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. KingReece
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    They cut Pokemons, they cut moves, they cut frame rate, they cut graphics, they should of just cut the whole game, lol why bother, really disappointed
  2. Aranashi
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Adoro pokemon pero no puedo aprobar este juego, me es imposible aprobar a Game Freak, no vengo a criticar los gráficos del juego, ya que, en mi opinión, se ve muy bien, tanto en modo TV como en portátil, pero lo que si que no se puede pasar por alto son las animaciones de los pokemon y de los personajes, giros de 360 grados sobre su eje y animaciones de combate propias de juegos de hace 10Adoro pokemon pero no puedo aprobar este juego, me es imposible aprobar a Game Freak, no vengo a criticar los gráficos del juego, ya que, en mi opinión, se ve muy bien, tanto en modo TV como en portátil, pero lo que si que no se puede pasar por alto son las animaciones de los pokemon y de los personajes, giros de 360 grados sobre su eje y animaciones de combate propias de juegos de hace 10 años.
    No vengo a criticar la eliminación de pokemon ya que, para mi, no es importante, de hecho los pokemon de esta generación me encantan.
    La inclusión del área salvaje me parece un gran acierto y las incursiones también me parecen de lo mejor que podían añadir a la saga.
    No entiendo como game freak sigue estancada y sigue dándonos personajes lamentables y rivales que no están a la altura. Han quitado el ciclo día y noche excepto en el área salvaje.
    Game Freak sigue sin estar a la altura y olvidando a los jugadores veteranos que ya somos adultos deberían aprender de estudios como Genius Sonority para hacer juegos. No entiendo tanto recorte de opciones como el repartir experiencia.
    En definitiva no se lo recomiendo a nadie para iniciarse en la saga. La experiencia total no es mala pero sus puntos negativos y la dejadez de Game Freak pesan más. Puede que este sea mi último pokemon, por lo menos el último de este estudio, aunque como fan de la saga desde su inicio nunca perderé la esperanza en que mejoraran en la siguiente entrega, una mejora que nunca parece llegar.    … Expand
  3. SiberyanZ
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    The amount of reused content, technical issues and blatant incompetence that this game shows are by far the objective demonstration that this is the worst game in the series thus far.
    Having been a long time fan of the series i can't help but feel incredibly disapponited with its direction and decisions, from the removal of fan favourite pokémons (more then half of them) or the removal of    The amount of reused content, technical issues and blatant incompetence that this game shows are by far the objective demonstration that this is the worst game in the series thus far.
    Having been a long time fan of the series i can't help but feel incredibly disapponited with its direction and decisions, from the removal of fan favourite pokémons (more then half of them) or the removal of important moves for the competitive side of the game, like Hidden Power or Return, to the introduction of mechanics that are unoriginal and uninspired like Dynamax and Gigamax, this game feel like a cheap copy and paste of Sun and Moon ported to the Switch with even less content and rushed to meet the holiday season time frame.    … Expand
  4. KentWI
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Best pokemon game ever!!! Everything is upgraded to a new level. You won't be disappointed by this gen if you have played and loved previous pokemon games unless you really care about the Pokedex cut.
  5. beyak
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    The bad:
    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    The bad:
    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.

    The good:
    It's still pokemon, and still has the same great formula.
    The games look great, especially in cities.
    The trainer customization is the best ever.
    Some of the new pokemon and character designs are amazing.
    Competitive teambuilding is easier than ever before.

    Overall: The game could have used more time before release and had great potential. If all pokemon, moves and megas were coded in and the whole game was polished more (especially the wild area) the game could have been the best pokemon games so far. It's sad to see GameFreak pushing yearly releases for the games instead of giving them the development time needed to become truly great.    … Expand
  6. hewwothwewe
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    From beginning to end feels very rushed.
    it would have been that bad of a game if it had the usual handheld price. but for 60 it's honestly not worth buying,
  7. Flaviofrancesco
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    I don t know why this games are so hated, i love them but i see them as a Dior a Dior to a brand new world on switch, i home that the gen 4 remakes will be even better.
  8. Alvertin
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    I really wish the games were good. I don't leave this review out of spite, but because I love the series. For the positives, I like some of the new designs. On top of that, most Pokemon get additional moves, giving them more variety in combat. Besides that, it's a Pokemon game with serious added flaws. Though it was a trend set in earlier games, the new games are more linear and lessI really wish the games were good. I don't leave this review out of spite, but because I love the series. For the positives, I like some of the new designs. On top of that, most Pokemon get additional moves, giving them more variety in combat. Besides that, it's a Pokemon game with serious added flaws. Though it was a trend set in earlier games, the new games are more linear and less secret filled than ever. Dungeons are more akin to hallways instead labyrinths with branching paths and abundant secrets. There are very few routes in the game, and the ones that exist are mostly short and lack complexity. The wild area feels half baked and unfinished. After the short main campaign, all that's left for you is a short side story and a Battle Tower. Besides that, you're entirely reliant on playing online for content.

