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. Tempest636
    Mar 24, 2020
    9
    Online battles are great, music and visuals are great. Raid battles are decent, the story is a bit weak. Every time something interesting is close to happening the 'adults' take care of it and sideline the main character
  2. DoomGuy64
    Mar 24, 2020
    3
    Cutting Pokemon from the roster just to make a season pass... It’s just slimy. It’s an absolutely atrocious way of treating your fan base.
  3. taffyandtora
    Mar 24, 2020
    0
    People will **** on games like star wars battlefront 2 and fallout 76 for their awful business practices but I would argue that Pokémon sword and shield are just as bad as these games. To access all of the content you will need to buy 2 separate games 2 £30 dlc packs and pay for 2 subscription services one of which costs more than Nintendo switch online. I would excuse all of this if thePeople will **** on games like star wars battlefront 2 and fallout 76 for their awful business practices but I would argue that Pokémon sword and shield are just as bad as these games. To access all of the content you will need to buy 2 separate games 2 £30 dlc packs and pay for 2 subscription services one of which costs more than Nintendo switch online. I would excuse all of this if the actual game was good but it just isn't. There is almost no strategy to the combat, the xp candy system is so broken I had a level 100 Pokémon by the third gym, they cut out half of the pokemon, the graphics and animation look like they have came straight out of a PS2 game and you are just stopped by all these characters who constantly tell you about the the boring backstory so much making the entire experience miserable. I fell dirty that I bought these games and I am never buying a Pokémon game again unless they drastically improve.… Expand
  4. Dudi009
    Mar 19, 2020
    1
    Story is so short, the game is so easy. Hope the expack ll be better, atleast last expack sound fun.
  5. fabse96
    Mar 17, 2020
    0
    A complete atrocity of a game. I loved every single pokemon up to this one. But considering the hardware this game runs on and what other franchises were able to accomplish on the switch I would be embarrassed if I were gamefreak!
  6. JRox420
    Mar 16, 2020
    10
    I’m not an rpg guy or a turn based combat guy but this game is awesome. The combat is not grindy and there is such a large variety of Pokémon to catch. I picked it up for $50 on amazon and I don’t regret a little. Don’t listen to the low reviews, they’re all just mad that some Pokémon were taken out!!!
  7. Mike39x
    Mar 12, 2020
    10
    It's a shame this has been review bombed by 'hardcore' fans. I've played every pokemon generation up until now, and yeah, I was upset by dexit like everyone else. But honestly? This is the best pokemon game I've played. I played Soul Silver when it first came out and loved it - Pokemon Sword has finally dethroned HGSS in my heart.

    I could go on and on, but here are the amazing pros:    It's a shame this has been review bombed by 'hardcore' fans. I've played every pokemon generation up until now, and yeah, I was upset by dexit like everyone else. But honestly? This is the best pokemon game I've played. I played Soul Silver when it first came out and loved it - Pokemon Sword has finally dethroned HGSS in my heart.

    I could go on and on, but here are the amazing pros:

    - Awesome music (I normally don't care that much, but the Gym Battle theme is just that good)

    -The whole "Gym Challenge League" thing just feels awesome

    -Dynamax is actually pretty cool looking (before I played it myself, I thought it looked gimicky and dumb, now I actually enjoy it)

    -The Raid System gives you more fun stuff to do in game

    -I think Hop is actually a pretty cool and enjoyable rival this time around, and I generally enjoy how the characters are written

    -I think the graphics of the pokemon themselves look great, and most of the animations look good too (aside from the whole "Double Kick just looks dumb on scorebunny!" complaint)

    -They streamlined so many little time-wasting things in this game. For example, at the daycare center, you don't even have to go inside to drop off your pokemon anymore. It sounds small, but that's just one of many little things like that they've implemented.

    I could go on, but those are probably the highlights for me.

    I will admit, dexit and the lack of voice acting both kinda suck, but those pale in comparison to all of the above and don't deserve all the hate people in the community are giving it.

