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. 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
  2. Plisken
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    From now on Game Freak do it like Blizzard.
    Its a shame, they lie to us customers and use their power to appease.

    Why international companies like Volkswagen think its ok to treat her customers like this?

    Did they realy think in 2 months everything will be all right again? Our trust in them is sustained damaged for a long time.

    THAT'S THE REAL PROBLEM!
  3. pkmn1_5genfreak
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Corporate greed should not be rewarded. You need to recall this game and let the developers make what they wanted to make, Game Freak. You stand to lose a very sizable core of your fanbase, many of us have started as children from 1-4 gen. We hate to see the series we cherish so much be treated as some showpony. Fix it.
  4. Calabasaloka
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Pokémon nunca ha sido una franquicia especialmente ambiciosa. Es más, para algunos su atractivo reside, precisamente, en su anclaje a un estilo de combate por turnos que parece haber quedado en el olvido por el resto del mercado (con excepciones, claro está). A mi parecer, su conservadurismo ha llevado a Pokémon a ser lo que es hoy: un producto mediocre, incapaz de reinventarse, que cadaPokémon nunca ha sido una franquicia especialmente ambiciosa. Es más, para algunos su atractivo reside, precisamente, en su anclaje a un estilo de combate por turnos que parece haber quedado en el olvido por el resto del mercado (con excepciones, claro está). A mi parecer, su conservadurismo ha llevado a Pokémon a ser lo que es hoy: un producto mediocre, incapaz de reinventarse, que cada nueva entrega trata al jugador con mayor condescendencia. Jamás había visto creadores tan ajenos a su producto. Si Pokémon alguna vez fue un proyecto apasionado, ya solo quedan los restos insulsos de lo que alguna vez fue. Los fallos de estas nuevas entregas son muchos, por lo que haré una lista de algunos, aún a sabiendas de que será insuficiente:
    -Apartado gráfico sorprendentemente malo, sumado a las animaciones ortopédicas. No soy ni diseñador gráfico ni animador, tan solo un jugador del montón. Pero esto tiene que ser de coña. Tomándolo con humor, hasta agradezco que sea tan descaradamente desastroso visualmente; soy de quienes lloran de la risa con la cutrez del primer Resident Evil en este aspecto. No hay mucho que explicar, los que jugamos entregas anteriores sabemos que han reciclado hasta las animaciones de los personajes humanos (que ya de por sí dejaban mucho que desar) y que la cuestionable calidad de modelados y texturas se hacen más evidentes que nunca con el salto al HD.
    -Repartir experiencia forzado, que hace del juego prácticamente injugable. Un juego de estrategia en el que la estrategia es innecesaria, a mi parecer, es muestra de una incomprensión absoluta del modo en el que el juego debe interactuar con el jugador. No hay tensión ni placer en el jugar.
    -Eliminación de la GTS. Nada más que añadir.
    -Sustitución de mecánicas ya consolidadas (véase la megaevolución) por otras más pretenciosas que solo agradarán a los jugadores de Pokémon GO.
    -La ausencia de todos los Pokémon hasta la fecha. Esto no es algo que me moleste particularmente, de no ser por el desdén con el que se ha tratado a sus potenciales consumidores. Espero que la desconexión entre compañía y usuario se vea reflejada en las ventas.
    El único punto positivo de los juegos son los diseños de los pokémon, algunos más creativos que otros, pero tan ideales como siempre; más sintiéndolo mucho, unos diseños bonitos no redimen ni por asomo sus carencias.
    En resumen: la saga Pokémon ha muerto definitivamente, (para quienes lo dudasen incluso tras la salida de los Let's Go) y tristemente, los consumidores de comida basura que son sus fans, los responsables de su muerte, no la dejaran descansar en paz. De hecho, los fans estarán encantados con los títulos, para ellos lo tendrán todo: fanservice a más no poder y la inflada de precio a los 60€ que muy gustosos pagarán en su afán consumista, junto a los múltiples servicios de pago. Ah, y no nos confundamos. Esto no es un producto dirigido a los niños, sino a adultos que se niegan a crecer. La franquicia de Super Mario ha crecido junto a sus jugadores aún siendo accesible a nuevas generaciones. Pokémon intentó crecer, pero no pudo, porque sus jugadores nunca lo hicieron.
    P.D. Muy fan de la escena inicial del juego, que no echa en falta doblaje ni mucho menos.    … Expand
  5. supaharmrun
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Dex cut is unacceptable especially when they didn't add anything to make up for it.
  6. 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
  7. BedrockBlocks
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Most disappointing entry in the pokemon series I’ve played so far and I’m honestly not surprised. The game felt even more lack luster than the sun/moon games. The gameplay is just way too easy now since your Pokémon can now level up way too quickly via ex share. The worst part is that it’s a permanent feature in the game and there is no way to turn it off to provide more of a challengeMost disappointing entry in the pokemon series I’ve played so far and I’m honestly not surprised. The game felt even more lack luster than the sun/moon games. The gameplay is just way too easy now since your Pokémon can now level up way too quickly via ex share. The worst part is that it’s a permanent feature in the game and there is no way to turn it off to provide more of a challenge like the previous games. Dynamaxing and gigantimaxing was disappointing and boring. I didn’t z moved from the sun and moon games but I sure did like mega evolutions and gamefreak should have stuck to that from on and build upon it. The lack of the national dex of course is a major problem which made me even more disappointed with the game. Removing it was a very bad idea and gamefreak could have saved them selves from a lot of trouble from the fanbase if they just added it. And it wouldn’t have been hard since pokemon is literally the highest grossing media franchise on this planet and it’s on a much more powerful console than the 3ds. The post game content was mediocre and bare bones. Especially the battle tower. Online slightly disappointed me as well with the lack of GTS which helped me get pokemon I really wanted back on the previous games even though it was badly executed. The graphics aren’t really that great,especially the textures of the areas that makes you look like you are floating in mid air above the grass. It’s actually noticeable,especially the infamous trees. The new pokemon are a highlight of the game though. I really liked most of the new Pokémon and the grookey line in the game. But honestly it just felt like this game was rushed and the people that are against this game was right. I tried to stay positive and optimistic with this game before it came out but it was just a flat out underwhelming experience for a Pokémon game. I wouldn’t recommend it even if critics are giving it a good score.… Expand
  8. pokeanon
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    With this entry the developers behind Pokémon go deeper in a trend they should have stopped years ago: story modes that are insultingly easy, insultingly short and filled with forced cutscenes and handholding. That reason alone is enough to guarantee a red rating: The games are simply not very fun; they are less of a game and more of a showcase of the new Pokémon and new characters thatWith this entry the developers behind Pokémon go deeper in a trend they should have stopped years ago: story modes that are insultingly easy, insultingly short and filled with forced cutscenes and handholding. That reason alone is enough to guarantee a red rating: The games are simply not very fun; they are less of a game and more of a showcase of the new Pokémon and new characters that will drive TPC's merchandise lineup for the rest of the generation. That is bad, but they reached new unexpected lows with the deletion of more than half the monsters and the mediocre artistic direction. Variety of monsters was the strong point of the series, a game about collecting and training your favorites. With this loss Pokémon drops its strong point and is mostly a list of bad or questionable elements. It does not help that it has pops-in everywhere, bad animations (some of them really glaring for a 2019 game, and even worse when they were the given excuse for the deletion of the monsters), a region with few routes (less than ever before, including corridors) and no dungeons at all. Good points are the intention of an open world adventure with Wild Area and the improved breeding mechanics. The reasons why I did not give this a zero.… Expand
  9. corcoles9310
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Un juego mas de pokemon que no mejora en nada y que va para atras como los cangrejos. Un juego lineal sin backtracking, graficos mediocres viendo lo que es capaz de hacer nintendo switch y animaciones recicladas. Un juego de 3ds en hd que da verguenza ajena. Un area silvestre decepcionante donde se muestra aun peor graficamente la calidad del juego. Nula dificultad y ademas menos ataquesUn juego mas de pokemon que no mejora en nada y que va para atras como los cangrejos. Un juego lineal sin backtracking, graficos mediocres viendo lo que es capaz de hacer nintendo switch y animaciones recicladas. Un juego de 3ds en hd que da verguenza ajena. Un area silvestre decepcionante donde se muestra aun peor graficamente la calidad del juego. Nula dificultad y ademas menos ataques que en anteriores entregas. Gamefreak debe hacer el juego que todos los verdaderos fans estamos esperando, el juego que necesitamos y el que nos merecemos.… Expand
  10. AbsoluteZ3R0
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Pros:
    - A lot of qol update that makes breeding competitive Pokemon much more easier.
    - New pokmeon designs are really good Cons: - More than half of the pokemon was cut - Mechanics such as - mega evolution and z-moves removed - No GTS - The game is easier than before. Can't turn off exp share - The routes are super linear (excluding wild area). Its pretty much just follow a    Pros:
    - A lot of qol update that makes breeding competitive Pokemon much more easier.
    - New pokmeon designs are really good

    Cons:
    - More than half of the pokemon was cut
    - Mechanics such as - mega evolution and z-moves removed
    - No GTS
    - The game is easier than before. Can't turn off exp share
    - The routes are super linear (excluding wild area). Its pretty much just follow a straight route until you get to wild area
    - Wild Area is disappointing. The game looks graphically really bad in the wild area.
    - No victory road or elite 4. You have tournament at the end where you just rematch gym leader
    - No post-game content. Only get a battle tower with battle factory built in. No tower bosses either.

    This game costs 20 dollar (30 CAD) more than the 3ds titles and it has so much cut content. This probably the worst mainline pokemon game to this date. I cannot recommend anyone to purchase this product.    … Expand
  11. Ryier
    Nov 29, 2019
    6
    A generous rating would be 6/10.
    Imagine I cut the score in half so that I could bring you a more cohesive reading experience which is in no way copied from previous reviews and is definitely not me just being lazy.
  12. LinYuntaek
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    There has been some improvement. But it's not enough to be a game released in 2019.
  13. Xenxibre
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    1 point for the pkmn formula, 1 point for some songs and 1 point for some pkmn designs the rest of the game is not woth to add more score
  14. OscarXvita
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    A upscaled 3DS game that betrayed long time players childhood dreams.

    Game freak didn't take Pokemon SwSd as an important project compared to town. Instead, they are going the EA way... Corporate PRs, Lots of deleted Dex, skills and TMs coming along with Curry and bulls*it.
  15. 20Gigabytes
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    20 bucks more expensive for half the content. This game is a joke. They need to wake up and stop thinking people are going to buy whatever and not care about whatever they do with the games. They need to make some efforts.
  16. KegMinami
    Nov 19, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a long-time fan of the series, I have been looking forward to mainline Pokemon’s debut on console for a while. Unfortunately, this game doesn’t quite live up to expectations. Minor spoilers ahead:

    The Good:
    -The Wild Area. Easily the best thing about this game. It’s a little barren, but definitely innovative and a step in the right direction.
    -Max Raid Battles. Co-op is not something I considered in Pokemon outside of multi-battles, but this is a welcome surprise. I haven’t been able to find the more difficult raid bosses yet, but I fear, based on the rest of the game, that even they would be too easy if my friends and I challenged them with our best Pokemon and a strategy in mind. Outside of difficulty, however, they are a nice addition to the series.
    -Soundtrack. Overall, it’s fairly solid. Quite a few good battle tracks, and the overworld music is comfy.
    -Atmosphere. The Galar region is a nice, cozy one with pleasant scenery that can actually be impressive at times.
    -Pokemon. There are a few that aren’t so good, but for the most part, the new Pokemon line-up isn’t bad. The galarian forms and evolutions, in particular, are great additions.
    -Competitive Play. There are a lot of quality of life changes that help newer players get into the competitive aspects of the game. Even as a veteran, these are appreciated. And, to its credit, the reduced Pokedex could potentially make it easier to get a feel for what the major threats are, and how to combat them.