    As a gimmick, Dynamax against other players is frustrating and poorly balanced. One wrong move and you're down two or even three mons. This is especially devastating in 3v3 matches, it feels even more poorly balanced than the previous battle gimmicks, Mega Evolution and Z-moves.

    It's painful to see the series hit this low. I wanted this to be good, but wading through the major flaws to get to the small nuggets of good simply isn't worth it. The games aren't irredeemable, but it's really hard to recommend it when it drops the ball so hard.    … Expand
  9. Kylis105
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    Barebones and buggy but the core is still there. Just wish they would stick with some of the mechanics they have developed in the past rather than scrapping them every new game.
  10. Andmyaxe90
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Yes, it's a bit rough around the edges, but the points made by the negative people don't stand. The dex cut was needed. Balancing 890 Pokémon is an impossible task. The animations are fine. But most importantly: the game is fun.
  11. KerJO
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    The two games are very beautiful and fun, a big step forward, but they could do better. They laid the foundations for future games.
  12. Rardo
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    To be honest this game is disappointing, don’t get me wrong the game likes nice and all visually but this game just ain’t it. They used the exact same game models from the 3DS and they cut 455 Pokémon from the game for better animation and graphics even though it looks the exactly the same as it did for the past 7 years. I never thought GameFreak could get any lazier and incompetent thanTo be honest this game is disappointing, don’t get me wrong the game likes nice and all visually but this game just ain’t it. They used the exact same game models from the 3DS and they cut 455 Pokémon from the game for better animation and graphics even though it looks the exactly the same as it did for the past 7 years. I never thought GameFreak could get any lazier and incompetent than this. Generations 1-5 had more soul put into them than these games. Now the digital copies of these are being reported to not only corrupt your SD card and delete your Save data but it kills the console too. They should have spent an extra year or two working on these games. “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad”… Expand
  13. Jostermo
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Unfinished product for a whole 60$. Don't waste your time and hopes for it. - bad animations (I mean, really bad)
    - models from 3ds
    - awful textures especially in the wild area
    - wild area catching lock
    - short game ( 20 hours)
    - bugs and crushes
    - cutted dex
    - the easiest game of them all
    And etc
    Please, don't support THIS
  14. RockVincent
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    I hope that I can play a Great pokemon game, not like this one. I have to tell Game Freak, you have to work hard, and promote your skill(compare to Dragon Quest 11s , you really disappoint me a lot). Don't let the fans down again.
  15. DrZiegler
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This game is horrendous. Not only did they have the 600 Pokemon CUT, they also removed a **** ton of moves. How anyone could enjoy this garbage is beyond me
  16. ShayminFan95
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    The very low score I'm giving these games might seem like a poor attempt at review bombing them, but oh no my friends, this is an actual review from someone who actually played the games and didn't receive any dirty money to say something other than the truth. Pokémon Sword and Shield are possibly the worst Pokémon games to ever be made. For a fully priced 60$ game, they have less thanThe very low score I'm giving these games might seem like a poor attempt at review bombing them, but oh no my friends, this is an actual review from someone who actually played the games and didn't receive any dirty money to say something other than the truth. Pokémon Sword and Shield are possibly the worst Pokémon games to ever be made. For a fully priced 60$ game, they have less than HALF the content of any of the 3DS Pokémon core series games and nearly no redeemable features. In fact, one of their most notable "features" is the lack of more than half of the old Pokémon (a first for a series, hurray innovation!), which means there's over 50% chance that your favorite Pokémon is not even in the code for these games. The cut in content also includes moves, some of which make absolutely no sense why they would have been left out.

