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. 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
  2. Dicjac
    Nov 20, 2019
    10
    Wonderful Pokemon game with some great new features and gameplay. Love the art style and graphics. Sure some Pokemon are missing but you still have 400+.
  3. snakekingdom
    Nov 20, 2019
    10
    I have a suspicion that a lot of the REALLY bad reviews here are from those that haven't even played the game. It is better than 4.0 out of 10.
  4. rayy07
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    Game was pure fun and amazing! Love every second and enjoyed that it took 36 for me to beat the game while enjoying all its content on the way.
  5. Arulz
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    Best game in the series by far. By no means are they perfect, but they are an absolute blast for casual and competitive players alike. The quality of life improvements are out of this world.

    This is coming from a person who’s played every game multiple times, and has a living Pokédex :) if you’re on the fence, GO FOR IT you will not be disappointed.
  6. Demien
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    Für mich ein richtig gutes Spiel
  7. Leonelli
    Nov 23, 2019
    10
    I've been a Pokémon fan for a long time, which means I've played all of the previous games. This is the first time since B2W2 that I can connect emotionally with the story. There's something about the designs of the mons this time that makes you feel they are alive. I know there is no National Dex and I find that amazing. It's a fantastic way to make the players try Pokémon other thanI've been a Pokémon fan for a long time, which means I've played all of the previous games. This is the first time since B2W2 that I can connect emotionally with the story. There's something about the designs of the mons this time that makes you feel they are alive. I know there is no National Dex and I find that amazing. It's a fantastic way to make the players try Pokémon other than Landorus and the ones we are used to seeing in all teams. I think it's the perfect direction they could have chosen.… Expand
  8. 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!
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. Spiritombed
    Dec 8, 2019
    0
    Spiritomb isn't in this game, therefore it's a terrible game. I am absolutely livid, I am full for agony. My wife left me, my son no longer loves me, due to how broken I have become. The Day of Reckoning is upon Gamefreak. You will all suffer the consequences.
  14. Isabela123
    Dec 27, 2019
    10
    I loved so much this game!
    I know that there are a lot of cool Pokémons that aren't in this game, but it's too much diffucult complete the Pokédex with all those Pokémons.
    And yeah, this game has some things that have to be repaired, but this is one of the best Pokemon game I ever played (after Pokémon Y and Pokémon Omega Ruby of course). You have to compare this game with the others    I loved so much this game!
    I know that there are a lot of cool Pokémons that aren't in this game, but it's too much diffucult complete the Pokédex with all those Pokémons.
    And yeah, this game has some things that have to be repaired, but this is one of the best Pokemon game I ever played (after Pokémon Y and Pokémon Omega Ruby of course). You have to compare this game with the others Pokemon games, no with Zelda games for example.
    I had so much fun playing this game, and I don't mind with the bugs, because almost all games have bugs.
    (Sorry if there are any english problems).    … Expand
  15. SoupSparrow
    Dec 31, 2019
    10
    Just so everyone knows, the negative ratings were from an image board called **** on a board called /vp/ for Pokémon. They're the ones who raided this ratings page over things like the Pokédex, despite never playing it ever.
  16. emnix
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    A grand quest, a fresh coat of paint, excitement on every turn! This game is a very welcomed addition to the home console, without losing any of its charm
  17. Pedoomer
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    This is not the best pokemon game ever like some other reviews are saying, but it's pretty good. I don't really care about the story or pokemon in general, but there's plenty of cute & funny characters to pleasure myself at, and that's more than enough for me. If you're gonna buy any 1 pokemon game though, i'd recommend buying Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon instead, it's the pokemon game with theThis is not the best pokemon game ever like some other reviews are saying, but it's pretty good. I don't really care about the story or pokemon in general, but there's plenty of cute & funny characters to pleasure myself at, and that's more than enough for me. If you're gonna buy any 1 pokemon game though, i'd recommend buying Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon instead, it's the pokemon game with the highest amount of cute & funny characters, and it has satisfied my twitching joystick for many sleepless nights.… Expand
  18. Declau
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    The game may not tempt you when you ask people who just saw gameplay of the game. If you're a pokémon hardcore fan you will enjoy this game I even haven't finished the game yet and I LOVE it. There is maybe things that are not here like the full pokédex but who cares ? You wouldn't even play all the 900 and more pokémon. The game is like Pokémon Let's Go visually, if you see pokémonThe game may not tempt you when you ask people who just saw gameplay of the game. If you're a pokémon hardcore fan you will enjoy this game I even haven't finished the game yet and I LOVE it. There is maybe things that are not here like the full pokédex but who cares ? You wouldn't even play all the 900 and more pokémon. The game is like Pokémon Let's Go visually, if you see pokémon appears it's totally normal, in Let's Go the camera is ALWAYS up and close to you so you can't see the game like in Sword and Shield. … Expand
  19. Baltha
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Melhor do que nunca, mas ainda Pokemon. Visual, jogabilidade e história em harmonia proporcionando uma excitante imersão.
  20. Zyrraki
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Pokemon sword and shield are the best Pokemon games I've played since black and white. While not perfect I'm really enjoying them. The national dex doesn't really change much of the enjoyment in this game like I thought it would. If you're a fan of the pokemon series I urge you to try them yourself and don't let these negative reviewers who probably haven't played it change yourPokemon sword and shield are the best Pokemon games I've played since black and white. While not perfect I'm really enjoying them. The national dex doesn't really change much of the enjoyment in this game like I thought it would. If you're a fan of the pokemon series I urge you to try them yourself and don't let these negative reviewers who probably haven't played it change your mind.thebgraphocs may not be as strong as they could be but they're definitely not the worst I've seen.. besides some particular trees. I've not ran into any glitches that some are claiming but that I've not beat it just yet. I've played around 12 hours.… Expand
  21. Jefedemuchanina
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    I'm about 7 hours in have beaten 3 gyms and not a single bug literally not one. The wild zone is massive and has a ton of different pokemon and is a welcome addition the new pokemon kick ass