    The Bad:
    -Graphical Issues. Not something I usually consider in Pokemon but it’s noteworthy in these games. It’s one thing to have the infamous “N64 trees;” I can tolerate that much. But there are much bigger issues than those. For example, meeting your rival in a city and suddenly appearing in an open field to fight, or fishing on a pier and appearing in the SAME open field for the fight. Not to mention the berry trees in the Wild Area that COMPLETELY lack any kind of shading and stick out like a sore thumb. When the graphical issues of the game affect immersion, it becomes a real problem.
    -Hand-holding. While the removal of tutorials is a great thing, there’s STILL a lot of hand-holding in these games. The sense of adventure is ruined by having Sonia or Hop leading you around on a leash constantly. I’d like to be able to explore a little on my own, rather than being shoved around constantly.
    -Routes and Dungeons. Most of them are glorified corridors that are very short. Nothing even near the scale of Mt. Moon, the Whirl Islands, and Mt. Coronet. I don’t think there’s a single route that takes you off the beaten path and into a new area to explore. Considering how an emphasis seemed to be placed on the exploration aspect with the introduction of the Wild Area, the parts of the game that AREN’T the wild area are sorely lacking.
    -Post-game. The initial story is fairly short, even for Pokemon. This would be fine if there were more to do afterwards, but there isn’t... While I wouldn’t expect anything like HG/SS’s post-game, S/S fail to deliver. Nothing but a short post-game story, max raid battles, league rematches, the Battle Tower, and competitive play. And even then, the Battle Tower is a shadow of its former self: no super modes, returning characters, triple/rotation modes, and a single boss. There’s nothing really new to see or explore.
    -Difficulty. It’s a children’s game, yes, but these games simply feel too easy with the new EXP Share mechanics. It would be fine if there were any challenging fights to compensate, but there aren’t. Nothing like Totem Pokemon or Ultra Necrozma from even the previous game. The game made me wish for a Challenge mode a la Gen 5, just to provide a challenge for long-time fans without relying on artificial difficulty.
    -The Elephant in the Room. The lack of the national dex, among other features, is a heavy loss for this game. The idea that my favorite Pokemon can NEVER be used in this adventure is disheartening. Not only that, but the lack of features like varied battle styles made the game feel a bit dull after a while. I found myself wishing I would be challenged to a Triple, Rotation, or Inverse battle. Even a reworked Battle Royal would be appreciated.

    Throughout the journey, you’ll see glimpses of good and innovative ideas that just aren’t fleshed out enough. The game’s presentation is poor, often immersion-breaking, and harms what would otherwise be a pleasant region. The removal of features and many Pokemon is a bummer as well. Overall, the game feels rushed. If careful time and consideration had been put into its development, it could have been a great game. But in it’s current state, it just feels painfully mediocre. As a person who’s been a fan since Gold and Silver, I’m whole-heartedly disappointed.

    Tl;dr: If you’re on the fence wait for the inevitable third version.

    Edit: There seems to be a Switch-bricking issue now? Great...    … Expand
  17. Baltzac
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Malos gráficos, animaciones reutilizadas, media pokedex en fin un juego que la saga pokemon no se merece
  18. autisticgod
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    A game that cuts out half of the creature namesake of the series to supposedly save development time, the final product they presented is a mediocre rushed mess without any of the substantial graphical or animation wise improvements they said were possible now. Most assets are recycled straight from the 3DS(which is not a negative per se but contradicts what Masuda said), and while thereA game that cuts out half of the creature namesake of the series to supposedly save development time, the final product they presented is a mediocre rushed mess without any of the substantial graphical or animation wise improvements they said were possible now. Most assets are recycled straight from the 3DS(which is not a negative per se but contradicts what Masuda said), and while there are good animations like pyro ball those are few and far admist all the unexplainedly levitating wingulls, pokemon rotating 360 degrees on their axis, numerous draw distance issues with pokemon and trainers appearing and disappearing out of nowhere, the trainer animations freezing when you use ladders and more. All elements that while not gamebreaking show a blatant lack of care about their overworld which is one of the main adverstised selling points, hell the pokemon barely interact with their enviroment and overall feel like puppets(some exceptions like falinks and greedunt) which was outdone by the spinoff Pokemon Ranger on DS. As for the wild area itself it's not nearly as big as it appears to be and while I'll be the first to admit the deviation from corridor routes is a good thing the rest of the game wasn't improved at all(and even features only 10 routes with most of them being short) on that aspect, it's always a half-step forward and one step back with GF. As for the story it's basically a copypaste of SM with a new coat of paint. Joke villain team of misfits? Check. Corporate villains that call upon an otherwordly entity for their plans and mess up the world because of it? Check. Hau copypaste? CHECK. They even use the same animations I'm not kidding. Even the game's new gimmick dynamaxing is a boring rehash of megas and zmoves conjoined together. While Sword and Shield have some charming ideas the severely lazy execution and preference at recycling the old concepts and ideas the game ends up feeling very stale and unoriginal and definitely not the full scale console adventure we've all dreamed as kids.… Expand
  19. Stevetry
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    The worst Pokemon game EVER
    Pokemon Sword and Shield brings pkm to the next generation with the same tired old mechanics only that this time they decided to cut 60% of the pkm giving you the smallest selection of pkm since Gen 5.
    The reasoning behind the cut was to improve the core of the game but while playing it that was not the case. the game features outdated graphics, worst    The worst Pokemon game EVER
    Pokemon Sword and Shield brings pkm to the next generation with the same tired old mechanics only that this time they decided to cut 60% of the pkm giving you the smallest selection of pkm since Gen 5.

    The reasoning behind the cut was to improve the core of the game but while playing it that was not the case. the game features outdated graphics, worst animations than previous gens to that also add that they somehow made it and easier game than let's go Pikachu.

    Cant not really recommend this game as a Pkm fan and as a consumer is a lazy attempt at a pkm game and is odd that so many people keep enabling them to keep doing this. Collapse    … Expand
  20. Johan_Holland
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Graphics are mediocre than what is capable of putting out; removed more than half of the Pokemon; removal of 144 moves; removal of mega evolution / z-moves; the story is short and shallow; no "new quality" animations for older Pokemon even though that was promised; recycling of 3D models from the DS-era which would be fine if they didn't lie about it; unskippable cutscenes which makesGraphics are mediocre than what is capable of putting out; removed more than half of the Pokemon; removal of 144 moves; removal of mega evolution / z-moves; the story is short and shallow; no "new quality" animations for older Pokemon even though that was promised; recycling of 3D models from the DS-era which would be fine if they didn't lie about it; unskippable cutscenes which makes second playthroughs tedious; still a lot of handholding which could be removed if the player had an option in difficulty; games were not designed around forced EXP Share which makes the player quickly overpowered; there is no post game content outside of a rehashed Battle Tower and raid battles; dynamaxing is limited to gym battles and plot-related fights; the scaling of Pokemon is bad which makes the Pokemon seem way smaller than he really is in battle; removal of the GTS fuction; badly polished battle backgrounds that sometimes don't make sense where you character is currently fighting; sound track is uninspired; many Pokemon are shiny locked; frame rate issues; Wild Areas are underwhelming; no animations for flying or similar actions even though previous games had them; cities are devoid of any meaningful content; extremely shallow use of Britain as the main inspiration of the region; fishing is restricted to specific areas; pandering to specific region (Kanto); Pokemon in the OW do not interact with their environment in any meaningful way; game was advertised "for long time fans" which it clearly isn't; constant lying from the developers and games cost way too much for what it's giving.

    There is so much potential with this franchise but it just won't be used.    … Expand
  21. MortoeRisorto
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Disappointing. The culling of more than 50% of the Pokédex (and more than 100 moves as well) was supposed to provide us with a phenomenal experience Pokémon experience; improved graphics, gameplay, features etc. I haven't see any of that. Instead, the game had considerably less content than its console precedessor, implying that the developers take for granted that their beloved fanbaseDisappointing. The culling of more than 50% of the Pokédex (and more than 100 moves as well) was supposed to provide us with a phenomenal experience Pokémon experience; improved graphics, gameplay, features etc. I haven't see any of that. Instead, the game had considerably less content than its console precedessor, implying that the developers take for granted that their beloved fanbase will buy anything and that effort isn't needed at all for them to sell millions of copies everytime.… Expand
  22. ToryXF
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    It’s incredibly short. No endgame. Took about 8/9 hours. Don’t waste your money.
  23. archivesenpai
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    The company lied to it's fanbase. They are giving us less content and expect us to pay more money. This game should be on no one's Nintendo Switch game collection.
  24. Atsuma
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Perhaps this is the last part of the Pokemon that I will buy. A bunch of bugs and cut content. The new part of the Pokemon is not like the game of 2019. The game is worthy of the title "Disappointment of the Year."
  25. ZeroHorugane
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Esto no es un juego de Pokémon esto es terrible
    Esto no merece tener Pokémon en el nombre quitaron mecánicas para añadir pasto
    Es inaceptable
  26. thrwycr
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Enormous amounts of cut content, bold-faced lies from developers used as excuses, incredibly poor use of the hardware, overall an obviously unfinished game. Definitively the worse in the history of the franchise.
  27. Alexblue
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The clear lack of quality, effort or concern for the customer is appalling. The graphics are total garbage for a $60 game on the switch, the dex has been cut by 60%, the story is nonexistent. I can go on about the game being as hand holding as possible and the lack of any sorts of endgame or the total reduction of the battle tower to practically nothing. This is not a good pokemon game when Zelda and Mario jumped to the Switch they made amazing steps forward. But SwSh? Nope, it's a watered down 3ds port and worst of all the company lied about all sorts of things. This is not how you treat your customers, especially not long time players like myself.… Expand
  28. Joobsh
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    BUYER BEWARE. NOT NECESSARILY THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT

    Please read this first before deciding if it is right for you or a loved one. I’m sure some people will find enjoyment in this game. but I feel it is Inexcusably awful. Even leaving out controversy, let’s look at this objectively. -This game has 10 total routes, or in other words very few areas to explore -Some key features such as    BUYER BEWARE. NOT NECESSARILY THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT

    Please read this first before deciding if it is right for you or a loved one. I’m sure some people will find enjoyment in this game. but I feel it is Inexcusably awful.

    Even leaving out controversy, let’s look at this objectively. -This game has 10 total routes, or in other words very few areas to explore -Some key features such as volume control are hidden behind optional characters. This is reminiscent of Mario Sunshine, which hid screen tinting behind a specific skippable character.
    -model of characters does not match in game lore, and is blatantly inconsistent.
    -there are problems with loading assets despite this being a switch title. It pales in comparison to the likes of Breath of the Wild. FPS is atrocious. -The game has a general feeling of being rushed to completion. No meticulous care, no “wow” factor. -Myself and others are finding this game too easy. The justification from the company is that this is for young kids, yet when my generation were children we relished in the Challenge. It’s so disappointing to see what should have been a hugely successful game flop so hard.    … Expand
  29. zshbr0
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Unlike what IGNorant completely bribed by Nintendo said, this game is the franchise's WORST Pokémon, completely pitiful, had huge potential, but for no reason, cut off all the features that had hit in previous games like Z Move, Mega Evolutions, new Pokémon and its forms, to put this total junk that is Dynamax that is basically the same Pokemon but with broken and giant stts, completelyUnlike what IGNorant completely bribed by Nintendo said, this game is the franchise's WORST Pokémon, completely pitiful, had huge potential, but for no reason, cut off all the features that had hit in previous games like Z Move, Mega Evolutions, new Pokémon and its forms, to put this total junk that is Dynamax that is basically the same Pokemon but with broken and giant stts, completely pathetic, is so frustrating that you can not even describe it here, just please do not listen to these big media saying that the game is good, it is definitely NOT, it is terrible even more for such a rich franchise, just do not buy it because it is pitiful, total disappointment... GameFreak considers neither its fans nor its customers, disgusting company!… Expand
  30. Inflitrado
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    16 horas con el juego y ya estoy por encima del nivel de todos los entrenadores del juego. La introducción tarda más de media hora por si sola y no haces más que caminar del punto a al punto b, mínimo tuviera musgo bonito para mirar como en Zelda pero no. Los gráficos parecen tomados del proyecto de Unity de algún fan con demasiado tiempo libre y no de una de una compañía
  31. Kylekid
    Nov 15, 2019
    2
    I'm a huge pokemon fan, but I'll tell it, this game isn't worth it! They cut like 60% of the old pokemon and moves for what purpose? The animations and graphics are underwhelming even for the switch console, the story is boring and weak. I will be fair, I liked many new pokemon, such cool ones, but the price we paid for this was too high. I knew the game will be bad, but not this bad...I'm a huge pokemon fan, but I'll tell it, this game isn't worth it! They cut like 60% of the old pokemon and moves for what purpose? The animations and graphics are underwhelming even for the switch console, the story is boring and weak. I will be fair, I liked many new pokemon, such cool ones, but the price we paid for this was too high. I knew the game will be bad, but not this bad... Hope next games they bring back the fun that is pokemon for me. My conclusion: Don't buy it.… Expand
  32. TapiaXD
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Sadly Pokemon SwSh is a gigantic step back in the main saga. How sad that GameFreak does this.
  33. Epsil
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    To start, this game will turn your console into an unusable brick with no warning if your SD card happens to be formatted to exFAT specs. If you read nothing else, understand that you put your entire Switch at a dangerous level of risk whenever you turn this on. For a more technical explanation: The Switch has a volatile section of its memory that Game Freak found some reason to useTo start, this game will turn your console into an unusable brick with no warning if your SD card happens to be formatted to exFAT specs. If you read nothing else, understand that you put your entire Switch at a dangerous level of risk whenever you turn this on. For a more technical explanation: The Switch has a volatile section of its memory that Game Freak found some reason to use nonstop, and it makes this game at least ten times more likely to cause errors that will turn off access to your SD card and, if it's exFAT instead of FAT32, corrupt it, your internal memory, and your NAND (think the files that would make Windows function, like system32, but for a game console) simultaneously. People have turned their switch on after a crash to see nothing but an orange screen that can't be recovered from.