    The characters are mostly bland and uninteresting and some are carbon copies of previous characters from Sun and Moon. Those that aren't usually don't have a story or personality deeper than a sheet of paper, and their constant, pointless, overly enthusiastic interruptions make it feel like the game is asking you at all times to "pretty please be excited". The environments pale in comparison to other first-party Nintendo games on the console even if some admittedly had potential. You'll eventually find yourself walking through the empty streets of London, as if the apokélypse happened the day before.

    Let's talk about models, animations, and performance, shall we? All of the Pokémon models are reused straight from the 3DS games, with some exceptions that were so slightly improved that you can't even tell the difference in practice. This wouldn't be a problem as the Pokémon community understands this is necessary to keep these games realistically doable. The problem is that the producers of the game claimed they were cutting the amount of Pokémon so they could focus on remaking the models from scratch for the Switch hardware and also improve the quality and expressiveness of animations. Oh boy, are those animations lacking in quality. The characters move in tank controls (even during cutscenes!) like we're still in 2000. Even in the overworld, expect a lot of 180 degree turns while the walking forward animation plays. This is completely unjustifiable, but not something we would even care if only GameFreak had not called attention to it and used it as an excuse for the massive cuts that will severely damage the entire series. Pokémon models are not properly scaled in battle, and instead they give us an absolutely unnecessary and lame feature of "Dynamax" in which they suddenly discovered the scale slider exists in 3D software and decided to abuse it. The game struggles to maintain a stable framerate even tho it took Breath of the Wild the "Godray & Foliage Overkill Woods" and Smash Bros. "16 Ice Climbers on Fountain of Dreams" for the same to happen. The draw distance is laughable and glaring, you are sure to direct your eyes to the nearest Berry Tree popping in.

    Difficulty-wise, the game is so easy that the biggest challenge will be not falling asleep while playing it, something that is amplified by the previously mentioned constant interruptions by NPCs. The soundtrack has a few good themes, but the rest is a cacophony of instruments desperately trying to grab your attention with inharmonious, generic and chaotic tracks. The only hype I got from this game was during the climax, which I shall not mention for spoiler reasons, where apparently they blew the entire budget and development time, and even that is an average experience when put into context with climaxes from other current games.

    If after this entire review you still think this game is worth playing, be aware of the awful glitch (that somehow passed quality assurance) which can actually delete your other game's save files from your console.
    It's so obvious that this game was rushed out in this poor state to meet unrealistic deadlines and extract as much money as possible from a blind and passive fanbase that I'm baffled by anyone who defends it.

