moon and significantly better than the poor outing that was X and Y. It's the same pokemon formula with streamlined QoL features and nothing as useless as the Pokepelago or the Festival plaza.

    The difficulty with the "Set" battle option is higher than Sun and Moon but on par with other games like ORAS, it's not significantly easier or harder in any direction. For some that will be a disappointment, for others they know what to expect.

    Camping and Wild Areas are much better than horrible pokebean farming, the useless festival, or any other "feature" included with the last few gens.

    Will you miss some pokemon if you are the type of player to transfer hundreds of pokemon to your new game after rushing the elite 4? Yeah, probably. Is is the best pokemon game since BW2? Absolutely, it makes X and Y and sun and moon look terrible in every possible way.    … Expand
  85. BlackDEAGLE
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    The main story is short, and the postgame is lacking, around 25 hours if you take your time.
    The music is hit or miss most of the time.
    The wild area (the biggest new feature) feels incomplete and has bad textures and models for the environment. Its also not very big. The game has pop-in issues both in the wild area and in cities/routes, and has a horrible draw distance. The game is    The main story is short, and the postgame is lacking, around 25 hours if you take your time.
    The music is hit or miss most of the time.
    The wild area (the biggest new feature) feels incomplete and has bad textures and models for the environment. Its also not very big.
    The game has pop-in issues both in the wild area and in cities/routes, and has a horrible draw distance.
    The game is missing staple moves like pursuit, return and hidden power.
    Some animations in cutscenes and battles are either incredibly lacking, or amazing in some cases.
    Half of the pokemon are not coded into the game, and will be impossible to transfer (unless GameFreak changes their stance and updates).
    Mega evolution and Z-moves were removed and replaced by dynamax.
    Subjective, but some of the new pokemon are really off-putting.
    The game, as of release, has a fatal bug that can wipe your SD card.
    No following pokemon.    … Expand
  86. Ninjasuite
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    This is what happen if a company realize that they can do anything and people keep buying their products. Pokemon Sword and Shield are the worst mainline Pokemon game to date. Gamfreaks cuts more than 50% of Pokemon, removing moves, mega evolutions, and endgame contents without adding any improvement they promised. Most of the Pokemon model is proven identical to 3ds pokemon model whichThis is what happen if a company realize that they can do anything and people keep buying their products. Pokemon Sword and Shield are the worst mainline Pokemon game to date. Gamfreaks cuts more than 50% of Pokemon, removing moves, mega evolutions, and endgame contents without adding any improvement they promised. Most of the Pokemon model is proven identical to 3ds pokemon model which means they lied, because in the interview they said the reason they can't bring all the Pokemon is because they had to make all the models from scratch which is proven is not the case.… Expand
  87. Kace14
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Had potentials. Too many cutscenes. The story is very linear. It is also very hand-holdy kind of game. Generally, it is still enjoyable but not the game you’d want to spend hundred hours on.
  88. there_he_go
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Yet another rushed, disappointing mess for longtime fans of the series. Considering the emphasis that was placed on the graphics and animation quality before the S/S' release, you'd expect them to at least run at a consistent framerate or not blatantly copy/paste animations from prior games; but neither of these came to fruition. Not worth losing half of the games' cast for.Yet another rushed, disappointing mess for longtime fans of the series. Considering the emphasis that was placed on the graphics and animation quality before the S/S' release, you'd expect them to at least run at a consistent framerate or not blatantly copy/paste animations from prior games; but neither of these came to fruition. Not worth losing half of the games' cast for.

    Objectively, as long as the gameplay's good, graphical quality is a non-issue. Unfortunately, as with the 3DS era, Sword and Shield are dumbed down for the mobile phone generation. You're never made to go more than a few battles without healing, and if you can stomach that you can look forward to endless handholding and WOW CHARIZARD REMEMBER THIS KANTO POKEMON?

    If you have any semblance of critical thinking skills, don't buy these games.    … Expand
  89. phoenixsaturn
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    The core of the Pokemon experience is there (albeit in a highly stripped and watered down version compared to past entries in the series), but the entire game lacks polish. Apart from the Wild Area, there is very little to explore in this game. Routes are linear hallways designed to move you from A to B. The game's animations are very poor and for the most part recycled from previous 3DSThe core of the Pokemon experience is there (albeit in a highly stripped and watered down version compared to past entries in the series), but the entire game lacks polish. Apart from the Wild Area, there is very little to explore in this game. Routes are linear hallways designed to move you from A to B. The game's animations are very poor and for the most part recycled from previous 3DS entries. The rushed nature of the game is also very apparent after gym 5, as the game becomes extremely streamlined and the animations dip in quality substantially after this point. I would not be surprised to hear that this game was rushed out the door for the Christmas season.

