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. Danrodguez
    Nov 27, 2019
    10
    Es un 10 como un templo, es increiblemente extenso, largo y divertido, le hacen falta algunos pokemon pero 0 quejas con el numero de pokemon, solo le pondria esa pequeña pega, pero es queja por vicio
  2. Beardyweirdy
    Nov 27, 2019
    6
    I loved this game, it's beautiful and engaging and had some great, compelling ideas for changing up online play. Unfortunately the execution was reasonably poor, the online match making is broken, the online performance is terrible, the routes are tiny, lacking in details and trainer battles, there is little to go back and explore once you have the game's only unlockable skill (Surf) andI loved this game, it's beautiful and engaging and had some great, compelling ideas for changing up online play. Unfortunately the execution was reasonably poor, the online match making is broken, the online performance is terrible, the routes are tiny, lacking in details and trainer battles, there is little to go back and explore once you have the game's only unlockable skill (Surf) and no large explorable dungeons. This is a lazy first entry into the Switch catalogue for Pokemon. Making mattress worse is that GAMEFREAK and the Pokemon Company's response has been extremely poor, and professional reviewers have overlooked glaring issues because they are being paid for ad clicks and ad revenue from being provided with review copies. This is a bad time to be a long term Pokemon fan.… Expand
  3. MichaelC87
    Nov 27, 2019
    10
    After playing for a LONG while, I really enjoyed this game. Charming, FUN, engaging and I am still playing. The new pokemon are great as well with cool designs and great moves. Worth the buy
  4. Gizm0
    Nov 27, 2019
    10
    Best games they’ve made since Heart Gold and Soul Silver. I’ve spent countless hours just wandering the areas, camping, raiding, trading, and catching Pokémon.
  5. MRed30
    Nov 27, 2019
    10
    This game may not have the best graphics or all of everyone’s favorite Pokémon, but overall this game is awesome and it’s so much fun! I love the Wild Area and the Pokémon Camp!
  6. dylann
    Nov 27, 2019
    10
    a great beautiful game, its getting a lot of hate for no "good" reason, it's a good game, its beautiful, and game freak worked hard on it, so ignore the haters and play this AMAZING game
  7. jaggy28
    Nov 27, 2019
    0
    I have watched the gameplays on youtube and holy rip.
    Raid battles gives us nothing and grinding for them is pointless
    There's no dungeon or hiden pathes in the wild area to find more pokemon or trainers The story progression is not as annoying as in sun and moon, but the characters are bland and awkward, it's like they tried to make them fancy, cool or funny, but they created ton of    I have watched the gameplays on youtube and holy rip.
    Raid battles gives us nothing and grinding for them is pointless
    There's no dungeon or hiden pathes in the wild area to find more pokemon or trainers
    The story progression is not as annoying as in sun and moon, but the characters are bland and awkward, it's like they tried to make them fancy, cool or funny, but they created ton of cartoonish caricatures, back in the days they were balanced and looked normal. The worst art director ever, and it's of course cartoonist and englishman.
    The story is too short and naive, the max form of eternatus feels like a forced final boss with high stats that supposed to impress childrens, while necrozma was just turbo strong and scary, even design is good and it feels like a final boss, legendary dogs are helping us defeat it and it all feels like a bad anime.
    Also dificulty is too low, the story is too short, the region is too small, it's literally like they polished only first two routes and rest is just a 5 minutes route to the next town and next gym leader.

    There's nothing interesting in galar at all, it feels like unfinished game.

    Modern pokemon sucks, I remember when game had lot of side routes to offer and lot of challenges like during diamond and pearl or black and white/black and white 2

    alola was small and insulting, but this is even worse because they did not progressed at all and just made region for the sake of it being in the game.

    Lazy, lazy, lazy lazy, terrible, pokemon is dying thanks to this company    … Expand
  8. JayDarbz
    Nov 27, 2019
    5
    This game isn't actually that bad I kinda liked it! The gyms are fun. My only issue however from being a pokemaniac ever since yellow! These new Pokémon are the ugliest most disgusting looking thing's I've ever seen I wish they just stop creating new ones there is enough! And the post game is non existent and the game is very Short with a pathetic storyline
  9. Haseo348
    Nov 27, 2019
    10
    great games. Don't listen to everyone review bombing the game. It was obvious since people wouldn't get their way.

    They implemented features that everyone wanted. For instance You no longer have to grind for competitive pokemon. there are items that change the nature, EVs, and IV of the pokemon now. All you would need to do is level them up. yes, Pokemon are removed. But for a    great games. Don't listen to everyone review bombing the game. It was obvious since people wouldn't get their way.

    They implemented features that everyone wanted.
    For instance

    You no longer have to grind for competitive pokemon. there are items that change the nature, EVs, and IV of the pokemon now. All you would need to do is level them up.
    yes, Pokemon are removed. But for a better competitive environment, Which is already being apparent ( the people who are complaining about the national dex are people who play with smogon rule sets. Which are not legal at all for any official and sanctioned tournament).

    The game is specifically short for this reason. as it is meant for people who want to play competitive jump in as soon as possible,

    I believe the changes and the reasoning make the cuts made justified. and easily make this the best games in the series.    … Expand
  10. Stuvok
    Nov 27, 2019
    3
    an embarrassment to modern video games. This series is so outclassed in every way by nearly every series I can think of. The fact that such a insanely profitable series could be so far behind in story, combat, graphics, atmosphere, technical performance, cinematography, animation, imagination, effort, choice of font, titles of the games... just name it and this game will show you how toan embarrassment to modern video games. This series is so outclassed in every way by nearly every series I can think of. The fact that such a insanely profitable series could be so far behind in story, combat, graphics, atmosphere, technical performance, cinematography, animation, imagination, effort, choice of font, titles of the games... just name it and this game will show you how to be uninspired or unskilled when designing it.… Expand
  11. Genji1
    Nov 27, 2019
    1
    Half of all Pokemon missing, the touted "Wild Area" is just a massive open empty world, some Pokemon cant even be caught at first cause they are level gated behind badges, the 'Dynamax gameplay feature is pretty simple and boring. raid battles are just an annoying slog. The story is so basic and forgettable there might as not even be one. Your rival Hop is literally just a Hau clone. TheHalf of all Pokemon missing, the touted "Wild Area" is just a massive open empty world, some Pokemon cant even be caught at first cause they are level gated behind badges, the 'Dynamax gameplay feature is pretty simple and boring. raid battles are just an annoying slog. The story is so basic and forgettable there might as not even be one. Your rival Hop is literally just a Hau clone. The "evil" Team Yell isn't evil at all, they are just a bunch of idiots, like seriously, they are less threatening than Team Skull was. Worse problem for me is there no more GTS. Only good thing i can say about this game is it sees the return of Gym battles and Gym puzzles. Overall this game lacks any kind ambition and is clearly just a copy, paste lazy game from Game Freak , cuz its Pokemon and they know it will print money regardless of how god awful this game is.… Expand
  12. Bringbacknation
    Nov 27, 2019
    0
    Ok, so we all know the games were left highly unfinished and this was justified by a “quality over quantity” approach, which ended up not being implemented at all. So instead of highlighting that issue, I’d rather spend my time explain why this isn’t a good trade off and the devastating long term consequences SwSh will have to the series as a whole. Firstly, the trade off: to be perfectlyOk, so we all know the games were left highly unfinished and this was justified by a “quality over quantity” approach, which ended up not being implemented at all. So instead of highlighting that issue, I’d rather spend my time explain why this isn’t a good trade off and the devastating long term consequences SwSh will have to the series as a whole. Firstly, the trade off: to be perfectly fair, I actually kind of see the effort here, people move their mouths as they talk, have fully and completely rendered faces and are by far the most expressive NPCs/PCs to date. HOWEVER, I might see each of these facial expressions once, maybe twice over the hundred of hours I’d typically log in a Pokemon game. Whereas the absence of the national Dex shakes the entire competitive experience to its core, every battle I do will have less possibilities and options, and every team I build is gonna have to be put together considering the forced galar meta and not the national meta. As for the series’ future. It’s now completely in jeopardy, both over the next few months and the next few decades thanks to SwSh. Firstly, in the first quarter of 2020 we will see the release of Pokemon home. A storage bank that can take Pokemon from Sword/Shield, let’s go Pikachu/Eevee, Pokemon go, and Pokemon bank, the storage system for every handheld game up until this point. However, if you notice the wording you’ll see it can only *take* from all these possible sources, as sword and shield is right now the only possible way for Pokemon to LEAVE Pokemon home, and if they don’t have a Galar Pokédex entry, they’re completely stuck there. It is currently unknown if there will be any battling or other features for these Pokemon to partake in. Additionally, in 2021 we will see what would have been the first year of the PWC that allowed the gen 8 national Pokédex to be used. Unless the issues of SwSh are fixed, this will be played on an extended Dex at best, and will likely not see the staggering meta change or rise of off meta picks we’ve seen on previous years. And finally there’s a looming threat of the regional Pokédex becoming a series norm. What if we never get the have the national Pokédex again? Some interviews have pointed towards this being an all too real possibility without intervention. Pokemon Sword and Shield did do some things right, and I’m not debating that, but the damage it did to the series as a whole is absolutely not worth the negligible benefits it brought. I would give it a DNF/10 but the scale doesn’t go that low… Expand
  13. nyctg
    Nov 27, 2019
    10
    This game is absolutely great. I think it represents what a 3D Pokemon experience should be. All the hype around gyms, and even, quite rare for pokemon, a quite good writing of characters (the rival has actually a pretty sad storyline) makes this game the greatest 3D Pokemon and probably one of the greatest Pokemon game ever released.
  14. JasonLightheart
    Nov 27, 2019
    3
    Unfortunaly, I won’t say more than the others but with my 90h playtime I can say:
    God the game is empty, easy and take you by the hand from the start to the end.
    Wild area is empty, ugly and don’t turn online on here, or else say bye to those FPS. Speaking of Online, well it’s pretty good if you’re in 2006, X/Y were way better than.... this Dynamax is boring, Gigamax kill purpose for    Unfortunaly, I won’t say more than the others but with my 90h playtime I can say:
    God the game is empty, easy and take you by the hand from the start to the end.
    Wild area is empty, ugly and don’t turn online on here, or else say bye to those FPS.
    Speaking of Online, well it’s pretty good if you’re in 2006, X/Y were way better than.... this
    Dynamax is boring, Gigamax kill purpose for every other Pokemon from the same species and you can’t even use them online. I miss Mega so bad.
    Online battle, yeah everyone use almost the same team, I don’t call that « balanced »
    Story, welp at least Leon had a better adventure than us since he did all the cool stuff.
    And of course our dear National dex that modder have already begun to fix in less than 3 days.
    My conclusion, I was so hyped at the very first trailer but since then every new trailer killed my hype little by little, those game was supposed to be the best of all, but in the end just a greedy lazy one...
    And I love Pokémon, it’s my favorite games, so it’s hurt even more to see how Pokemon have become. But even If I love Pokémon, I can’t let that pass, yeah I had a fun time playing sword but... that’s it. Just a short fun time...    … Expand
  15. TCMTORD
    Nov 26, 2019
    1
    Less Pokémon then old 2D ds games. Recycled animations form 3ds games. Bad graphics for a 2019 switch game. Worst Pokémon generation to date
  16. Blbstein
    Nov 26, 2019
    1
    Pokedex is terrible! I can't accept non trading trough versions of Pokémon games.
  17. ianblade18
    Nov 26, 2019
    0
    this is so bad. TPC and Nintendo need to do something for SWSH and pokemon future.
  18. MCSorcerer
    Nov 26, 2019
    7
    Looking at this game for what it is itself, it's decent. The gameplay, the story, the music, the visuals, are all OK. But nothing better. For the money the Pokemon Company and Game Freak make, the general level of quality this game contains is nothing other than disappointing. I still had fun playing the game for sure, but I can't help but thnk about what the game could have been if it allLooking at this game for what it is itself, it's decent. The gameplay, the story, the music, the visuals, are all OK. But nothing better. For the money the Pokemon Company and Game Freak make, the general level of quality this game contains is nothing other than disappointing. I still had fun playing the game for sure, but I can't help but thnk about what the game could have been if it all the executive decisions had been made by people who clearly care about video games and the consumers that buy them.
    Looking at the game in the context of the past games, however, the game falls even further. The game removed several large chunks of content from over half of the older Pokemon to the smaller gameplay gimmicks like Mega Evolution and Z-Moves. This would all be fine if the reasons as to why they removed such content were valid. The general quality of the Pokemon's models and animations are the same, having been ported in from previous generations, and the replacement mechanic for Mega Evolution and Z-Moves is just a lazy combination of the two.
    Honestly, it makes me sad to see just how great the game could have been compared to what it is now. Everyone thought we were going to get all the Pokemon, in full HD at a consistent framerate, but we got none of that. Instead we got a half-baked game that resembles more of a half-hearted 3DS port. All I can do is just hope the next installment gets better.
    Overall, I would say to buy this game if you generally like Pokemon. It doesn't do too many new things, but if you are really frusturated about all of the short-comings this game has had, you can just skip. It is a good experience, but not one I would consider worth its price tag.    … Expand
  19. Martin998
    Nov 26, 2019
    5
    Cut corners and a rushed/unfinished game. It was still somewhat fun but not anywhere near worth $60. Post game is laughable and having only 2 legendarys you could catch with the version you bought is god awful. No dungeons or much of anything to explore in the game. The wild area could've been great and it feels empty even with all the pokemon there. Textures, animation and models are allCut corners and a rushed/unfinished game. It was still somewhat fun but not anywhere near worth $60. Post game is laughable and having only 2 legendarys you could catch with the version you bought is god awful. No dungeons or much of anything to explore in the game. The wild area could've been great and it feels empty even with all the pokemon there. Textures, animation and models are all lazy and terrible.… Expand
  20. Eleiyas
    Nov 26, 2019
    5
    Unfortunately, these are the most average Pokémon games to have ever been released (not including mobile titles).

