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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Carlinhos_86
    Nov 20, 2019
    8
    Finally, an actual Pokémon mainline entry for Switch! Despite the dex cut and the removal of mega-evolution, which is a personal favorite feature, it has exactly what I expect from a Pokémon game: an awesome multiplayer VGC format battle system, which remains unmatched by other turn based RPGs. Character models and environments looking better when compared to previous games on theFinally, an actual Pokémon mainline entry for Switch! Despite the dex cut and the removal of mega-evolution, which is a personal favorite feature, it has exactly what I expect from a Pokémon game: an awesome multiplayer VGC format battle system, which remains unmatched by other turn based RPGs. Character models and environments looking better when compared to previous games on the franchise is also a plus.… Expand
  2. AvalonBunny
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    A behemoth of a franchise given the Indie treatment by their developer. Easier than ever, no endgame content, no real story, or challenge... Just buy used.
  3. Blinkme1186
    Nov 20, 2019
    10
    Okay, not really a 10 but I feel the game is getting an unfair shake and a massive over reaction. Dexit sucks and I think people are missing the point. Gamefreak did not lie, do not read the quotes from others read the interviews, it was about gameplay, ideas and balancing and time...does it still sting they are not in this game yeah...do I miss all my favorites (which all got cut) yeah,Okay, not really a 10 but I feel the game is getting an unfair shake and a massive over reaction. Dexit sucks and I think people are missing the point. Gamefreak did not lie, do not read the quotes from others read the interviews, it was about gameplay, ideas and balancing and time...does it still sting they are not in this game yeah...do I miss all my favorites (which all got cut) yeah, we have built bonds with these mons. But they have roughly a year-ish dev cycle with 800+ old mons, 80+ new mons enhanced graphics (yes they are in fact better than 3DS). People losing it about post game content, I remember people saying nothing about X & Y's bare bones legendary count and non existent post game. in the end its a pain point and I am willing to bet the National dex will in fact return, whether its by popular demand or they just needed more time. Returning to review, it's fun it's a Pokémon game and its soundtrack is out of this world holy smokes, the graphics are a bit dated but fit Pokémon's anime aesthetic.I would kill for some basic voice acting. The new mon designs range from awesome (Dreadnaw, Corviknight and Wooloo are great examples I can see why they wanted them as headliners in the hype runup) are shining examples, to the less than ideal designs like a certain skwovet or chewtle. The gameplay is polished as usual and dynamax is fine...nothing to write home about...I miss mega's, but the extra mechanics added to gym challenges I found very fun and reinvigorated the idea of the Pokémon gym. Post game does leave something to be desired, I wouldn't be surprised if we see events added to game for more stuff like more older mons and legendary's and the like. Divorced from the controversy its a pretty good Pokémon game, easily a 7.5-8/10 for overall enjoyment not the best but easily not the worst either. I'd say just give it a chance with fresh eyes when the anger and bitterness fades a bit.… Expand
  4. NickTheGolden
    Nov 20, 2019
    1
    Rusted cheap cash grab. No effort was put into the game and no respect was given to fans. Absolute disgrace of a product. Main story barebones, world is mostly ugly, no post game whatsoever and last but not least, no national dex. Gamefreak played the fan base for fools and majority fell for it.
  5. mittens2077
    Nov 20, 2019
    6
    A pretty underwhelming introduction of mainline Pokémon games to the home console, something I have been excited for ever since I was a little kid. I definitely enjoyed some of the higher quality animations in a few of the cutscenes, however the visuals are unpolished in a lot of aspects. Some animations are just embarrassing. The story is generic and the game is awfully hand-holdy, evenA pretty underwhelming introduction of mainline Pokémon games to the home console, something I have been excited for ever since I was a little kid. I definitely enjoyed some of the higher quality animations in a few of the cutscenes, however the visuals are unpolished in a lot of aspects. Some animations are just embarrassing. The story is generic and the game is awfully