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. luskaner
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The worst pokemon game (unless they somehow manage to make the next even worse), have not played it and will NOT do unless I'm feeling nostalgic of 2000's graphics and animations (my bad, the animations back then were better).
  2. docrad
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Some of the biggest and longest pokemon fans are critical of the game. Many newbies or barely played pokemon games are giving positive reviews. I LOVE POKEMON and this is the worst absolute worst pokemon paid. They did 1 thing right you can use the pro controller that's it. Everything else is a bust. It would be bad on a 3ds!
  3. AgustinColina
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    The best pokemon game of the story and good game but the pokedex are inconplet they are very god games
  4. frkmark
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I can't believe Game Freak can develope this type of garbage. The vast of adult public that was waiting for this game can't be more frustrated. Poor story, poor graphics, bad animations, and the worst draw distance I've seen in a long time.… Expand
  5. PedroLucas755
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    I loved it! My only problem is that they could have done more attack animations.
  6. PewPewMcP
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    The theme of Pokémon Sword and Shield is: limit.
    They limit your selection of Pokémon to catch
    They limit the pool of moves Pokémon can learn from, including some moves signature to Pokémon, like Heal Order to Vespiquen They limit where and when you can catch Pokémon in the open area They limit when you can use Dynamax and Gigantamax, the games signature battle mechanic. They limit    The theme of Pokémon Sword and Shield is: limit.
    They limit your selection of Pokémon to catch
    They limit the pool of moves Pokémon can learn from, including some moves signature to Pokémon, like Heal Order to Vespiquen
    They limit where and when you can catch Pokémon in the open area
    They limit when you can use Dynamax and Gigantamax, the games signature battle mechanic.
    They limit your ability to explore a world with the series's now signature heavily railroaded storytelling techniques
    They limit the difficulty setting of the game by forcing Exp Share to always be on
    They limit your ability to change the sound settings by forcing you to first find and interact with the right NPC.
    Pokémon Sword and Shield takes two steps back for every step it takes forward. If you're okay with a subpar experience that irritates at every corner, and don't mind being limited in your ability to play the game, then I'm sure Sword and Shield will be as enjoyable as a summer popcorn flick.    … Expand
  7. ragnawind
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    The game is great. It could use some work, but this was nice as a first attempt at a mainline Pokemon game on the Switch. It has quite a few new interesting features, as well. For example, you can now change natures and make any Pokemon competitive without grinding or hacking. They may have cut a lot of Pokemon, but that was bound to happen sooner or later. The Pokedex is just getting tooThe game is great. It could use some work, but this was nice as a first attempt at a mainline Pokemon game on the Switch. It has quite a few new interesting features, as well. For example, you can now change natures and make any Pokemon competitive without grinding or hacking. They may have cut a lot of Pokemon, but that was bound to happen sooner or later. The Pokedex is just getting too big. Even Digimon games don't have all of the Digimon in them and they never did. It is a miracle Pokemon lasted with all of them for 7 generations of mainline titles. They even add some new forms for old Pokemon as well as giving some Gen 1 Pokemon new evolutions, such as Farfetch'd… Expand
  8. BikiniBodhi
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    It's a Pokémon game, absolutely 0 special things about it.

    What was supposed to be the first main game on console is nothing special, that is not good.
    It should've been something amazing, but it lacks tonnes of features multiple past 3DS GAMES had.

    It just falls short and is disappointing.
  9. Marper
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    As the first main entry to be developed for a house console, I expected a game that rivaled Odyssey or BOTW, a revolution of the series.
    If that wasn't gonna happen, then at the very least I would like a quality game.
    I'm afraid I got none. I decided to not pay much attention to the criticism and buy the game to form an opinion through my own gameplay. I played the game for about 15    As the first main entry to be developed for a house console, I expected a game that rivaled Odyssey or BOTW, a revolution of the series.
    If that wasn't gonna happen, then at the very least I would like a quality game.
    I'm afraid I got none.