    If you're a pokemon fan, give this game a chance. It's actually fantastic.    … Expand
  8. byen
    Mar 12, 2020
    1
    I used to be so into this game, but now things that did annoy me that I usually don't let get to me now just make me visibly mad and annoyed. While I will admit this game does some things really well, characters like Hop and Sonia have suddenly started to piss me off. I don't think there has been a single game that has annoyed me to the point where I just don't wanna own the game anymore,I used to be so into this game, but now things that did annoy me that I usually don't let get to me now just make me visibly mad and annoyed. While I will admit this game does some things really well, characters like Hop and Sonia have suddenly started to piss me off. I don't think there has been a single game that has annoyed me to the point where I just don't wanna own the game anymore, don't wanna hear about it, or just straight up don't want to even glance in its direction.… Expand
  9. Dragonify
    Mar 8, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a person who barely play any Pokemon games (other than Emerald), this game still feels "meh" to me. Here's my reviews about the game in details:

    1. Story: The story feel rushed. Throughout the game, the player is investigating the history of Galar, that's alright, slowly building the plot, I can go with that. But then all of the sudden this evil man come out of nowhere and wants to "save the world" and can't wait literally more than a day, so he awakes Eternatus, the evil legendary. The player then defeat it with the help of the cover art legendaries. All of this only happens at the end of the game. I don't know, I might not make any sense here, but what I know is that the story is not built well.

    2. Pokedex Issues: Personally I'm okay with this, if anything I appreciate them cutting them out so I won't take years trying to catch 'em all. But the amount of the cut Pokemon does feel a bit much. Thankfully 200+ more Pokemon is added in through DLC, and isn't entirely locked behind a paywall.

    3. Animation: Game Freak claims that they have to sacrifice some Pokemon to make effort on their animation. And my thought seeing the final result is "eh, you can do better, I'll let you off tho". I like the animation they give to the Pokemon when camping (walking, running, playing, even racing etc), there's a lot of detail they put in there. But come on, make them turn around normally in cutscene please instead of just rotating the models (Legendaries in cutscenes for example).

    4. Graphics: There's a lot more they can do here. The overall graphic only feels a little bit better than 3DS. Just look at BoTW and then look at this. It's honestly sucked that they didn't put in efforts on this part, as this is mostly how people look at games nowadays. However I do appreciate the colorful look on the game.

    5. Gameplay: There's not much to say here, it's the Pokemon that we know and love/hate. It's nice to see Pokemon roaming around the world too, but the spawning of the Pokemon makes it annoying as they can spawn right in front of you. The Dynamax mechanic is alright, it's kinda like Mega Evos and Z-Move mix together but definitely not in the best way. I especially don't like how we can't just let our Pokemon have the Gigantamax ability but have to find a new one to replace them. Max Raid Battles are alright as well, but can we have better NPCs for those that don't have friends to play with?

    6. Online Features: Online Features are the most "ughhhhh" thing in this game. Trading feels a bit hard to connect with (especially when there are other people you don't know that are using the same code), and I can't even join online raids (tho that's probably only my Internet issue, but I can trade Pokemon fine, so not sure what that is about).