    However, the game itself:

    Has horrible music that warps itself whenever your pokemon "dynamaxes" (gets bigger for 3 turns).

    Has bad graphics you wouldn't expect in earlier installments.

    Has 40% of the central content (the collectible creatures) compared to the previous installment in the series.

    Has a tenth of the side content (literally any activity you'd expect that isn't the main combat system or story) you would expect from this series.

    All of these observations are from an uncommentated, candid look at the game through a live stream through its entire story mode and post-game story mode. As it's a turn based game, there's no chance for it to "feel different" by having it in your hand.

    It should be noted that the graphics and animations were touted as the game's central focus for months by the director of this game, and that all the content missing in this game should simply be considered a sacrifice for them. Dataminers recently found that the models and textures for the collectible pokemon that made it into the game were imported directly from the game before it, essentially reducing the director's argument down to a lie to justify a lack of effort. If you think that anyone nitpicking the graphics is doing it purely for the graphics' sake, know that the people who gave you this idea were not doing it in good faith.

    This game is not worth $60. Compared to earlier installments, it's not worth $40. Until the bug where it kills your console is fixed, it's not worth $10, but if you play it before then you could be paying up to $300 purely because you wanted it day 1.

    I love Pokemon. If you're new to it, go play Pokemon Black 2/White 2, or HeartGold/SoulSilver, or Emerald, or Platinum. Literally any game but this. If you're not new, and completely hypnotized into eating whatever scraps Game Freak gives you, wait for the third version of this game, because this one is barebones to a fault. This will be the first entry in the entire series that I did not give a chance.    … Expand
  34. yj1995
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Gamfreaks cuts more than 50% of Pokemon, they betrayed fans and lied to consumers.
  35. TOODAMNLY
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I dont normally write reviews but this game forced me to write a review because of just how little it delivered and so much it promised. when i first started the game i felt a rush of excitement that quickly died as i was reminded by the rival known as hau but in Pokemon Sword Hop not only was he just a rehash of hau he even had the same animations but ignoring the whole pokemon hate and trying to play the game and enjoy myself the routes in the game felt short, the weather drastically change from a few steps away, npc's would appear and disappear when running near them. alot of the pokemon were reused from previous generations. The new cast of pokemon wasn't terrible but at the same time wasn't
    enjoyable enough for me to remember them it was really disappointing. exp share made alot of fights feel like one and done, everything felt week. the end of the game started off good but then became boresome when the only damage you could do to the boss was from zacian and zamazenta, after succeeding it just kinda ends with credits and no satisfaction at all. This game is not fun it is Work    … Expand
  36. danuffo
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    I LOVE THIS GAME

    El juego ME ENCANTA, no soy fan de Pokemon pero al resto de personas que si son fans de Pokemon de toda la vida no les gusta, y eso es muy MALO. He jugado los pokemon clásicos desde hace muy poco y la verdad es que no me gustan las batallas aleatorias, las animaciones durante las batallas eran estáticas. Las batallas aleatorias para mi eran una forma barata de    I LOVE THIS GAME

    El juego ME ENCANTA, no soy fan de Pokemon pero al resto de personas que si son fans de Pokemon de toda la vida no les gusta, y eso es muy MALO.

    He jugado los pokemon clásicos desde hace muy poco y la verdad es que no me gustan las batallas aleatorias, las animaciones durante las batallas eran estáticas.
    Las batallas aleatorias para mi eran una forma barata de alargar el juego, y al cabo de unas horas te aburres, muy repetitivo porque tengo que estar moviendo en un menú, así como un RPG pero al menos en otros juegos RPG te entretienes viendo las batallas o las animaciones o los golpes que se daban los personajes pero con Pokemon no es así, al menos eso siento yo.
    En este nuevo juego de Pokemon se acabó con todos esos elementos, y agregaron cosas como hacer gigante al Pokemon, hay más animaciones, las batallas entretienen, etc
    Todo lo que un fan de Pokemon no le gusta pero a mi sí.
    Tampoco es mi juego favorito de la vida pero por fin disfruto un juego de Pokemon, pero el hecho de que a mi me guste no quiere decir que sea un juego bueno, si la mayoría de la comunidad de fans reales de la saga dice que es malo es que de verdad tienen razón, ellos son realmente la comunidad no yo.    … Expand
  37. Thunder103093
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Once again just like LGPE i have to skip this. Been playing Pokemon since 1999-2000 & i cannot except how this game has screwed up & no one else should too. The most obvious problem is acorse the removal of the national dex. Along with lying to us about why they did it. That needs to be resolved immediately & them saying they "aren't going to" is both likely a lie & also. not acceptable.Once again just like LGPE i have to skip this. Been playing Pokemon since 1999-2000 & i cannot except how this game has screwed up & no one else should too. The most obvious problem is acorse the removal of the national dex. Along with lying to us about why they did it. That needs to be resolved immediately & them saying they "aren't going to" is both likely a lie & also. not acceptable. The game has graphical issues & bugs & glitches, including the good old delete save date glitch from XY came back. That is not acceptable for that to be in the game, especially when it happened before & Gamefreak deserves criticism for letting it happen again & no, people saying the issues were lies & people were forcing them to happen, that isn't true & i saw numerous poketubers doing videos & streams on this game all day today & those problems were happening to them also. So gamefreak can't make a game right anymore apparently. along with the non existing "graphics & animation improvements" that were suppose to happen with the national dex removal. Forced EXP Share on us, Removing moves, Z-Moves & Megas, higher price for less gameplay & how Gamefreak lied to us for months now & Poketubers blindly defending them. If you really love pokemon as much as i do. do not buy this game, wait until the problems are fixed in the future versions. But right now you should do your wallet & the series a huge favor & ignore this game… Expand
  38. Mentaelis
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    While an improvement in some terms, it's a downgrade on so many others.
    The lack of side-quests are bothersome.
    End game is nearly nonexistent and they cut so many features here are some: A lot of pokemon (Remember the slogan being gotta catch 'em all? Not here you won't.) No seasons. No VS. seeker. Some moves removed. Z-moves are gone. Mega evolutions are gone. Modes are still    While an improvement in some terms, it's a downgrade on so many others.
    The lack of side-quests are bothersome.
    End game is nearly nonexistent and they cut so many features here are some:
    A lot of pokemon (Remember the slogan being gotta catch 'em all? Not here you won't.)
    No seasons.
    No VS. seeker.
    Some moves removed.
    Z-moves are gone.
    Mega evolutions are gone.
    Modes are still ports of 3DS games and nothing new, despite a new generation.

    Good?
    It looks visually decent, par some animations.
    It's a pokemon game, but that should really not get it's score too high, every NHL game is hockey, yay.    … Expand
  39. Torque09
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    I just beat the game earlier this night, and all i have to say is that it feels kinda unpolished, if not unfinished. My main issue is that the game brings very few things to the table, while not improving on the series previous issues, but rather doubling down on them; For example, the story feels as dull and rushed as ever, the handholding is still there at full force, the exploration isI just beat the game earlier this night, and all i have to say is that it feels kinda unpolished, if not unfinished. My main issue is that the game brings very few things to the table, while not improving on the series previous issues, but rather doubling down on them; For example, the story feels as dull and rushed as ever, the handholding is still there at full force, the exploration is dumbed down, and the enviroments manage to both look good and empty at the same time. Even new concepts i'm in love with, such as the wild area, are kinda off. Putting aside subjective matters that i don't find relevant, i think that many of those flaws are the product of a rushed developing cycle; There's this need to push out a mainline game every single year, which is ultimately hindering this franchise's potential and growth. That's also the reason i'm writing this review, as i hope to see one day Gamefreak raising the bar instead of setting it lower and lower.… Expand
  40. lolopopo
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    From a franchise literally worth billions of dollars, this unpolished, low-budged game is nothing but an insult aimed the long-time fans.
    This is really disappointing, considering that this game is on the switch, and it is uglier and has less content than the 3ds games.
  41. UmmBelievable
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Game Freak does not deserve a fair and honest review from me. If they are going to lie about quality assurance and be dishonest, then why should [I] be honest? It's only fitting.
  42. Puddingmaster
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Disgustingly close to the older games, with higher resolution graphics and an expansive open world filled with nothing. Thanks for the garbage once again, gamefreak.
  43. cloud444
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Pretty sad this is all they can come up with for a AAA title on the switch.Bad character animations, no amazings dungeons, pretty straight forward linear path of just pressing the a button will get you through the game. With the power and money this company has this is pretty embarrassing this is all they could come up with. Im extremely disappointed with this. Terrible textures this couldPretty sad this is all they can come up with for a AAA title on the switch.Bad character animations, no amazings dungeons, pretty straight forward linear path of just pressing the a button will get you through the game. With the power and money this company has this is pretty embarrassing this is all they could come up with. Im extremely disappointed with this. Terrible textures this could have been a 3ds game. They need to rethink this whole formula, pokemon fans deserve something new and fresh like open world and 2 leagues, maybe have ALL the pokemon in the actually game. I can't believe they keep getting away with this highway robbery selling the same **** over and over. Do yourself a favour and DONT buy this TRASH game… Expand
  44. Hoenn
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Not only one of the worst games I have ever played, it is one of the worst RPGs I have played, and absolutely is the WORST Pokémon game I have played.
  45. Gamechad
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Journalists obviously paid to ignore flaws in the game, evident in the way they dance around talking about bugs instead talking about "convience" in xp share, skipping the catching tutorial ect. Massive issues with pop in, animations, textures, as well as general bugs like the ladders stopping time. Gamefreak has a massive history of using spaghetti code, but the 3d format brings theJournalists obviously paid to ignore flaws in the game, evident in the way they dance around talking about bugs instead talking about "convience" in xp share, skipping the catching tutorial ect. Massive issues with pop in, animations, textures, as well as general bugs like the ladders stopping time. Gamefreak has a massive history of using spaghetti code, but the 3d format brings the issues to a boil, resulting in massive asset bloat and glaring errors.… Expand
  46. handsomebird
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    one of the worst and boring game i play recently in 10 years, 60$ game in 2019 for less than ps2 game
  47. Chouin023
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Really bad multiplayer feature and you can’t even use Dinamax when you want .... if they are going to drop the quality that badly just to release the game earlier than It would of been A LOT better to make us wait 1more year and work on the game so it can be any good... it’s just BAD like really Bad for a Pokémon game... I actually preferred Pokémon Let’s Go to this one by a very longReally bad multiplayer feature and you can’t even use Dinamax when you want .... if they are going to drop the quality that badly just to release the game earlier than It would of been A LOT better to make us wait 1more year and work on the game so it can be any good... it’s just BAD like really Bad for a Pokémon game... I actually preferred Pokémon Let’s Go to this one by a very long shot...… Expand
  48. Houki
    Nov 17, 2019
    2
    It plays like a mobile game and you can most likely have fun with friends on it with the raids but otherwise the content seems to be lacking and definitely not worth the 60 dollars price tag, buy BoTW instead, you'll get more playtime and have more fun.
  49. GrayWynters
    Nov 19, 2019
    2
    A mild step forward in graphics and gameplay, but not enough to compensate for the sheer volume of removed content. The graphics look better than on the 3DS, but issues like close pop-in and lack of turning animations mar this somewhat - and this is most apparent in the apparently crowning jewel of the game - the wild area.