hand-holdy, even for a children’s RPG. You are constantly lead by a trail of breadcrumbs to your next destination to the point where it’s just stupid. Many familiar Pokémon features have been “streamlined” such as receiving forced exp.share from the get go and your Pokémon are healed after just about every battle. Pokémon seem way too easy to level up also. If they were going to remove all the “tedious” mechanics of Pokémon games, why not just start me out with level 100 Pokémon? I’ve always found individually levelling up my Pokémon gave me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, but that’s just me I suppose. I like most of the new mon designs, but was disappointed to see only 400 or so Pokémon actually made it into the game. Overall, Pokémon Sword and Shield are definitely not worth their retail price of 70-80 aud. If you’re really keen to pick the games up , Get them second hand. Hopefully Gamefreak delivers something special next time. -_-… Expand
  6. Abtron555
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    A great game with a few flaws that can be easily overlooked. The story isn’t amazing or anything, but it’s definitely not bad, and Gamefreaks decision to not reveal most of the Pokémon was a great because I actually DISCOVERED new Pokémon that I’d never seen before. Some of the graphics aren’t BOTW (but Pokémon doesn’t use cell shading I believe) but just because the environment wasn’tA great game with a few flaws that can be easily overlooked. The story isn’t amazing or anything, but it’s definitely not bad, and Gamefreaks decision to not reveal most of the Pokémon was a great because I actually DISCOVERED new Pokémon that I’d never seen before. Some of the graphics aren’t BOTW (but Pokémon doesn’t use cell shading I believe) but just because the environment wasn’t perfect, the Pokémon were about as close to perfect that you can get, with the humans and Pokémon were very expensive (humans not as expressive as the Pokémon, but they looked better than Sun and Moon). Over all this game is great and my favorite game in the series!… Expand
  7. ginoconde
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    So what if the national dex isn't complete. One of the major thrills of a new Pokemon game are the NEW POKEMONS! And the animation is bad? So if the animation for this game is bad, than all the animation for the previous Pokemon is bad as well? People need to reassess their opinions and look at the game objectively. For me I enjoyed this game. The game stayed true to it's core. You startSo what if the national dex isn't complete. One of the major thrills of a new Pokemon game are the NEW POKEMONS! And the animation is bad? So if the animation for this game is bad, than all the animation for the previous Pokemon is bad as well? People need to reassess their opinions and look at the game objectively. For me I enjoyed this game. The game stayed true to it's core. You start off with three starters, you explore and catch Pokemons to join your team, and strive to become Pokemon champion. The missed opportunity for me is the story. They could've made it more innovative, something different, something provocative. Despite how awesome Nintendo makes their games, story has always been their Achilles heel.… Expand
  8. Leisj
    Nov 20, 2019
    2
    Pokemon Sword and Shield truly defines what Game Freak had become ever since the release of X and Y, mediocre. This new title feels less like a Pokemon entry and more like a mobile game. It suffers from bugs, awful coding, pitiful framerates, reused animations, awful texturing, dismal draw distance, and many odd, idiotic moves that have set this game up to be one of the worst games of thePokemon Sword and Shield truly defines what Game Freak had become ever since the release of X and Y, mediocre. This new title feels less like a Pokemon entry and more like a mobile game. It suffers from bugs, awful coding, pitiful framerates, reused animations, awful texturing, dismal draw distance, and many odd, idiotic moves that have set this game up to be one of the worst games of the year.
    Everyone knows by now that Game Freak has lied to their fans and customers with their outrageous claims made during the development of the game. They claimed that they cut pokemon and moves to make way for better animations and models and to improve the competitive balancing of the game. Of course, it was leaked that all the models, textures, and animations in the game are reused from older titles. Was it so hard to make new models and animations? Was it so hard to establish a competitive ban list that didn't affect casual players? Was it so hard to do your job?