    Conclusion: Overall, 6/10. Camping feels great (Curry Dex not so much tho), music still feels like Pokemon music that I adore, animation is mostly fine, but others just feel "meh". Game Freak can definitely do better than this.    … Expand
  10. Jack1600o
    Mar 7, 2020
    9
    It isn´t a perfect game but, at least, in my opinion this game deserves an excellent
  11. Greendeer23
    Mar 6, 2020
    10
    This game have my love , i love graphics , gameplay and pokemon aparence
  12. Taerared
    Mar 5, 2020
    3
    Unfortunately, the newest entry in the Pokemon series is... confusingly directionless. It doesn't feel like Game Freak made these two games for any reason other than making money. About 60% of Pokemon are gone, and there isn't much to replace them. The game is also incredibly easy, a five year old wouldn't have any trouble beating it. There's also a lack of post-game content. C'est la vie...
  13. JRobson
    Mar 5, 2020
    4
    As the latest entries in the Pokemon video game series, "Sword" and "Shield" are as generic and tired as their subtitles would suggest. As video games, they are a master class in how not to plan, develop or market your product. To the average Pokemon fan, they are so-so games that do just enough to scratch the itch. To longtime fans who have spent the majority of our young lives growing upAs the latest entries in the Pokemon video game series, "Sword" and "Shield" are as generic and tired as their subtitles would suggest. As video games, they are a master class in how not to plan, develop or market your product. To the average Pokemon fan, they are so-so games that do just enough to scratch the itch. To longtime fans who have spent the majority of our young lives growing up with this beloved twenty-four year old series, "Sword" and "Shield" are an insult and a misstep so hideous and poorly-conceived at every step of their execution that they do not merely scrape the bottom of the barrel, nor can they be described as the bottom of the barrel: these games do not deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence with the barrel.

    For the uninitiated, Pokemon is a series in which players explore a vivid world and discover a diverse cast of monsters. Players form a close bond with these monsters by capturing, evolving, and training their skills in turn-based battles. In contrast, "Sword" and "Shield" invites players to vainly attempt to explore a lifeless husk and discover a limited selection of 3D models T-planing their way across an unambitious, empty world reminiscent of video game worlds two decades its senior (with worse lighting). Pokemon float aimlessly with no sign of intelligent AI beyond simple walking and "player noticed" animations. Shamefully, no interaction between Pokemon and the environment is to be found, nor is any world-building tell that would give players the impression the world is occupied by powerful creatures -- a particularly disappointing fact given how much focus was dedicated to the open world section during the game's promotion.

    Seemingly tacked on mid-development, the open world section features a surprisingly solid if janky player-controlled camera (a series first and a marked improvement over past entries). Despite this, the majority of the game bizarrely does not make use of it, instead employing the automated camera seen in past entries. The resulting conflict in gameplay is the most glaring fundamental flaw of "Sword" and "Shield"; half-heartedly teasing players with the illusion of freedom only to take it away for the majority of the game (think Super Mario Bros. but with a jump button that stops working after the first jump). Coupled with lackluster level design, "secret" items that predictably spawn at the same spots within the world, and a lack of player-world interaction, and players are left feeling punished rather than rewarded for exploring -- a perfect microcosm of Game Freak's decades-old development strategy, a "more of the same thing" development rut which allows for changes only if they come half-baked and ten years late.

    Graphically, 2019's "Sword" and "Shield" are somewhere between 2001 and 1996. Compared to titles released on the same platform (the most powerful Nintendo console to date), textures range from passable to hideous. Lighting is poor overall, with over-exposed whites in bright conditions and color blending so poorly-implemented that cave Pokemon encounters can easily be mistaken for rare "shiny" events. The art style is especially appalling in how little stylistic continuity it features. Even experienced players may find themselves confused by the contrast between ordinary trees and Berry Trees, which feature a repetitive cartoon-like design with vivid colors that contrast dramatically with the muted greys and greens of their non-interactive counterparts (assuming those players can forgive the jarring close range pop-in). The resulting effect makes one feel like some art assets have unceremoniously "glitched in" from an entirely different game. Equally jarring are the open world section's weather events, in which sunny, flowery fields adopt the ambiance of tornado-stricken disaster zones in the blink of an eye, with no visual indicator from a distance.

    Gameplay is unworthy of a mention, with the same slow, clunky cycle players have endured since 1996 in full effect. The latest gimmick to be introduced (and will almost certainly be disappointingly forgotten by the next entry) is "Dynamaxing", a temporary battle gimmick which allows Pokemon to become giants with preset movesets replacing their player-given moveset. As with past gimmicks, many players ignore this feature in competitive play. The "Curry Dex" exists in the way the letter 'Q' exists.