    These are games that are on the Nintendo Switch, the most powerful home console ever produced by Nintendo (Full HD), with other console-specific titles such as Breath Of The Wild, Mario Odyssey and Luigi's Mansion 3. Compared to the games I just mentioned, Sword and Shield    Unfortunately, these are the most average Pokémon games to have ever been released (not including mobile titles).

    These are games that are on the Nintendo Switch, the most powerful home console ever produced by Nintendo (Full HD), with other console-specific titles such as Breath Of The Wild, Mario Odyssey and Luigi's Mansion 3. Compared to the games I just mentioned, Sword and Shield pale in comparison in every single way.

    The story is incredibly lackluster, with Leon and Sonia essentially doing all the cool things while you are simply told to "go do the gym challenges and leave this to the adults"... essentially Leon and Sonia are playing the game while we do the busy work. I understand why as it doesn't make sense for a 10 year old kid to be "saving the world" as was the case in previous titles, but it makes these games seem too linear and it's upsetting to think that Leon/Sonia are having all the fun, while we rush through the gyms one after the other. This is only slightly alleviated in the post game, where we finally get to enjoy some different narrative.

    This leads on to one of numerous controversies that have surrounded these games since pre-launch. The inability to turn off the now infamous EXP-share. If you spend any amount of time in the Wild Area grinding or doing raids before doing the gyms, your core team will be so overleveled by the time the gyms come around that you will one-shot every single Pokémon you come across, making the gyms simple roadblocks to be steamrolled over.

    Myself and many others after having spent an hour or 2 in the Wild Area after its discovery have had some Pokémon (especially the starter) be upwards of 10 levels higher than the gym I was challenging. One attack is one fainted enemy, even including the last Dynamax Pokémon a gym leader will send out.

    This leads on to controversy #2, Dynamaxing. Mega evolution and Z moves were removed for... making your Pokémon big for 3 turns. WOW, what an improvement! What innovation! Yeah, no, it pales in comparison to mega evolution and even z moves.

    Controversy #3: the removal of the national dex (now infamously known as Dexit). It was stated by GameFreak that they removed over 400 Pokémon (53/54% of the nat dex) in order to improve graphical fidelity and the animations. We now know this was a blatant lie. Both the models and animations are imports from the 3DS (thanks dataminers!), with some seriously shoddy ones like ... the now infamous (... a lot of infamy in this game) double-kick animation where the model isn't animated at all, it is simply pushed upwards, then brought downwards again. Really low effort and laziness from GameFreak, seeing as Genius Sorority nailed the animations back in the days of XD: Gale of Darkness, or even Colosseum on the Gamecube!

    Controversy/issue #4: Look at Breath of the Wild or Mario Odyssey, then look at Sword/Shield. The graphics on these new Pokémon titles look like they were meant to be on the 3DS. Muddy textures, shoddy artwork in a lot of places (infamous Wild Area trees); not all the textures are bad and some areas of the game look damn gorgeous, but it's really a mixed bag between shoddy and amazing. For the Switch, capable of 1080p 60FPS, these Pokémon games run at 720p 30FPS a lot of the time, even lower when in the Wild Area and connected to the internet. Myself and others have had 720p 10FPS in this scenario, which is downright mind-blowingly bad, especially when comparing to Breath of the Wild which can run at 1080p 60FPS, while also having much better graphical quality.

    Now, in order to not go over the 5000 character limit, here are other issues in brief:
    #5 - Removed moves for no real reason
    #6 - A lot of unused code left in the game out of laziness (all movesets are in for every single Pokémon, but not the models)
    #7 - Game has revealed a lot of issues with the Switch (bricking/SD card corruption)
    #8 - Changing the date and time to spam raids to get perfect Pokémon and infinite money
    #9 - Each Pokémon form has a different model, not one model with different textures, leading to huge game-bloat.
    #10 - Games now cost £60/$60 without warranting the increase in price
    #11 - #GameFreakLied
    #12 - Beloved features axed for no reason (no Pokémon following you, no rideable Pokémon)
    #13 - Towns feel huge, but a lot of buildings cannot be entered, or are simply copy-pasted
    #14 - Hilariously bad draw-distance which introduces the worst pop-in since Fallout76
    #15 - Some of the worst battle backgrounds from any Pokémon game (white void)

    I could do more, but that's enough crapping on the games.

    These games do introduce a heft of QoL improvements and there is no denying it. EXP candies, Nature Mints, Egg Moves from breeding, fly from anywhere, bike going on water, etc.

    These QoL improvements, topped with the fact that "it's more Pokémon!" and "Pokémon is inherently fun!" is what is making people see these games through rose-tinted glasses.    … Expand
  21. themugen
    Nov 26, 2019
    1
    Wanted to like this, but it just feels old and stagnant. Didn't get very far in it. Very boring. Game Freak needs to evolve and bring this franchise into the modern times. Bake it some more please.
  22. albinopanda77
    Nov 26, 2019
    4
    While I actually enjoyed the series like the rest of them, I can’t say this game deserves anything higher than a 4. The game was rushed and looked like a direct port from the 3DS. The animations, while some looked nice, were better a decade ago on the GameCube. The graphics were sloppy and rushed. The plot was linear and lacked substance. I had high hopes for the first 1080p mainlineWhile I actually enjoyed the series like the rest of them, I can’t say this game deserves anything higher than a 4. The game was rushed and looked like a direct port from the 3DS. The animations, while some looked nice, were better a decade ago on the GameCube. The graphics were sloppy and rushed. The plot was linear and lacked substance. I had high hopes for the first 1080p mainline Pokémon game, but was quickly let down by the negligence and greed of Gamefreak.… Expand
  23. Lucius_13
    Nov 26, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I honestly went into this game totally hyped and the for the most part I wasn't let down lets get into the positives and negatives of this game

    Positives:
    -Pokemon can be found wandering around in the wild which I've wanted for awhile because random encounters annoyed me
    -The game looks really beautiful I love how the weather can change on a dime making it possible to catch Pokemon that only roam around in certain terrains like Ice Types
    -Dynamax/Gigantamax is really neat and pretty fun to use they balanced it out by only allowing to last 3 turns
    -The Gym's return was a welcome addition too as I wasn't a fan of the Island trials on Sun&Moon or Ultra Sun and Moon granted some of the gym's mini-games like sheep herding was irritating
    -Leveling up your Pokemon is no longer a chore and is actually fun
    -Not so much hand holding as there was in Sun&Moon and Ultra Sun&Ultra Moon

    Negatives:
    -No National Dex though to be fair I could care less about the National Dex as I rarely use my past pokemon on new games other than to fill up my Dex lol
    -Some Pokemon in the wild are so high leveled that they will flatten your entire team without you even landing so much as a blow (not so much a negative as a warning to those who haven't played yet lol)
    -Some parts of the games could use a bit more work like the trees and Pokemon animations as when some attack their whole bodies move left and right it just looks weird

    all in all I give these games a solid 9 out of 10 and I recommend this to fans of Pokemon games or just anyone looking a for a good relaxing game :)    … Expand
  24. Trajliner
    Nov 26, 2019
    0
    Game is really easy even someone who dont understan how it works can finish it without any problems.
    You should focus more on older people do not expect this is only for 6 old kids.I as 2-3 old kid finished a lot of games on SEGA without saves bcs they didnt exist back then.How game looks i dont care.
    Game is not evolving at all its really easy to change it upgrade combat system !!!.    Game is really easy even someone who dont understan how it works can finish it without any problems.
    You should focus more on older people do not expect this is only for 6 old kids.I as 2-3 old kid finished a lot of games on SEGA without saves bcs they didnt exist back then.How game looks i dont care.
    Game is not evolving at all its really easy to change it upgrade combat system !!!. New pokemon names and look is ridiculous. 0/10 Its better play yellow crystal then this.
    People who crating this game doesnt care bsc name Pokemon will sell this game anyway.......    … Expand
  25. OmniPhantom
    Nov 26, 2019
    9
    I don't really transfer much so the smaller pokedex really doesn't bother me much. Plus two of my favorite pokemon are in the game.
  26. Dopke
    Nov 26, 2019
    4
    Honestly, I beat it over a weekend, which is disappointing that the campaign isn’t longer. Post game is dismal. There are only 2 legendary Pokémon. The only gen 1 starter is charmander. I’m just disappointed. With the resources this company has, this could have been breath of the wild levels of quality, and it’s just not. A dud.
    Music in the game is sick though.
  27. johnpope583
    Nov 26, 2019
    8
    This game is incredible considering the world of the game. We've come a long way with Pokemon, and the heart of the game has become very realized. NOTE: I HAVE NOT PLAYED ONLINE, but just playing campaign, this game kept me surprised as an original pokemon fan.
  28. kelvinice
    Nov 26, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Can't Play on PC.
    I think thats enough...
    ......
    ....................................................    … Expand
  29. PrunusTR
    Nov 26, 2019
    2
    20 years later, it is still the same game. After playing this game, my thought is that the main pokemon games should not be developed by Gamefreak anymore. New pokemons are well designed. However, hundreds of pokemons from previous games are cut out. Transfering pokemons from previous games is a game mechanic that makes pokemon game a pokemon game. Although cutting out all the pokemons20 years later, it is still the same game. After playing this game, my thought is that the main pokemon games should not be developed by Gamefreak anymore. New pokemons are well designed. However, hundreds of pokemons from previous games are cut out. Transfering pokemons from previous games is a game mechanic that makes pokemon game a pokemon game. Although cutting out all the pokemons reduced the work of developers, there is no progress in animations. The animations in this game belong to the last decade. Moreover, there is still no voice acting. That is ridiculous. I bought this game to experience a main pokemon game on a big screen TV but probably this is the last time since I do not believe gamefreak will improve the game no matter how many generations or game consoles change. This game is definitely not a 2019 game, and it should cost no more than 30 dollars.… Expand
  30. Jhinl3m0n
    Nov 26, 2019
    1
    Let's be real about this game.

    Pros: - I'm sorry but i don't think this game have some pro. Cons: - Recycled animation from past games (marketing lie) - 10 routes total, 6 are BEFORE the first gym. (another marketing lie, because when they have done the promo event with the journalist, the demo allowed you to play until the first gym, so they structured the overworld layout    Let's be real about this game.

    Pros:
    - I'm sorry but i don't think this game have some pro.

    Cons:

    - Recycled animation from past games (marketing lie)

    - 10 routes total, 6 are BEFORE the first gym. (another marketing lie, because when they have done the promo event with the journalist, the demo allowed you to play until the first gym, so they structured the overworld layout like this, just to lie another time about contents that had to be there, but aren't.)

    - Dynamax mechanic is overpowered, and will ruin the competitive scene.

    - Gigamax, this are pure trash for a bunch of reasons, first off all, you can't breed them correctly, that means the stats wont be perfect as it should be in competitive, they are 25 (3 of them not released yet) on 400 vs over 45 mega forms cutted.

    - Online infrastructure is just a joke, the pokemon company actually won't buy any server to make this game have a decent lobby design model to work good, that nowadays is the most used in the world, that means that the competitive scene of the game will not exist.

    -The story is not a story, team yell is doing NOTHING, i finished the game and i dont know why they were here, all is a joke when you realize that you are able to oneshot everything from the first gym to the champion, plus cutscenes are mute, so i think it's enough.

    -Background of battle scenes are simply unfinished, and the overworld looks like this too, snes texture.. in 2019. When you compare to zelda BOTW i don't think someone can defend pokemon anymore.