    How can a Pokemon game in 2019 run at a locked framerate of 30 FPS on a console that can run Doom and Wolfenstein at average to above average FPS? Why are the "wild areas" so barren and empty? Why are the textures for trees and grass worse than those found on Pokemon Stadium for the N64? Why do I need a special in-game item from an NPC to simply lower the volume of the game? These choices are bizarre and ruin the experience for anyone who didn't even care about the national pokedex's removal in the first place.

    All of this coupled with a nice, hefty $60 price tag just shows Game Freak's laziness, incompetence, and money-grubbing attitude towards their consumers. These "critic" reviews clearly explain the issues in the games, yet the scores don't match with the blatant, obvious, experience ruining issues found in the title. The only reason this game gets a two is because, at the very least, the game was readily available at launch and booted up when inserted into the Switch...    … Expand
  9. Maxtri22
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Secondo me molto bello e valido critiche ingiustificate l'unica pecca è che dura poco
  10. i_mush
    Nov 20, 2019
    10
    The critiques are so stupid that I have to counterbalance somehow. This game is not a 10, should be a decent 7-8, but still, it’s a step in the good direction and the bad ratings are just rants from greedy and needy people. “There is no story”... like seriously guys, if you’re looking for good stories in Pokémon games, a franchise for kids, I think you are confused to say the least.The critiques are so stupid that I have to counterbalance somehow. This game is not a 10, should be a decent 7-8, but still, it’s a step in the good direction and the bad ratings are just rants from greedy and needy people. “There is no story”... like seriously guys, if you’re looking for good stories in Pokémon games, a franchise for kids, I think you are confused to say the least. There is some real setback when it comes to animations, voice acting and textures, but judging the way game Freak has slowly evolved the game in the years, I think it’s a decent first step in a new generation. The Pokedex has been dubbed down but there are still a lot of Pokémons to use, it’s just gonna be a fresh start in both the competitive and collecting scene for new users, and it’s gonna make the meta game more balanced, and that said, who knows what the future will bring, older mons are gonna be stored in Pokemon Home, they’re just not usable in sword and shield, so there’s really no point getting all crazy about it, if you can’t find your perfect team with 400 mons you’re just wining because you’ve got nothing better to do with your time. Just get the game and enjoy some polished Pokémon naivety.… Expand
  11. Rene69
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Ridiculamente corto el juego,la historia es una risa dura 10h si vas a saco.
  12. Raduq
    Nov 20, 2019
    2
    They lost the change to make a very good game. Clearly a rushed project with development problems that business forced to be release probably months before it should.
    Pros: - New Pokemons,
    - Wild area is pretty fun Cons: - No full pokedex, with the excuse to focus on graphics. - poor graphics: they could be much better, not only because they are cartoonish, but they are a bad    They lost the change to make a very good game. Clearly a rushed project with development problems that business forced to be release probably months before it should.
    Pros: - New Pokemons,
    - Wild area is pretty fun
    Cons: - No full pokedex, with the excuse to focus on graphics.
    - poor graphics: they could be much better, not only because they are cartoonish, but they are a bad cartoonish. In the cities, outside wild area you even can't move the camera.
    - Poor developer and plot choices, very ofter you will see just Pokemon's blocking the path for no reason (you need to go somewhere else first).
    - The game is short, and there's no much pos-game.
    - Removed GTS for no reason (probably trying to force you to buy both games to get all Pokemon's)

    Pokemon games now are yearly releases with very poor quality.    … Expand
  13. Antob
    Nov 20, 2019
    10
    Изумительная игра, начиная с DS3DS с удовольствием наблюдал развитие серии и в этой, что бы нытики не говорили, есть все, что нужно: свободное перемещение по диким местам, гимы и мини игры. Зато в пещерах нет ненавистных зубатов и поиска людей с нужными мувами, чтобы двигать камни и рубить деревья. Пожалуй, лучшая игра серии за последние лет 10.Изумительная игра, начиная с DS3DS с удовольствием наблюдал развитие серии и в этой, что бы нытики не говорили, есть все, что нужно: свободное перемещение по диким местам, гимы и мини игры. Зато в пещерах нет ненавистных зубатов и поиска людей с нужными мувами, чтобы двигать камни и рубить деревья. Пожалуй, лучшая игра серии за последние лет 10.
  14. TaraBaby
    Nov 20, 2019
    2
    It's a Pokemon game. Yep, I said it. It follows the same formula that stopped being fun after Pokemon Black & White. But, that's not all, you get 50% less Pokemon, no Mega Evolutions, etc etc. The graphics look like crap. No seriously, this should be called Pokemon RPG Maker that's how bad the textures look. If you have never played a Pokemon game you might like it but I suggest a REALIt's a Pokemon game. Yep, I said it. It follows the same formula that stopped being fun after Pokemon Black & White. But, that's not all, you get 50% less Pokemon, no Mega Evolutions, etc etc. The graphics look like crap. No seriously, this should be called Pokemon RPG Maker that's how bad the textures look. If you have never played a Pokemon game you might like it but I suggest a REAL Pokemon game Fire Red and Leaf Green or Heart Gold & Soul Silver.