    In conclusion, whether you are a Pokémon fan or wanting to become one, these are games you can easily skip and save some bucks. I dare to say Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee are better games than these dumpster fires. If you truly want a good Pokémon experience play the 3DS games or, even better, the DS ones.    … Expand
  17. Ablestract
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Horrible dissapointment. Gamefreak has been struggling to make a good pokemon game since their transition to 3d, and the latest release follows the same downward trend. Cut corners visually and content-wise are the biggest offenders. The wild area is a nice concept, but amounts to nothing more than a large empty space where you can catch pokemon. These games used to have dungeons andHorrible dissapointment. Gamefreak has been struggling to make a good pokemon game since their transition to 3d, and the latest release follows the same downward trend. Cut corners visually and content-wise are the biggest offenders. The wild area is a nice concept, but amounts to nothing more than a large empty space where you can catch pokemon. These games used to have dungeons and mysterious places to explore, but that's all been removed in favor of boring corridors and unthreatening, short routes between towns. Any credit I can give to this game is for some of the designs of the new pokemon, otherwise I can't stand it. I think about the developers that would kill to have a chance to make a great pokemon game, whereas gamefreak seems content to waste that opportunity in favor of stagnating and easy money… Expand
  18. emnix
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    A grand quest, a fresh coat of paint, excitement on every turn! This game is a very welcomed addition to the home console, without losing any of its charm
  19. Conas
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The good about this game is the same that can be said about other Pokemon games. Exploring is fun, battling is fun, and training is fun. But the wild area was suppose to be a trade off for little routes, but the wild area is fairly small. Pokemon in the over-world don't interact with the over-world save for chasing after the trainer. The weather changes in the wild area are way too sudden. And have the bike become the hm replacer is bad, should've sticked to how SM and LGPE did it. The routes are fairly short and route 7 especially takes less than a minute to cross including trainers. The story is very bland. I don't expect much from Pokemon but after SM I at least wanted to interact with more personal stories characters had. There is no evil team in the game. Team Yell are just Marine fans who like to get in your way. Then turns out they are actually the gym trainers for the 7th gym, Piere's gym. Marine's older brother. It seemed Marine was gonna have a small story arc when we got to the seventh gym, but it was shafted after we beat Piere. The League got rid of the Elite Four and replaced it with a tournament. Not bad , it's execution in this game sucks because it's against Gym Leaders and characters you didn't really bond with. The twist in the game was Chairman Rose wanted to awaken a pokemon with infinite energy for dynamaxing. Dynamax energy runs out in 1000 years btw. He decides to awaken it during the tournament, we literally would've helped after the tournament. But he was too impatient to wait 1 day for a problem that wouldn't happen for 1000 years. The battle against Eternatus sucks, you don't fight whatsoever. The two box legionaries are the only one's that can damage him, and you don't even control them. You're just in the battle was picking whatever move, because it doesn't matter. YOU can't hurt him. After the battles the legionaries jump into the sunset, you don't get to catch one until post game. The game has so much potential, but it just fell flat for me.… Expand
  20. Redemption37000
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Bring back national dex ! More than half of the deleted pokédex, all the old starters missing just like the old legendary pokémon.… Expand
  21. pigzig
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This game is not just lazy it actually feels unfinished. Someone needs to tell Game Freak a new entry is supposed to offer something new. This game feels like it came out BEFORE Sun and Moon instead of after. A few new Pokemon and a raid battle gimmick is the entire selling point of this stripped down cashgrab.
  22. N8VPERSONA
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    The game is riddled with lots of flaws, more then just the dexit part. The game has performance issues lots of times. The times where it doesn't are in the smallest areas of the game which does occasionally look nice, but the sense of scale is just not there. The wild area is hideous almost 95% of the time and when you on top of that multiplayer the game really loses its marbles and makesThe game is riddled with lots of flaws, more then just the dexit part. The game has performance issues lots of times. The times where it doesn't are in the smallest areas of the game which does occasionally look nice, but the sense of scale is just not there. The wild area is hideous almost 95% of the time and when you on top of that multiplayer the game really loses its marbles and makes it even worse then it already is. The stuff that the games do get right are not unique to this entry all other entries do it well. But the bad things are by in large unique to this game. The game does not give you that sense of next generation like other games on the switch do. Like breath of the wild, Mario oddysey, fire emblem three houses. Pokemon sword and shield are just upscaled 3ds games at least that was my experience.… Expand
  23. DoomDragon9000
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Expectations are everything in life. Video games are certainly no exception. Our opinions, reviews or “scores” for a given video game are a direct result of our expectations. A change in expectations - either deliberately or unconsciously; sudden, or as a result of multiple experiences - can result in radically contrasting impressions of the same underlying video game. With that in mind,Expectations are everything in life. Video games are certainly no exception. Our opinions, reviews or “scores” for a given video game are a direct result of our expectations. A change in expectations - either deliberately or unconsciously; sudden, or as a result of multiple experiences - can result in radically contrasting impressions of the same underlying video game. With that in mind, it begs the question: what are reasonable expectations to have for a game like Pokémon Sword and Shield? What should we use as the baseline for forming these expectations?

    The level of quality, polish, depth and amount of content in previous main entries in the series?
    The relative quality of alternative $60, 1st party Nintendo Switch titles?
    The hardware capabilities of the Nintendo Switch relative to previous handhelds on which Pokémon has appeared?
    The certain level of production value one might anticipate in a watershed moment for the highest grossing media franchise of all time?

    These are all perfectly fair and reasonable baselines from which to form one’s expectations of Pokémon Sword and Shield. Nostalgia, goodwill and sentimentality for this particular series have seemingly always resulted in an expectation discount of sorts, but for many the 50% price increase for this installment, outright lies from GameFreak and the non-stop, in-your-face Kanto exposure in recent years have all but eliminated said discount. The unfortunate reality is, that even with a discount of sorts on expectations, Pokemon Sword and Shield still fall woefully short of expectations by any reasonable baseline.

    Content removal has reached a fever pitch, and what remains lacks effort, ambition, or even a semblance of challenge. Since its transition to 3D, Pokemon has gone from mildly challenging to downright patronizing. In an era where Mario, Zelda, Fire Emblem and Super Smash Bros. have displayed radical ambition in their main Nintendo Switch entries, pushing their respective series’ to new heights…Pokemon Sword and Shield are aggressively mediocre. With the transition to console – from 4GB cartridges to 32 GB cartridges – from 240p to 1080p – that we even had such confusion and debate regarding the re-use of models, animations and textures is a tragedy. While a novel could be written on the business inner-workings of GameFreak and The Pokemon Company, having standards for their products - especially given their capacity to produce good ones when they try - does in no way make one entitled.