    -Retail price 60$ that speaks alone.

    -Dexit for a lot of reasons, like all the franchise is based on Gotta catch em'all you remember that guys ? and pokemon home? wtf i have to do with it now ?    … Expand
  31. Yoyolick
    Nov 26, 2019
    10
    This game is the best Pokémon game made so far. I’ve played many of them, all the way back to gen 3 and this is in my opinion the most fun one. Do I miss some features of the old games? A little, but the new ideas introduced in this game far outweigh the missing features (which don’t really even feel missing). The national dex isn’t that big of a deal. They used the extra space toThis game is the best Pokémon game made so far. I’ve played many of them, all the way back to gen 3 and this is in my opinion the most fun one. Do I miss some features of the old games? A little, but the new ideas introduced in this game far outweigh the missing features (which don’t really even feel missing). The national dex isn’t that big of a deal. They used the extra space to introduce a ton of new Pokémon, brining back the old feeling of joy seeing new Pokémon and not knowing what was going on. Plot was enjoyable, and too many people hate on this game. As far as I can tell, everyone that hates this game is on the train and has never played it.… Expand
  32. ZeoN
    Nov 26, 2019
    8
    Puntos positivos:

    - La Banda Sonora es la mejor de la franquicia - Los combates por turnos han alcanzado la excelencia jugable - Las nuevas animaciones están muy bien hechas - La variedad de nuevas criaturas es muy sorprendente - Los estadios son un acierto - La ambientación está muy lograda - El diseño de las ciudades y pueblos es magnífico - El competitivo está muy mejorado al    Puntos positivos:

    - La Banda Sonora es la mejor de la franquicia
    - Los combates por turnos han alcanzado la excelencia jugable
    - Las nuevas animaciones están muy bien hechas
    - La variedad de nuevas criaturas es muy sorprendente
    - Los estadios son un acierto
    - La ambientación está muy lograda
    - El diseño de las ciudades y pueblos es magnífico
    - El competitivo está muy mejorado al igual que la crianza
    - Los personajes tienen historias propias y están muy caracterizados y desarrollados
    - Mucho carisma en los personajes secundarios
    - La Liga Pokémon es la mejor de la franquicia
    - Los líderes de gimnasio tienen el mejor desarrollo argumental de la saga junto a la 5° Gen
    - La mecánica Dynamax y Gigamax está muy lograda
    - El Área Silvestre sienta las bases del prometedor futuro de Pokémon
    - El diseño estructural de la región es bastante decente
    - La variedad de Poke Balls introducidas en el juego se agradece

    Puntos negativos:

    - El Área Silvestre aunque es buena y la idea funciona estupendamente, le falta por mejorar en varios aspectos en futuras en entregas
    - Algunas rutas clásicas son algo lineales
    - ¿Dónde están las cuevas Game Freak?
    - Caídas de FPS puntuales en el Área Silvestre
    - Animaciones mejorables en algunos ataques y personajes
    - La historia principal empieza algo tarde
    - El juego se hace demasiado fácil en algunos puntos debido al exceso de nivel que puedes llevar por estar mucho tiempo en el Área. Eso hay que equilibrarlo de alguna forma.

    Observaciones Personales:

    - Bastante interesante la trama, aunque empiece tarde, está a la altura.
    - El Post Game está bien, pero podrían haberlo estirado un poco más, daba para ello
    - Me alegra el cariño que le han dado al competitivo
    - Paul es el mejor rival de la franquicia

    - Y Lionnel de los mejores campeones. El carisma de ambos es enorme

    Valoración:

    Banda Sonora ➡️ 100/100
    Jugabilidad ➡️ 100/100
    Apartado técnico ➡️ 75/100
    Apartado artístico ➡️ 90/100
    Historia ➡️ 80/100
    Online ➡️ 80/100. Muy trabajado pero la conex va mal a veces

    NOTA ➡️ 88/100

    Es el mejor juego de la franquicia Pokémon desde el salto al 3D. No llega al sobresaliente porque sus fallos se ven, pero lo recomiendo mucho para los amantes de la saga y también al nuevo público. Es una muy buena entrega.    … Expand
  33. Sakoondomla
    Nov 26, 2019
    2
    The lack of content and story line was really upsetting. I bought both sword and shield and was completely disappointed it was over in about 15 hrs. Now all that is left for me to do is linked battles and max raids which are fun at first but not what I wanted out of the game. I can only pray Game Freak will put out some kind of patch or free expansion to make this game what it should haveThe lack of content and story line was really upsetting. I bought both sword and shield and was completely disappointed it was over in about 15 hrs. Now all that is left for me to do is linked battles and max raids which are fun at first but not what I wanted out of the game. I can only pray Game Freak will put out some kind of patch or free expansion to make this game what it should have been in the first place. If your not a mega pokefan and can live without this game you should.… Expand
  34. Truconium
    Nov 26, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. (This first paragraph is everything about the game that I wanted to list but didn't know where to put.) The game frame drops very frequently, the routes are very short, Eternatus barely makes an appearance, and Eternatus is a guaranteed catch. I believe that the exp share should not be given until after the 1st gym because it makes the game way too easy. I would've also really liked to see Mega Evolutions return because they have been my favorite addition to Pokémon.

    Firstly, The villain in this game is not existent. Piers, the leader of Team Yell, isn't evil, and Rose is only evil at the very end of the game. Sordward and Shielbert are the most villainous people in the game, but they are both found in the post game.

    There are too little Pokémon in the game, yet the animations aren't as good as most people expected. The Corviknight line is well made because it isn't just a generational normal-flying type bird evolution line. However, Yamper is just another electric dog like Electrike, who is also in the game. Game Freak should've included more of the well designed Pokemon such as Garchomp and not Pokémon that are just normal animals from the real world like Purrlion and Pidove. In addition, Zacian is literally just a wolf with a sword in its mouth. The legendary wolfs look too similar, too.

    There should have been voice acting in the game. Maybe not for every line, but for characters like Hop, Rose, Leon, and the gym leaders. It would've really brought the characters to life. The voice actors could've even mostly been British to emphasize the fact that Sword and Shield take place in Great Britain.

    For the gym leaders, I like that there are version exclusive gym leaders and the fact that we have our first every dark-type gym leader. The dark-type gym leader is against Piers, the leader of Team Yell, which is cool, but Team Yell aren't even villains. Furthermore, you can't even dynamax during the gym battle against Piers. I love that Raihan is a doubles format Gym leader like there was in gen 3; it makes the gyms more interesting. However, Raihan uses Torkoal who isn't a dragon type.

    Finally, the rivals in this game are amazing. Bede is a dick like a rival should be, and Hop shows a lot of character and isn't just a "happy go lucky" rival like other rivals have been recently.

    In conclusion, if Game Freak spent a year more on the next Pokémon games, they would be the best games in the series to date.

    TL;DR - Game Freak spend more time on the game.    … Expand
  35. Chaoslyo
    Nov 26, 2019
    4
    Despite how much I loved Pokemon, this game failed to attract me. Unrefined graphic, incomplete National Dex, repetitive story and lack of end game content.
  36. Joelfolg
    Nov 26, 2019
    10
    Love it! Lack of national dex sucks, but I'm loving all the new stuff and Pokemon. Wild Area is the future.
  37. JoshuaAnimated
    Nov 26, 2019
    9
    Pokemon Sword has easily taken a place on my list of favourite switch games. Although lacking in the graphics department, the core gameplay of catching pokemon, building a team and participating in the gym challenge has never been more important. I recognise the lack of a full national dex would be a disappointment to some players, but the vast assortment of pokemon available in Sword andPokemon Sword has easily taken a place on my list of favourite switch games. Although lacking in the graphics department, the core gameplay of catching pokemon, building a team and participating in the gym challenge has never been more important. I recognise the lack of a full national dex would be a disappointment to some players, but the vast assortment of pokemon available in Sword and Shield made each trip to the wild area and every journey down each route exciting! (Honorable mention to the music!)… Expand
  38. ZealFox
    Nov 26, 2019
    10
    This game is one of the most well written and beautiful Pokemon games to date, that mechanics are wonderful and endearing, Pokemon are fun and cool. Its a pure shame the game was review bombed due to the controversy. I really enjoyed the game, and I would recommend it to anyone with a Switch.
  39. Lady_Scribe
    Nov 26, 2019
    4
    I think if this game had spent a little longer in development, it would have been a truly amazing game. But this wasn’t the case, and I feel sad for those who clearly made an effort to lovingly design a game in a very small amount of time, perhaps being aware that they couldn’t put everything into it. And it really, really shows. Designs are fantastic, but the finished product feels rushedI think if this game had spent a little longer in development, it would have been a truly amazing game. But this wasn’t the case, and I feel sad for those who clearly made an effort to lovingly design a game in a very small amount of time, perhaps being aware that they couldn’t put everything into it. And it really, really shows. Designs are fantastic, but the finished product feels rushed and haphazard, there’s virtually no end-game content, and the asking price of £50 is highly excessive considering that there are other games out there for the same price with much better content.

    Nintendo, GameFreak, by bringing Pokémon to the big consoles, you’re swimming with the big fish. You need to up your game if you want to get better reviews in the future. A disappointing blip on the Pokémon franchise. I hope it improves; Pokémon has gotten me through some challenges in life and it’s sad to see the franchise take a tumble. I’ve humbly learned my lesson and will not pre-order another Pokémon game again.    … Expand
  40. justinflame
    Nov 26, 2019
    10
    The story Is amazing and literally made me scream the open world areas are great and the graphics are very improved. I honestly don’t think that Pokémon being cut is that much of a bad thing. I mean you can’t expect for them to keep adding Pokémon and keep them all. In conclusion the story is the best Pokémon being cut would’ve happened eventually and the graphics are great
  41. DailyBlunts
    Nov 26, 2019
    8
    Pokemon Sword and Shield contain a host of marvellous and imaginitive new Pokemon with great designs, interesting types and moves. The slightly lessened tutorials at the beginning of the game help to ease issues which occured in the previous generation, and new ways of finding Pokemon in the wild show Game Freak made an effort to make some changes compared to previous games.

    Despite    Pokemon Sword and Shield contain a host of marvellous and imaginitive new Pokemon with great designs, interesting types and moves. The slightly lessened tutorials at the beginning of the game help to ease issues which occured in the previous generation, and new ways of finding Pokemon in the wild show Game Freak made an effort to make some changes compared to previous games.

    Despite many negative reviews, I find these games to be an enjoyable return to Pokemon, with excellent graphics considering the hardware and need for balance between handheld mode battery life and docked graphical fidelity. Some gameplay features inspired by Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, and a simple yet fun online system accessible anywhere show system improvements.

    The fashion and trainer card editing features, plus the gym challenges and Pokemon camping/cooking side games make for a refreshing experience between battles that prevent the games feeling like a slog, and the slightly more explorable routes and short but sweet cut-scenes give depth without overwhelming the player.

    Lighting effects and the design of various towns throughout the game is interesting and diverse, giving you a feeling of excitement for what will come next, and the music is all around enjoyable with some occasional punch.

    While there may be more features that could have been crammed in, as a base game I'm very happy with Pokemon Sword as a whole, and would wholly recommend it.    … Expand
  42. xSnipShotx
    Nov 26, 2019
    10
    Best Pokemon game I've ever played. Beautiful locations, the Wild Area is amazing, and the animations are gorgeous. Wish there were more Pokemon from previous generations, but I can live with that.
  43. FizzPixel
    Nov 26, 2019
    1
    The game is lacking behind by a large margin in the technical aspect.
    Badly optimized and badly anymated. The franchise needs a reboot or new developers who can actually develop games for this generation of consoles.

    Artisticly most of the music is forgettable.
  44. AudaciousApple
    Nov 25, 2019
    6
    I really enjoyed the parts of the game that were there, but the entire game feels unfinished. I feel like the game could've been so much more if they just pushed it back a few months to flesh it out. More than any other Pokemon game thus far, this game feels rushed and unfinished. At least they chose to polish the parts of the game that did make the cut instead of pushing in a bunch ofI really enjoyed the parts of the game that were there, but the entire game feels unfinished. I feel like the game could've been so much more if they just pushed it back a few months to flesh it out. More than any other Pokemon game thus far, this game feels rushed and unfinished. At least they chose to polish the parts of the game that did make the cut instead of pushing in a bunch of broken, half-finished features like a lot of other AAA games these days. I would give it a 7, but the online functionality is really bad, and the removal of the GTS (Global Trading System) makes it almost impossible to complete the Pokédex without having both copies of the game.… Expand
  45. zetaz
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    This 5 is not for the cut Pokémon, it’s for the poor quality when compared with other RPGs on the same platform. It’s really upsetting not having difficult levels and a good and long story. It also lacks side quests and two versions should had died back on the DS. -Also, after beating the game I can reassure, the story is bad and the game goes downhill after the 6th badge. It’s the mostThis 5 is not for the cut Pokémon, it’s for the poor quality when compared with other RPGs on the same platform. It’s really upsetting not having difficult levels and a good and long story. It also lacks side quests and two versions should had died back on the DS. -Also, after beating the game I can reassure, the story is bad and the game goes downhill after the 6th badge. It’s the most disappointing Pokémon title together with ultraSunMoon… Expand
  46. Andots101
    Nov 25, 2019
    8
    The thing I disliked the most was the lack of in game content, but I think they made up for it in their PvP and PvE content. Sure the story is shorter in comparison to others, but I believe that the story was not the focus. They really made the competitive scene and the user to user interactions a lot of fun.

