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4.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 5909 Ratings

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  1. Nov 17, 2019
    0
    The dynamax mechanics are a little dumb because they get free shields and each of the trainers can only damage the shield once unless their dynamaxed which hits for 2 so the 'boss pokemon' can just keep hitting you for a lot of damage and once you've finally broken the shield it spawns a new won and you run out of rounds and you need to start again and lose again in an endless loop whichThe dynamax mechanics are a little dumb because they get free shields and each of the trainers can only damage the shield once unless their dynamaxed which hits for 2 so the 'boss pokemon' can just keep hitting you for a lot of damage and once you've finally broken the shield it spawns a new won and you run out of rounds and you need to start again and lose again in an endless loop which makes leveling up really hard and time consuming Expand
  2. Nov 17, 2019
    0
    Cut Pokemon, gutted mechanics, N64 visuals. Last good Pokemon Games were Black & White. Miss me with this ****
  3. Nov 17, 2019
    0
    i downloaded pokemon sword on the eshop earlier and the graphics are terrible. Those graphics belong on the 3ds not a switch. Its fun but easy, felt like it was aimed for 7 year olds.
  4. Nov 17, 2019
    0
    A bad joke from a big company, please, pay for it! Defend GameFreak while they spit on all of the fans, buy the games and talk about them. Pokémon is dying and that's OUR fault, we are allowing GameFreak to do this because no matter what they do, if it has "Pokémon" on the title, we will pay.
    They know how to do it (We have seen it before) the problem is that they don't want.
  5. Nov 17, 2019
    7
    Pokemon Sword and Shield are games that are easy to see problems with. What with the lack of used elements in the story, frame rate issues, and even shorter NPC Field of View that has pokemon and People popping out of thin air like daisies, Pokemon Sw/Sh are games that can still proudly wear the title. The Soul of Pokemon is still here. You can catch, battle and go on a journey just likePokemon Sword and Shield are games that are easy to see problems with. What with the lack of used elements in the story, frame rate issues, and even shorter NPC Field of View that has pokemon and People popping out of thin air like daisies, Pokemon Sw/Sh are games that can still proudly wear the title. The Soul of Pokemon is still here. You can catch, battle and go on a journey just like you always could before. Sadly for casual players the journey ends there as not much else is left for casual fans of Pokemon. But for Competitive players, Sword and Shield offers more than previous titles. I only wish these games had more time to breathe and polish what they had. Because sadly the controversy at hand overshadows two solid but not amazing games.

    But hay, at least the music is great!
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  6. Nov 17, 2019
    1
    COMPRA OTRO JUEGO ANTES QUE ESTO.
    No puedo describir la frustración que me genera esto. He jugado Pokemon desde que tengo memoria, y me resulta totalmente inaceptable lo que pasa con esta entrega. Es un juego con un precio muy elevado para lo que realmente vale. Pokedex recortada porque "Tenían que hacer los modelos "desde 0"", siendo ahora algo que todos sabemos que son reciclados. Lo
    COMPRA OTRO JUEGO ANTES QUE ESTO.
    No puedo describir la frustración que me genera esto. He jugado Pokemon desde que tengo memoria, y me resulta totalmente inaceptable lo que pasa con esta entrega. Es un juego con un precio muy elevado para lo que realmente vale. Pokedex recortada porque "Tenían que hacer los modelos "desde 0"", siendo ahora algo que todos sabemos que son reciclados. Lo mismo con las animaciones. Defenderán muchos con el pretexto de los polígonos y la renderización, eso no justifica nada, los modelos son los mismos, solo había que renderizar a nivel gráfico. Las animaciones de personajes y pokemon en el Overworld es horrible se congelan, entran en bucles e movimiento, con una horrible carga de recursos. Ahora, los combates. ¿Tan difícil era hacer los fondos como en Let's Go?
    La historia es más que pobre, muy poco duradera y sin un post-game que valga la pena realmente. La dificultad del juego tampoco se salva, GameFreak se jactó de que sería un juego con un nivel desafiante para jugadores veteranos, siendo que fue igual o más fácil que entregas como X/Y. No sé qué ocurrió con GameFreak esta vez. He defendido una gran variedad de entregas, como por ejemplo US/UM, pero no puedo más, no puedo resistir más trabajos mediocres por parte de GameFreak, no puedo permitir que le vean más la cara a los jugadores que con ilusión desean jugar.