    So it bears repeating: Pokemon Sword and Shield fall woefully short of expectations by any reasonable baseline.

    Much to its detriment, Pokémon Sword and Shield offer substantially fewer features, shallower depth, and reduced challenge relative to earlier, cheaper Pokémon games on weaker hardware. That is the brutal reality of these games. If one is completely new to the Pokémon series and does not possess any level of – and here is that word again – expectation for these games, this might not matter quite as much, but will still worsen the overall experience if they have had even a taste of the Nintendo Switch’s JRPG contemporaries (XenoBlade, Dragon Quest 11S and Atelier, among others). For series veterans, especially those who have experienced the relatively ambitious, content-loaded, reasonably-challenging, generation 3-5 games, it will be hard for Pokemon Sword and Shield to block criticism of its cut content.

    Again, by any reasonable baseline of expectations – which I list at the beginning of this review – Pokemon Sword and Shield fall woefully short. It’s painful to say and type that, along with everything else I have. What is even more painful however, is the reality that these games will likely be an enormous commercial success based on name recognition and have already received critical acclaim from the corporate critics and “content creators”, both of which are subject to an insidious conflict of interest when assessing the quality of these games. Said success will only incentivize low-effort, unambitious annual releases.

    You will see many negative reviews here, none nearly as lengthy as my diatribe. However, recognize that these negative reviews, like mine, come from a place of love and passion for the Pokemon series, and a sense of heartbreak and betrayal over seeing what it has become. To us, we love Pokemon, and in order for it to improve, there needs to be a place for criticism. This is it.

    Anyways, do not buy Pokemon Sword or Shield. For the good of your money, your time, and the future of this franchise, do not buy Pokemon Sword or Shield.    … Expand
  24. Vanbeef
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    After several Hours of Gameplay I really can say: It's the best Pokemon Game ive ever played.
    Started my Journey with Pokemon Red & Blue and came all my Way to Sword new.

    The Game looks amazing
    Smooth Gameplay
    Cute Pokemon Style
    Over 350 different Pokemon... thats just amazing!!
  25. pokefan4ever
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This game is too poorly made in too many areas. My son was really excited for this game, but when we played it we experienced too many crashes. I don't know why it happened, but it happened over the course of 4 hours. The moments we did get to play the game was very monotonous. Both my son and I have played previous Pokemon games, but from the bad graphics (relative to the other SwitchThis game is too poorly made in too many areas. My son was really excited for this game, but when we played it we experienced too many crashes. I don't know why it happened, but it happened over the course of 4 hours. The moments we did get to play the game was very monotonous. Both my son and I have played previous Pokemon games, but from the bad graphics (relative to the other Switch games) and shoddy music, and uninteresting Pokemon designs, we simply could not bear to continue. I got Digimon Cyber Sleuth instead, and WOW, the game looks and plays so much better. My son enjoys the Digimon designs, (and the ladies) more than Pokemon.… Expand
  26. UnionJack0714
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    This game is very bitter sweet. The game itself, is as good as 'pokemon' games get, at the expense of missing favourites... but honestly the designs of the new Pokemon are so good, it's forgivable... to an extent. Obviously I want my old favourites back, but at the same time I'm finding some new favourites. The wild area is great, even if it's not the best looking area in the game and isThis game is very bitter sweet. The game itself, is as good as 'pokemon' games get, at the expense of missing favourites... but honestly the designs of the new Pokemon are so good, it's forgivable... to an extent. Obviously I want my old favourites back, but at the same time I'm finding some new favourites. The wild area is great, even if it's not the best looking area in the game and is very bare bones in terms of decoration, offering a unique take on Pokemon encounters, and playing with other players is brilliant too. The story and characters definitely aren't bad, but are predictable if you've played Sun and Moon... very obvious inspiration there. The music ranges from the best in the series to this doesn't fit at all, thankfully more good than bad songs. Dynamax and Gigamax forms aren't the silly gimmicks I thought they would be, they offer up some great battles, especially towards the end of the game. And most importantly, unlike Sun and Moon, the game doesn't have a long unnecessary tutorial. Overall, if you want a good Pokemon game, this is for you. If you wanted a massive leap forward in the series, maybe wait for Gen 9 instead and safe yourself the anger and hate towards this game.… Expand
  27. Tortugamite
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Pros:
    -First Major Pokemon Switch Release!
    -Wild Area is a conceptually great idea -Online functionality with Raids and camps are cool -Good Pokemon designs Cons: -Short, can take anywhere from 10-18 hours for an average pace -Graphically inferior to many other titles on Switch -Animations are stiff and wooden for the most part -Missing Pokemon isn’t disappointing to series veterans and    Pros:
    -First Major Pokemon Switch Release!
    -Wild Area is a conceptually great idea
    -Online functionality with Raids and camps are cool
    -Good Pokemon designs