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

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

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

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

    To summarize, this is a pokemon game. It's not winning any awards for story or graphics, but I don't think where the true value of this game is. The best part about pokemon in general is exploring a vast world with never before seen pokemon (which I think the wild area does very well). There's a lot of fun to be had outside the lacking story. I highly encourage all pokemon fans to get this game or at least don't ignore it. Newcomers might be turned off by all the vocal "haters" of the game, but I implore you to make your own opinions on the game. Having been a fan of pokemon since I was a kid with pokemon platinum, I can say I enjoyed this game a lot. It may not be the perfect pokemon game, but it sure is a lot of fun.    … Expand
  47. Kempe1
    Nov 25, 2019
    3
    Has gameplay elements from 1995.

    - straight corridors from point A to point B - Textures are non existant - Graphics are wii/early 360 rather than 2019 title - Music still not orchestrated - Battkes are just ñress a, there is no point in the single player part of the game - Not every pokemon is in - Animations in pokemon stadium 2 rival some of the avergae ones in this game while being    Has gameplay elements from 1995.

    - straight corridors from point A to point B
    - Textures are non existant
    - Graphics are wii/early 360 rather than 2019 title
    - Music still not orchestrated
    - Battkes are just ñress a, there is no point in the single player part of the game
    - Not every pokemon is in
    - Animations in pokemon stadium 2 rival some of the avergae ones in this game while being better tgan the worst ones.    … Expand
  48. GarrMoose
    Nov 25, 2019
    5
    The move onto the Switch brought forth much for this series and while it has delivered a totally new Pokemon experience the many lackluster aspects of the game hold it back from being the truly excellent game it easily could have been. I guess I will go and break down the good and then the bad points of the game. *=Key Points

    Pros: -The game looks better than it ever has graphically. -The    The move onto the Switch brought forth much for this series and while it has delivered a totally new Pokemon experience the many lackluster aspects of the game hold it back from being the truly excellent game it easily could have been. I guess I will go and break down the good and then the bad points of the game. *=Key Points

    Pros:
    -The game looks better than it ever has graphically. -The gym system overhaul brought a breath of fresh air to the series and played well into the main story.*

    -The new Pokemon designs for the most part felt very inspired and I overall enjoyed them.

    -Seeing Pokemon in the overworld really changed up the Pokemon experience and having them also appear in random encounters kept part of the classic feel. The large, open explorable Wild area is the best example of this.

    -Handholding was slightly reduced in the sense of forced tutorials.

    -A great deal of things were made more convenient like the introduction of nature changing mints, easier ev training, egg move transferring and using your pc almost anywhere. This makes things like preparing Pokemon for competitive play far less time consuming.*

    -Dynamax raids offer a fun new way to catch special Pokemon.

    -3D character designs themselves look better than ever.

    Cons:
    -More than 50% of Pokemon models were excluded from this game. You are limited to a regional dex of 400 and around 30 more models are within the code.**

    -Mega evolutions and z moves were cut and replaced with the lackluster dynamax feature, essentially a 3 turn long combo of both concepts but far less enjoyable and meta shifting in a way I and many others find unideal.*

    -While graphically the best of the series the game still lacks polish in many areas. Models still bear a good amount of pixelation which I expected a departure from moving onto the Switch and many even lack detailed textures to a great extent. You would expect after having had to cut back on so much Pokemon content that the studio would have been able to at least deliver the level of smooth clean looking textures one would expect from a 2019 AAA Switch title.*

    -Story playthrough difficulty was immensely lowered, partially due to an exp share system that you are no longer able to turn off and then due to opponents having weak team builds and/or movesets or just a lower number of Pokemon on their team to take on your full team. Veteran players or even those who want some more difficulty out of their playthrough will not find it in this game.*

    -Lacking postgame content compared to most Pokemon titles.

    -Routes were very linear and uninspired, wild area while fairly vast was also somewhat bland and lacking graphical polish most of all.

    -Unideal online interface. Better than Sun and Moons but still lacking in how easy it makes it to connect with others.

    -Lacking game functionality with online. The wild area is supposed to turn into a big open world experience with others when online but with online functions enabled it turns into an absolute mess of different players frozen and appearing all over different parts of the wild area everywhere you go. I also struggle to be able to connect with others for raids/etc oftentimes and have had similar troubles with local play. You often have to try several times to get it to work even in local play.

    -Forced 20 min time limit on 6v6 rule formats. The one thing I love to do most is 6v6 singles battles online and now I will have to have most of my battles cut short due to a short time limit. (most singles battles I have done take around 24 or more minutes) This almost makes the ease of preparing competitive Pokemon all for naught for players like me and 6v6 online battling is what gives many players reason to keep playing months and months after release.**

    There are probably other more minor issues and pros I have with the game but these basically sum up why I give it the rating I do. This game had everything set up for it to be a 9-10 and possibly even the best in a long running series of good games jumping off of the very limited and antiquated 3DS system but yet squandered so much of its potential with the controversial and even bizarre decisions made by its studio, Gamefreak and overall lack of polish.Despite introducing some truly great aspects to the series this game continues the trend of Pokemon’s last two generations of taking one step forward for the series and one larger step back, this time in possibly the most detrimental ways the series has ever seen.    … Expand
  49. LadySephiroth
    Nov 25, 2019
    4
    I have been a fan of pokemon for over 25 years. And I must say with each game that comes out, they lose more and more of their soul. Although the environments and move animations look great, the Pokemon themselves were reused models. The storyline is lackluster, and you feel nothing for any of the characters. Didn't feel like anything exciting was happening. Even in Pokemon OmegaI have been a fan of pokemon for over 25 years. And I must say with each game that comes out, they lose more and more of their soul. Although the environments and move animations look great, the Pokemon themselves were reused models. The storyline is lackluster, and you feel nothing for any of the characters. Didn't feel like anything exciting was happening. Even in Pokemon Omega Ruby, it felt adventurous cause the need to stop team Magma from unleashing Groudon seemed like an eminent threat, and thus gave the game purpose. I didn't feel any eminent threat in this game, there was ONE battle with the game's antagonist. And that was it. The rest of the game felt like grinding. What's with the World Cup themed gym battles? I like the audience part but changing into a uniform every single time was SO ANNOYING. I'm here to battle Pokemon, not to play soccer... Not to mention , Dynamax is the lamest and dumbest thing I have EVER seen. Dynamax Pokemon look like Pokemon someone designed while under massive drug use which lead to hallucinations. Since when do Pokemon grow to giant sizes? SO WEIRD!!! I couldn't get over it. What ever happened to Mega Evolution?? They introduced something great only to take it away. You cannot Mega Evolve in this game. They dropped that feature like a hot potato. It feels like they just want to create new gimmicks with little effort. No National DEX? Are you kidding me?? I love Lugia and Groudon and Metagross but guess what, can't play with them cause they aren't in Galar dex. What's the point of pokemon when you can't battle others online with the Pokemon you actually care about?? This feels like a dumbed down game meant to try to attract new followers into the world of Pokemon. It's NOT a game for veterans. And to top it off, Ninentdo charges a MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION in order to have ANY online features. That's right, NO pokemon trading or Pokemon battling with others around the world unless you wanna PAY for it. Since when was online features a purchase??? Stop being greedy you guys.

    The Wild Area is boring to me. I'm not here to recapture old Pokemon I've been capturing for the past 20 years already. I am here for new Pokemon. I felt like most of the game, I was encountering Pokemon I've already seen millions of times. Which made me feel like I wasn't REALLY exploring a new area. Instead of creating this huge wild area with Pokemon we've already seen, why not just invest your time and energy into a better story and more environments to explore? The map felt sooo small to me. What happened to the goggles you need to pass the sandstorm in the deserts (pokemon ruby) or the magical song that has to be sung deep in the cavern maze for Lugia to appear (soul silver)? This game was way to simple , POkemon is supposed to be more challenging. Also there is not much to do post- game. Except re capture old pokemon that are now HUGE... so stupid. I feel bad for developers cause I know they put work into here and were trying new things but this time around it didn't work out. I have a better idea. They should just remake soul silver for the switch and use NEW pokemon models this time. They can start there. lol.

    P.S. What's with the ugly final starter evolution? I can thing of a million starters that are better than a monkey (done before) or a rabbit. Honestly, so much of the FAN ART I see of people inventing their own pokemon look SO MUCH cooler than these new official ones. It's not hard to design a cool Pokemon, it really isn't .    … Expand
  50. BigDragon
    Nov 25, 2019
    6
    I wanted Pokemon Breath of the Wild. What I got was some sort of incremental upgrade from the 3DS era of Pokemon games with the same old story, several QOL improvements, an entertaining new camping system, almost no after-story content, and special forms that are impossible to get if playing the way the developers intended. Overall, I'm disappointed.

    I hope that the next Pokemon game    I wanted Pokemon Breath of the Wild. What I got was some sort of incremental upgrade from the 3DS era of Pokemon games with the same old story, several QOL improvements, an entertaining new camping system, almost no after-story content, and special forms that are impossible to get if playing the way the developers intended. Overall, I'm disappointed.

    I hope that the next Pokemon game for Switch focuses on an actual story. Have the player tracking down Team Rocket and thwarting them, searching for a lost relative, or trying to track a legendary Pokemon that goes on a destructive rampage across the region -- give me a story that is more complex than "complete gyms" and has side quests. Give me a way to get the Pokemon I want and be able to use them before it's too late and the story is over. Give me more things to do after the story is over. Integrate the open world section such that it connects to every town and route. Stop creating new monsters and instead improve the ones we have by adding evolutionary trees, alternate forms, or integrating the Mega Evolutions as permanent forms -- no more temporary Dynamax or Z-Moves or other gimmicks.

    I really hope that the next Pokemon game is a step up. I think re-releasing Sword and Shield or making a "Bow and Arrow" third edition would be a huge mistake.

    Pros:
    + New camping system is great! I love seeing Pokemon out and about, interacting with each other, and playing.
    + Wild area is a great break from linear routes.
    + Balance seems improved from previous games. Some gyms were actually challenging this time around. Game will allow you to pick fights with Pokemon significantly above your level. Exp share feels balanced and great for integrating lower level Pokemon in your team.
    + Pokeshops and Pokemon Centers are integrated. Boxes are always available even when wandering the wild area or routes. Huge QOL improvement!!!
    + Fast travel between important locations speeds up map navigation.
    + Dynamax battles change up the usual gym leader battles. Gym leader battles are definitely spectacles now.
    + Very good music.
    + Wild Pokemon are visible walking around or within tall grass.
    + You get access to breeding rather early on.

    Cons:
    - Same gym crawl we've all played before. Same rival interaction we've experienced before. Basic story. The Pokemon game formula is stale. I want more motivation rather than "gotta catch them all, gotta battle them all." Been there, done that. Give me something FRESH.
    - Existence of a Gigantamax form for a Pokemon does not mean the Pokemon in your party can use it. I got a Charmander via trading. It was unable to use the new Charizard Gigantamax form that was heavily advertised. Getting Gigantamax Pokemon is grindy and utilizes too much RNG.
    - Too many Pokemon are not included. A lot of my favorites are not present.
    - Wild area is not well integrated with much of the map. There are very few entry/exit points. Wild area would function better as a hub connecting different locations.
    - Limited trading capabilities. You need to arrange link code trades outside of the game or hope for something good in the surprise trade.
    - Limited number of things to do after beating the main story.
    - You must use exploits and minmax strategies to acquire Pokemon you need to play competitively. The RNG is obnoxious.
    - Cooperative play is limited to Dynamax battles. Not enough PvE content.
    - You get access to Ditto too late in the story.    … Expand
  51. TheCoolguy225
    Nov 25, 2019
    8
    I enjoyed Pokemon Sword. The game is just what i expected it to be. I had a great time just breezing through the game with 30 Pokemon. Is that so wrong? The absence of the national dex is not a big deal to most of the people playing the game. Most people are also not reading every article online about how the models are re-used or the game can wipe your save data, most of the time thoseI enjoyed Pokemon Sword. The game is just what i expected it to be. I had a great time just breezing through the game with 30 Pokemon. Is that so wrong? The absence of the national dex is not a big deal to most of the people playing the game. Most people are also not reading every article online about how the models are re-used or the game can wipe your save data, most of the time those issues don't affect the game play.