    BUY ANOTHER GAME BEFORE THIS.
    I cannot describe the frustration that this generates. I have played Pokemon since I have memory, and I what happens with this game is unacceptable. It is a game with a very high price for what is really worth. Pokedex cropped because "They had to make the models" from "scratch""", now being something that we all know, are recycled. The same with the animations. Many will defend with the pretext of polygons and rendering, that does not justify anything, the models are the same, you just had to render at the graphic level. The animations of characters and pokemon in the Overworld is horrible they freeze, they loop, and it ahs a horrible load of resources. Now, Pokémon Battles... How difficult was it to make the funds like in Let's Go?
    The story is more than poor, a very short story and without a really worthwhile post-game. The difficulty of the game is not high either, GameFreak boasted that it would be a game with a challenging level for veteran players, being that it was the same or easier for you to beat as X/Y. I don't know what happened to GameFreak this time. I have defended a great variety of Pokémon games, such as US/UM, but I can't do it anymore, I can't resist more mediocre works by GameFreak, I can't allow the players who wish to play to see this thing, it's a scam.
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  7. Nov 17, 2019
    3
    I bought this game day of release, and so far I have played up to the end of the gym challenge but before fighting the champion.

    The pros: The graphics are kinda nice. I like the Galar region and having sheep-like Wooloo rolling around fields. The better trainer customisation is something I'd been hoping to have for a long time, it was relatively limited in the Sun and Moon games.
    I bought this game day of release, and so far I have played up to the end of the gym challenge but before fighting the champion.

    The pros:
    The graphics are kinda nice. I like the Galar region and having sheep-like Wooloo rolling around fields.

    The better trainer customisation is something I'd been hoping to have for a long time, it was relatively limited in the Sun and Moon games.

    I do like many of the new Pokemon designs, Drednaw is my bro.

    Cons:
    Bugs: graphical (battle backgrounds sometimes display incorrectly, i.e wrong background for the area

    Save deletion: this was a big one but fortunately for me it happened pretty early on and I haven't experienced it again since (touch wood)

    Addition of alternatives to breeding for stats/natures: This might be a positive for some, but personally I consider it to be poor decision. I don't like the idea of providing an alternative to actually learning part of the game. It also detracts from the community element of the game somewhat, as trading for breeds and Hidden Ability Pokemon was a big part of the experience for me.

    Removal of moves: To be fair I can understand the removal of some moves, particularly as HMs are increasingly a thing of the past. However, some of these removals just detract from the game. The removal of Hidden Power takes away a very useful option for type coverage for many Pokemon and also contributes to my problem with the simplified alternatives to breeding. Return and Frustration, just why? Does this indicate plans to further reduce the friendship mechanic in the future?

    Removal of Pokemon: The removal of over half of all Pokemon is just ridiculous. The reason given seem to have been made up, and it's something that just SHOULDN'T happen in Pokemon, the games where the tagline is "Gotta Catch 'Em All!" Now it's "Catch about half". It also stinks of greed because with many Pokemon not being transferable to the new games, and "coincidentally" the upcoming launch of Pokemon Home, it seems like a plan to strong-arm people into paying a sub fee for an application just to be able to keep their old Pokemon until years in the future when a game is released that allows those Pokemon. If dev time was really an issue, it just should have released later. Further, the fact that Gamefreak seems to have done their best to conceal this from fans is disgusting.

    Weird animation stops: Although the graphics are nice, by no means amazing, there's a weird thing where actions such as climbing a ladder freezes Pokemon, trainers etc. I can understand why this might be the case with how Pokemon can now be seen in the over world, as it would feel bad to miss a Pokemon because you were stuck doing something else, but the way trainers and other things freeze is just unnatural.