    I decided to not pay much attention to the criticism and buy the game to form an opinion through my own gameplay.
    I played the game for about 15 hours, until I finished it.
    Within an hour of gameplay, it crashed and took some data that I had to redownload.
    Aside that, the first moments were somewhat fun, but then you start seeing the issues, the graphics are often barely tolerable, and often they dip into unacceptable territory, mostly in the wild area.
    The routes are basically hallways, they're extremely short.
    The interruptions are worse than ever, constant forced character interactions for the smallest thing (I don't need to be congratulated for moving 10 steps)
    The game is egregiously easy, and you can't turn exp share off to make it harder.
    Constant graphical issues on top of the already bad graphics
    The wild area (yes there's only one wild area) is a huge disappointment, it's basically just an empty route with impossible weather that makes it feel even worse.
    And to top it off, there's basically no post game whatsoever.
    And I can't have fun in the post game when I can't bring my older, favorite pokemon in.

    Overall, an extremely weak and boring entry by pokemon standards, by normal game standards it is much worse.
    It's a rushed, low effort mess, and I cannot recommend this game to anyone, I'll stop buying pokemon games for the foreseeable future.    … Expand
  10. ilikechikin
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    IGN is trippin, pokemon sword & shield are easily the 2nd worst games in the series after sun/moon. As someone who has played every game since red in 1999, the mainline games have become somewhat stale over the past few iterations. Sword/shield are literally just HD 3ds games that Nintendo is selling for $60 and that's kind of disappointing to me. I still give it a 5 because well, it'sIGN is trippin, pokemon sword & shield are easily the 2nd worst games in the series after sun/moon. As someone who has played every game since red in 1999, the mainline games have become somewhat stale over the past few iterations. Sword/shield are literally just HD 3ds games that Nintendo is selling for $60 and that's kind of disappointing to me. I still give it a 5 because well, it's Pokemon and it's still decent for a Pokemon game but it is super underwhelming for being the first mainline game on the switch console. Super short story too btw, completed in 12 hours even with a couple hours of messing around in the wild area. Oh, and #GameFreakLied.… Expand
  11. Naemesi
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Awesome music, SOME bad textures but the upmost are pretty cute. New Pokémons are freaking cool af.
    Support the game
  12. bibleblackkk
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    As I expected in my review for the pokemon let's go eevee, this game is bad. Game freak does not have the technical skills to develop games on home console. Even if the GF did not use those ridiculous excuses, and added the dropped pokedex back, this is still not a good game. The highest grossing media franchise in this world should never make a game in this quality. GF has lost their loveAs I expected in my review for the pokemon let's go eevee, this game is bad. Game freak does not have the technical skills to develop games on home console. Even if the GF did not use those ridiculous excuses, and added the dropped pokedex back, this is still not a good game. The highest grossing media franchise in this world should never make a game in this quality. GF has lost their love to the game development, and is focusing only on the money. And unfortunately, a lot of pokemon funs are still buying this game, which gives them confidence to continually do such things, and make this franchise go even worse. Please stop buying this game if you love the pokemon games.