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

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

    I liked the game, but it had some issues, hence my review score. A game i can enjoy is always a 8/10 in my books. I shouldn't give a bad review just because other peoples experiences were bad. Like bruh.    … Expand
  52. gdmatt
    Nov 25, 2019
    5
    By far the weakest mainline entry into a series which is well and truly starting to show its age.
    400+ cut Pokemon from previous games due to a reported "lack of resources" and in order to focus on improving the game elsewhere. Pokemon Sword and Shield lack any meaningful innovation and any additions feel like an afterthought and incomplete - the Wild Area being the biggest example of    By far the weakest mainline entry into a series which is well and truly starting to show its age.
    400+ cut Pokemon from previous games due to a reported "lack of resources" and in order to focus on improving the game elsewhere. Pokemon Sword and Shield lack any meaningful innovation and any additions feel like an afterthought and incomplete - the Wild Area being the biggest example of incomplete and unfinished.

    The 60 odd new Pokemon mostly try to fill the void of the 400+ cut Pokemon, by reusing previous ideas and repackaging them as "new".

    The story is about 15-20 hours, depending on your approach - most of which is filled with busywork, cut scenes and an overabundance of dialogue. The forced EXP share ensures once you have a team of 6 Pokemon, that they will all level up together. Gone are the days of having to train each Pokemon individually and as such, you don't get the opportunity to form a bond with any of them.

    Overall really disappointing and I can only recommend to the fans who play each entry into the series religiously upon release.    … Expand
  53. LapisLazuli
    Nov 25, 2019
    2
    I was pretty bummed with the pokémon cut at first but I got over it after some time, I thought the game could be good even with the cut. I was utterly and absolutely wrong. I don't care about graphics but if you do, I want you to know that what you saw on trailers is exactly how it is in the final game. The story left a bad taste in my mouth, it seemed rushed, incomplete even. The gameI was pretty bummed with the pokémon cut at first but I got over it after some time, I thought the game could be good even with the cut. I was utterly and absolutely wrong. I don't care about graphics but if you do, I want you to know that what you saw on trailers is exactly how it is in the final game. The story left a bad taste in my mouth, it seemed rushed, incomplete even. The game play received a new mechanic called dynamax, it is cool at first but it adds little to the battles considering it is very similar to Z moves, the raids are broken, also the online infrastructure is barebones and prone to a multitude of errors, you need to use an archaic 4 digit password to connect with your friends online instead of having a convenient friend list. The wild area is a cool addition but you better play it offline or else be prepared to experience 00s MMO lag. The new pokémon and new galar forms are great though, it's the only reason I'm not giving this "game" a 0.… Expand
  54. Reviewk
    Nov 25, 2019
    3
    The game lacks the content that a home console release should have and details Game Freak's incompetence in excessive detail. Whether it be the barren wild area and its robotic pokemon that don't interact with their environment, or the short main game that insults your intelligence by holding your hand the whole way through. This game just goes to show that Game Freak doesn't understandThe game lacks the content that a home console release should have and details Game Freak's incompetence in excessive detail. Whether it be the barren wild area and its robotic pokemon that don't interact with their environment, or the short main game that insults your intelligence by holding your hand the whole way through. This game just goes to show that Game Freak doesn't understand what the fanbase wants in a pokemon game, because this certainly isn't it.… Expand
  55. Zerobillion
    Nov 25, 2019
    3
    Horrendous graphical issues, extreme lack of content with no post game and base game beatable in under 20 hours. Story is nonexistent, basically comes down to "oh no stuff is happening, don't worry kids the adults will take care of it" and then that's it, nothing else happens. Wild area is a joke, it isn't the amazing over world experience they tried to make it sound like it is.
  56. Taurian
    Nov 25, 2019
    6
    For me, this game felt good at first, but the more you play it grows hollow. I won’t lie, the biggest complaint I have is the Dexit issues. It’s not just that though. So, I’ll start this review with what I found issues with, as at least a long-standing, “die-hard” fan; - Post-game; Its there but... not much. And it really wasn’t that entertaining or long. After you finish up the post-storyFor me, this game felt good at first, but the more you play it grows hollow. I won’t lie, the biggest complaint I have is the Dexit issues. It’s not just that though. So, I’ll start this review with what I found issues with, as at least a long-standing, “die-hard” fan; - Post-game; Its there but... not much. And it really wasn’t that entertaining or long. After you finish up the post-story stuff, you’re left to shiny hunting and EV training, and that’s about it. When I say the game feels a bit hollow, this is primarily where that comes from. I hope this is something that can be solved with patched in events, but I’m not too hopeful. -No Nat Dex; I know, I know, it’s like beating a dead horse at this point, but it really does feel like Gamefreak is intentionally trying to make its older players mad and quit the franchise. Newer and casual players will be fine, but it’s a major middle finger to those of us that put in actual work into these games. -No GTS; The trading in this game is a NIGHTMARE. Trading is hard unless you’re on Discord or other forums to connect you with other players, unless of course you have a full squad of PokeFriends in your town or don’t mind surprise trades. It’s just awful, really. -Graphics; For as much as the graphics were hyped, they are poor. I don’t have much else to say. Trees, mostly. Ugh. I don’t mean to nitpick, but when that was a major push factor, it definitely doesn’t take advantage of what the Switch can do. I do have some good things to say though.
    -Wild Zone; I think this area is neat and provides a way to get some nice Pokémon, especially after you defeat the main story. -New Pokemon; A lot of them are great, really. In comparison to the last two times we got new Pokémon, these are indeed better designed and just overall more lovable. Dragapult really stole my heart, ngl. Clothing!; Man, I really am happy with the customization in this, I will say that has gotten so much better. Shiny Hunting; The methods are the best they’ve been. Good Characters; Including the player character, I do find all the characters really fleshed out and great as additions to the humans of the Pokémon world. It’s the first time I’ve really enjoyed the company of my rival. Map; Aside from the graphic quality, the areas and routes are all pretty interesting and good sized. A good amount of hidden/off the beaten path places and items    … Expand
  57. Paradise2000
    Nov 25, 2019
    6
    Best Pokémon game I have ever played. Fans have absolutely unrealistic expectations for this game, but it’s the best Gamefreak has ever made.
  58. MikeRose87
    Nov 25, 2019
    5
    These are my thoughts with the pros and cons I found for this game after a full playthrough with hours of wild area, raids and such over 34 hours.

    Pros I like the new Pokemon: One of my better liked generations of new Pokemon designs. The starters are all equally as good and the story behind the legendaries is solid. Wild area is an excellent idea: This is what I was hoping for in    These are my thoughts with the pros and cons I found for this game after a full playthrough with hours of wild area, raids and such over 34 hours.

    Pros

    I like the new Pokemon: One of my better liked generations of new Pokemon designs. The starters are all equally as good and the story behind the legendaries is solid.

    Wild area is an excellent idea: This is what I was hoping for in a console Pokemon game and I feel like it was executed quite nicely. Not perfect but a good start. A super wide area with different sections, dynamic weather conditions that affect where and when Pokemnon would spawn. Also have them at all levels available but limit what you can catch to your current gym badges to avoid getting too op early on as well as to motivate you to carry on the quest in hopes to finally be able to catch that certain Pokemon who was beyond your reach.

    Gyms are pretty well done for the most part: I enjoyed the gym challenges quite much (except a couple of really lazy ones). A good change of pace from just battling a few trainers before getting to the leader. Plus the stadium showdown against the leader shows the scale of the battle as well as the fantastic music especially when they Dymanax/Gigantamax.

    Cons

    Presentation sucks: For a console game this just looks bad. Bad textures, pop ins right in your face, and poor animations (aside signature moves). Also, why dont we have voice acting in 2019?

    Story sucks: Team Yell is by far the worst antagonist team in the game. Nothing much other than to go and do the Gym Challenge to face the Champion who keeps boasting on how unbeatable he is which gets really old and corny as well as segments which should feel more epic are rushed with no substance.

    Dungeons suck: Caves, hideouts, forests etc. used to be bigger, leaving room for exploration and resembled a maze of sorts where you need to find your way out or go through multiple floors to finally reach your destination. Now they are pretty much a straight road with a few patches of grass and a couple of trainers.

    Towns/Cities suck: Whats the point of showing you an overview of a huge city leading to believe that there is much to it just for the playable area to be as big as Pallet Town?

    Rival sucks: I cant stand a "rival" that is just so nice, friendly and with such corny lines througout the game. Even complimenting you during a match when you land super effective hits and such. We need rivals to be a-holes again to really push you to want to destroy them every time you meet like Gen 1 and 2.

    From easy to braindead mode: I get the intention of aliviating some of the more tedius aspects of the game but all this together makes it so easy/convinient that there is no challenge whatsoever. You just go through the motions of the game until you beat it. Things like XP Share that cant be disabled, Box Management everywhere, no HM's, Flying Taxi, Remembering/Forgetting Moves, Changing Names, Seeing if your move is effective or not before selecting it etc.

    No National Dex: Bla bla bla, we heard this a thousand times but needs to be mentioned, whatever...

    Dynamax battling is dumb: There is no depth to Dynamax since there is just one standard move for each typing that all Pokemon use (aside Gigantamax exclusive moves) Ok, two for some. Whoop dee doo...

    Verdict

    If you want a Pokemon game to do Pokemon stuff then you will most likely have fun with this despite it's shortcomings. But if you were hoping for the first console Pokemon game to take the already great core and expand it to add true substance, challenge, and depth. This aint it chief    … Expand
  59. newet
    Nov 25, 2019
    0
    The story was horrible and you don't really feel like a hero in it - just some random.
  60. ShadyPirate
    Nov 25, 2019
    9
    Pokemon looked better then it ever has before. All of the routes and towns look great, but the the wild area looks worse than the rest of the game. All of the new Pokemon look great. Going back to the old style of Gym Battles and adding in an island trial like thing for each gym was fun.
  61. Joxl
    Nov 25, 2019
    6
    Not a bad Pokemon game, but it's basically the same game i have played since childhood. I expected more of an open world game and a better, more complex, story. The fact that the game still doesn't have any voice acting is infuriating.
  62. Bowsertheboss
    Nov 25, 2019
    4
    Found myself constantly wishing I was battling, as the battle system is the only part of the game that doesn't make me want to vomit. If you are planning to get it just for the pokemon, I suggest waiting until the pokemon prison comes out, so that you can get your collection and then immediately dump the game at your local failing Gamestop, because there is literally nothing to do beyondFound myself constantly wishing I was battling, as the battle system is the only part of the game that doesn't make me want to vomit. If you are planning to get it just for the pokemon, I suggest waiting until the pokemon prison comes out, so that you can get your collection and then immediately dump the game at your local failing Gamestop, because there is literally nothing to do beyond the 17 hour campaign besides sit there and wonder why Martin and his solrock were coded.… Expand
  63. JosYGHT
    Nov 25, 2019
    6
    Después de completar el juego puedo decir que el juego no me ha depecionado, pero para ser un juego de una consola de última generación deja mucho que desear, sobre todo en aspectos tecnicos.
    En cuanto al contenido todo el revuelo que se ha armado tiene toda la razón de existir debido a las razones expuestas por la comunidad sobre el recorte de la pokédex y eliminación de antiguas    Después de completar el juego puedo decir que el juego no me ha depecionado, pero para ser un juego de una consola de última generación deja mucho que desear, sobre todo en aspectos tecnicos.
    En cuanto al contenido todo el revuelo que se ha armado tiene toda la razón de existir debido a las razones expuestas por la comunidad sobre el recorte de la pokédex y eliminación de antiguas mecanicas que darían mucho juego en la actualidad, pero este tema ha sido hablado hasta la saciedad.
    La historia es muy escasa y su duración es infima, una de las peores historias de la saga diría yo. El post-game es bastante escaso solo con la torre de batalla y la meta de todos los juegos, completar la pokédex.
    El sistema de gimnasios sin duda ha sido un gran acierto, haciendolo más acogedor y no tan solitario, con más entrenadores con el mismo objetivo que tú, los diseños de los entrenadores de gimnasio es espectacular y las pruebas de gimnasio era algo que se necesitaba en este sistema desde hace mucho.
    Los diseños de los nuevos Pokémon son muy bonitos y cada uno con su personalidad bien marcada, las formas Galar se ven espectaculares y denotan bien lo que es Reino Unido junto con las ciudades y pueblos.
    Siento que la dificultad debería ser más alta, la mayoria de combates a excepcion del combate del campeón fueron demasiado sencillos, con los Pokémon de los rivales 5 0 10 niveles por debajo de mi media.