    If they wanted to just make the same game only lazier then coming to the Switch was a mistake. Pokémon Colosseum still remains the best console Pokemon game by a 1000 miles.    … Expand
  15. Gamer_93
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    As much as Pokémon fans have been lambasted for review bombing, you don’t need to look far to see the open world capabilities of the Switch being beautifully utilised with Breath of the Wild and the sheer jump in quality between Mario Odyssey and the 3DS Mario Titles. So when Pokémon Sword and Shield are released and you don’t have to look far to see that the graphics and tropes areAs much as Pokémon fans have been lambasted for review bombing, you don’t need to look far to see the open world capabilities of the Switch being beautifully utilised with Breath of the Wild and the sheer jump in quality between Mario Odyssey and the 3DS Mario Titles. So when Pokémon Sword and Shield are released and you don’t have to look far to see that the graphics and tropes are virtually the same as you could find on the 3DS titles. This game does not feel like an upgrade or the glorious launch into the next generation of Nintendo consoles, but rather a lazy, half-asses, cash grab for Nintendo at the expense of the fans who made them the gargantuas they are today. Considering we’re talking about the single most successful media franchise in the world, the lack of quality in these two entries has no justification. I’m offended by these excuses of next gen games.… Expand
  16. theruins
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    as a new pokemon player, this game is huge and so much fun. i can understand some of the disappointment from veterans, but for noobs, this is just brilliant!
  17. Lysio
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Thisgame is a good classical RPG of the pokemon Genre, and by its look by far the best one. It doesnt really brother me, that there arent all pokemon in the game, singe it provide many hours of fun, it deserves a 9. It isnt quite perfect tho. The lag in online play is pretty noticable yet still its pretty good playable. The level scaling is the best of ALL TIME it was quite challenging andThisgame is a good classical RPG of the pokemon Genre, and by its look by far the best one. It doesnt really brother me, that there arent all pokemon in the game, singe it provide many hours of fun, it deserves a 9. It isnt quite perfect tho. The lag in online play is pretty noticable yet still its pretty good playable. The level scaling is the best of ALL TIME it was quite challenging and i like that. Theyve learned from the past, and thats good.… Expand
  18. HOFFERN
    Nov 20, 2019
    4
    Its just ok. The game is not bad, but it is literally just a copy of the older games. Sure, new region and bosses, as well as new Pokemon. But also the same backstory as any other game, the same mechanics, and even animations are the exact same as the last game. I hate the new mega pokemon feature.. I really don't see the point in it, should have just kept them normal, and instead focusedIts just ok. The game is not bad, but it is literally just a copy of the older games. Sure, new region and bosses, as well as new Pokemon. But also the same backstory as any other game, the same mechanics, and even animations are the exact same as the last game. I hate the new mega pokemon feature.. I really don't see the point in it, should have just kept them normal, and instead focused on making a more engaging world that the Pokemon actually live in. This could have been the chance to see a great open world rpg Pokemon game, but no.. its just more of the same. They even didn't give us the chance to get the old Pokemon inside the game... you will not find most of the old characters from the original 150, and also most of other Pokemon as well. Just new ones, and a few of the old ones like Charmander.

    Some critics are saying this is the best Pokemon game... I dare to say the opposite. It is a hollow copy of what Pokemon once was, a remake with some new characters.. and I should not have wasted 20 dollars more than a DS game for a game that is literally the same as the old ones. It is probably the worst game in the series so far, at least we knew Pokemon Go would be a simplified remake of the old games.. but this just feels like a fake remake.. as if someone made a Pokemon game without having access to the actual Pokemon IP, a Chinese copy if you will.. and you should wait for the price to drop if you are considering it.    … Expand
  19. Gord352
    Nov 20, 2019
    8
    Right I feel like I should put in an objective review as everyone is bombing this whether they've played it or not. I'm only a casual Pokemon fan and haven't played the mainline games in a while so I was quietly anticipating this release without ever feeling that hyped up.

    Now I've played it I can honestly say it's a fun game! It's not a classic by any means but if you can get past the    Right I feel like I should put in an objective review as everyone is bombing this whether they've played it or not. I'm only a casual Pokemon fan and haven't played the mainline games in a while so I was quietly anticipating this release without ever feeling that hyped up.

    Now I've played it I can honestly say it's a fun game! It's not a classic by any means but if you can get past the controversy of dropping the national dex (seriously this had to happen at some point people - you can't just keep adding till you have 1000's of Pokemon!!) then you will have a good time with this.

    The Wild area is better than it's ever been allowing you to avoid certain tough pokemon but still surprising you with random encounters - this was the best way they could have gone about it.