    I'm also wondering why Nintendo, as part of the pokemon company, does not have any control on this game. This is a very important game on switch, they should pay more attention to it instead of letting these GF guys do whatever they want.    … Expand
  13. Dayrunner24
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This is a bad excuse for a Pokemon game. I have played every generation, and this one takes 3 steps back for every 1 step forward. Here are the complaints summed up: 50% price increase, 500 Pokemon cut, over 100 moves cut, lazy and old animations (after this was the excuse for cutting 'Mon), no post game, Pop-in, hallway routes, game can be beaten in about 20 hours on average. Even if itThis is a bad excuse for a Pokemon game. I have played every generation, and this one takes 3 steps back for every 1 step forward. Here are the complaints summed up: 50% price increase, 500 Pokemon cut, over 100 moves cut, lazy and old animations (after this was the excuse for cutting 'Mon), no post game, Pop-in, hallway routes, game can be beaten in about 20 hours on average. Even if it takes someone 40 hours, that's too short for what we were promised. This game was supposed to redefine Pokemon, but it took too many steps back. We 'crybabies' that positive reviewers speak of should have a voice as well.… Expand
  14. EUDASH92
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Simply disappointed in the company many have grown to cherish and respect only for them to betray and backstab the fans with excuses, rushed content, broken content..and cut content. Thank you game freak for showing your true colors by showing the world that you're not any better than Bethesda, EA, Activision, etc
  15. onday700
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Less features than the 3DS games that came before it. 60% of the Pokémon roster was cut in order to have "better quality models" according to Gamefreak, but the models are the exact same ones used in previous games.
    The soundtrack is a low point for the series. Animations are lackluster aside from some rarely used trainer animations and the few signature moves of the starter Pokémon.    Less features than the 3DS games that came before it. 60% of the Pokémon roster was cut in order to have "better quality models" according to Gamefreak, but the models are the exact same ones used in previous games.
    The soundtrack is a low point for the series. Animations are lackluster aside from some rarely used trainer animations and the few signature moves of the starter Pokémon. Features that should be immediately available, such as being able to control different volume channels separately, are locked behind in-game items for seemingly no reason. There are many reports of the game's autosave function wiping their Switch's NAND, effectively erasing all save data of all games on the system.
    And despite all these issues, the game is $20 more than previous mainline titles.
    The simple gameplay loop of catching and battling is as addictive as ever, meaning fans who don't care about any of the above issues will likely enjoy it. If you have higher standards though, save your money. Do not encourage anti-consumer behavior like this.    … Expand
  16. SirDingus
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    It’s disappointing it’s come to this stage for Pokémon and Game Freak. Where they join the ranks of formerly great, ambitious companies that turned lazy and greedy. The moment Masuda announced they would flat out cut Pokémon marked that. Sure, they say they’ll use the extra resources to enhance the graphics and animations, yet they’ll just reuse the future proofed 3DS models and animationsIt’s disappointing it’s come to this stage for Pokémon and Game Freak. Where they join the ranks of formerly great, ambitious companies that turned lazy and greedy. The moment Masuda announced they would flat out cut Pokémon marked that. Sure, they say they’ll use the extra resources to enhance the graphics and animations, yet they’ll just reuse the future proofed 3DS models and animations rather than make brand new animations. Pokémon Stadiums 1 & 2, Pokemon Colosseum & XD, and Battle Revolution still have the superior animations and models despite the age of those games. Shadow problems, frame rate issues, and low quality environmental models exist to along with the surprisingly barren open world. Even climbing up stairs stops nearby trainer animations as if climbing up stairs stops the fabric of time. Difficulty is practically nonexistent thanks to forced EXP share, constant heals thanks to NPCs, and lacklustre gym leader teams. Dynamaxing feels like a pointless gimmick due to the fact they only exist for gym battles. R.I.P mega evolutions and Z moves. Pokémon claim to be for all ages yet they seem to neglect more hardcore trainers with the removal of various meta TMs, such as hidden power and pursuit. Perhaps most importantly, the Global Trade System, which ushered in online trading in generation 4, was canned for, again, no abrupt reason. I could go on and on but I feel like a drone at this point. Game freak have lost their passion and this game (or in the fact the past few years) proves it. Will Game Freak learn from this, especially with the well deserved criticism on Twitter? I don’t know man, a Pokémon fan can only hope.… Expand
  17. besf0rt
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    I never really cared too much about the Pokedex controversy, but I could always understand why others did. However:

    Let us assume that all Pokemon were included. THIS GAME IS STILL A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. Seriously: Pokemon is probably the biggest Nintendo franchise in the world now. How come all other Switch titles have better graphics and overall higher visual/technical standards?    I never really cared too much about the Pokedex controversy, but I could always understand why others did. However:

    Let us assume that all Pokemon were included. THIS GAME IS STILL A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT.

    Seriously: Pokemon is probably the biggest Nintendo franchise in the world now. How come all other Switch titles have better graphics and overall higher visual/technical standards?