    Conclusion:
    Overall Sword and Shield don't seem worthy of being put on the same level as main titles, both in spirit and pricing. They feel more like one of the spinoff games with a very small amount of content (The games have a very small number of routes, and those routes are quite small compared to some from the past) and VERY limited selection of Pokemon. If they genuinely plan to continue with cutting the amount of Pokemon in games going forward, then I can't see myself playing Pokemon anymore. It's terrible to spend a long time breeding and training Pokemon to then have them sit in cloud storage or on an old game for years until Gamefreak decides to release a game in which they are allowed.
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  8. Nov 17, 2019
    0
    Where do i start GF?
    I am very aware of the fact that jumping from a platfrom like NDS to a relatively new one such as the Switch Console would have had its cons, but the game...storyline...designs...graphics and even destroying the core idea of Pokemon itself (Gotta catch them ALL),you have completely ruined the magic, that joy Pokemon gave me since i started playing Red/Blue...
    I was
    Where do i start GF?
    I am very aware of the fact that jumping from a platfrom like NDS to a relatively new one such as the Switch Console would have had its cons, but the game...storyline...designs...graphics and even destroying the core idea of Pokemon itself (Gotta catch them ALL),you have completely ruined the magic, that joy Pokemon gave me since i started playing Red/Blue...

    I was barely a kid when pokemon R/B came out, you used to put heart and passion, amd even though the game was full of glitches, frezings, and whatsoever, still was a better game that this pile of garbare is.

    I cannpt even find a single positive thing about the game, you became a company focused on money, not even considering what your lifelong buyers have been asking for. You lack creativity, inspiration, and heart...
    Once i would have sold my kidneys to play your games, no matter the price i would have been the once in the line to give you as much money as you wished for, now I'm returning the game, thing i literally considered impossible. You disappointed a whole generation of fans all over the world who always supported and loved you for the countless hours of joy and entertainment you managed to provide, and now as sad as it is Pokemon it's only a shadow of the glorious past it had
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  9. Nov 17, 2019
    1
    The game developers are lazy and create an underwhelming game every year without any innovation. There is so much potential with the new power and capabilities of the switch, but of course, they waste it and use **** animations and poor graphics with a boring open world if you can call it that. Where is the breath of the wild type pokemon game? Also, national dex sucks
  10. Nov 17, 2019
    2
    The game was an utter disappointment. It was the fastest and easiest game of the franchise. Poor animations, cut Pokémon, lack of post-game, and bad business practices from Gamefreak. Not to mention the new dyna-max system, which is another new gimmick that’s soon to be scrapped in the next generation. Also, why do I need to make sure auto save is off at the risk of my SD card. It isn’tThe game was an utter disappointment. It was the fastest and easiest game of the franchise. Poor animations, cut Pokémon, lack of post-game, and bad business practices from Gamefreak. Not to mention the new dyna-max system, which is another new gimmick that’s soon to be scrapped in the next generation. Also, why do I need to make sure auto save is off at the risk of my SD card. It isn’t any lower because I know some people can get enjoyment even with these issues, but I cannot. Expand
  11. Nov 17, 2019
    0
    Simply not what the fans wanted. This is a rushed, rough-around-the-edges, 3DS game, with an HD coat of paint. This is not what anyone wanted or expected from the first mainline console release from the highest grossing media franchise of all time. There’s hardly a story besides the League, the battles are still just Pokémon sitting face to face, and the world textures look “last-gen”. ANYSimply not what the fans wanted. This is a rushed, rough-around-the-edges, 3DS game, with an HD coat of paint. This is not what anyone wanted or expected from the first mainline console release from the highest grossing media franchise of all time. There’s hardly a story besides the League, the battles are still just Pokémon sitting face to face, and the world textures look “last-gen”. ANY limitations that the Devs say that have are BS. They SHOULD have the funding and the time to give us the game we want. The series is moving in the right direction but it needs to cut the yearly release and give more time to craft a whole game for our current technology. I will not purchase another Pokémon game until this is achieved. Do better, GameFreak and Nintendo.

    (Note: I don’t actually think it is a 0/10, honestly it’s probably like 5/10, but I give a 0 as to keep the average score as low as possible in attempt to counteract the people that blindly throw 10/10s it’s way.)
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  12. Nov 17, 2019
    2
    Nowhere near worth $60. As someone that loves Pokémon and has played them all, it seems like Game Freak has officially given up. It feels like a horribly rushed 3DS sequel got ported to the switch by a small team of interns.
  13. Nov 18, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. (Now, before anyone takes this out of context, I want you to read this carefully before jumping to conclusion.)