    Pokemon Sword has the makings of a good game, but they're    A mild step forward in graphics and gameplay, but not enough to compensate for the sheer volume of removed content. The graphics look better than on the 3DS, but issues like close pop-in and lack of turning animations mar this somewhat - and this is most apparent in the apparently crowning jewel of the game - the wild area.

    Pokemon Sword has the makings of a good game, but they're thoroughly underdeveloped, leaving the result as an inexplicable attempt at "less of the same".    … Expand
  50. Red-Eyes
    Mar 24, 2021
    0
    Disclaimer: I honestly don't give a rat's ass about not having a National Dex and I never played (nor intend to do in the future) Pokemon PvP.

    Just to get another elephant out of the room: graphics are terrible, mostly in the Wild Area where Onixes pop up left and right and pokemons animations are anal. Done! What I liked: the Wild Area IDEA is good but the execution is terrible    Disclaimer: I honestly don't give a rat's ass about not having a National Dex and I never played (nor intend to do in the future) Pokemon PvP.

    Just to get another elephant out of the room: graphics are terrible, mostly in the Wild Area where Onixes pop up left and right and pokemons animations are anal. Done!

    What I liked: the Wild Area IDEA is good but the execution is terrible (having multiple wild areas would have been much better but Game Freak usual lazyness kicked in). The Dynamax/Gigantomax mechanic is muuuuuuuch more balanced than the no-penalty Mega-Evolution one, however it's aesthetically awful; the ideal system would be: the looks of Mega Evolution with Dyna/Giganto mechanic. Changing your team on the fly is nice too, but, since you can, why not mantain the HM system since now you can have a HM slave with no penalty.

    Now the infinite number of cons!

    Worst thing for me is how they manage to streamline and make the game easier even further beyond! At this point, Pokemon games just test your ability to read and nothing else. They even took out the articial difficulty of knowing the type of a Pokemon and attacking its weaknesses, now the game just tells you right way which of your 4 moves is super-effective.

    It's baffliing how this franchise has a target audience that ranges from 8 to 40 year-old people but they still make the game solely for children. Just put a difficulty option! Create gym leader strategies similar to what people use in PvP (or at least a goddamn Whitney's Miltank kinda strategy)! A New Game+ option, just do something!

    To streamline the game even further the map is not in a square format with bifurcations and routes conecting everything anymore. Now is in a tree format (think as if the main route is the trunk with some branches to connect some cities) with a multitude of dead-ends. In the few ocasions where a bifurcation is presented instead of needing a HM to proceed through each path now you have two guys that pretty much say "Nah! You can't pass"; that's it man! No clever obstacles just the game literally saying 'you can't pass'.

    I don't feel like talking about this garbage anymore so I'll just throw in other problems: new Pokemon are lame as **** and if you find a cool water type design you win a ball, it has only ONE ****ING CAVE IN THE ENTIRE GAME, worst possible Rocket Team iteraiton ever (now they are just one little girls fans???), godawful story, stereotypical lame characters (your friendly rival Leon takes the cake as the most annoying one), dumb clothing system because why not, no grinding system for the stronger TMs (you randomly gain them in the Raid battles, I got f*cking Dragon Claw in my first one without any effort whatsoever), no cool minigames to take a break (like Voltorb Flip, yes, I loved it), worst Battle Tower iteration and a multitude of other things.

    The Postgame? I don't know. I just beat the champion and couldn't take it anymore I didn't even start the quest to capture the legendary doggo on the cover.

    That is it. Game Freak really outdid themselves with this masterpiece. I'm done with this franchise    … Expand
  51. Otonaburu
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    What should have been a giant leap to significantly stronger hardware feels more like a port from 3DS. New features and improvements come at way too high a price, both literally and figuratively (half of the Pokemon gone, for starters). Gamefreak continues to disappoint and Pokemon as a series stands out as a black sheep among other loved Nintendo franchises on Switch.
  52. Antares_87
    Jun 23, 2020
    5
    No National pokedex , No Party. Besides this game haven't a long story , only 15 hours of campaing, I'm sorry gamefreak but this is a Shame
  53. NationalDex
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Reused Animations, lying about new models, bad textures, cut Pokemon, Masuda should've been laid off awhile ago and there is a game breaking bug that deletes everything on your micro sd. Wasn't tested, absolutely avoid
  54. Pepsimurti
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    A Total Disappointment, bad animations , (HIGH QUALITY ANIMATIONS) and previous animations ripped from SM, same for 3d models, exactly the same from SM, the worst pokèmon crrated by Gamefreak
    #gamefreaklied
  55. DaReaIFreak
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    oof I really tried to enjoy the game but it just is not possible.
    Aside from the lie to the community why the dexit occurred I don't even feel like the game improved in other aspects in general.
    Sound control hidden behind a key item you have to find is one of the worst game designs I've seen in a while. The graphics are not up to par with other Switch titles, overworld freezing on    oof I really tried to enjoy the game but it just is not possible.
    Aside from the lie to the community why the dexit occurred I don't even feel like the game improved in other aspects in general.
    Sound control hidden behind a key item you have to find is one of the worst game designs I've seen in a while.
    The graphics are not up to par with other Switch titles, overworld freezing on climbing ladders, music completely missing in key scenes, battle backgrounds are now often just generic, complete lack of post game, wild areas (the big new feature) is mostly void of everything, npcs/interactable entities popping up randomly if you're already like 1-2 seconds away from it.
    This game feels like a completely rushed out game which was planned for the 3DS.
    At least the other feature camping is pretty neat but I wouldn't pay another 60€ just to camp with my Pokemon.    … Expand
  56. lan2007
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    El juego se siente como algo sin terminar, como algo que querían hacer de cierta forma pero no tuvieron tiempo.
    El tremendo recorte que sufrió en cuanto a contenidos(Pokémon disponibles, mecánicas, etc.) no es compensado por las nuevas mecánicas y contenidos.
    El juego aparte es tremendamente fácil, llevando al jugador de la mano casi a la fuerza y presentando un reto casi nulo. Las    El juego se siente como algo sin terminar, como algo que querían hacer de cierta forma pero no tuvieron tiempo.
    El tremendo recorte que sufrió en cuanto a contenidos(Pokémon disponibles, mecánicas, etc.) no es compensado por las nuevas mecánicas y contenidos.
    El juego aparte es tremendamente fácil, llevando al jugador de la mano casi a la fuerza y presentando un reto casi nulo.
    Las gráficas tampoco son lo mejor, aunque hay partes donde las texturas y animaciones se ven muy pulidas hay otras donde son simplemente pésimas.
    Recomendaría al que quiera jugarlo que lo haga, más no que lo compre, el juego si entretiene y puede ser un buen pasatiempo por algunas horas y tal vez un par de días, pero definitivamente no vale el precio que tiene. De ser posible pidanlo prestado o rentenlo.    … Expand
  57. Omegazx
    Apr 17, 2021
    0
    Gamefreak just released a barely finished game with lots of underwhelming features and cut content from previous installments. The removal of National Pokédex, along with more than half of all Pokemon really put a dent on the gameplay. I guess they cannot live up to their own slogan of "Gotta catch 'em all!".

    If you are a true Pokémon fan, let your voice be heard and do not buy this    Gamefreak just released a barely finished game with lots of underwhelming features and cut content from previous installments. The removal of National Pokédex, along with more than half of all Pokemon really put a dent on the gameplay. I guess they cannot live up to their own slogan of "Gotta catch 'em all!".

    If you are a true Pokémon fan, let your voice be heard and do not buy this game as an act of peaceful protest. Vote with your wallet. Let them know that we want something better from the biggest franchise on earth. Never settle for mediocrity.    … Expand
  58. Rusty93x
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Average, Uninspired half hearted imitation of a once great series. The game is about a quarter of what you would get in a normal pokemon game. Graphics are nice im comparison to older Gens, but not botw level. Draw distances are a joke, animations are reused and lacking. The dex cut wasnt even an issue for me as i dont collect em all anyway. Howveer cutting fan faves kinda sucks. I reallyAverage, Uninspired half hearted imitation of a once great series. The game is about a quarter of what you would get in a normal pokemon game. Graphics are nice im comparison to older Gens, but not botw level. Draw distances are a joke, animations are reused and lacking. The dex cut wasnt even an issue for me as i dont collect em all anyway. Howveer cutting fan faves kinda sucks. I really hope TPC sorts their issuesnout fornyhe next kne. Gamefreak did lie but its probably due to TPC unrealistic expectations of getting a botw/pokemon syyle open world game out in a year. Shouldve delayed to keep core fans happ. This is a pokemon game for new players and 5 year olds. Id suggest voicing concerns and frustrationz respectively to GF and TPC so that they inderstand we have come to expect a certain level of quality as we have been given every other year from these teams.… Expand
  59. fred9876543
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Long but honest review, listing all the good and bad points I could think of:

    Pros: - Some of the new pokemon are cool (not the starters though), most look good and there are some good animations. - The Galar region does look comfy and has some nice areas. - The graphics, although there are issues, are still better than the previous games and are quite vibrant and colorful. - Raids    Long but honest review, listing all the good and bad points I could think of:

    Pros:
    - Some of the new pokemon are cool (not the starters though), most look good and there are some good animations.
    - The Galar region does look comfy and has some nice areas.
    - The graphics, although there are issues, are still better than the previous games and are quite vibrant and colorful.
    - Raids and camping are good new additions.
    - A lot of trainer customization.

    Cons:
    - The routes outside the Wild Area are short and very linear, and there are only 11 routes.
    - Whereas the Wild Area feels empty and monotonous, although the concept itself is good.
    - The game (besides raids) is very easy except for some minor difficulty spikes, you get overleveled fast, there's almost no strategy needed.
    - It's 15-20 hours of gameplay, 10 if you go fast, which is quite short for a Pokemon game.
    - Especially the last part of the game feels rushed and empty except for the many cutscenes: e.g. the last gym has no puzzle at all, there is no Victory Road, instead of E4 you get battles against the rivals you fought many times already, and the final evil team fight is just a lot of same enemies in the same elevator.
    - Also there's almost no post-game, except for a short after story and a lame Battle Tower without bosses.
    - Even though you can skip some tutorials, there are still a lot of cutscenes and a lot of repeated annoying comments during battles with rivals. The rivals are boring, especially Hop who is annoying.
    - The story is not interesting, predictable (in many aspects the same as in the last game) and sometimes ridiculous.
    - Searching or putting mons up for trade over over the internet is gone, there is no GTS anymore. Y-Comm does not have this I think?
    - Although not a problem for me personally, the fact that they removed more than half of the mons means that players who want to use their mons from previous games often cannot. Also a lot of moves from previous games are gone.
    - Compared to other Switch games the graphics are low quality, and the pop-ins/short viewing distance is quite bad.
    - The music is forgettable at best, and some tracks are just bad (this is subjective of course).
    - Many of the features of previous games are gone again. This is not new though, happened with other Pokemon games too.
    - Finally, there is little innovation except raids. Dynamax is just another gimmick much like Mega Evolution and Z-Moves which we probably won't see again in the next games.