    For the negative cant skip cutscenes and stuff and they drag on sometimes some of the textures don't look great but its pokemon so who cares.
  22. skilly225
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    This is massively improved from Sun and Moon and significantly better than the poor outing that was X and Y. It's the same pokemon formula with streamlined QoL features and nothing as useless as the Pokepelago or the Festival plaza.

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

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

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

    Will you miss some pokemon if you are the type of player to transfer hundreds of pokemon to your new game after rushing the elite 4? Yeah, probably. Is is the best pokemon game since BW2? Absolutely, it makes X and Y and sun and moon look terrible in every possible way.    … Expand
  23. zbegra
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    This is a good pokemon game. Having lots of fun!
  24. OswinSong
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    It's exactly what I expected :) Cute new pokemon, brand new region and some nice lore. Looks beautiful on my TV and plays rather well with minimum frame drops when online in wild area. Everything runs and looks so smooth. I'm also surprised at the fact that it's not as easy as I thought it would. I'm very glad I picked up Pokemon Sword and can see my self playing this game for a long while.
  25. Lukebr0503
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Love the game, far better experience the let’s go pikachu and a real return to the game formula I’ve loved for years as a Pokemon fan yes it’s disappointing that not all Pokemon are here but you have to give them some credit that the game does look stunning and runs great with only the odd frame drops don’t understand all the hate I think it’s mostly people not liking the fact not allLove the game, far better experience the let’s go pikachu and a real return to the game formula I’ve loved for years as a Pokemon fan yes it’s disappointing that not all Pokemon are here but you have to give them some credit that the game does look stunning and runs great with only the odd frame drops don’t understand all the hate I think it’s mostly people not liking the fact not all Pokemon are here… Expand
  26. GP_Gamer
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    While flawed, it is still really fun to discover all the new things in this brand new adventure. Would recommend.
  27. DoubleF15
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Great game, don't listen to the haters. I haven't been able to stop playing since I picked it up.
  28. Flaviofrancesco
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    I don t know why this games are so hated, i love them but i see them as a Dior a Dior to a brand new world on switch, i home that the gen 4 remakes will be even better.
  29. Lagssss
    Nov 16, 2019
    8
    El juego está bastante bien, a pesar del recorte de pokemon, ciertas texturas bastante malas y un bug que se puede solucionar,todo lo demás es bueno.
    En cuanto a jugabilidad, posee la misma con la que estamos familiarizados, el gigantamax y dinamax, no deja de ser una mega evolución más grande,por fuera se ve bastante épico. La historia es la misma de hace 20 años, pero posee ciertos    El juego está bastante bien, a pesar del recorte de pokemon, ciertas texturas bastante malas y un bug que se puede solucionar,todo lo demás es bueno.
    En cuanto a jugabilidad, posee la misma con la que estamos familiarizados, el gigantamax y dinamax, no deja de ser una mega evolución más grande,por fuera se ve bastante épico. La historia es la misma de hace 20 años, pero posee ciertos matices que la hacen interesante,como el hecho que los gimnasios sean un evento nacional, que sepas que no eres el único juntando medallas da una ilusión de compañía, de que el mundo está vivo, que se mueve sin que tu te muevas,lo cual ayuda a la inmersión mayor, ayuda a que sientes que estas en el mundo pokemon. Los rivales son un acierto, devido a que tenemos 3 tipos de rivales, cada uno con una personalidad distinta, que para estándares de pokemon es bastante buena,