    Pokémon necesita un nuevo inicio como BOTW fue a Zelda, GameFreak necesita trabajar más duro y dejar de llevarse por los billetes, porque sí, solo por llevar el nombre de Pokémon vende, y mientras siga vendiendo se seguirá dando el mínimo esfuerzo por parte de la compañia. Esperemos que esto se detenga en el futuro y lanzen un juego que sea insuperable.    … Expand
  64. GideonSloth
    Nov 25, 2019
    8
    Pokemon Sword es un juego con detalles que lo vuelven agridulce, pero viéndolo como un paquete completo consiguió sumergirme en el mundo Pokémon como nunca antes había hecho otro juego la saga.

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

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

    Lo peor:
    -Poca dificultad
    -No intro al inicio del juego
    -No zoroark
    -Caídas de framerate, sobre todo al estar conectado a internet
    -Animaciones inconsistentes, unas padres, pero otras muy simples
    -Algunas texturas bastante vergonzosas en elementos del mundo
    -Historia corta y poco profunda    … Expand
  65. Nightfang1994
    Nov 25, 2019
    3
    Jesus this game was rushed. Shame due to the amazing concepts but here is a brief summary of why its trash

    They finally introduce a proper league championship instead of the elite 4 right? Fantastic! Oh wait it's all the same gym and rivals with the same pathetic teams posing no challenge at all so if anything it's less variety in who you fight against Less pokemon and trash internet for    Jesus this game was rushed. Shame due to the amazing concepts but here is a brief summary of why its trash

    They finally introduce a proper league championship instead of the elite 4 right? Fantastic! Oh wait it's all the same gym and rivals with the same pathetic teams posing no challenge at all so if anything it's less variety in who you fight against

    Less pokemon and trash internet for a more expensive game that charges online

    The rival is the worst one yet. The animations for anything outside the gym leaders is bad. Like at least fix the cutscenes Customization is a bunch of Redskins that sometimes dont even show up during gym fights. Raid battles suck

    Gigantimax sucks. The most is really bad outside of the gym and Marnie's theme No post game whatsoever ...nothing....

    Pros: godlike concepts and they finally made gyms seem like proper immersive challenges in stsdiums.

    The wild area is a must have for all future pokemon games    … Expand
  66. rubbdugger
    Nov 25, 2019
    10
    People are very dramatic about the re-used animations and tree graphics. I have been playing Pokemon since gen 1, and I actually really enjoyed this game. After the first 3 gyms, the difficulty spikes, and it got much more enjoyable. The wild area was awesome to explore, and I hope the expand upon this concept in future games to give it more of a BOTW feeling. Some of the starter designsPeople are very dramatic about the re-used animations and tree graphics. I have been playing Pokemon since gen 1, and I actually really enjoyed this game. After the first 3 gyms, the difficulty spikes, and it got much more enjoyable. The wild area was awesome to explore, and I hope the expand upon this concept in future games to give it more of a BOTW feeling. Some of the starter designs were dissapointing, there was some very entertaing dialouge, and the dynamax mechanic added a new element. This is the most unique Pokemon technique I have played in a very long time.… Expand
  67. leandrolive
    Nov 25, 2019
    0
    nao comprem , faltou carinho com a franquia . parece um jogo feito pela EA só que sem vender a parte que tiraram do jogo , por enquanto ....
  68. Xvrignis
    Nov 25, 2019
    10
    I would score it with 9, but with that amount of 0, I have to give it a 10, sorry.
    The game is absolutely fun, have so many new features that make the game enjoyable in and out of battle. The world look so beautiful and the design of new Pokémon is good.
    I only have a problem with tutorials for dummies, the recycle of the pokeball and rival animations from sun and moon, and some    I would score it with 9, but with that amount of 0, I have to give it a 10, sorry.
    The game is absolutely fun, have so many new features that make the game enjoyable in and out of battle. The world look so beautiful and the design of new Pokémon is good.
    I only have a problem with tutorials for dummies, the recycle of the pokeball and rival animations from sun and moon, and some graphics details. But that didn't ruin my experience.    … Expand
  69. Rcav
    Nov 25, 2019
    3
    While the game isn't that bad and in general quite enjoyable, it also carries over a lot of problems from last games and doesn't live up to the expectations set for a home console Pokemon game. The ganeplay is too easy, story is uninteresting, graphics aren't as great as other switch games and the wild area is overall underwhelming. Not to mention the vast amount of Pokemon that got cutWhile the game isn't that bad and in general quite enjoyable, it also carries over a lot of problems from last games and doesn't live up to the expectations set for a home console Pokemon game. The ganeplay is too easy, story is uninteresting, graphics aren't as great as other switch games and the wild area is overall underwhelming. Not to mention the vast amount of Pokemon that got cut due to the game being rushed. The Pokemon games have a lot of potential but sadly most of it is wasted since GF likes to stick to their formula. Therefore, I can't and don't want to give this game a high rating.… Expand
  70. SplendidHoney
    Nov 25, 2019
    9
    Yes the graphics and animations could have been better but I believe this is the best pokemon game to date.

    The story is really good, you're initial rival is a complete pushover but there are other rivals and characters in the game that give you the feel of a traditional rival. There are so many quality of life improvements such as changing pokemon from your pc on the go and changing a    Yes the graphics and animations could have been better but I believe this is the best pokemon game to date.

    The story is really good, you're initial rival is a complete pushover but there are other rivals and characters in the game that give you the feel of a traditional rival. There are so many quality of life improvements such as changing pokemon from your pc on the go and changing a pokemons natrure so that competitive battling is more accessible

    The game can also be challenging if you allow it to be. The experience share is always on however battles are at a higher level to compensate for this.    … Expand
  71. SanelVella
    Nov 25, 2019
    4
    Una nueva generación de Pokémon en una consola cansera... En el que los precios de los juegos han incrementado, y la calidad de los mismos... No mucho. Pokémon Espada y Escudo son juegos que se sienten de la era del 3DS y no como juegos del Switch, de una nueva generación de consolas. Los puntos rescatables son el área silvestre y la música. Fuera de ello, son juegos más de la era del 3DSUna nueva generación de Pokémon en una consola cansera... En el que los precios de los juegos han incrementado, y la calidad de los mismos... No mucho. Pokémon Espada y Escudo son juegos que se sienten de la era del 3DS y no como juegos del Switch, de una nueva generación de consolas. Los puntos rescatables son el área silvestre y la música. Fuera de ello, son juegos más de la era del 3DS para Nintendo Switch, en donde posees mismo apartado gráfico (ligeramente mejorado, pero en comparación casi nulo), historia bastante predecible y aburrida, mecánicas que no aportan nada nuevo en los combates y realmente, fuera de la Battle Tower, nada de post game para un jugador seguir estando motivado en jugarlo.

    Pokémon Espada y Escudo no son un paso hacia atrás para la franquicia, pero la consola Nintendo Switch merece un paso adelante con sus franquicias... Y este, definitivamente no lo es. Pokémon merece más, los fans merecen más, la consola merece más. Pero estos juegos, son simplemente más de lo mismo que nos han dado desde la era de X/Y en el 2013... Pero a mayor precio.    … Expand
  72. christopher857
    Nov 25, 2019
    3
    GameFreak definitely doesn't know how to develop games. Since Pokémon Gold not the effort to improve. Pokemon Sword is bad, limited, bad graphics, lots of bugs, Pokemon size inconsistency. I don't recommend it, it's time for GameFreak to pass Pokémon to another developer.
  73. LisaRueh
    Nov 25, 2019
    9
    I have reviewed Pokemon Shield but as they are both quite similar here the same review.

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

    ---
    This is a great game - I had a lot of fun playing it and enjoyed the whole thing. It isn't a 100 % there yet and is still a bit rough around the edges but I don't regret buying or playing it. The game play is nice and works well - there are three things bothering me within the game - 1. you cannot turn off or filter all the notifications you receive on the lower left hand side for online playing, 2. the instructions for how cooking works are a bit too limited, 3. the limitation of implemented Pokemon (even though I don't think, that this is such a big deal).
    Otherwise I think it is a great game with a really great story, great game play and I really enjoyed that the game and the opponents you face have actual emotions and things happen, that you don't naturally expect. I also really enjoyed the graphics and the 3D world - how the Pokemon run around on the map and I can actually see them - that was great and an awesome addition.    … Expand
  74. Chozo94
    Nov 25, 2019
    8
    Sword and Shield - Hate or Love?

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

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

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

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

    Now to Sword

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

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

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

    National Dex/ Pokedex

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

    Difficulty

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

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

    Note: English is not my native language, im sorry if this is kinda hard to read. :)    … Expand
  75. Daeny
    Nov 25, 2019
    7
    È una bella gioco mi piace la possibilità di muovere la telecamera, bella grafica
  76. NellTull
    Nov 25, 2019
    0
    One does not simply cut out over half the pokemon in the series and expect everyone to pay more money from the game. We wanted a BOTW like pokemon game, not an ugly looking wild area that actually majorly unbalances the pokemon catching experience in the single player portions.
  77. RipPokemon
    Nov 25, 2019
    1
    Disgraceful.

    That is all I can think of when I was playing this game and it ended abruptly. Compared to its 3DS games, it somehow has LESS content than all of them, even XY. How is that even possible? The excuse that the animations took up most of their time is a blatant lie as well considering there has been MULTIPLE sources showing they were simply ripped from the 3DS games. For    Disgraceful.

    That is all I can think of when I was playing this game and it ended abruptly. Compared to its 3DS games, it somehow has LESS content than all of them, even XY. How is that even possible?

    The excuse that the animations took up most of their time is a blatant lie as well considering there has been MULTIPLE sources showing they were simply ripped from the 3DS games.

    For a multi-billionaire franchise, this is an insult to its first real console game.

    The ONLY thing I can say that was good about this game was the addition of the Wild Area and the fact you can see fully evolved pokemon roaming around that you can catch as well. But, the negatives heavily outweigh the positives.

    Do not get this game. Let them know this is NOT how you treat a beloved franchise.    … Expand
  78. pokepals
    Nov 25, 2019
    0
    Honestly, this game feels incomplete. GF took half of the pokemon out of the game and there is no way they could be obtained. Not only that but, they recycled animations, which they claimed that they'd be recreating from scratch. The quality of the game is meant for a 3ds, not a Nintendo switch, Save your money people, because this game was purposefully rushed for Christmas time. Very VERYHonestly, this game feels incomplete. GF took half of the pokemon out of the game and there is no way they could be obtained. Not only that but, they recycled animations, which they claimed that they'd be recreating from scratch. The quality of the game is meant for a 3ds, not a Nintendo switch, Save your money people, because this game was purposefully rushed for Christmas time. Very VERY disappointed.… Expand
  79. shimaoaishimiao
    Nov 25, 2019
    0
    Dear Masuda,well done,what the job you did was fascinating!
    Especially the Dexit job,however,that's an absolutely great job! Let me see, which Pokemon were culled by your great job? Okay I found Mew-two was out, why is him(maybe her)? maybe this model was too hard to handle, Am I right? So, go hell, damn it!
    Love from China.
  80. Potteriti
    Nov 24, 2019
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wtf everything is so simple and the design is worse than Pokémon let's go.… Expand
  81. Djarjb
    Nov 24, 2019
    4
    Has the makings of a good game. The environments are awesome and the "gym challenge" adds a great tournament air the game. Pokemon on the overworld makes the environments feel alive. But game is far to easy with only one battle in the whole game keeping me on my toes. Furthermore the new mechanics of dynamaxing and camping are gimmicky and add very little to the game. Also I suggest neverHas the makings of a good game. The environments are awesome and the "gym challenge" adds a great tournament air the game. Pokemon on the overworld makes the environments feel alive. But game is far to easy with only one battle in the whole game keeping me on my toes. Furthermore the new mechanics of dynamaxing and camping are gimmicky and add very little to the game. Also I suggest never using half the items from Max raids if you ever want to have even a modicum difficulty. Plays like a tutorial the wholeway though the game. The greatest sin in this game is the fact that it feels like a tech demo. It shows of what the switch is capable of but does little else. The Story is bland and short. The post games is a joke that can be completed in under an hour. There are no vastly explorable area or even side quests. It's feels small and compact yet somehow empty. I was prepared to like this game and enjoyed my first three hours but it disappointed. It pains me to see such a potentially entertaining entry in the series so poorly executed.All in all would not recommend. Go play fire emblem three houses instead.… Expand
  82. TheSoyBoy
    Nov 24, 2019
    2
    

I do not own a copy of this game, I was fortunate enough to borrow a copy to play the game myself.