    Sporadic quality of life changes do little to improve the overall UX of these titles, with battles still encumbered by meandering "It's super effective!" messages that could be communicated more eloquently with a quick on-screen visual.

    Players are advised to treat these titles with the same reverence Game Freak's art director James Turner holds for Pokemon fans (Turner publicly "liked" a social media post calling passionate fans who voiced criticism of his project the C-word in the weeks leading up to the game's release).

    Dynamax your wallet instead.    … Expand
  14. loserkid182
    Mar 5, 2020
    4
    Una lastima que no consigan hacer un juego decente que niños y adultos puedan disfrutar, no necesitan genios guionistas de cine, un equipo de personas competentes serian capaces de con 10 consejos hacer una buena historia, pero por desgracia tenemos otra entrega mas de la franquicia que caerá en el olvido.

    Los personajes son la cosa mas vacía que he visto en mucho tiempo, desde luego la    Una lastima que no consigan hacer un juego decente que niños y adultos puedan disfrutar, no necesitan genios guionistas de cine, un equipo de personas competentes serian capaces de con 10 consejos hacer una buena historia, pero por desgracia tenemos otra entrega mas de la franquicia que caerá en el olvido.

    Los personajes son la cosa mas vacía que he visto en mucho tiempo, desde luego la peor de la saga, o empate con otras 3 al menos. El rival es cosa intensita, y los personajes que interacciones con nosotros en la aventura dan ganas de darles una patada en la boca a todos.

    Lo de la zona central tipo mundo abierto y que los Pokemon de nivel superior aparezcan por ahí es buena idea, pero esta FATAL implementado. Los caminos entre ciudades son cortos y SUPER lineales.

    La dificultad del juego es sin duda lo peor que tiene, he subido 4 equipos de Pokemon a mas del nivel 70 solo en una primera pasada del juego y sin farmear ni nada.

    En fin, una lastima que al final la gente dejara de comprar estos juegos por la baja calidad que tienen y ya vendrán las lagrimas de la compañía.    … Expand
  15. TheBilly
    Mar 4, 2020
    0
    De lo peor de catálogo de la Switch, siendo lo mismo de siempre.

    Gráficos horribles, "Mundo Abierto" vació, jugabilidad por turnos con nula estrategia y personalización de avatar muy limitada (más haya de ser inútil en este tipo de juegos) y la venta del juego incompleto. Con DLC a un precio execivo.