    So even though it has some good points, the game just feels short, easy, rushed, uninspired and boring. Not nearly as immersive as previous games. Which is okay if you don't care for that and just want to catch and battle some cool/cute Pokemon. But I think it will be disappointing for many long time players.    … Expand
  60. MattheXavier
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It breaks my heart to see my favorite childhood franchise take such a fall, I was really hyped for this game when it was first revealed then during E3 when they announced that they would be not adding some Pokemon to the game that deeply worried me, but I thought to myself that if it wasn't a lot removed I'd be fine. But then about a week ago me was leaked out and datamined and it was revealed over half of the Pokemon in the franchise was removed and and that made me lose even more hope. Of course the cut dex isn't thr only bad thing, a lot of the routes might as well be straight lines, there's no victory road for some reason, the Wild Area is a vast empty boring location, the game is super easy maybe the easiest in the franchise it's almost impossible to avoid being about seven levels higher than the enemy trainers it gets very boring rather quickly. The music is another low point, I loved the Sun and Moon soundtrack so much it had such diversity in the music and every song fit the scenario it played in perfectly, the music for Sword and Shield is a massive step back, for one all of the battle themes sound similar, no diverseness in the instruments or tone, and with some songs like the gym battle theme it can sound like just a mess of instruments with no cohesion. Story doesn't really matter in Pokemon so I'll be brief the main conflict how Dynamax is a thing everyone loves but the thing making it happen will run out in 1000 years so instead of making a solution overtime with planning the antagonist decides to just immediately solve the problem by using Eternatus and it backfires, now this section is good to mention because it shows how little the developers cared when making dungeons, infiltrating the enemy's base has always been a big thing in Pokemon ever since Red and Blue, this game however when you enter the enemy base you get on an elevator and fight a gauntlet of trainers and that's it, there's no dungeon (not dungeon in the literal sense) to explore, nothing. Another example of there being no care for dungeons is how I mentioned there being no victory road, there is one area that leads to the Pokemon league that you could call the equivalent of victory road, however it's just a straight line, essentially a hallway leading to the league. A lot of the areas in this game could just be called a hallway and it wouldn't be too far from the truth, to close off. I know I can't force anyone to not buy the game and if you are buying I hope you have fun with it but if you don't wish for the games to keep this level of quality I suggest you do not buy these games and over time hopefully the issues will be fixed in later games… Expand
  61. 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.
  62. venusa82
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Not worth $60 and $40/50 seem questionable, if you enjoy Pokemon you will like it (unless you wanna catch 'em all) but the game is lacking, the areas look big but feel empty, the cut scenes look cool but improved gameplay matters more and it's not there (only the Pokemon that can now be seen walking around the grass but that can be annoying sometimes as well). Less Pokemon for "betterNot worth $60 and $40/50 seem questionable, if you enjoy Pokemon you will like it (unless you wanna catch 'em all) but the game is lacking, the areas look big but feel empty, the cut scenes look cool but improved gameplay matters more and it's not there (only the Pokemon that can now be seen walking around the grass but that can be annoying sometimes as well). Less Pokemon for "better graphics" while my character glasses float, the battles look the same and humans look stupid (movement wise)… Expand
  63. falloutcoyote
    Nov 16, 2019
    3
    Overall feels like a rush job by a half-rate studio, not one of Nintendo's flagship titles. The game is weirdly buggy, looks bland and recycled and just...overall lacks content. For the little bit of content that is there, since I can't import a lot of my favorite Pokemon from previous titles I can't even get the usual replayability I would out of the game.

    I have tried to keep positive    Overall feels like a rush job by a half-rate studio, not one of Nintendo's flagship titles. The game is weirdly buggy, looks bland and recycled and just...overall lacks content. For the little bit of content that is there, since I can't import a lot of my favorite Pokemon from previous titles I can't even get the usual replayability I would out of the game.

    I have tried to keep positive during all the online hate and had high hopes all the way up to launch since Gamefreak said they would use that extra time from the cut content to add new animations and polish the game, but this is basically a rehashed 3DS game (and a bad one at that) with a higher price tag, half the content and the worst gimmicks yet (looking at you Gigantamax/Dynamax/Raids). For how well Nintendo's been doing with the Switch and its flagship titles so far, this is a confusing inexplicable mess and the first game in awhile that just doesn't feel like its worth the money.    … Expand
  64. Tumba
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    1. Cut the National Dex you should cut the price. It’s gotta catch’em all not gotta catch some. 2. This game doesn’t achieve its platform potential from a graphics standpoint, rather it’s “trade off” of less dex for better visuals translates to PR bs and a cash grab. 3. Uninspired post game that doesn’t even count as post game. $59.00 for 20 hrs of uninspired under achieving gameplay? Miss1. Cut the National Dex you should cut the price. It’s gotta catch’em all not gotta catch some. 2. This game doesn’t achieve its platform potential from a graphics standpoint, rather it’s “trade off” of less dex for better visuals translates to PR bs and a cash grab. 3. Uninspired post game that doesn’t even count as post game. $59.00 for 20 hrs of uninspired under achieving gameplay? Miss me on that next time. 4. Critics must not be fans of the series. They played a surface review code version and didn’t import their hard earned legacy work b/c they aren’t Pokémon community. They should have taken into account the people that play the game. Really disappointing.… Expand
  65. Revoltado
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    - ~400 pokemon
    - movimentos apagados
    - Pokemon com tamanhos desproporcionais - Modelos antigos, por preguiça não mudam nem a posição dos pokemon desde a gen 6 - Soundtrack ruim no geral, com algumas exceções - 99% dos pokemon tem o grunhido do game boy - Endgame curto sem muito o que fazer - Gráfico bom, animações ruins e muitas vezes reaproveitadas - Pior liga de todas as    - ~400 pokemon
    - movimentos apagados
    - Pokemon com tamanhos desproporcionais
    - Modelos antigos, por preguiça não mudam nem a posição dos pokemon desde a gen 6
    - Soundtrack ruim no geral, com algumas exceções
    - 99% dos pokemon tem o grunhido do game boy
    - Endgame curto sem muito o que fazer
    - Gráfico bom, animações ruins e muitas vezes reaproveitadas
    - Pior liga de todas as gerações, e como resto do jogo também utiliza reaproveitação
    - Cooking system (gosto pessoal, odeio essa mecânica em todos os jogos)
    - Sem legenda pt-br
    - Preço alto pelo baixo conteúdo
    Estranho as revisões de sites "especializados", pois o jogo parece ser produzido para jogadores novos, minimizando os custos e priorizando os ganhos reaproveitando e cortando conteúdos    … Expand
  66. Dazar
    Dec 12, 2019
    0
    A lot of reviewers are saying this is the best Pokemon game ever. How? Look, it has the fundamental bare bones stuff, but it also has a lot of crap and cut out good parts. Lets start with the ones I have the greatest issue with. So, this game was touted as being for the long-time and competitive fans. I disagree with this statement. Game Freak even advertised features to support theA lot of reviewers are saying this is the best Pokemon game ever. How? Look, it has the fundamental bare bones stuff, but it also has a lot of crap and cut out good parts. Lets start with the ones I have the greatest issue with. So, this game was touted as being for the long-time and competitive fans. I disagree with this statement. Game Freak even advertised features to support the competitive scene (which counters the argument that the game is primarily targeted towards children in my opinion).

    First lets look at the EV system. You can no longer see what your exact EV values are. Which sucks. You can not instantly reset all EVs, you need to use berries specific to each stat. Where do you get these berries? The boring Max Raid battles. You have to farm them. They don't always drop by the way. Good luck if you get stuck on the 4 and 5 star and have no internet and/or can't find people online. There is no berry garden to cultivate them in this game either. Have fun with that and try not to miscalculate.

    The GTS is gone as many are aware, but now you need to use both Nintendo Online service as well as communicate with the person you want to trade with before you start. Have fun using Discord or this game's Wonder Trade (I know it is called something else) to get version exclusives that you may want (HA Darmanitan is going to be fun to try and get for shield). Speaking of, wonder trade is currently abysmal. You are likely to get the same Pokemon over and over.

    Lets talk about Max Raid and dynamaxing in more detail. They are boring. Now I never liked Z-moves all that much but they were more interesting than dynamaxing. The fact that the Megas were also cut for this crap sucks. The number of moves you have when dynamaxed is so limited and brainless. I believe all status moves become a glorified 'protect' as well. Even Z-moves had more varied effects. The raids themselves are only "use attack that deals most damage". Any other move used will hold your team back. The worst part is you are pretty much forced to use it in the story unless you want to get a lot of your guys killed in gyms.
    The gigantamax moves also seem less useful for the most part than dynamax ones. That makes me question if these were play tested in any way.

    We already know about the dex cut so there is no reason to talk about it in too much detail. That said the animations outside of battle are nice, but very pointless and should not have had resources put into them. It seems to have been for those that enjoy the games more casually (and yet still no following Pokemon).

    My last problem has to do with the story. Hop. Not as bad as people say. He is better than other rivals in a few ways. But please, leave me alone for two minutes and let me play the game without interruption (grant it. If not him, others are willing to do that job for him).

    It has fun moments, but whereas there was stuff I used to enjoy (like the gym and the battles to become champ) this game has made me dread it. You need to use dynamaxing to win unless you over-level yourself (which is very easy to do due to the EXP share, of course many already complained about that).

    A majority of the new Pokemon I like, but for the first time they actually created Pokemon I dislike. Five of them. Keep in mind I actually like Garbodor. This game gets a 3 out of 10 for going backwards in too many ways and adding forced unpleasant mechanics. Hopefully, gen 9 comes out better, but I am concerned. Due to gen 8 being the basis of the possible gen 4 remakes, I have no hope for those games. I do hope they patch some problems out, but can in no way patch everything out. Also, turn autosave off for this game. Actually, that glitch may warrant a zero.

    Note: Max Raids are currently exploitable through a glitch, with no patch in site. That may be for the best, though

    Edit I changed the score to a 0 due to a smart phones seemingly being needed to use Pokemon Home. Not everybody has one. Grant it, I may just have issues due to Diablo Immortal. Also, too many people are spamming 10's (and arguably 0)    … Expand
  67. GIN11341
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    DON'T BUY IT !
    #Gamefreaklied
    There is too much Pokemon to catch them all.
    Please cut more dex and Pokemon.
    And the quality of this game is too high to run on my Nintendo Switch, so it keeps crashing again and again.
  68. TomeDesolus
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    I believe they are going to release ultra sword and shield like past games with more pokemon however this feels rushed compared to other turn based entries on the switch, Fire emblem has more content, animations, cutscenes with higher polish and this game is not a pokemon entry that should be praised until it is complete. It plays as a 3ds game still rather than feeling like a switch game.I believe they are going to release ultra sword and shield like past games with more pokemon however this feels rushed compared to other turn based entries on the switch, Fire emblem has more content, animations, cutscenes with higher polish and this game is not a pokemon entry that should be praised until it is complete. It plays as a 3ds game still rather than feeling like a switch game. coliseum made by not game freak felt more like a console game than this… Expand
  69. Sikke
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Despite all the fuzz about cut features, I decided to give this game a go. After finishing the game in about 15 hours, I regret not buying another game. I've been a pokémon fan for many years, but the sheer lack of quality means this was my last game in the series. A list of problems I have with the game: - lack of content: with a storyline this short and nonexistent aftergame, as well asDespite all the fuzz about cut features, I decided to give this game a go. After finishing the game in about 15 hours, I regret not buying another game. I've been a pokémon fan for many years, but the sheer lack of quality means this was my last game in the series. A list of problems I have with the game: - lack of content: with a storyline this short and nonexistent aftergame, as well as the removal of half of all pokémon, this game offers less for more money. - Subpar graphics: models haven't improved since the last iteration of the game. Open world fiels empty. Some attacks have laughable animations.

    - Interesting mechanics from previous gens have been cut and replaced with a gimmicky Dynamaxing. - Lots of handhelding througout the game. Overall, I was hoping the move to switch hardware would lift the series to a new level, but instead the game fiels like it has a lot of cut corners compared to last gen. Would recommend to buy a used 3ds and a previous gen pokémon game instead. More content and overall better experience for a lower price.    … Expand
  70. PhantomMimikyu
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Not worth any cents, needs a lot of fixing, its destroying people's sd cards now, seriously who would want a game with horrible graphics, a company that lied to their fans about why they did stuff and that has taken away features and player choices?
  71. Riksey
    Nov 16, 2019
    0
    bad graphics, half pokedex cutted, no promised cool animations etc etc. Low effort game
  72. Beelzul
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Bought, played and immediately returned. That is how bad this Pokemon experience was this time around. Not only is the Gigantimax feature completely uninspired it is also a less valuable addition than the Mega-Evolution/Z-Move, in my opinion. That of course pales in comparison to the generally bad PR. The culling of the "playable" character rooster which Gamefreak decided to do this timeBought, played and immediately returned. That is how bad this Pokemon experience was this time around. Not only is the Gigantimax feature completely uninspired it is also a less valuable addition than the Mega-Evolution/Z-Move, in my opinion. That of course pales in comparison to the generally bad PR. The culling of the "playable" character rooster which Gamefreak decided to do this time around has been a hated thing in any other game with multiple playable characters, for example Super Smash Bros. so it is only a matter of course, that it will be equally, if not more, hated in a franchise which predicates itself on a slogan like "gotta catch em' ALL". As a massive detriment comes additionally, that the graphic and loading distance themselves are sub par compared to other switch games which makes them inexcusable.