    Pokemon Sword and Shield are Gamefreak’s first mainline Pokemon game on a home console. With game’s like Dragon Quest XI, Zelda Breath of the Wild, and Mario Odyssey on the Nintendo Switch, there were high expectations among Pokemon fans for Gamefreak to produce a game that    

I do not own a copy of this game, I was fortunate enough to borrow a copy to play the game myself.




    Pokemon Sword and Shield are Gamefreak’s first mainline Pokemon game on a home console. With game’s like Dragon Quest XI, Zelda Breath of the Wild, and Mario Odyssey on the Nintendo Switch, there were high expectations among Pokemon fans for Gamefreak to produce a game that represented the success and popularity of the Pokemon franchise.

    

Let’s start off with some positives. 

Firstly, the ability to customise your character is the best it has ever been in the franchise. The options players have to customise their characters are fresh and creative. And, while there were more options for female characters, it has definitely been a step in the right direction.

    

I really enjoyed the battle theme and most of the new Pokemon designs (some of them certainly fell flat). As someone who has been a massive fan of the Pokemon franchise since Red, Blue, and Yellow, it’s disappointing to see some really awful designs. I would even prefer the excluded Pokemon from the beta versions of Gold and Silver over some of the ones we received this generation.



    Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing are a new mechanic where Pokemon become giant, gaining an increase to their stats and changing the effects of their moves. I personally really disliked this. I would have preferred Gamefreak to stick to mega evolutions instead of introducing gimmicks that only last a generation. I would not have minded keeping the giant Pokemon as raid bosses, but I find it really poor to see them being used so widely throughout the game. It just comes off as very tired and uncreative, especially for a multibillion dollar franchise.



    The biggest negatives of this game however, is the linear design of the region, the same washed out 3D models used in the previous generation, bad battle and cutscene animations, the increased handholding, the lack of an interesting and expansive post-game story (or even the availability of new post game content seems to be largely missing), the exclusion of the National Dex, and watering down, removing or excluding features introduced in other generations that were a massive benefit to the quality of life of the game, such as the Player Search System, Global Trade System, Wonder Trade, and the PokeNav system from Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. 



    While it’s still to be seen what Pokemon Home will look like, it is very concerning to see the Global Trade System that included in the previous generations be excluded in this one, only to be repackaged in Pokemon Home that will require a subscription (on top of the Nintendo Switch’s online subscription).



    There is so much that has been done poorly that the interesting and new things Gamefreak introduced to this generation are mostly overlooked. Unless having an expansive list of curry recipes is really that important to you, I think most people who are looking for a Pokemon experience that is rewarding and challenging will find that Pokemon Sword and Shield are not the game for them.

    

If you are someone looking for a casual experience with little difficulty and something they can finish within a week or two and move on, then Sword and Shield are definitely for you.



    However, for a game that is essentially an enhanced repackage of the previous generation with a significant portion of content cut, it is hard to recommend Sword and Shield to anyone when the game has increase its cost compared to its 3DS counterparts. If you are looking for an easier game to pick up and begin your Pokemon journey, I would recommend you look at Pokemon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon on the 3DS, as it provides a better overall experience for what you are looking for.

    In short:
    - Good battle music.

    - More character customisation.
    - Easier to enhance your Pokemon for competitive battling
    - New designs are hit or miss. Some are really great, others are really awful.

    - Creative region design but very linear. Would have really benefitted from properly designing cities and towns to be more than pathways to the next objective.
    - Dynamaxing and Giagantamaxing are uninteresting gimmicks only intended to last this generation. It’s quite unfortunate that they replaced mega evolutions. 



    Major negatives:
    - Removing or excluding mechanics/features that were great in previous generations
    - No National Dex
    - Excluding the Global Trade System and putting it behind a second subscription in Pokemon Home
    - Poor story writing and poor character development. Some of the characters are truly insufferable.
    - Not much content for players to explore, especially post-game
    - Too easy and overly ‘hand-holdy’
    - Pokemon 3D models, battle animations, and character animations taken from the previous generation. This makes me question why there is so little content, especially new content.    … Expand
  83. Turdnuggz
    Nov 23, 2019
    7
    Pros:
    1. Some surprisingly good new pokemon
    2. Gym battles were fun 3. Brought back the Exp. Gain based on level relevance system 4. Beautiful scenery 5. Replaced Elite Four with a tournament 6. Sonia, Marnie, Bea, and Nessa are all wife material 7. Raid battles and dynamaxing are a decently fun new addition 8. Great soundtrack, as expected of Pokemon. 9. Decent amount of character    Pros:
    1. Some surprisingly good new pokemon
    2. Gym battles were fun
    3. Brought back the Exp. Gain based on level relevance system
    4. Beautiful scenery
    5. Replaced Elite Four with a tournament
    6. Sonia, Marnie, Bea, and Nessa are all wife material
    7. Raid battles and dynamaxing are a decently fun new addition
    8. Great soundtrack, as expected of Pokemon.
    9. Decent amount of character customization.

    Cons:
    1. Small postgame
    2. Less than 100 new pokemon
    3. Some textures were bad
    4. Some animations were reused and/or terrible
    5. Rivals were once again underwhelming. I miss the Gens 1-5 rivals.
    6. Villains were lacking. They weren't that threatening and their story/motivations were poorly explained and very rushed.
    7. Terrible legendary boss battle.

    Summary: The game was actually good overall. It wasn't nearly as good as some of the other core games in Pokemon, and definitely had it's problems, but it was good enough for me to enjoy quite a bit. It does not deserve most of the hate it has received, but Gamefreak could have done alot more and alot better. Still far better than the Let's Go abominations. I give it a solid 7/10.    … Expand
  84. Nathanga
    Nov 24, 2019
    5
    Out of all the mainline Pokemon games I've played Sword in particular was a chore to complete. I enjoyed my first 10 or so hours with the game, given that the core pokemon gameplay loop is still fun and intact. However I noticed overtime that the game kept getting more and more boring for a number of reasons, such as the dull story/characters and very easy difficulty. I appreciate theOut of all the mainline Pokemon games I've played Sword in particular was a chore to complete. I enjoyed my first 10 or so hours with the game, given that the core pokemon gameplay loop is still fun and intact. However I noticed overtime that the game kept getting more and more boring for a number of reasons, such as the dull story/characters and very easy difficulty. I appreciate the graphical improvement Gamefreak has given us here but it is negated by the cuts to the National Dex and the simplicity of the game.

    Simply put i expected more from a $80 Pokemon game and am disapointed with my purchase.    … Expand
  85. TheLysdexicGent
    Nov 24, 2019
    8
    I have just finished the story of the game at just over 60hrs (that comes out to 1$ per hour played). I have enjoyed the game and will continue to do so. Only reason it is an 8 is because game freak wouldn't just tell us the truth and say that they were pushed to get the game out as fast as possible or they were too lazy to at least add a national Dex.
  86. kiaxxl
    Nov 24, 2019
    7
    This is a good Pokemon game that could've been greater with some more months of dev time. Small things like no voice acting in cut scenes and bad pop-in will wish this game was a bit more ambitious. However the game itself is fun, with good atmosphere, a lot of great Pokemon, a ton of QOL improvements that make it streamlined in a good way. You can spend a lot of time in the Wild Area.This is a good Pokemon game that could've been greater with some more months of dev time. Small things like no voice acting in cut scenes and bad pop-in will wish this game was a bit more ambitious. However the game itself is fun, with good atmosphere, a lot of great Pokemon, a ton of QOL improvements that make it streamlined in a good way. You can spend a lot of time in the Wild Area. Post-game offers quite a few multiplayer things to do.

    I'd like to note that a ton of these negative reviews popped up literally the hour the game released, and are not completely accurate.    … Expand
  87. Edgex10
    Nov 24, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Muy decepcionado pokedex muy limitada no vale la pena ni comprarlo y los diseños de los pokemon nuevos dan asco, enserio una tetera de pokemon?… Expand
  88. HorusVenus1210
    Nov 24, 2019
    8
    El juego no es malo, definitivamente game freak pudo hacer una obra maestra, venimos de juegos como zelda, mario odyssey, xenoblade, mario maker, etc, juegos con una cantidad de detalles impresionantes y yo personalmente esperaba algo así de Pokémon, la verdad deja un vacío aunque el juego esgancha enseguida.
  89. kiryuu
    Nov 24, 2019
    9
    sword and shield is a very fun game! i've been a fan of the series for a very long time and continue to be. for those unsure of whether or not as to buy it -- please give it a chance! it's incredibly enjoyable, has a wonderful ost, and the new generation of pokémon is very interesting! will definitely be replaying soon... just as soon as i finish raids with friends!
  90. LucasEVille
    Nov 24, 2019
    2
    Stripped back features, Pokédex limited, “pop” distance of objects ruins any realism the wild area tries to bring to the game.

    A lost opportunity to have perhaps made the best game of this console generation.
  91. Drawnimo
    Nov 24, 2019
    6
    Pokemon Sword is not the game I was expecting. Normally, I say that in a good context. Mario, Zelda, Fire Emblem, Smash - these series' debuts on the Nintendo Switch pleasantly surprised me with just how good they turned out. I wasn't expecting those games to be so polished, so filled with love and passion... and so it pains me to say that Pokemon doesn't stack up. I'm incrediblyPokemon Sword is not the game I was expecting. Normally, I say that in a good context. Mario, Zelda, Fire Emblem, Smash - these series' debuts on the Nintendo Switch pleasantly surprised me with just how good they turned out. I wasn't expecting those games to be so polished, so filled with love and passion... and so it pains me to say that Pokemon doesn't stack up. I'm incredibly disappointed.
    There is so much to like about this game: the sleekness of the GUI and overall aesthetic, the eye-candy special effects on Dynamax moves, the new interesting Pokemon designs, the charming and expressive trainer animations, and the FIRE soundtrack, just to name a few. But with every good thing that this game does right, there is a slew of problems that follow.
    Constantly throughout my playthrough, I asked myself the same questions. Why is my Wooloo jumping in place for Double Kick, and kicking when I use Headbutt? Why are some moves animated while others just have the Pokemon's model spin in place? Why does the Wild Area feel so empty? What am I supposed to like about this forgettable story? Why are half the Pokemon just absent? Why is this game so easy, even though my first playthrough was a Nuzlocke challenge? Why can't I turn XP share off? Why do I need an item to change my volume settings? Are future Pokemon games going to be this hollow, this unapologetically rushed?
    For the first time in my life, I feel horrible for buying this game and giving Gamefreak money for such a lackluster product. But, I would be lying if I said I wasn't having fun. At the end of the day, I suppose that is what matters. This game doesn't deserve anything over a 7, but it also doesn't deserve anything below a 5, and I think that's important to understand. How much you like this game will just depend on what you want out of a Pokemon game: If you want a fun 20-hour campaign and many more hours battling your friends, I'd say this is a good buy. But if none of your friends have this game and you don't want to support Gamefreak, I completely understand.
    I want Gamefreak to improve in the future. Hopefully, in the future, I will be able to honestly give a console Pokemon game an 8, a 9, or even a 10. But that time has not yet come, and all I can do is try to enjoy what we have now with my friends. :)    … Expand
  92. TheLordnk
    Nov 24, 2019
    2
    Pior Geração possível,cagaram pokemon de uma forma incrível, até o design doa pokemon
  93. Ganvyr
    Nov 24, 2019
    5
    I have always been a fan of Pokemon games, and this one is no exception. Pokemon Sword and Shield seemed like a breath of fresh air for the series, with an expansive game world, updated graphics, and a new European take on the series. However, even though I set my bar for the game very low, I still felt disappointed.

    I also played Let's Go Eevee and Pikachu, and I felt the experience    I have always been a fan of Pokemon games, and this one is no exception. Pokemon Sword and Shield seemed like a breath of fresh air for the series, with an expansive game world, updated graphics, and a new European take on the series. However, even though I set my bar for the game very low, I still felt disappointed.

    I also played Let's Go Eevee and Pikachu, and I felt the experience was more casual than the average Pokemon game, but I wasn't expecting Sword to be the same kind of casual game. Pokemon Sword is shockingly easy, and I was able to beat almost every trainer that came my way with my starter. EXP Candies dull out the experience, and Hop, your rival, is trivial and never is a challenge. I didn't feel difficulty playing the game whatsoever.