    Overall, the entire game can easily be completed in 12 hours, there is little to do after the end credits, and what you can do gets repetitive very quickly. While you play you will be faced with busy, grating music that will make you desperate to go out of your way to find the NPC that will allow you to MUTE it. While the game is not fundamentally broken it is not at all worth the retail price and I would recommend purchasing any of the older Pokemon games rather than buying this one.    … Expand
  90. shade1267
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    This game is not worth your time or money.
    I played through the game before launch. It's incredibly unpolished and lacking in content. Not only this, but the game has wiped my friend's downloaded games from their SD card.
    This game only includes roughly 400 out of the 900 Pokemon made up to this point. Yet they've reused the models and animations from the 3DS titles. They also cut out    This game is not worth your time or money.
    I played through the game before launch. It's incredibly unpolished and lacking in content. Not only this, but the game has wiped my friend's downloaded games from their SD card.
    This game only includes roughly 400 out of the 900 Pokemon made up to this point. Yet they've reused the models and animations from the 3DS titles. They also cut out the GTS and over 100 moves. Online play is very shallow as a result. They put nothing in to justify the cut content. You're paying 50% more for half the content found in the 3DS games! I can't even recommend these games to parents with children who are fans of Pokemon. If they have any favourites that aren't in the game they will NEVER be able to use them. They are not programmed into the games. My heart breaks for these kids. If you do buy them for your kids, make sure they don't transfer their old Pokemon to Pokemon Home when it's released. They could be stuck there forever, forcing you to pay every in order to prevent them from being deleted.

    The only improvements are the overworld encounters and they couldn't even get that right. The render distance of Pokemon is completely immersion breaking. Pokemon will appear out of thin air 4 feet in front of you.    … Expand
  91. metabean
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    This game is a fun experience. It's a great continuation of the series.
    It has some great new systems, like the camping and the wild areas, which are a great way to improve on the pokemon pelago and festival plaza.
    The graphics are amazing, as are the new pokemon designs. This game has some of my favorite pokemon designs out of all of them.
    The game is fun to play and a great new pokemon game!
  92. StupidPhaggit
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    A bigger let down than what I was expecting. Took me only about 10 hours to beat the game and only 9 hours for my sister. The battle animations were a lot more restrictive than I thought. The only highlight in animation is during the legendary battle. I was also disappointed to hear that many pokemon were cut for the sake of better animation and more content, only to realize there wasn'tA bigger let down than what I was expecting. Took me only about 10 hours to beat the game and only 9 hours for my sister. The battle animations were a lot more restrictive than I thought. The only highlight in animation is during the legendary battle. I was also disappointed to hear that many pokemon were cut for the sake of better animation and more content, only to realize there wasn't much of either. If the stuff about 3D models and animations being re-used from the last game is true, then that's even more disappointing since that would mean they had even more time to do things right if they were recycling assets. A lot of the pokemon designs this time around also felt really off, especially the water starter, Mr. Rhime and Dracovish, but that's more of a design critique rather than what about the game. The Dynamaxing ability was a pretty big let down as I was able to take out most of these powered up pokemon in one hit, including the Champion's. The difficulty in the game was a bit too simple. Usually I end up defeated at least 4 or so times in a Pokemon game or I at least lose most of my team in a hard fight, but this time around I just took out almost everything in one hit while not losing a single pokemon or needing to use more than a few items this time around. The world itself also feels incredibly linear for a Pokemon game that promised you an open world experience. Like most open world games, its also pretty barren, and most of the pokemon you encounter in the wild don't look or move in a lifelike fashion. In short, it was disappointing. Which is a shame since I was really looking forward to this.… Expand
  93. welliforgot
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    (Score is subject to change)

    My first thoughts this game are just "passionless" and "empty". Every mainline previous entry in the franchise has always gripped me with an endearing world and cast of imaginative critters. But I feel that magic has vanished with the newest entry. I have to be honest, the feeling of emptiness has to do with the fact that Pokemon as a franchise will no    (Score is subject to change)