    Game Design students in the future will look at this game to draw lessons on listening to users and how to prevent doing sloppy work not in their service.

    Guys, XXL Pokemon? (Why not include new Mega Evolutions instead?)

    Come back to earth GameFreak. It's not that difficult to please most Pokemon fans, here is one little tip:

    LISTEN. TO. US.    … Expand
  18. Martin48
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Junichi Masuda, a lead director of the Pokemon games, has stated that "when we tried to think about how kids these days generally play games, what came to mind was mobile games... games which you play for a short time." If Game Freak is so impressed and concerned with mobile games, then take my advice: develop mobile games. Those who purchase a console game at console prices expect aJunichi Masuda, a lead director of the Pokemon games, has stated that "when we tried to think about how kids these days generally play games, what came to mind was mobile games... games which you play for a short time." If Game Freak is so impressed and concerned with mobile games, then take my advice: develop mobile games. Those who purchase a console game at console prices expect a console game experience. Pokemon Sword and Shield are not games of console calibre.

    I will begin with the positives: Sword and Shield look better than their predecessors. The new Pokemon designs are overall well done, and there are also nice quality of life improvements which streamline the process of creating a competitive team so players can get to battling faster. The Wild Area is was a neat addition that opens up the early availability of many rare Pokemon, and the inclusion of overworld encounters makes the environment feel more alive.

    Unfortunately, the game is lacking in the remaining aspects. The game is extremely short for a console RPG, offering about a 12-14 hours campaign for those familiar with the mechanics of the series. There are only 10 routes total, many of which are short and barren, and there are no dungeons to explore in the entirety of the game. The player is on rails for the entire story: those that complained about handholding in Sun/Moon will find that Game Freak did not listen to feedback and instead doubled down on handholding using the main cast of characters. The postgame consists of tying up the loose ends of the story and one battle facility. The battle tower is a downgrade from the battle facilities of the 3DS games, not having any tower bosses, and rates the player at "Max" skill ability after winning only 30 battles in a row. It is simply embarrassing for a console title to offer such less postgame than a 3DS or even DS Pokemon game. The graphics, while better than previous entries on the 3DS, are unpolished and often do not compare to other titles on the Switch that have come out years ago.

    Rating this game as a "small step forward" for the series or "good for the first mainline [insert Nintendo console here] entry" is simply not excusable anymore. Game Freak has been developing this series for 8 generations of games now for over two decades, and as the world's leading franchise they ought to have a handle on game development by now. It is evident that the money of players who support the franchise does not go towards the development of better games. As someone who loves the franchise, Game Freak has truly disappointed with these titles and it is sad that I hope they do not develop the next entries.    … Expand
  19. thejeffrey32
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    This game does not follow the trend of every major Switch release before it. Pokemon Sword and Shield does not revolutionize or innovate its core experience on the level of Mario Odyssey or Breath of the Wild. While the Wild Area is a good idea, it's filled with embarrassing graphics and pop ins with every few steps. This is a game that sticks to the formula of the 3DS games, a product onThis game does not follow the trend of every major Switch release before it. Pokemon Sword and Shield does not revolutionize or innovate its core experience on the level of Mario Odyssey or Breath of the Wild. While the Wild Area is a good idea, it's filled with embarrassing graphics and pop ins with every few steps. This is a game that sticks to the formula of the 3DS games, a product on par with Fifa.… Expand
  20. jakemoxx
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Liking the game very much so far. Wild area landscape and assets are minimal because it's for online gaming, pretty much like wow textures in crowded farming areas, nothing strange and feels good anyways. Gameplay has been getting quality of life changes that I'm loving, story is strange and not linear as pokemon was used to. Etc etc
  21. Dar1ism
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Could there have been more pokemon? Yes, but that does not make this game anything less than it is. Why would a AAA switch title cost anything less than 60 dollars!?