    TL;DR: Lackluster PR. Lackluster execution. A clear don't buy    … Expand
  73. PokeMaster22222
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. There's so many problems with it:

    1) Pokemon models reused from XY; only change is lack of compression (which was previously needed for 3DS), and shading. 2) Pokemon animations are incredibly static, lifeless and basic - Tomb Raider on the original PlayStation had better animations. 3) Move animations are still incredibly basic and lifeless too; Tail Whip, for    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. There's so many problems with it:

    1) Pokemon models reused from XY; only change is lack of compression (which was previously needed for 3DS), and shading.
    2) Pokemon animations are incredibly static, lifeless and basic - Tomb Raider on the original PlayStation had better animations.
    3) Move animations are still incredibly basic and lifeless too; Tail Whip, for example, just flips the user around and shakes them about - no actual tail movements. Double Kick is still just basic hops instead of actual kicks, a la Battle Revolution.
    4) NPC movement is incredibly stiff, static, and robotic.
    5) Insane amounts of pop-in.
    6) Overworld uses very low-quality assets for trees and the like.
    7) Pokemon in the Wild Area aren't tied to any thematic area, just wander about, and generally look very artificial and lifeless.
    8) Over 470 (~60%) of 809 older Pokemon completely removed.
    9) A slew of moves removed.
    10) Mega Evolution removed.
    11) Dynamax isn't exciting or a worthwhile innovation, since it's a temporary scaling-up of regular models only able to be used to specific areas.
    12) Pokemon model size scaling is way off; Pokemon are way too tiny compared to what they should be. For example, Tyranitar and Wailord should be huge; instead, they appear smaller than the Trainers.
    13) Box Legendary battle has no music.
    14) Game is incredibly linear, I've heard.
    15) There's an insane amount of free heals and auto-heals present, EVEN DURING THE ELITE FOUR CHALLENGE. You know, the challenge where you traditionally had to go through five battles in a row, relying on whatever healing items and general strategies you had?
    16) Permanent Exp. All effect ruins any kind of challenge, and there's no way to turn it off, unlike the 3DS games.

    Game Freak LIED when they said they made brand-new models; they never officially told us how many Pokémon were missing, or how many moves were missing. This game feels incredibly rushed and incomplete, yet Game Freak has no plans on patching the missing content in.

    If you're looking for a good RPG on the Switch, try Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Fire Emblem: Three Houses or Octopath Traveller. If you're looking for a good Pokémon game, get a New 3DS XL and buy Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire and Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon - hell, buy Platinum, HeartGold or SoulSilver, Black or White, and Black 2 or White 2, since these DS games are still by far the best Pokémon games I've played.

    DO NOT SUPPORT SUCH LACK OF EFFORT. DO NOY BUY POKÉMON SWORD OR POKÉMON SHIELD.    … Expand
  74. Sigils
    Nov 17, 2019
    1
    EDIT: Having to downgrade this for the time being to a 1/10 which is my classification for a heavily flawed and broken game due to players finding mass bugs that are variously bricking their system, boot looping certain TV brands, and deleting mSD card data.

    And yes, this is Game Freak's fault even if the Switch has issues with it that are the ultimate reason for the issues in a couple    EDIT: Having to downgrade this for the time being to a 1/10 which is my classification for a heavily flawed and broken game due to players finding mass bugs that are variously bricking their system, boot looping certain TV brands, and deleting mSD card data.

    And yes, this is Game Freak's fault even if the Switch has issues with it that are the ultimate reason for the issues in a couple cases.

    Other game devs knew to avoid it and you don't attack the platform creator for the mistakes of software devs.

    Appropriately in this case, was Microsoft to blame for Toby Fox's Deltarune uninstaller deleting the entire folder that contained it? No, they weren't it was the dev's fault for not taking his time and testing everything correctly just as this is Game Freak's fault for not taking their time even if the platform allowed for it.

    If you must buy this game then you should wait for a patch so as to not lose your system or have your child lose theirs. Especially in this case since system failures take the save files with it because one of many asinine decisions on the part of Game Freak is to not utilize cloud saves.

    Original: For the first time since 1998 I will not be purchasing my usual 4 copies of a new Gen and if you love Pokémon I would advise you follow suit. Looks like hurting their bank account is the only way to get through to the devs if you want to better the series. Complaints won't cut it.

    A comprehensive list of issues with this game would be far more than 5,000 characters but suffice it to say that for the start of the 4th Generation in a row they have removed and dumbed down even more of the hundreds of hours of content AND removed over half of the only characters who matter on top of it.

    Characters that actually have an effect on the rest of content despite what others would like you to believe. Less Pokémon to use means less Pokémon to fight meaning the games would still be worse even if all of that other content were back. Even if you don't personally transfer Pokémon you were still able to face them down in postgame via in-game facilities or online. Now you can't meaning your experience is lesser whether one wants to accept that fact or not.

    The are quality of life boosts so it's not a completely utterly worse experience in every regard but the QoL boosts this time can't come close to negating the negatives.

    We do not need yearly rushed games despite what the producer demands. We've been telling them this for a decade and he still used "us" as an excuse for making the games worse. No.

    And just to be clear, I don't care about graphics or animations. This is not a movie, it's a game. Animations waste time and nothing more. What can be turned off gets turned off because I want to just play the game. So even if they were good (which would be entirely subjective) they would not negate the utter lack of content (which is objective) compared to the DS games 10 years ago.

    You shouldn't want a new game after even 40 hours in a series that has 300+ hours of content at their disposal without even considering adding anything new.

    Also, no, it being for kids isn't an excuse. Part of your job as a parent or someone who generally cares about them is to teach them how to not be abused by others. Like by companies who don't care about them and just want their money. Most of us were children when we started playing. Would you like your parents if they got you attached to it knowing the company didn't care about producing something worth the money despite constantly marketing to you in a way that would see you become attached to them emotionally? I have a feeling not.    … Expand
  75. ErronBlack
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    66% of Pokémon gone and for what? A rushed completely unfinished casualified Pokémon game. You’re literally the best selling franchise of all time, a multi billion dollar franchise. Everyone should expect much higher quality than this and all the backlash was to expected. At least the guys behind the Sonic movie had the decency to fix their product. And worst of all yall cut Bidoof...
  76. KamiyaIan
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    A lazy game with half of Pokémon. I can't understand why they removed sooooooomany Pokémon.
  77. victorlgarcia
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Such a terrible excuse for a game. Feels like a giant cash grab. The first couple of hours I tried to be positive but I can't pretend I don't see terrible grafics, animations and lack of innovation
  78. Batty99
    Nov 16, 2019
    7
    Yeah, the game is very flawed and I criticised the hell outta game before playing it but once I gave it to a chance... It was actually pretty enjoyable. People who criticise the game are right but my advice is... Just give it a chance, you'd might end enjoy it just like I did. So in the end I think the game deserves just a solid 7
  79. Pcero321
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Es el peor juego de todo el año, lamentable que uno de las franquicias mas importantes del mundo, se haya envuelto en una conformidad que da pena ajena, animaciones muy torpes , malas , musica muy simple que en combates no me da emoción , si no ganas de apagar la portatil e irme, y lo vende a precio completo, parece un juego indie.
  80. Matsumi
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    i love pokemon and i have loved it since i started playing it with silver but this this is such a giant step back from what we had sloppy animations etc there are SOME animation which are mostly just signature moves of pokemon that are well animated but that doesnt help the rest of the game. gamefreak outright lied to us saying that the sacrifice of pokemon is for better animations well ifi love pokemon and i have loved it since i started playing it with silver but this this is such a giant step back from what we had sloppy animations etc there are SOME animation which are mostly just signature moves of pokemon that are well animated but that doesnt help the rest of the game. gamefreak outright lied to us saying that the sacrifice of pokemon is for better animations well if it were than we wouldnt have a legendary that spins on the spot while its legs are moving… Expand
  81. Magnetictooth
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Total failure of a console pokemon game, gf cut way too many features. Dont be a consoomer, skip this game and wait for the 3rd version.
  82. Andi16ID
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    After avoiding leaks and spoiler I finally got to played the game for 10 hours and then decided to sell it on eBay because I never thought franchise that I used to love has become a quick money grab. There's absolutely nothing ground breaking in the game. After releasing great games like Breath of The Wild and Odyssee I never thought Nintendo would allow Pokémon to release this excuse of aAfter avoiding leaks and spoiler I finally got to played the game for 10 hours and then decided to sell it on eBay because I never thought franchise that I used to love has become a quick money grab. There's absolutely nothing ground breaking in the game. After releasing great games like Breath of The Wild and Odyssee I never thought Nintendo would allow Pokémon to release this excuse of a game.

    I hope they start from the scratch and pretends this game never existed.    … Expand
  83. ellub
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Straight and clear, they cut dex, promised amazing animations, said the models were all redone and what did we get? a wild game with textures from Nintendo 64, the Wild Area is horrible, animations and models completely recycled from 3DS, junk post game, Pokémon designs seem to have come out of Cartoon Network, cut over 100 moves being some key to the competitive, tehy cut megaStraight and clear, they cut dex, promised amazing animations, said the models were all redone and what did we get? a wild game with textures from Nintendo 64, the Wild Area is horrible, animations and models completely recycled from 3DS, junk post game, Pokémon designs seem to have come out of Cartoon Network, cut over 100 moves being some key to the competitive, tehy cut mega evolution, they cut z-moves, junk movements, looks like characters are inside a microwave in cutscenes, junk story, and worse, the game costs $ 60, the same price as Zelda Breath of te Wild :)… Expand
  84. GaryOakPR
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    The games have cut so many well established features in comparison to previous games in the franchise. This includes not only the infamous Dexcut, but also the GTS and moves such as Hidden Power. As for the Dexcut, 490 species of Pokemon were cut, and only 81 new species were introduced.
    There are a couple of welcomed quality of life updates, but they still don't make up for the vast    The games have cut so many well established features in comparison to previous games in the franchise. This includes not only the infamous Dexcut, but also the GTS and moves such as Hidden Power. As for the Dexcut, 490 species of Pokemon were cut, and only 81 new species were introduced.
    There are a couple of welcomed quality of life updates, but they still don't make up for the vast amount of content cut.
    In conclusion, 60% off the score for cutting 60% of the Pokemon :^)    … Expand
  85. EikoBiko
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Before the announcement of this game I was incredibly excited to finally see what The Pokemon Company could pull off with Switch-level hardware, especially having played the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Super Mario: Odyssey. I was preparing myself to see Game Freak pull out all stops to really show us how much they've been wanting to do, but couldn't because ofBefore the announcement of this game I was incredibly excited to finally see what The Pokemon Company could pull off with Switch-level hardware, especially having played the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Super Mario: Odyssey. I was preparing myself to see Game Freak pull out all stops to really show us how much they've been wanting to do, but couldn't because of handheld console limitations.

    After the announcement, I was already disappointed, but I figured "this is still salvageable, I could still enjoy a classic pokemon experience." What I got was... well, even more disappointing.

    First of all, the elephant in the room is, as you probably already know, Game Freak has decided to cut 50% of all the pokemon from this game for dubious and unexplained reasons. Not only are they reusing assets from 3DS titles, they couldn't even fit all the assets from the 3DS titles into these games. Ordinarily I would find this to be no problem, however the amount of content that exists to replace this is: zero. The only relatively exciting thing to come of this is the wild area, which is a single zone that can be explored in less than 15 minutes. This area (and the majority of the game) is not only visually unimpressive, but suffers majorly from pop-ins when characters move anywhere closer than 15 feet from the subject. If you are traveling at a high speed, you are likely to run into something you didn't know was there because the game refused to render it in time. Not only do these pop-in issues happen in the wild area, but all over the game, making the areas seem completely devoid of life until SURPRISE! Someone is standing there. But the problems don't end there.