    Also the stadium battles are awesome and I personally like the change with the dynamax battles too.

    My few issues are yes the graphics and performance of the game are subpar. I really like the art style but the bad textures and lack of details in places are a shame. It doesn't ruin the game though. In fact my biggest criticism is that the game is easier than I remember the old ones being. You can't blast through it in like 25-30 hours! It should be longer. At least there's tonnes of replayability as with any pokemon game.

    At the very worst this game is a 6/10 and at best is an 8/10. I'm going in the middle with a 7 (i'd probably give it a 7.5 but this site doesn't allow it).

    It's a step towards a major new Pokemon era title but unfortunately fell short in a number of areas. At least they can add more Pokemon with patches or DLC even though it is annoying.    … Expand
  20. Megatorpon
    Nov 20, 2019
    7
    The content of the game is really weak, short and the company lied about what they were announcing.

    The graphics are endlessly better in BOTW so it's known that the console has enough power to move it well. It's a really enjoyable game, I loved it but I can't say it's not true everything fans are complaining for. For a Pokemon game, the quality of content of this one is quite quite    The content of the game is really weak, short and the company lied about what they were announcing.

    The graphics are endlessly better in BOTW so it's known that the console has enough power to move it well.

    It's a really enjoyable game, I loved it but I can't say it's not true everything fans are complaining for. For a Pokemon game, the quality of content of this one is quite quite lower.

    Even with that it has amazing things, such as the music, the design of the new Pokemon, the gym battles (I mean, the mechanic of the stadium and the epicness of the battle itself) and the wild area.    … Expand
  21. LBrize
    Nov 20, 2019
    5
    I was a bit older when Pokémon first came out and so I missed the whole craze through the 90’s and early 2000’s. I like RPGs, so I have e always wanted to get into Pokémon at some point. I took this opportunity to do just that, and I must say I have barely put the game down since I started playing! It is more fun than I ever imagined, Some are complaining about the graphics or otherI was a bit older when Pokémon first came out and so I missed the whole craze through the 90’s and early 2000’s. I like RPGs, so I have e always wanted to get into Pokémon at some point. I took this opportunity to do just that, and I must say I have barely put the game down since I started playing! It is more fun than I ever imagined, Some are complaining about the graphics or other technical issues, but honestly the game looks just fine. It looks very much like the cartoon, and to me it’s not supposed to look like Red Dead Redemption 2; the game purposely has a cel-shaded, cartoon-look to and I think it’s quite beautiful!
    Finally, the gameplay. It’s varied, responds well, feels intuitive, and most importantly, it’s an absolute blast to play! Best game on Switch since Breath of the Wild!    … Expand
  22. shawtz
    Nov 20, 2019
    3
    Overall a very lackluster game, especially in comparison to other games in the series, like Pokemon Platinum or Black/White 2. Even against some of the weaker titles, like Pokemon X and Y those games are smash hits in comparison to this game. The game just doesn't run well, even though it looks like a n64 game and is locked at 30fps. I will not be picking up another title in the seriesOverall a very lackluster game, especially in comparison to other games in the series, like Pokemon Platinum or Black/White 2. Even against some of the weaker titles, like Pokemon X and Y those games are smash hits in comparison to this game. The game just doesn't run well, even though it looks like a n64 game and is locked at 30fps. I will not be picking up another title in the series until Game Freak makes a game that is up to quality to the older gems.… Expand
  23. Vasiliid
    Nov 20, 2019
    10
    Good game, if you like Pokemon world, all thacute little creatures, that definatly your game, fun to catch, fun to fun to play that's all what need from good game!
  24. darksideangel
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    feels like i’m watching my childhood get murdered infront of my eyes Gamefreak, stop developing your series with increasingly low effort, checked out cash grabs. Care about your fans. this isn’t cute anymore
  25. MrWriter
    Nov 19, 2019
    6
    The graphics don't bother me, the animations do a little after being told they had been improved.

    The story is boring as **** this is my biggest gripe. I had the same issue with Sun and Moon. The games have more cutscenes and stop and start gameplay than a Kojima game! I don't care about Hop (stupid name) or Leon, or Bea (again stupid name) just give me my Pokemon and let me go on my    The graphics don't bother me, the animations do a little after being told they had been improved.

    The story is boring as **** this is my biggest gripe. I had the same issue with Sun and Moon.