    The casual nature did disappoint me, but I was hopeful other aspects of Sword would impress me. I got let down again. The graphics are subpar, and is some places, just look like a 3DS port. Also, when entering a Pokemon Battle in some places, the developers just didn't bother to put in a background, and either just transported you to the wilderness, or to a room with a white background. There are many reused assets, and the framerate is never consistent, especially in the Wild Area. The textures for the ground look awful, and background renders look like they came straight from the N64. Even the animations for the Pokemon feel astoundingly lazy. The move "Double Hit," for example, is just the Pokemon hopping slightly twice. However, one thing I can say about the graphics is that all the models in the game are very sharp, with every Pokemon and person looking clean. This creates an awkward contrast between the ugly world and the nice-looking characters. There are only a few places in the world where the game looks really nice: the places where they couldn't reuse any models, animations, and textures from the 3DS.

    I won't spend much time on the next topic, but the pacing is awful. The tutorial drags on for way too long, and the world is too linear. The most common excuse for why I can't go somewhere is, "Team Yell blocks your path!" or "Traveling by air just isn't the same as traveling by foot." There is also no conflict in the story, no antagonist, which makes it more difficult for me to continue the journey because I have no motivation.

    However, if you're waiting to hear something good about the game, there are a few things that I really enjoyed about this new entry in the Pokemon games:
    The Wild Area, while looking ugly, is extremely fun, and I constantly find myself returning there to catch new Pokemon, or do a Raid Battle.
    The music is also very enjoyable, bring the constant Pokemon vibe that mostly everyone knows. (There is just a little bit of weird music clipping)
    Pokemon Camp is very enjoyable, and the animations there feel very clean and polished.
    All the towns also have very interesting designs, every one distinct from one another.

    But that's it. The cons of this game are blatant, and they grab and pull me out of this immersive game world. This game feels rushed or lazy, I can't tell. But this game is not a good representation of Pokemon - The Largest Media Franchise on the world. Even bigger than Star Wars, or Mickey Mouse. Pokemon is bigger than Disney, and they can't make a game that is as immersive, thoughtful, thorough, and likable as Ring Fit Adventure. Yes, Ring Fit Adventure feels more thorough and well thought out than Pokemon.

    And remember this game is $60.    … Expand
  94. AsterAether
    Nov 24, 2019
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Looks amazing, runs rather fluently and has the core Pokemon elements. That's more or less what I can say that's good about it.

    The bad stuff:
    It just feels unfinished. Some animations aren't polished, still have clipping in places etc. The story is a joke, only explained vaguely in exhibition in the aftermath. And I still don't fully get the full scope of the story. And adding onto the unfinished part:No animation for the flight quick travel, no puzzles anywhere in the routes, no VMs that would enable puzzles, even your bike is given to you extremely early. I had everything I could hope for by the 4th arena, and breezed through the rest. I can't even remember in which order the arenas 5 to 7 were, so lackluster they felt. There is so much fun potential in the polished elements, but it's heavily downgraded by the unfinished parts.    … Expand
  95. Yokay321
    Nov 24, 2019
    0
    Pokemon sword was a disappointing and linear mess of a game. They bragged about the wild area however that is the only way you are able to actually explore the world without your hand being held the entire time. Now you are able to skip the catching tutorial but that does not stop the game from holding your hand the entire time. The storyline is lack luster and the rivals are boring. EvenPokemon sword was a disappointing and linear mess of a game. They bragged about the wild area however that is the only way you are able to actually explore the world without your hand being held the entire time. Now you are able to skip the catching tutorial but that does not stop the game from holding your hand the entire time. The storyline is lack luster and the rivals are boring. Even Bede who is slightly interesting is never fleshed out in an interesting way. They claimed that all the animations would be new. However one can tell as long as they have played the 3ds games that this is not the case. The animations are reused. There are not all the pokemon in the game. The story is boring and there are glitches that make it feel like a Bethesda game. The world literally stops when you are on a ladder. This is the richest media company in the world. From any other developer we would not accept this as a good game.… Expand
  96. KaozSorceres
    Nov 24, 2019
    10
    El juego esta bastante buen, recomendado para nuevos y fanaticos, merece un 8 pero por los hatter le dare un 10.
  97. Suitwo
    Nov 24, 2019
    8
    Okay the first thing I am going to say is don't bother reading reviews which say "I chose not to play the game" or something to that extent, unfortunately there are a lot of reviews which feature that and lower the overall review as you can see.

    With that out of the way let me give you my unbiased opinion, something you rarely see nowadays. Disclaimer, I have not finished the game yet,    Okay the first thing I am going to say is don't bother reading reviews which say "I chose not to play the game" or something to that extent, unfortunately there are a lot of reviews which feature that and lower the overall review as you can see.

    With that out of the way let me give you my unbiased opinion, something you rarely see nowadays.
    Disclaimer, I have not finished the game yet, in fact I am only just about to challenge the third gym. I wanted to get this in now though, I will add or edit this after I have finished but my schedule is going to get more demanding so that may be a long while away.

    Onto the review, I have liked what I have seen so far, the game feels different from those before and the graphics are beautiful from previous games, if you are playing the game just take a moment to appreciate the scenery of towns, cities and every route, cave and wild area. Dynamaxing so far has been limited to raid battles and gym leaders but it doesn't disappoint, it's not the same as mega evolving as you get a choice of what you dynamax so you can vary every time you fight. The 3 turn limitation means you have to get the fight done quick but against gym leaders you don't want them to get an early dynamax while you spend a turn switching. The battles themselves are as fun as ever and the gym battles are something else entirely, with the audience in the background cheering when a move hits or when a Pokemon dynamaxes, you can't help but get hyped. Another thing worth noting is the game length, I mentioned I am about to fight the third gym leader, well I have played Shield for 6 hours now and that entire time I have being moving forward or exploring new areas, there is a lot of content to this one compared to say Ultra Sun or Alpha Sapphire, some of the more recent released and both those games I finished well under 24 hours.

    I'll address the issues I have seen around, starting with animations; yes not all of them are perfect, Scorbunny using double kick is a meme at this point and there will be a few others like that, does it take away from the gameplay? Not in the slightest and not every animation is like that. Second the National dex cut; I don't know about you but I never have once caught every single Pokemon and I can tell you for fact most people never will due to event Pokemon like Manaphy, Mew and Jirachi being super rare these days, I like using the new Pokemon, if I wanted to use old ones I would play old games, there is no reason whatsoever to use an Eeveelution for the hundredth time when there are 90 new choices. These next few are a small concern but I am sure are fixable by Nintento in future patches, connection issues and frame drops, I have not experienced the issues myself but I still think the possibility of save files being deleted or something to that extent just for trying to connect online is a serious concern, like I said though, I am sure Nintendo will resolve and and as I don't use it, it is no worry for me or anyone else who doesn't use it. Framedrops can occur and will happen say when going up a ladder or some moves are being used, or maybe nothing happens after you input a move, again nothing that I haven't seen before so if it is such a big thing now, why was it not a big issue before? Answer; people being nit-picky.
    A small issue which I know can put people off and bothered me a bit was the permanent exp share feature, I much prefered the item that you could only give to 1and I didn't use it to complete the main story, what Nintendo did this time however was make the battles tougher so the boss battles Pokemon are slighly higher than your party of 6 if you just progress with the story.

    I overall really like the game, it feels much more refreshing than the last few Pokemon releases, the small issues which people are trying to make out like they are a big thing really aren't a concern for casuals like myself, I have no problems playing the game the way it is meant to be an neither should anyone else. It was not worth £60 let me just say that but that's why I waited and got it for £45, a much better deal and totally worth the buy.    … Expand
  98. Lovio
    Nov 24, 2019
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I wish to start out by saying that I have 100% the game and clocked 111 hours. I have completed the Pokedex, I have the shiny charm, catch charm, and oval charms. I did the post-game and I have done a bit of online play as well.
    I'm going to split this review into a few parts, these are just my thoughts and might be a bit unorganized.

    Part 1: Story
    The story for the games is very par for the course for Pokemon- its enough to keep you playing. A few arcs are very interesting- like hop feeling subpar to his brother. I often found myself wishing I could interact (optionally) to get more of that from him. I also adored Marnie and Bede's arcs- while they could have used more development as well, they wrapped up nicely. Overall Team Yell opted to take a more "team skull" approach while the actual evil team was Marco Cosmos. This really confused me as the only part of the game I'd even be able to see mentions of them was in Pokejobs. I wish there was a more active role by these people and perhaps even an optional side quest about learning more. Catching Eternatus at the end was a very epic moment- but it was badly placed. I don't see why it messed up the champion match. Instead of building tension, it ruined it for me. I found myself wanting to go and beat Leon the entire time I was fighting Eternatus. The post game was also very light, running around past gyms defeating dynamax Pokemon but not being able to catch them? I get it, but it was a bit boring for me. The rare league cards were a very nice touch though, I loved the system with them where you could learn more about characters from them.

    Part 2: Pokemon/Variety
    Every review has probably touched on this, but there isn't a lot of variety in terms of Pokemon. I can count the amount of fire lines on two hands! But somehow I was able to fill a box and a half of water Pokemon. It was a very frustrating moment for me to realize how little variety there is in terms of Pokemon. Many of the 400 included are just Pokemon lines or ones of similar typing. I was disappointed by it.
    However, the new Pokemon where phenomenal! Their new animations were beautiful and they were super fun to collect! I also loved the weird, niche ways to evolve some of them (like Yamask for instance!) it was very refreshing and super fun! It reminded me of why I love Pokemon so much.

    Part 3: Graphics
    Many, many people love to gripe on the graphics. For the majority of the game (not in the wild area) they're actually completely fine. There is a lot of detail and the new shading system is beautiful! I love just how colorful everything is, the ambient light, etc.
    However the wild area has very low graphic fidelity, the trees have bad textures, the grass has apparent tiling, etc. Though these are easy to ignore due to the wild area being beautiful. Eventually it fades into the background after a while. This is NOT a deal breaker for me.

    Part 4: Mechanics
    Wild Area.
    Its a beautiful area with free roaming Pokemon and fun challenges. The balance of the wild area is perfect- you level as you move forward. Its terrifying and fun and game freak needs to add more of this! However, staying in the wild area too long makes you overpowered, as the rest of the game is not balanced for it.
    Camping.
    Extremely fun! I loved playing with my Pokemon and feeling bonded with them. I loved cooking and unlocking the balls via the curry dex. The cooking system is also very fun when you get the hang of it. I can safely say this is much more fun and interactive than amiee. I do wish I could actively play games with my Pokemon, clean them, and pet them though.
    EXP share
    I usually play with this setting on, but I dislike that the option for it to not be turned on/off was sad. I wish it was maybe hidden with an NPC in Wedgehurst, like how the earbuds are hidden.
    Earbuds
    I ADORE this feature. Turning off the background music and strolling through the wild area makes the game a nature documentary. It is beautiful and relaxing. It was a very refreshing change to the game.

    Part 5: Balance
    The game has a few balance issues- mainly late game. There are several people who grind levels and they will always be over powered- but the extent in this game was awful. Trainers on routes had Pokemon that were lower level than the wild Pokemon! There is no reason to grind- and the wild area on top of that makes for a nasty combo. I constantly found myself pushing the level cap until I hit 60.
    However, the start of the game (Milo, Nessa, and Kabu's gyms) were perfectly balanced. Their Pokemon were at the current level cap and it felt like a challenge! But near the endgame I found myself 10-20 levels above everything. It became very boring.
    This should all be scaled to the wild area, with more of that and less traditional routes.

    Part 6: Final thoughts
    I love the game, but there are some things that aren't justifiable. These games deserve so much better than what we got. Its also not fun without online.    … Expand
  99. TeneSicarius
    Nov 24, 2019
    4
    I don't think its a bad game, because its a Pokemon game. No matter what, the core loop is fun, and its been built up for many years. I believe its a bad game, because its not new. This doesn't feel like a step forward for the franchise. They could have just released Ultra Sun/Moon on the switch instead of the 3ds and I probably would feel the same.

    This game has less features than the    I don't think its a bad game, because its a Pokemon game. No matter what, the core loop is fun, and its been built up for many years. I believe its a bad game, because its not new. This doesn't feel like a step forward for the franchise. They could have just released Ultra Sun/Moon on the switch instead of the 3ds and I probably would feel the same.

    This game has less features than the game before it, as Pokemon has been on a steady decline on that front for quite some time now. I rate it a 4 because it is not worth buying over any other Pokemon game on shelves. I could never say that about a franchise like Zelda or Fire Emblem; even their missteps are unique and interesting. Pokemon just isn't putting the work in, and its unfortunate.    … Expand
  100. AkumaTV
    Nov 24, 2019
    8
    Me parece un muy buen juego por cosas como los nuevos pokemon, la historia, las incursiones y como se han tomado el competitivo pero hay un par de aspectos que no me gustan como que el juego es muy lineal y muy corto (la historia) pero por lo demas me gusta mucho
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

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