    The game is great. Amazing to be able to play a main pokemon story on my TV. I played all night long and really noticed some common sense changes put into the game. One such change is making mystery gift available from    Could there have been more pokemon? Yes, but that does not make this game anything less than it is. Why would a AAA switch title cost anything less than 60 dollars!?

    The game is great. Amazing to be able to play a main pokemon story on my TV. I played all night long and really noticed some common sense changes put into the game. One such change is making mystery gift available from inside the game. The soundtrack is fantastic! I am excited to see the adventure through, people should really play the game themselves and develop and informed decision instead of exerting "keyboard courage" to bash something they know nothing about first hand!    … Expand
  22. Sparkray
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    This game is quite literally unplayable. It has been seen to brick switches, so going into this I was weary. Right at the start the games opening screen was already lagging, so I was prepared for the worst. Upon loading it up, I noticed textures that appeared like they were taken straight from the Nintendo64. I feel ashamed to have spent $60 on this travesty and will refund this game soon.This game is quite literally unplayable. It has been seen to brick switches, so going into this I was weary. Right at the start the games opening screen was already lagging, so I was prepared for the worst. Upon loading it up, I noticed textures that appeared like they were taken straight from the Nintendo64. I feel ashamed to have spent $60 on this travesty and will refund this game soon. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Gamefreak really dropped the ball on this entry in their franchise. The game was insanely easy and took me 15 hours to finish, and I made sure to take my time. I regret playing this!… Expand
  23. Yonkometabiosis
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    You can take out more than half the dex if you take care of the graphics
    You can take out the good graphics if you take care of the animations
    You can take out the good animations if you take care of the game's content and story You can take out more than half of the content of a normal pokémon game if you give me a balanced game You can take out any amount of difficulty if you give    You can take out more than half the dex if you take care of the graphics
    You can take out the good graphics if you take care of the animations
    You can take out the good animations if you take care of the game's content and story
    You can take out more than half of the content of a normal pokémon game if you give me a balanced game
    You can take out any amount of difficulty if you give me... anything, Gamefreak, seriously.
    But this game is 60$ plus tip for nothing.

    This comes from a desperate fan, I would forgive gamefreak and nintendo for everything they do wrong, as long as they try. But this game screams "let's see how low our effort and quality can go, generating the same amount of money". I love pokémon but I hate being robbed and laughed at.

    Please consider pirating or stealing this game if you wanna play it. If you have hope for a decent future for the franchise, if you love pokémon as much as I do, don't buy this game.    … Expand
  24. WettyTamm
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    This isn't Pokemon, it's a soulless work by creators who clearly want to move onto something new. The actual game is fine and fun bur it just oozes with "who cares" moments
  25. Edu1717
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    Es entretenido para jugadores casuales, no presenta dificultad, las animaciones en ciertos puntos son buenas, en algunas le falta pulir la calidad, el juego no debe ser considerado como triple A, no es de la mejor calidad, por su proceso de creación y tiempo que se envierta en pasarlo debe ser un juego que no sobrepase los 40$
  26. sirbarbon
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    A disgusting cashgrab.
    -Removed 2/3 of Pokémon when catching them is the main appeal of the games.
    -Terrible graphics, at best it looks like an upscaled 3DS game, at worst the textures resemble the N64 era. -Terrible animations, when that was the excuse given to remove Pokémon. -Removes a significant amount of Pokémon moves. -Pokémon aren't properly scaled, when previous games in the    A disgusting cashgrab.
    -Removed 2/3 of Pokémon when catching them is the main appeal of the games.
    -Terrible graphics, at best it looks like an upscaled 3DS game, at worst the textures resemble the N64 era.
    -Terrible animations, when that was the excuse given to remove Pokémon.
    -Removes a significant amount of Pokémon moves.
    -Pokémon aren't properly scaled, when previous games in the franchise already had done it.
    -Inconsistent, bland, lazy backgrounds.
    -Terrible art choices: neon green and neon pink everywhere makes the in-game world look artificial.
    -Terrible pop-in and draw distance.
    -New Pokémon made with ease of 3d modelling in mind abuse basic geometrical shapes and look toy-like and artificial.
    -Lack of exploration. Small amount of routes, little to no dungeons.
    -Forced Exp. Share.
    -Unbearable handholding and frequent cutscenes ruin the pace of the game.
    -Absurd lack of difficulty, moreso than ever before in the franchise. It feels like the game is playing itself.
    -Lack of substantial postgame.
    -Horrible, empty Open Area. Wild Pokémon don't interact meaningfully with the environment.
    -Empty cities, devoid of content.
    -Costs $60 with less content than a $40 game.    … Expand
  27. ScarletSpider
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    A non review bomb review.