    Recomiendo que inviertas esos 60 dólares en otra cosa.
  16. Shaydows
    Mar 2, 2020
    0
    Even though this was a rushed mess, I would have given this at most a 2/10. However, Gamefreak lied to the entire fanbase about why it's so bad and not a complete game. That combined with my original score makes this a easy 0/10, I wish it could be lower.
  17. Lightning_Chasr
    Mar 1, 2020
    4
    More of the same, with less of what makes the series special to so many. Ugly open world area but beautiful towns. Spotty online. The most cinematic the series has ever been, sadly ruined by a lack of voice acting.
  18. Carlos_A
    Mar 1, 2020
    1
    Gostei bastante dos novos pokémons, infelizmente a gamefreak gosta de fazer o que quiser com seu público, mas na efervescência do momento, sou obrigado a dizer que adorei o jogo, nota 1.
  19. Sworzen
    Mar 1, 2020
    2
    Huge lack of potential. It's basically HD sun/moon. Garbage plot, garbage region with super short and simple routes. Cities with many copy and paste houses and buildings you can't enter. Notable lack of polish and content in general, this game should have been 1 or 2 years more in development.
  20. Edumiroku
    Nov 24, 2019
    0
    I enjoyed the Game, however, I don't wanna give 'em a good critic, because they need to update, and we deserve a better quality. Sorry but I'm feeling bad because of buying the game now, so I'm gonna be just with myself. Cada vez que pasa el tiempo lo voy viendo peor y sobre todo con todos los DLC que sacan y piensan que van a arreglar todos los fallos que comete de base. Además que eseI enjoyed the Game, however, I don't wanna give 'em a good critic, because they need to update, and we deserve a better quality. Sorry but I'm feeling bad because of buying the game now, so I'm gonna be just with myself. Cada vez que pasa el tiempo lo voy viendo peor y sobre todo con todos los DLC que sacan y piensan que van a arreglar todos los fallos que comete de base. Además que ese contenido debería ser gratis.… Expand
  21. geuduen
    Feb 28, 2020
    2
    I didn‘t play the game so much but was before Engine Cuty trying to catch some Pokémon and threw 30 pokeballs( all I had) just to see it allways getting out, the Pokémon was just 2 lvl over my strongest Pokémon but there seems to be no chance to get it. WTF? Why? Why I can‘t catch it and it ignores my commands like in the old titels? What a **** hope I can swallow my anger and play itI didn‘t play the game so much but was before Engine Cuty trying to catch some Pokémon and threw 30 pokeballs( all I had) just to see it allways getting out, the Pokémon was just 2 lvl over my strongest Pokémon but there seems to be no chance to get it. WTF? Why? Why I can‘t catch it and it ignores my commands like in the old titels? What a **** hope I can swallow my anger and play it again at the moment it doesn’t look like it. Thanks for letting me throw 55€ in the garbage!… Expand
  22. dedehfontana
    Feb 26, 2020
    0
    Game Freak and Nintendo lied only for sell DLC. Full price in game + DLC + 20 dollar for POKEMON HOME. I really love the franchise since POKEMON RED/BLUE but Game Freak and Nintendo are EVIL
  23. Fernox213
    Feb 26, 2020
    3
    If you like this game very much, I'm OK with you - we're just two people who expect different things from video games.

    If you think there is anything creative, innovative or challenging about this, sorry dude you're 7.
  24. Zeolite
    Feb 26, 2020
    0
    Hardly any story. And not much to do ingame or post game. Also you cant catch all pokemon thats fine but you should at least be able to import them from older generations,
  25. PokeBluedude
    Feb 24, 2020
    4
    I have played every pokemon (main title) game since original blue and red version and sadly I think this is the worst iteration of a pokemon adventure ever. I'm sure that seems a bit steep to some, those that have enjoyed it for example, but it's what I feel. The whole netdex thing and marketing of the game didn't help its case. But mostly its the game. Its just not AAA. Way to much handI have played every pokemon (main title) game since original blue and red version and sadly I think this is the worst iteration of a pokemon adventure ever. I'm sure that seems a bit steep to some, those that have enjoyed it for example, but it's what I feel. The whole netdex thing and marketing of the game didn't help its case. But mostly its the game. Its just not AAA. Way to much hand holding. Constantcutscenes and an annoying rival.… Expand
  26. jrdnnn
    Feb 23, 2020
    7
    Far from the massive leap forward we expected as Pokemon fans but also not as terrible as people would have you believe, Sword/Shield are decent games with a bitter edge of disappointment around most corners. The National Dex exclusion is totally unforgivable, whatever way GameFreak spin it and the graphics are lightyears away from what the Switch (and GameFreak) is capable of.

    The new    Far from the massive leap forward we expected as Pokemon fans but also not as terrible as people would have you believe, Sword/Shield are decent games with a bitter edge of disappointment around most corners. The National Dex exclusion is totally unforgivable, whatever way GameFreak spin it and the graphics are lightyears away from what the Switch (and GameFreak) is capable of.

    The new Pokemon are, in my opinion, excellent. There are so many great designs, both visually and gameplay-wise (my favourites are Hatterene, Grimmsnarl, Corviknight, Copperajah and Sirfetch'd) and it's probably the best batch since Black and White. Galar is fantastically presented and the little nods to British culture, architecture and atmosphere are brilliant. Some of the cities are a spectacle to behold, especially the Cornwall-based seaside town and the London-based capitals. Dynamax is, admittedly, quite cool and not as straightforward as I thought it would be. Raid Dens are also really fun and the accessibility of the Pokedex, with pretty much everything available in some form and rare Hidden Abilities there for the taking - I love this. Battling is the same as ever, and is beginning to show its age, but is fine.