    Paul a simple vista parece un tilo 2.0,pero es mucho más rival que tilo, carismático y te ayuda a sentirte como si de verdad haya una amenaza amistosa ahí afuera, la personalidad de paul se puede comparar con el típico protagonista shonen. Lo cual para una historia de pokemon calza como anillo al dedo
    Los otros secundarios son bastante carismáticos, como por ejemplo lionel, el cual desde que lo ves por primera vez te gana el corazón.
    El equipo villano es algo bastante diferente a lo que gamefreack nos tenía acostumbrado, el hecho de representar las barras bravas, es una idea acertada para el tipo de desafíos que son los gimnasios esta vez, a pesar de esto, el team yell tiene un limitante, al quedarse al margen solo siguiendo a una aspirante, se vuelve un tanto repetitivo, además que no da el juego que tenían otros equipos, como un plan maquiavelico o un objetivo totalmente sucio, llevando a los límites el mundo para obtener su meta, como hemos visto en otras entregas de pokemon La cantidad de pokemon que hay es favorable, es un desafío completar la dex y a pesar de no tener los 900 pokemon aprox, no está nada mal, la cantidad de pokemon incluidos ayuda a mantenerte pegado a la consola, sin sentir la falta de contenido. En cuanto a las texturas, uno de los apartados más polémico, las texturas de los árboles deja mucho que desear, pero generalmente, las bajas de texturas se dan solamente en la zona silvestre, después de eso, la rutas normales poseen unas textura razonables para un juego de switch. La baja de texturas no afecta lo más mínimo la inmersión en el título. En cuanto a las animaciones, tenemos 2 ramificación. 1. La animaciones de combates están bien logradas, pero existen ciertos movimientos los cuales dejan mucho que desear, como por ejemplo doble patada en cuel es la misma animación que ya vimos en xy, a pesar de esto, no rompen con la inmerción lograda. 2. Las animaciones de cinemáticas, están muy bien logradas, se ve con excelente cálida en modo portátil y son totalmente disfrutables, El problema más grande del juego y que lo deje al final,devido a que es el único problema el cual no se le puede defender, es la duración del título, el cual va desde las 8 horas hasta las 15 horas, el cual se convertiría en el pokemon principal más corto. En resumen Pokemon sword and shield es un excelente título, que a pesar de la polémicas que ha resivido hay gente que simplemente no ha escuchado razones y basura el juego sin siquiera jugarlo, posee temas innovadores para ser pokemon, la cantidad de pokemon no es deficiente y no quieta la experiencia. Los personajes son más carismáticos que en las 2 entregas anteriores, sintiéndose vivos, tienen metas tangibles y dan lo que sea por llegar a hacerlas realidad, el equipo malvado no da para mucho juego, pero se sale de los estándares de equipos malvado de pokemon. Nintendo y Game Freak tuvieron 3 graves errores, que han dejado el título muy mal parado, a pesar de ser un título con un calidad que sólo gamefreack sabe darnos
    . Los errores de Game Freak fueron el recorte de pokemon, el tiempo de desarrollo y sobre todo la mala publicidad del juego,. Pero sin dejarnos llevar por otras opiniones, pokemon s y s es un excelente juego que posee bajas, que no afectan la experiencia, por eso le doy un 8.0 sobre 10    … Expand
  30. MaNiAlJoWo
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    Great game, great improvements, interesting and exciting Story, very nice graphics, charming characters and a lot of quality of life features.
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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]
See all critic reviews »