    Cons:
    -Short, can take anywhere from 10-18 hours for an average pace
    -Graphically inferior to many other titles on Switch
    -Animations are stiff and wooden for the most part
    -Missing Pokemon isn’t disappointing to series veterans and long time fans
    -Buggy

    Neither:
    -Gameplay generally remains the same, dynamaxing being essentially the love child of mega evolutions and z moves
    -Music is hit or miss(specifically the legendary track)
    -Cast can be interesting, but some characters seem familiar in terms of personality when thinking about previous titles    … Expand
  28. Ryuseii
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Problems with Sword and Shield:
    Digital versions have had occurences of all saves on the switch being deleted.
    They removed 66% of the pokemon. They removed moves. The main game is very short. 8 gyms beaten within 12 hours, post game short as well. Catching pokemon restrictions based on badges. Many towns being literal hallways Especially the 7th one. Villain team is an afterthought    Problems with Sword and Shield:
    Digital versions have had occurences of all saves on the switch being deleted.
    They removed 66% of the pokemon.
    They removed moves.
    The main game is very short. 8 gyms beaten within 12 hours, post game short as well.
    Catching pokemon restrictions based on badges.
    Many towns being literal hallways Especially the 7th one.
    Villain team is an afterthought not even villains.
    No shinies on the overworld which even a game like Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee can do.

    Positives about Sword and Shield

    It has Joltik, and Joltik is adorable.    … Expand
  29. TheGrave999
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    It’s a great Pokémon game. You got your Pokémon on switch and it came out great. Buy it or don’t, it’s your cash.
  30. fridgerator
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The essence of being a trainer is ruined, everything is dumbed down, being ready to battle is no longer a factor, let alone the pillar of the franchise. The graphics belong on 3DS and it runs worse than PUBG. Shallow story, short game, lazy animation. The only positive so far is more Pikachu forms to utterly defeat.… Expand
  31. Kantomax
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    -Boring uninspired region
    -Interesting routes, dungeons, caves, forests, etc all replaced by lifeless wild area
    -Game treats you as if you're a toddler, constantly holding your hand and removing any ability to explore. Marketing this game as an "adventure" is outright disingenuous. You are constantly railroaded to where the game wants you to be. -ZERO post-game content -Worst Pokemon    -Boring uninspired region
    -Interesting routes, dungeons, caves, forests, etc all replaced by lifeless wild area
    -Game treats you as if you're a toddler, constantly holding your hand and removing any ability to explore. Marketing this game as an "adventure" is outright disingenuous. You are constantly railroaded to where the game wants you to be.
    -ZERO post-game content
    -Worst Pokemon designs yet. Starters are beyond awful.
    -Character designs are a mess
    -One step forwards and two steps back in regards to raising competitive Pokemon. Getting Gigantamax Pokemon requires dealing with RNG grindfest raids
    -Bare minimum amount of effort put into the graphics and despite this the game has framerate issues all over the place
    -And of course, the big one. They cut half of the Pokemon to lock them in the eternal prison known as Home

    I'm giving this a 2 because as a game it is worthless. There is no reason to play this game when previous Pokemon titles exist, it offers nothing of value.    … Expand
  32. paidshill
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    BEST. POKEMON. GAME. EVER!!!!!!!!!!

    Very few things in life can make me as happy as a great Pokemon RPG, and Sword and Shield repeatedly left me in a state of pure, child-like joy. The elated surprise of not knowing what’s coming is something this series does extremely well if you can manage to play it relatively unspoiled (fear not, this review won’t deprive you of that), and I’m glad    BEST. POKEMON. GAME. EVER!!!!!!!!!!