    So, the divisive game is finally out and despite my concerns, I was able to try the game at a friend's house who got it early, and I'm more or less disappointed.

    For those who didn't know: the National Dex was cut in favor of the following:
    1) Better Graphics
    2) better animation
    3) more game content
    And multiple news outlets said that the game has new models for every old Pokémon.

    The "haters" had to wait for the game to come out, to "justify their issues" like a lot of people have said, and that resulted into finding a lot more issues.

    Visually speaking, the game looks VERY subpar, everyone pretty much knows that, the animations are laughably terrible, and a lot don't make sense (using your foot for the move: headbutt for example), the memes regarding the other box legendary rotating, that's getting meme'd for a reason.
    The models themselves look lifeless ragdoll models, it suffers from performance issues, it's 30fps but its VERY inconsistent, and overall, the polish level is just terrible with this title.

    Yes one can make the argument that it's not as bad as another game, and that is just sad to justify a bad product to simply "it's not as bad as X game" that's just not how it works.

    The "content" they wanted to add is low, literally. The Battle Tower is a gimped version of the previous ones, the exp share is forced on you, and you're not able to turn it off. It practically turns the game into Final Fantasy II level up system (not the SNES FF2) you feel incredibly overpowered and your enemies are just weak. It feels incredibly boring to just play and tedious to see how you can steamroll your way through the game without doing anything important, game is way too easy for someone who spent 2 years on this franchise.

    Subjectively speaking, the music is just not that good, yes there are like 4 or 5 tracks, but the rest is just not something I'd remember listening to.

    The story is really nothing to write home about, Pokémon (mainline) generally doesn't have good storytelling to begin with (N not withstanding)

    Gameplay wise, this is Let's Go but without the stupid catching mechanics, a busted exp share that I've talked about, and the Dynamax/G-Max feature is pretty much a gimmick, you don't really need to use it to beat the game that much.
    Pokémon Camp reminds me a LOT of the Chao Garden so I kinda like it.
    Wild Area is cool in concept but bad in execution, the issues with visuals and animations REALLY shine here, and the catching level cap is...kinda good to prevent you from steamrolling through the already easy game, much easier.
    Curry Dex is kinda unnecessary, but cool I guess.
    Game is short, I did everything I could in 23 hours.

    And for that, the game is pretty much a 3/10, you'd probably wondering that I'm being a hater for giving 0 instead of 3, but the reason is to why I did it, is because simply: Game Freak lied. This is something that I'm pretty sure nobody can defend, you can't justify a company's lying to your face multiple times, while compromising a game, charge 60 bucks for it, and hope that it'll sell on brand recognition, only to find that everything they said is a lie.

    Nobody INITIALLY cared about the national dex removed until their excuse of "better visuals and animation" happened, which the game doesn't deliver, "more content" is also one because the game is LIGHT on content, heck, the models are practically IDENTICAL to their 3DS counterparts, which defeats the whole "we made new models for older mons" statement.

    This is rather a scummy thing to do: selling an underwhelming software for cash after promising things to do, only to NOT deliver them.

    Even thou the game is a 3/10, I simply can't excuse a rushed, badly optimized product for full price, because I simply "like the franchise" I will never support a franchise that sells anything for brand recognition, even if they have objectively the greatest games ever made.

    Its a badly made rushed product and should be critiqued for being one instead of being the exception to the rule: "this franchise is for kids, so don't expect it to be for you" while my younger sis (whose 12) is calling this game out for "paid positive reviews"

    Because if the game is strictly for kids , why do people care so much to defend a "kids game"
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  14. Nov 18, 2019
    3
    Pokemon Sword and Shield, where to begin... First we need to understand this is a mainline Pokemon title and needs to be reviewed and compared to all those that came before it. You cannot base the review solely on this game in and of itself. With that said let's begin.

    Graphics: 5/10 This is a Nintendo Switch, first party AAA title and it definately does not look like it. The
    Pokemon Sword and Shield, where to begin... First we need to understand this is a mainline Pokemon title and needs to be reviewed and compared to all those that came before it. You cannot base the review solely on this game in and of itself. With that said let's begin.