    The games have more cutscenes and stop and start gameplay than a Kojima game! I don't care about Hop (stupid name) or Leon, or Bea (again stupid name) just give me my Pokemon and let me go on my adventure!

    Speaking of which, the story needs to change in two ways. One, add voice actors to talk through the scenes which are important.

    Secondly can we not have a new type of story? Or just have a minimal story and let us focus on catching and training Pokemon and getting badges?

    Dynamax is just another pointless gimmick, they should of stuck to mega evos. I don't mind the game being easy, but I understand others do, so a hardcore mode, or even version might of been a good idea. Make Sword the easy game, and Shield the harder one. Now the good things. The open areas with wild Pokemon? Brilliant, I feel like I have reason to revisit areas.

    I like the gym challenges, breaks up the game.

    And I like the new Pokemon.

    I'm struggling to play this, since Friday I've only played 6 hours and have 2 badges. The stop, start story with its snoozefest text is what's putting me off most.

    Again I had the same struggle with Sun, and even Ultra Sun. However I'm a huge fan of completing the nat dex. So I battled through the story, and then got close to 90 hours, filling the nat dex (and breeding and trading). I just don't see that happening with Sword.

    I hope something hooks soon, but right now, I'm kinda regretting my purchase.

    6/10    … Expand
  26. Fliphip1409
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    Played for a few days now and really enjoying it. My first experience since Pokemon Red and it’s taking me back. Nice that my son can play/watch too. It’s now got him in to Pokémon Go which again is a great thing! Voice acting (although I know it is expensive and arduous) and a full Pokédex would have allowed me to give a 9 or 10. There is a lot of text and to fully submerge myself in toPlayed for a few days now and really enjoying it. My first experience since Pokemon Red and it’s taking me back. Nice that my son can play/watch too. It’s now got him in to Pokémon Go which again is a great thing! Voice acting (although I know it is expensive and arduous) and a full Pokédex would have allowed me to give a 9 or 10. There is a lot of text and to fully submerge myself in to the world would have been easier without having to read so many MPC’s boring comments! Overall, a great game that delivers lots of promise for the future of Pokémon on the Switch.… Expand
  27. Evamer
    Nov 19, 2019
    0
    This game is everything But what Game-Freak promised.Instead of a game for the veteran fans we got a game for 6 year old kids. Honorable mention on how horrendous most Pokemon designs are,it feels like they went out of their way to make them extra sloppy and unnatural(especially their colour pallets are just a joke).
  28. James9000
    Nov 19, 2019
    0
    So many issues that it's almost un enjoyable the first two hours are hand holding cringe
  29. camb198
    Nov 19, 2019
    10
    Best Pokémon game I have played to date. In total I have played Pokémon yellow (on my pikachu edition GB), red, blue, gold, sapphire, sun, and now sword.

    As someone who has never gotten into competitive Pokémon and have played very casually, this game looks like it may be the one to change that.
  30. pokemonfan566
    Nov 19, 2019
    0
    This is a great Pokemon game. They have made plenty of positive changes to the formula and the structure and I'm having a blast playing it, especially as a lifelong Pokemon fan.

    The game isn't too short: yes you can run through it if you want, but why would you? Catch the new guys, make some curries and explore the wild. The game not having the full national pokedex isn't a problem:    This is a great Pokemon game. They have made plenty of positive changes to the formula and the structure and I'm having a blast playing it, especially as a lifelong Pokemon fan.

    The game isn't too short: yes you can run through it if you want, but why would you? Catch the new guys, make some curries and explore the wild.

    The game not having the full national pokedex isn't a problem: I have only just completed the first badge and am struggling to figure out who I want in my team. There are so many cool looking Pokemon to explore and use. I think I have about 60 in my dex already (which is more than most of these 11 hour playthroughs you read about have by the end).

    The graphics aren't bad, the world looks great: I don't even know where these criticisms are coming from, mine looks great in handheld mode (which let's be honest, is how it should be played).

    The game isn't linear: yes there is a linear nature to it, but the wild areas give you the ability to explore and do what you want - raid battle, catch pokemon, look for hidden items, set up camp, etc.

    Overall, I think maybe the competitive Pokemon community is upset by this game, but most typical lovers of Pokemon and the Pokemon games will find Sword and Shield to be the best games since the Gold/Silver/Ruby/Sapphire remakes.

    Highly recommend you buy.    … Expand
Page:

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]
See all critic reviews »