    I beat the game at around 12 hours. Post game is an extra 2 hours and some gimped Battle Tower, otherwise my playtime would be a little over 8 hours. There were a few good things in this game. Characters expressions are more varied than the soulless expressions from Sun/Moon. Interiors looks pretty, although some are cut/paste. Nice QoL changes such as being    A non review bomb review.

    I beat the game at around 12 hours. Post game is an extra 2 hours and some gimped Battle Tower, otherwise my playtime would be a little over 8 hours. There were a few good things in this game. Characters expressions are more varied than the soulless expressions from Sun/Moon. Interiors looks pretty, although some are cut/paste. Nice QoL changes such as being able to change natures for competitive. Some of the new Pokemon look really, REALLY good. Some great designs.

    The story was pretty bland and baffling, even by Pokemon standards. For all that was cut, Gamefreak hasn't provided enough content to justify paying $60. The game is missing 60% of the Pokemon roster, moves have been cut, there is no accurate size scaling despite the gimmick being giant Pokemon, forced EXP share with no toggle means you'll be over leveled and nearly one shotting every opponent. Tons of empty corridors, no dungeons, and TMs are split between TMs and TRs. Most TRs can only be used once and most are necessary for competitive. You'll have to grind raids for it which can be a bit annoying clearly meant to pad out the game's post game. The game is graphically unimpressive in 2019 and some weird overworld bugs are present such as extreme pop ins, the world freezing when you climb ladders/mount your bike, etc. Alas, it's just another Pokemon game I have to regrettably sell for my money back. Very disappointed.

    I truly love this franchise but management at The Pokemon Company International clearly don't know what they're doing with the brand in terms of the mainline games. Trying to keep these games releasing yearly is decreasing the quality of the product. Gamefreak had just gotten past using sprites 7 years ago, and spent even less time in the 3D era, now they're dealing with HD assets are are clearly struggling to adjust. Gamefreak needs help but TPCi is not making it easy for them    … Expand
  28. BTLOTM
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Sword and Shield are graphically disappointing, a step back for the franchise, the further simplification of the game mechanics, and the developers lies about why Pokemon were cut are insulting to their fan base. If you buy this game, you are supporting that, and you are being a good German
  29. Bannedalex
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Aún con sus fallos, creo que es uno de los mejores juegos que ha habido de Pokémon. Posiblemente no el mejor, pero de la época de los juegos en 3d de Pokemon este ha sufrido un gran cambio a mejor. Obviamente si tuviera la pokedex completa le pondria un 10 y seria mi juego favorito.

    Pero aún asi, los diseños de nuevos pokemon, el cambio a mejor para el competitivo, el gigantamax (que me    Aún con sus fallos, creo que es uno de los mejores juegos que ha habido de Pokémon. Posiblemente no el mejor, pero de la época de los juegos en 3d de Pokemon este ha sufrido un gran cambio a mejor. Obviamente si tuviera la pokedex completa le pondria un 10 y seria mi juego favorito.

    Pero aún asi, los diseños de nuevos pokemon, el cambio a mejor para el competitivo, el gigantamax (que me parece mejor solución que la megaevolucion y los movimientos z) e incluso la historia me están enamorando.    … Expand
  30. Mav68
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Pretty bad game,both as a switch game compared to other switch titles,and as a Pokémon game. Lacking polish,content,story,music is simple and effortless, graphics look ,memes aside,actually like a n64 game.
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 »