    My first thoughts this game are just "passionless" and "empty". Every mainline previous entry in the franchise has always gripped me with an endearing world and cast of imaginative critters. But I feel that magic has vanished with the newest entry. I have to be honest, the feeling of emptiness has to do with the fact that Pokemon as a franchise will no longer feel progressive. The design choices made for this game to remove older pokemon and the fact this will supposedly continue with entries in the future has genuinely dampened my enjoyment of the games. Without the sense of lasting progression, now pokemon sword has to stand as an rpg game on its own since it no longer will connect directly with the other entries, but the game itself is just a passionless, brainless chore. The battles against trainers feel like a chore, since the challenge is somehow even less than before as my pokemon are much over leveled without much effort at all from me. I was hoping to feel something when I got to dynamax my pokemon for the first time at a gym, but again it just felt like an auto-win button and didn't require any challenge, thought, or excitement. People have told me that something like this was inevitable to happen for the franchise because it couldn't sustain everything forever. I guess they also failed to mention that when it did happen, it was also the death of the franchise for me. There are vastly superior rpg experiences out there in combat, story, and excitement overall, made much more obvious now that what made this particular franchise stand out at all is gone. I am not completely finished with the game so my score and review may change, but it may take a while since my motivation to complete the game is extremely low.    … Expand
  94. DonPelayo
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Siendo Gamefreak una empresa multimillonaria es una pena que no se dignen en invertir más dinero y esfuerzo en esta bella franquicia, tal es su desidia que ni siquiera aprovechan las capacidades de la consola, y cosas como que el repartidor exp sea obligatorio no hacen más que empeorar las cosas.
  95. Pikappa93
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    I wish this game was good, I really do. There are some positives: UI is fine and building a competitive Pokémon is now easy and intuitive.
    But there are a lot of bad things. Graphics are terrible, especially in the Wild Area with pop ups everywhere. Animations are horrible too, especially compared with past spin-off games. They said they cut the National Dex for high quality animations but    I wish this game was good, I really do. There are some positives: UI is fine and building a competitive Pokémon is now easy and intuitive.
    But there are a lot of bad things. Graphics are terrible, especially in the Wild Area with pop ups everywhere. Animations are horrible too, especially compared with past spin-off games. They said they cut the National Dex for high quality animations but that is a straight lie. It would have been fine if that was the case but it's not. The game is also very short and easy. The story is very simple. Very disappointing overall.    … Expand
  96. Laurynas
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    The game looks great, I'm sure Game Freak will fix all the bugs in future updates.
  97. TheHonestMan
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Pokemon Sword and Shield boast expansive landscapes and a sense of ambition... at first. The more the game goes on you become aware of how hastily put together and hollow it really is.
    The main selling point, the Wild Area, is smaller than you would expect - and plain ugly to boot. There is not a lot to do there. The same games for the game's traditional routes which are some of the    Pokemon Sword and Shield boast expansive landscapes and a sense of ambition... at first. The more the game goes on you become aware of how hastily put together and hollow it really is.
    The main selling point, the Wild Area, is smaller than you would expect - and plain ugly to boot. There is not a lot to do there. The same games for the game's traditional routes which are some of the smallest and most linear yet. This combined with the game interrupting you every 5 seconds for Leon to brag about his Charizard or whatever make the game a chore to sit through despite their short length.
    That's not to say the game doesn't have it's positives though, Galar can be quite pretty when it comes to towns and colors, and there are some much welcome quality of life improvements like easily accessible move re-learners and nature mints. A lot of the series past tedium is now gone and getting into competitive has never been easier. The new monster designs themselves are also cool and imaginative. The dynamax gym battle are a sight to behold with their giant battles and roaring crowds. I also much prefer the new Y-comm to generation 7's festival plaza.

    Unfortunately, that's about all nice I have to say about the games. The difficulty is nonexistent, the story is dull and predictable, and the overall content and variety pales compared to past entries despite them sacrificing 500 Pokemon and costing $20 more. These negatives as well as the technical issues and signs of a rushed game (an important battle has no music, last gym is a single room etc.) mean I can only give these a 4/10.

    There is potential, but they need to spend more time on their products for something truly good. Better luck next game.    … Expand
  98. MrHoots
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokémon Sword, and obviously Shield is a wonderful addition to the franchise. How it behaves is something of a soft reboot to the franchise. It's decided to take it's focus from quantity and replace it with balance, quality of life, and general design quality of the new Pokémon (Save for a few, I find most of the pokemon quite good designs, even if they are on the weaker end of the spectrum) It's a controversial opinion, but I actually support this decision. I didn't at first, but the more I thought about it calmly the more it made sense to me.

    The moment you start the game you're greeted by a huge stadium filled with roaring crowds and the opening to a battle between the undefeated as yet Champion, and an unknown adversary... the game's aim to be more competitive in direction painted VERY clearly at this moment (which makes the balance and smaller pokédex size more sensible)

    The world is a treat to explore, though in truth I'd like a bit more around the wild area but not necessarily less routes... after all, they are a core part of the game's roots. The story is mostly what you'd expect, but your main rival, Hop, has a lot more dimension than previous rivals and actually feels like a developed character. A first for the franchise.

    People are up in arms over the regional dex being all there is, complaining that they can't transfer all their old pokemon in, and while I sympathise, they wouldn't have been able to even do that til 2020 when Pokémon Home comes out, so their complaining that the game feels barren is just childish squawking. The game has NEVER felt empty for me.

    As for the optimisation complaints, I haven't witnessed any slowdown, stutter, popping, character model errors or the like. Though most of them got disproved when the alleged "streamer" who displayed all this turned out to be hacking.

    I am not justifying GameFreak's cut corners and as a whole we do deserve a better game considering the shift in hardware power levels... but if you're aching for a new pokemon adventure you won't be disappointed by this one.

    One final footnote:
    You may read that "high level pokemon can be shiny and you can't catch them without the right badge" this is not true, it's already been datamined that a WILD Pokemon you can't catch CANNOT appear as shiny.    … Expand
  99. lulubot
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    This was a waste of money for me, I put 5 hours into it and got really bored because of the lack of difficulty and constant hand-holding.

    The EXP share made my party so over-levelled to the point where i'd just one shot everything, and I was disappointed to find out that there's no option to turn it off.

    I'd only recommend this game for children under the age of 10.
  100. Wiki
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    La mitad de Pokémon, 100 ataques menos, no Z-moves, no megaevolución, no postgame, mecanicas para niños de 7 años, repartir experiencia por defecto, modelados de 3DS... sigo? Tiene casi los mismos bugs que tipos de curry. JUEGO PARA CASUALS
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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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