    Very few things in life can make me as happy as a great Pokemon RPG, and Sword and Shield repeatedly left me in a state of pure, child-like joy. The elated surprise of not knowing what’s coming is something this series does extremely well if you can manage to play it relatively unspoiled (fear not, this review won’t deprive you of that), and I’m glad that sense of wonder is still alive and kicking in Sword and Shield. With every new game in this 23-year-old series, changes big and small are always made, but I’ve never been willing to declare the latest entry the new gold standard for Pokemon because they’ve consistently been a balance of better and worse. But the first mainline game on the Switch has changed that: though there is still no “perfect Pokemon game,” the 40-plus hours I’ve spent with Sword and Shield have left me comfortable with calling them the best Pokemon games I have ever played – and I’ve played ‘em all.

    WHEN I SAW CHARIZARD I CLAPPED!!!!!!!!!!!    … Expand
  33. Tarasios
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This game is like an uncooked unseasoned potato: Bland and simple.

    It lacks the depth of any other game, being a straight line through. No hidden paths or secrets. And once you finish the main story that's it, you are done. You unlock the "battle tower" which has even less features than any prior simple "battle tower" and absolutely nothing else. The only positives are some good new    This game is like an uncooked unseasoned potato: Bland and simple.

    It lacks the depth of any other game, being a straight line through. No hidden paths or secrets. And once you finish the main story that's it, you are done. You unlock the "battle tower" which has even less features than any prior simple "battle tower" and absolutely nothing else.

    The only positives are some good new Pokemon designs, but the excitement over new Pokemon is dulled thanks to the National Dex cut meaning that I can't even be sure that I can keep them with me.

    Dynamaxing is fine but ultimately hollow. It combines mega evolution and z moves and manages to capture the worst of both. Even those who enjoy it can look forward to it being cut from the next game.

    Curry and Camping are barely even relevant to gameplay, and serve no purpose aside from being something they can add to the games "features list". As though they were added to meet a quota.

    This is a disgrace to the franchise, and it saddens me to see my favourite brand doing so poorly.    … Expand
  34. Ambiguoo
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After 20 year of pokemon on console this pokemon could be the game that all people are waiting for.
    After 20 hours if playing i can say that this game is so boring.
    Main Quest, is so repetitive and linear: in 14 hour i do the same thing again and again: beat the stadium beat the rivals next route and again.
    At the end there is a 20 minute climax no sense.

    Graphics in so bad, nintendo lied us models are old and textures looks like nintendo64game.

    Level design of the map, is not bad but this game should be totally open world on switch.
    Wild Area are so empty and no sense.
    No postgame, 2 hours of a repetitive and no lore quest.
    This game is totally trash.    … Expand
  35. Mandfell
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Same game they've been making for 20 years. The others at least took a few small steps forward while taking a couple of steps back with cut content. This time though they've taken to cutting core content without nearly enough additions to justify it. Using 7 year old assets in a game that looks last gen at best and yet cutting over 60% of the Pokemon in Pokemon is just too much to swallow.
  36. ThankUGamefreak
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    This is the most important review you will ever read on metacritic. These are the best games ever made. The criticisms are unfounded and dumbfounded. Why are you complaining about only having 400 pokemon to play as? Other RPGs like final fantasy and xenoblade and persona typically only have 7ish characters to play as. Yet people are upset about 400? Bad argument. Bad graphics? That's notThis is the most important review you will ever read on metacritic. These are the best games ever made. The criticisms are unfounded and dumbfounded. Why are you complaining about only having 400 pokemon to play as? Other RPGs like final fantasy and xenoblade and persona typically only have 7ish characters to play as. Yet people are upset about 400? Bad argument. Bad graphics? That's not true. These games are cartoony beautiful appealing graphics. They'retimeless. I think the Thanos snap of pokemon is the best thing to happen to the series. It exposes the fake fans and shows who really cares about pokemon. If you dislike these games then you need to purchase them again and try again. And if you don'tbuy them then dont talk.… Expand
  37. WorriedDenizen
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Sword and Shield is a shameless, rushed cashgrab.
    These games are easily one of the biggest disappointments in 2019, and one of the worst JRPGs in recent years, and perhaps one of the worst switch games thus far.
    The positives of SwSh are few, but they're there. For one, the moveset availability is a lot better since while it sucks to have the good attacks go back to the 1 use TM    Sword and Shield is a shameless, rushed cashgrab.
    These games are easily one of the biggest disappointments in 2019, and one of the worst JRPGs in recent years, and perhaps one of the worst switch games thus far.