    One of the things Game Freak said was being done to make up for the lack of pokemon was improvement of animation (let alone the remaking of models, which was an utter fabrication). The improvement in animation quality, like 50% of the pokemon, is non-existent. There are several instances, including the climax of the story, where pokemon rotate in place when making a turn, animation oversights that totally took me out of the experience. And in regards to the story itself, it is unrelenting, seemingly bent on not allowing you to play the game for yourself, and railroading you to no end with pages upon pages of unvoiced dialog. The few routes in the game between towns are very small, and amount of actual gameplay seems even smaller with the constant interruptions. Overall the game took me about 15 hours to beat, but thinking about it realistically, I was only really PLAYING for a fraction of that time. The difficulty of this game has also somehow diminished since previous entries, as your team is constantly being healed for plot reasons, and you have no choice but to use Exp. Share throughout the game -- legitimately you can't turn it off.

    Additionally, the game's key feature, "dynamaxing" tends to cause slowdowns, and has since replaced previous battle features such as mega evolutions and z-moves. As a long-term player, I cannot commit myself to growing accustomed to dynamaxing since it's really only usable in story-relevant battles, and I know that it is likely that this is just a gimmick that will be thrown away in the next generation games.

    As for post-game, there is even LESS to do than previous titles, as there are no extra legendary pokemon to hunt down, and the one post-game feature, the battle tower, has removed super singles, doubles, and completely lacks triple battles. Unlike Sun and Moon, there are also no tower bosses, and all there is to see in the battle tower is an endless number of random NPC's.

    Online capabilities have also suffered in this release, as the GTS trading system that as been present since Generation 4 on the original DS, is absent. This is likely because these features are being moved to Pokemon Home, which at this time is unreleased, but will likely be locked behind a subscription-based paywall if Pokemon Bank is a good point of reference.

    All this said, we are looking at a vastly inferior release than the 3DS games as the series continues on its steady decline. I would not recommend this purchase to anybody, as it appears Game Freak is banking on using sheer brand recognition to justify raising the games price by 50% while doing nothing but cutting features and failing to innovate. Not only does it fail to exceed expectations set by the switch to next generation, console-level hardware, it fails to meet expectations set by previous entries in the series.    … Expand
  86. Kelvingame
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Basura total los movimientos muy robóticos una Pena, faltan Pokémon me imagino que lo meterán en dlc ambicioso rastrero y la prensa asquerosa engañando, este juego es basura
  87. NINTEDEROPORSIE
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    La banda sonora es tan aburrida , tan mala , no te inspira a seguir más, hasta incluso te da sueño, sus animaciones para este año 2019, da verguenza ajena, tanto dinero que gana pokemon y no le pueden poner voces por lo menos , que las texturas sean respetables. Nos estan tomando el pelo
  88. Kureiton
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    The number of things Sword and Shield do wrong would be inexcusable for any other major release, much less one from a series that makes as much money as Pokémon. This game looks like a 3DS game, has a by the numbers story, has some of the most mediocre music in any Pokémon game, and just looks plain unfinished in most areas. Sword and Shield has far less content than older Pokémon games;The number of things Sword and Shield do wrong would be inexcusable for any other major release, much less one from a series that makes as much money as Pokémon. This game looks like a 3DS game, has a by the numbers story, has some of the most mediocre music in any Pokémon game, and just looks plain unfinished in most areas. Sword and Shield has far less content than older Pokémon games; the story is around 15 hours long, and its post-game is quite frankly pathetic. The Wild Area, toted as the next evolution of the franchise, is completely bare bones and forgettable with the only real highlight being the raid battles. Dynamaxing is also quite a disappointment; they are extremely infrequent and hardly change a thing about battles. They are a sorry replacement for Mega Evolutions, and I even think Z-moves are superior as a mechanic.
    The fact that the game only allows the use of 40% of the Pokémon compared to every other title in the franchise that allowed the use of every Pokémon that had been created up to that point is far from the worst part of the experience. I could easily forgive this change if I felt the exclusion of Pokemon allowed for a better overall experience in terms of content, graphics, and animations. However, all three of these areas pale in comparison to the 3DS games, which is saying something as I feel the 3DS games were already lacking many of the things that made the DS special. The fact that these games are significantly worse than the games that came out earlier on inferior hardware while also being $20 more is completely inexcusable.
    That is not to say there are no positives to this game; the gym leader battles are quite engaging, and I love the sports aesthetic these games are going for. Additionally, I quite like the designs for most of the new Pokémon as well as the human characters even if there are some notable failures in both departments. However, they still do little to change my overall perception of the game. I don't just think Sword and Shield are bad games; I think they represent how poorly Game Freak has handled this franchise ever since they made the jump to 3D. Game Freak needs some serious restructuring as well as a change in design philosophy if they ever want to make excellent Pokémon games again. I love this franchise to death, but I cannot ignore all of the failings of these games in order to call it a good or even average game.    … Expand
  89. NegativeRamos
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    This Pokémon nowadays does not deserve a score higher than 5/10, since not only its technology but its mechanics are outdated and backward. I know this series suited for kids, but kids had grown while Pokémon didn’t. Children in new generation need more than a HD NDS-like Pokémon, which Gamefreak made for so many years robbing our money.
  90. ssxcool
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    honest review

    positive 1. catching pokemon is still fun 2. no more random encounter 3. new wild area 4. QOL improvements Neutral 1. Dynamax is ok i guess, but mega evolution is much better negative 1. reuse of model (according to leaks), not honest with the reason of cutting dex 2. no camera controls in towns 3. Unjustified +$20 price increase (Less content, less    honest review

    positive
    1. catching pokemon is still fun
    2. no more random encounter
    3. new wild area
    4. QOL improvements

    Neutral
    1. Dynamax is ok i guess, but mega evolution is much better

    negative
    1. reuse of model (according to leaks), not honest with the reason of cutting dex
    2. no camera controls in towns
    3. Unjustified +$20 price increase (Less content, less legendaries, pokemons, no improvements in the story, and less post game content than last gen pokemont)
    4. Not fun having to be a 10 year old in the game
    5. Bare bone experience
    6. exp share should have an option to turn it off
    7. Bugs in the game, bad tree texture, short view distance (pokemon popups)

    Conclusion
    Not good not bad, but because of GF dishonesty regarding the pokedex issue, i had the -1 the score (5 to 4).
    I just wish GF would take a note on games such as zelda botw, mario odyssey, ssbu, luigi mansion 3 and dragon quest xi s and learn on how to improve their next pokemon game.    … Expand
  91. Totto692
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    More of the same.... but less. The story is soo lame, the graphics underwhelming, the routes are boring, not challenging trainers. The wild area is probably the most exciting feature, but the execution both visually and functionally feels unpolished, The pop in, ugly trees, broken water reflections, not as big as zelda botw like they promised.
    I wont give it a pass just because it is    More of the same.... but less. The story is soo lame, the graphics underwhelming, the routes are boring, not challenging trainers. The wild area is probably the most exciting feature, but the execution both visually and functionally feels unpolished, The pop in, ugly trees, broken water reflections, not as big as zelda botw like they promised.
    I wont give it a pass just because it is Pokemon, It is a lazy cash grab game. Not what Gamefreak promised.    … Expand
  92. rbesaaco
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    The main problem with this games isn't even their varied tiny flaws (absent animations, graphical issues, same models as 3DS games etc.). Those could be overlooked if not for certain decisions such as Dexit, which means a lot more than just erasing fan-favorite creatures:

    -Dexit means you won't be able to battle against future games that have a different creature selection, reducing    The main problem with this games isn't even their varied tiny flaws (absent animations, graphical issues, same models as 3DS games etc.). Those could be overlooked if not for certain decisions such as Dexit, which means a lot more than just erasing fan-favorite creatures:

    -Dexit means you won't be able to battle against future games that have a different creature selection, reducing the playerbase and shortening it's lifespan.

    -Dexit means unified metagame will dissapear and will be limited to each specific game, making impossible to have a general balance.

    Mix that with intermitent moves and Mega Evolutions (absent from this game, but not discarded from future ones) and you have a fragmented, unsolid competitive game. That's the "balance" GameFreak is making, without actually balancing. They have reduced all complexity to a 30%.

    In my opinion, this games are only valuable for little children with no knowledge of previous Pokémon games, or casual players who doesn't care about learning, breeding or anything battle-related. And even then, we are talking about the worse Pokémon games quality-wise.

    Any other player that knows and cares about fighting with their Pokémon, learning the complex mechanics and breeding their creatures with effort, hardcore or not, should stay away from a game that offers less for more money and builds the basis for an extremely casualized, low quality saga in the future.    … Expand
  93. Jbo
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    A very disappointing new entry for the highest grossing franchise ever.
    The total number of pokemon available has been reduced by approximately 60% and while this could be good to experience new pokemon, the choice to make non-galar mon not even importable is a big **** you to long term fans (with the promise that we MIGHT be able to use the excluded in the next game). Also the choice of    A very disappointing new entry for the highest grossing franchise ever.
    The total number of pokemon available has been reduced by approximately 60% and while this could be good to experience new pokemon, the choice to make non-galar mon not even importable is a big **** you to long term fans (with the promise that we MIGHT be able to use the excluded in the next game). Also the choice of which pokemon to include/excude was rather stupid (e.g. why exclude the lillipup line from a UK-inspired region?).
    The reduced number of pokemon was explained by gamefreak as necessary because all models had to be redone (proven false time and time again) and to include high quality animations (most animations are recicled, many are outright terrible and out of combat animations belong to tge early 2000s, with characters walking on the spot and spinning to turn around).
    Graphical quality is also pretty poor, with wild areas textures and effects being especially bad (e.g. no water ripple effects), yet there are still poor pop-up effects and fps drops.
    The removal of features is a really sad point, with the amazing concept of mega-evolution thrown out of the window to introduce the much more gimmicky and limited dynamax forms.
    The level design is extremely linear and the game is simply too easy, especially due to not being able to turn off the exp. Share. Even childs experience a cake-walk.
    The story is pretty bland, but not outright bad.    … Expand
  94. KingBradley3004
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. -Recorte de más de 500 Pokémon -Quitaron más de 100 movimientos
    -Postgame casi inexistente -Popping salvaje en el área salvaje, parece que los pokemon te aparecieran en la cara o salieran de la tierra
    -Graficosy animaciones mediocres    … Expand
  95. Shinku002
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    La peor basura de titulo de pokemon en la historia!,sin megaevoluciones!(lets go pilachu y eevee si tenían), sin movimientos z,reciclado de manera vaga,recortadisimo en pokemones ejem no esta squirtle,bulbasor solo chardmander por charizard :v,recortado en movimientos,los pokemons mas feos que eh visto nuevos!,la hitoria mas corta de todos los juegos de pokemon,el lets go de switch duraLa peor basura de titulo de pokemon en la historia!,sin megaevoluciones!(lets go pilachu y eevee si tenían), sin movimientos z,reciclado de manera vaga,recortadisimo en pokemones ejem no esta squirtle,bulbasor solo chardmander por charizard :v,recortado en movimientos,los pokemons mas feos que eh visto nuevos!,la hitoria mas corta de todos los juegos de pokemon,el lets go de switch dura 25h, este 15 :v,el diamante y perla 41, esta lleno de bugs,los graficos son de lo peor para una switch!,un arbol y las montañas que ellos enseñaron presumiendo parecian de n64 por dios!, etc,ademas los de nintendo(si los de nintendo quien es el que manda en su querida consola?) presumian de la obra y oda de este pokemon!,en fin, por algo la nota… Expand
  96. RaptoRhino
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gameplay feels stale and slow. Although Raid Battles were advertised as a new and exciting feature in the trailers, the hype hasn’t caught up. You’ll spend more time waiting in Max Raid lobbies than you will actually fighting the Dynamaxed boss. Even Wondertrade feels notably slower, instead of working passively in the background, you constantly have to stop what you’re doing to access it over and over. It feels much more cumbersome than it should.