    Now, the main positive - the gym system. Converting the boring old gym format to an exhilirating, stadium-held, anime-esque championship is a genius move. Each gym leader has so much personality for the first time since Red and Blue, and are more than just bosses. The gym battle music is INCREDIBLE (a lot of the music is) and the format of random league opponents is inspired. This NEEDS to be a recurring feature in games going forward as it is the most fun I've had with the franchise in a while.

    Now to the main negative...the story. The story is paper-thin, boring, and weirdly takes place off-screen for the majority (with the "adults" handling all the drama - what the hell is that about?) . Probably the worst narrative of any of the games in the franchise, totally lazy. The inevitable Legendary showdown at the end in unearned, dull and trite. Plus the villainous plans are totally nonsensical, even for Pokemon. The focus is almost entirely on the gyms, so it's a good job they're great. Everything else is pretty garbage, all the side characters are irrelevant and annoying. This goes hand-in-hand with the lack of challenge in the game, it all sort of washes over with you with no speedbumps and is done. WHY is Experience Share mandatory???

    All things considered, I've enjoyed this game purely on merit of the Pokemon available (but there should be more), the cool world (which deserves way better graphics) and the gyms (the only standout feature of the games). And the soundtrack is unreal - look up the Championship Lobby theme! GameFreak really need to get their act together for the next entry as they've absolutely rode on the franchise's success for an easy cash-grab and have consequently exposed their ineptitude at innovation. I'll be here finishing my Pokedex no doubt and trying out the DLC because I am a helpless puppet consumer, but in the face of fantastic Switch games available and even apparently better Pokemon-style games in TemTem, they are at risk of becoming the most stale, embarrassing games around. Interesting to see what happens from here on out...    … Expand
  27. Wences
    Feb 23, 2020
    3
    The most dissapponting videogame of 2019. I really waited for it but I feel that people who grew playing Pokémon are not the target audience now.
  28. Adriella01
    Feb 22, 2020
    4
    Not much to say. It is pretty linear. There is not much freedom to do something else than the story besides catching and leveling pokemons while progressing to the next city. I wished there would have been some sidequests or hidden areas to explore for additional items like back then in Pokemon Gold/Silver. 15h gameplay time and you're done. And if you want more you have to pay 25€ for theNot much to say. It is pretty linear. There is not much freedom to do something else than the story besides catching and leveling pokemons while progressing to the next city. I wished there would have been some sidequests or hidden areas to explore for additional items like back then in Pokemon Gold/Silver. 15h gameplay time and you're done. And if you want more you have to pay 25€ for the next small expansion pass.… Expand
  29. Persona5Royale
    Feb 22, 2020
    0
    Utterly awful and the characters are unlikable such as one of your rivals Hop. The shield version is much better due to better gym leaders and a better ledgendary.
  30. dbbuu
    Feb 21, 2020
    1
    The only redeeming factor this game has is that's it's Pokémon, and I unfortunately like Pokémon a lot.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 87
  3. Negative: 0 out of 87
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 30, 2020
    80
    Sword & Shield stumble in a few areas and history may not be kind to them, but they're setting up a future that I'm excited to see. [Issue #44 – January/February 2020, p. 73]
  2. GameCritics
    Feb 6, 2020
    75
    I enjoyed my time with Pokemon Sword and Shield, but I ended feeling conflicted. I appreciate many of the changes and felt that it generally respected my time, but I almost felt like a passive participant. The more complex gym challenges had a meatier role, but the narrative shouldn’t have been shoved to the side. Overall, I would recommend it to players who want to have a Pokemon experience, but this one won’t stick with me the way the older ones have.
    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 »