    The positives of SwSh are few, but they're there. For one, the moveset availability is a lot better since while it sucks to have the good attacks go back to the 1 use TM system known as TRs, at least moveset potential is still flexible.

    The new pokemon is always a good addition to the ever increasing size of the amount of pokemon that well... would have existed.

    SwSh also brings back the smug @sshole rival archetype that wasn't seen since Silver in gen 2 and it's remakes.

    Yet these are a few compared to the few of many huge downsides below:

    SwSh most common and biggest problem is the cut pokemon. You can't transfer any pokemon from previous games that aren't in the Galarian dex into the games. You have to wait for that potential cashgrab known as Pokemon Home as well. Plus you can't even inject, or even attempt to play as the missing pokemon. Only some of the ones not part of the dex are programmed in, and they're the starters and some legendaries. At least in gen 3, the missing pokemon were programmed in, and you could use gameshark to play with them.

    SwSh also removes mega evolutions, and z-moves and creates yet another gimmick which is inferior, and more broken to the 2 separately. Dynamax and Gigantamaxing are poor gimmicks which only benefit the fast, and powerful mons. What it does is it increases the hp temporarily, and turns all attacks in dyna/giga attacks which are powerful attacks that each one has a secondary effect. All status moves turn into protect. Essentially a temp hp boost with z-moves, and it doesn't take up an item slot.
    This sucks since it just means that in game, the ace mons that are giga/dyna often die in very anti-climatic means, and in competitive play, these mechanics force the other player to utilize it to stand a chance.

    Graphically, the game looks even worse than 3H. Water reflections are off, theres those infamous n64 trees, and the texturing is PS2 tier. Which is an honest to god achievement, how does a game manage to look worse than 3H on the same console. At least 3H has great gameplay, and decent story for the most part, SwSh has none of that.

    The technical aspects, and animations of SwSh is truly atrocious. The games have hideous draw distance, and random FPS drops. the game that does ZA WARUDO whenever the player fishes, or climbs a ladder. Horrible graphics in general, terrible scaling especially for mons like Wailord and Tyranitar. The animations look especially bad on a lot of attacks. The infamous double kick animation, and even the important plot cut scene with the box art legendaries when they just turn around in place.

    The GTS is also looking to be missing which is another huge downside, considering the GTS was pretty much a series staple, and to see it removed adds to the ever growing list of features GF introduces then throws out in the next gen.

    The main story is really short, you could probably finish it in 8-10 hours, and the intrusive dialogue from S/M makes a return in SwSh, meaning the biggest problem with S/M is back again in these set of games. No you cannot skip the dialogue, only the actual cutscenes.

    EXP Share is on permanently and is no longer a key item. This means that training up a low leveled will lead to your other mons being massively overleveled. Oh and for some reason sound settings are locked behind a key item which you have to get from a rather easily miss able NPC.

    The post game is once again barren, perhaps even moreso than XY. You get 2 hours worth of post game, and it's mostly just going to the other gyms and fighting dynamax mons, and then fighting the box art legendaries. That's seriously it. Oh and you can do a gimped battle tower if you really wanted to.

    The biggest crime of them all though. It has most of the flaws which I listed above, and it costs $60 USD. Yeah that's the same price as a triple A game, yet this game is basically a shovelware tier joke.

    Seriously this is supposed Pokemon's mainline series debut on a console? This is what it has to offer? Nothing but pure disappointment, and a total step backwards from a 3DS game? The GC spin offs, and Wii's Battle revolution were a better taste of what a main series pokemon game on a console could have been. But alas here we are, sitting here with quite possibly the worst set of pokemon games ever, and disappointed again after a slew of mediocre 3DS games.

    Stay away from these games, it's not worth your money at all.    … Expand
  38. truestofreviews
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This game obliterated my SD card on top of being a half-assed experience with half the Pokemon gone for NO REASON WHATSOEVER.
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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.
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  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Jan 14, 2020
    78
    Pokemon Sword/Shield is uncharacteristically user-friendly: now there’s no need to backtrack half across the world to heal your entire team of pokemon or to get to a particular city, for example. [Issue#242, p.66]
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