    Gameplay is consistent with the series’ quality. Nothing has fundamentally changed. I just wish Game Freak took the opportunity to make an extremely ambitious game for their first console experience ever, but maybe I just had my expectations too high. Game Freak has never been capable of making fun, thrilling environments. Everything just feels like you’re on a path in a theme park.    … Expand
  97. YueOrigin
    Nov 16, 2019
    4
    First of all, I would like to say that this review of mine is from the point of view of a fan who played for decades and also mainly play for the competitive aspect.

    If you're thinking about competitive... This might not be the best game for you, obviously, the fact that they removed a lot of pokemon do affect it but the scene will somewhat adapt, it's more of a personal feeling and the    First of all, I would like to say that this review of mine is from the point of view of a fan who played for decades and also mainly play for the competitive aspect.

    If you're thinking about competitive... This might not be the best game for you, obviously, the fact that they removed a lot of pokemon do affect it but the scene will somewhat adapt, it's more of a personal feeling and the fact that you'll be forced to make new teams to fill up your empty spots...

    But how is it now ?
    If you are like me and you like the farming and breeding aspect of the game.
    Welp, it's gonna be less fun.

    The competitive scene definitely became more welcoming that way.
    But come on, it is pokemon, everyone is cheating their team anyways, at the end they just made training less interesting for the people.
    But who cares about them anyway? The minority doesn't matter lol...

    So,
    you can now change the nature of your pokemon, which btw makes no sense since it's supposed to represent their personality and physical aspect they get from birth...
    And seriously, nature is the easiest part of breeding.

    Ev training just got harder thought and not in a good way. The forced EXP share means that you can only train one pokemon at a time unless you want to foram one stat for multiple pokemon.
    If you want only one of you pokemon to get attacks EV?
    Well, you gotta put everyone else away. Deal with it.

    IV is more or less the same which is weird since it's actually the most annoying process of breeding...

    So to resume, they made the easiest part of breeding which is nature filtering easier and made the hardest part which is EV training more annoying.
    Good job Gamefreak.

    Now, the most interesting part, the reason why the famous dexit or the Pokedex snap, the animations, and graphics...

    Nothing changed, we were promised high-quality animations and better graphics...
    Well, for the graphics it's as expected, I never expected something at the level of Pokken anyway.
    The animations? We got new ones alright.
    Better ones? Nope !

    As always the animations are at the level of a mid-budget indie game.
    The first thing they promised was better animations...
    Well, I guess for they "better" means "more" to them.
    And don't expect them to be all new, we can find a lot of animations that were recycled from Sun and Moon.
    Now do you know how much pokemon is worth, I don't think I need to give you numbers for you to know that the franchise is worth quite a lot even when the profits are split between three companies.
    So now, why does Gamefreak still can't afford to make new animations?
    I could give you quite a lot of theories but this review is already way too long.

    Last one, models?
    Still the same, a bunch of models made years ago that were updated for this game to not look even worse.
    They still, managed to cut most of them in this game anyway...

    But you know, with all those negatives aspects I wrote, the game is still not worth a "0" like some noted it.
    It's definitely not worth a 9/10 too.
    It's average at best, it is a fun pokemon game with fewer features, like always.

    I noted it 5/10 instead of 4 since I still had fun. until I've seen the new competitive part which why it's never gonna get over 5.

    I at least hope the post-game is good, Sun and Moon were pretty bad in that part. Ultra Sun and Moon did good tho. let's hope they don't repeat that formula and we don't get Royal Sword and Shield... TL;DR : Average Game. Breeding got weird and annoying even tho they tried to make it easier Dexit is dexit. Models and animations are at the quality of a mid-budget indie game, they were mostly recycled from the 3DS games anyway. The game is not that bad but definitely not worth a 9/10 like some think. If you like casual, you'll like it. Semi-hardcore? You might be ok with it. Competitive player who play the games to death ? You might get angry over a lot of things... Edit: I actually forgot, what the hell Gamefreak, the hell is that "TR" thing Gen 5 did an awesome thing at making TM infinite and you bring back that limited **** ?! Gamefreak is just encouraging people to cheat to make the pokemon and teams they want at this point... I'm getting back my 1 point just from this bull**** regression...    … Expand
  98. kaabi
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    I want to start by saying I have been a hardcore fan of this series for almost my entire life. Pokemon was one of the first video games I ever played, and I've faithfully played nearly every game, putting 500+ hours into many of the titles. My shelves are full of Pokemon plushies. I would even say the series has had a dramatic impact on my artistic development.

    Sword and Shield are my    I want to start by saying I have been a hardcore fan of this series for almost my entire life. Pokemon was one of the first video games I ever played, and I've faithfully played nearly every game, putting 500+ hours into many of the titles. My shelves are full of Pokemon plushies. I would even say the series has had a dramatic impact on my artistic development.

    Sword and Shield are my least favourite games in the series. I really have to question whether something went wrong during development or whether they were simply very rushed.

    The graphics are undeniably a letdown, especially when you look at the rich 2D spritework Gamefreak is known for and the rich 3D artwork other big sellers on the Switch are known for. There are towns that are genuinely pretty, but they stand in stark and jarring contrast to the wild area, and a lot of the prettiness comes from background stuff that you can't actually walk to, even unreachable houses. The wild area simply feels unfinished. Biking around in it is a strange experience because Pokemon pop in and out all over the place making a funny sound, which feels at odds with the grandeur the area is supposed to have. The draw distance is quite small, so the pop in is a distraction in general while playing. Some animations are also quite poor, with a lack of transitions and too much snap-in for items in the camp mode.

    The music is poor. It sounds like it was either made in a hurry or by very inexperienced composers. The synthesized bagpipes are just weird. Tracks are layered with far too many competing instruments and there's no dynamic range, so they become grating quickly. This is a problem when you hear the tracks again and again while playing. Some tracks just seem like they were put in the wrong place as they provide a completely different feeling than what the game seems like it's trying to make you feel (for example the champion theme sounds like you already won the game instead of sounding like a tense battle). For the first time with a Pokemon game, I had to turn the music off at points. Pokemon is known for its great music, so this is another significant letdown.

    The gameplay is OK. I'm disappointed that the game wasn't more difficult, as past games such as Platinum, B2W2, and USUM provided more of a challenge and required more thinking. I'm also very disappointed by the lack of a proper battle frontier or even a good battle tower. There is a battle tower, but it's one of the simplest yet and feels really tacked on. In past games you could pour hundreds of hours into fun single player modes like the battle frontiers in SoulSilver and Emerald, but there's nothing like that here.

    I don't want to get into plot spoilers, but the plot has some of the weirdest pacing I've ever seen. That's all I'll say. On the plus side, the human character designs are pretty good and they have personality. There's also a lot of fun customization options for the player character.

    Finally the UI just looks bad when you compare it to other RPGs on the Switch, and it has no charm.

    All in all I really hope gen 9 is better.    … Expand
  99. JRGenoblade
    Nov 15, 2019
    3
    This game has been a major disappointment. 60% of the whole point of the game is gone (the Pokémon). And several other things have been cut as well. There is terrible pop-in to where characters will disappear and and then pop into view just mere feet away from the player.
    All of this and nothing to really make up for it. Plus the fact that Gamefreak lied about the reasons for the cuts.    This game has been a major disappointment. 60% of the whole point of the game is gone (the Pokémon). And several other things have been cut as well. There is terrible pop-in to where characters will disappear and and then pop into view just mere feet away from the player.
    All of this and nothing to really make up for it. Plus the fact that Gamefreak lied about the reasons for the cuts. They said they were cutting due to having to remake models and animations, but all the past models and animations are confirmed to be ported over from the 3ds games.    … Expand
  100. Badalight
    Nov 15, 2019
    0
    Let's address the elephant in the room; the national dex controversy.

    Personally, I don't find the idea of cutting the national dex to be problematic. I know others take issue with it, and that's perfectly okay, but it doesn't affect me. I always use the new Pokemon in every game, and I have never in my life transferred a Pokemon from an older game to a newer one. I've never cared about    Let's address the elephant in the room; the national dex controversy.

    Personally, I don't find the idea of cutting the national dex to be problematic. I know others take issue with it, and that's perfectly okay, but it doesn't affect me. I always use the new Pokemon in every game, and I have never in my life transferred a Pokemon from an older game to a newer one. I've never cared about "catching them all". I just want to enjoy the ride up through the elite 4 and champion battle.

    That being said... I don't understand why their decision was made now. I knew it would happen eventually, but it doesn't make any sense to do it for Sword and Shield. They already have the models and animations from X/Y, so there's no excuse for not including all of them this time around. Not even all of the original 150 made the cut despite the fact that Let's Go Evee/Pikachu were released last year. At the very least, THOSE Pokemon should be ready. I'm not a "gen-wunner", but there's no reason they shouldn't have been included.

    Then, there's the fact that Gamefreak blatantly lied to their fans. They said they created the models from scratch which is demonstrably false. Perhaps even worse, they never announced the national dex cut to their Japanese audience. Another excuse for the cut was for "higher quality animations". Yet, almost all of the animations in this game are taken from older games. The few new animations that do exist are hardly noteworthy, and there are plenty of instances of missing animations. We are in 2019 and the Pokemon DON'T HAVE TURNING ANIMATIONS. What is this, the ps1? Why do the Pokemon and even Human characters pivot at sharp 90 degree angles to turn?

    Lastly, Pokemon is the most successful entertainment franchise in the history of the world. Is there a real reason they can't afford to include all of the Pokemon? Yokai Watch is a less successful series by an order of multiple magnitudes that has 600+ monsters with far more animations than Pokemon. Digimon Cyber Sleuth has 300+ again with far more animations. Gamefreak is a small studio and the budget for these games is really small. They sell astronomically well, which leads to large profit margins. But even if they lost money by selling the games, 90% of the Pokemon revenue comes from merchandising and the card game. They can easily afford to hire more employees and give these games a higher budget. Hell, just outsource the animations and models like they did back in X/Y. When they made X/Y the did 600+ 3D models plus animations from scratch. This time, they only had to do less than 100 new models, and a few new animations for each Pokemon. In fact, they didn't even need to make new animations. The national dex is something you get post game, anyway. Those Pokemon could exist without any new animations because they wouldn't be found in the wild areas.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Now that we have that out of the way, there are plenty of other things I really disliked about this game.

    WHY did they remove the option to turn off EXP share? These games are laughably easy as it is. There is no reason to remove options from the player. I understand these are kids games and they don't need to be super difficult, but at least in the past I had the option to make it slightly harder for myself. In X/Y I turned off exp share. I didn't grind at all. I didn't focus on one pokemon and making them over powered, I spread out the exp evenly. When a Pokemon got too strong, I'd switch them out for a lower leveled one from my box. I never once used a potion or any other consumable in the game. Despite that, I never lost a single battle in X/Y. Sword and Shield are even easier because of the exp share...

    There's more too. Cutscenes are slow and awkward. The game still has framerate issues despite not being a graphical power house. The game looks bad because it's using assets from a 6 year old 3DS game (and the models looked bad even back then). Battle arenas don't always match up to the environments you're in. Dynamax is the laziest gimmick so far, and you can only do it sparingly throughout the game! Mega forms and Z moves are gone. Over 100 regular moves have been cut. The game is shorter than any other mainline Pokemon game. There is essentially no post game content. The legendaries are probably the ugliest I've ever seen. You can't catch Pokemon that are too high of a level; the game just removes that option. Sound options are tied to an in-game item instead of just being accessible from the menu. The wild areas are massive disappointments as Pokemon just randomly pop up from the ground. Why is there a Machamp hiding underground waiting for me to get close? It makes no sense.

    I could go on forever, but I've made my point. This is the worst game in the series, and that's saying something because X/Y and Sun/Moon were very problematic in their own ways. At best, this is a massive disappointment.    … Expand
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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.
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  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Jan 14, 2020
    78
    Pokemon Sword/Shield is uncharacteristically user-friendly: now there’s no need to backtrack half across the world to heal your entire team of pokemon or to get to a particular city, for example. [Issue#242, p.66]
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