    Graphics: 5/10 This is a Nintendo Switch, first party AAA title and it definately does not look like it. The framerate runs at 30FPS and due to this you would think that the game would look at least on par with something like The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. It doesn't. The shadows are low resolution and update slowly and infrequently. The textures are basic and lackluster. The animations are dry, boring, predictable and repetitive. Considering GameFreak promised graphical fidelity and Nintendo backs them and this franchise with everything they have, this is a massive dissapointment. The framerate cannot even hold 30FPS at times and because of the aforementioned graphics there is no excuse for choppy framerates.

    Gameplay: 6/10
    What can I say? This is a Pokemon game and it delivers on that, but it is the same Pokemon game it always has been. Choose your starter Pokemon, beat eight gyms, catch some Pokemon along the way, grind them up in level, beat the champion of the region. Game complete. The only reason it gets a 6 and it a 5 is because of the Wild Area. The Wild Area allows you to roam around and actually see Pokemon live around you. This was every childs dream in 1995 and kw its here. But it's one area of the map and nearly separate from the story. So it's underwhelming.

    Story: 2.5/10 I wont spend much time here because I dont want to spoil anything. But - Spoiler Alert- there is nothing to spoil. It's the same game we have come to expect as stated in the gameplay section. Meet your rivals, battle your rivals, beat some gyms, find the villainous team. Capture some legendary pokemon and defeat the team to save the world. Defeat the region Champion. Yay, incredible...no. The story is not doing this game any favors.

    Multiplayer: 1.5/10 Multiplayer? What multiplayer. Of course you can battle other players online but aside from that established standard from over a decade ago what else can you do. Encounter some random players in the Wild Area, that's pretty much it. You cannot rome the Wild Area with your friends, you cant battle wild Pokemon with your friends, you pretty much cannot do anything with your friends except for battle them of course. But that is a feature we expect and they dont get any points here for giving a Pokemon game Pokemon battles because without them it isnt a Pokemon is it?

    Replayability: 5/10 This is where Pokemon usually shines. But in Sword and Shield it really stabs you where it hurts. The game features 50% of the Pokemon in the franchise. This means that you lose out on using some of what may be your favourite Pokemon in battles both online and in singleplayer. You cant catch them all, you cant breed them all, you cant battle them all. This doesnt sound like Pokemon anymore, this sounds like a sideshot. The multiplayer game suffers greatly because of this for obvious reasons and breeding pokemon for fun or competitively takes on a terrible new face. If you have a favorite Pokemon make sure its in the game before you buy it. The story offers no replay value and the post game has taken a real beating in this title. You can still battle to your hearts content but this is a very very mediocre Pokemon game in this department.

    Corporate Transparency: -1 Review Point Normally I would end a review here and give a final rating but this game deserves one last paragraph dedicated to it. GameFreak promised us graphical fidelity. They promised new 3D models for everything in the game. They promised us this at the expense of cutting 50% of the creatures we grew to love since the 1990's. They lied. The models are reused, the animations are terribly lifeless, the story is empty, the game is choppy and feels very incomplete. This only matters because they took a franchise and milked it for the name. So for corporate transparency this game loses one point off the final review.

    Graphics: 5
    Gameplay: 6
    Story: 2.5
    Multiplayer: 1.5
    Replayability: 5
    Total: 20/50

    Which equals: 4/10 minus 1 point due to corporate transparency. Giving this game a solid,

    3/10
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  15. Nov 17, 2019
    3
    The graphics look like they are 2 generations behind. The "story" is almost non existing. The game is a buggy mess, the entire world freezes when climbing ladders etc. Removing half of all pokemon sucks. Gamefreak lying is also a huge problem. The worst pokemon main line game. I feel ripped of.
  16. Nov 18, 2019
    3
    Graphics is cute, but given this is a Switch game, cute simply doesn't cut it. Pokemon's faces are so flat they looked so dead inside like they have absolutely no soul because their eyes looked like stickers posted on a plastic pokemon model.

    Story wise, it's so linear. Routes are so boring. "Dog" like pokemon coming at you trying to be cute for you to pet them is nice though.
  17. Nov 18, 2019
    1
    I've been a fan ever since gen 2 came out. Even after that I played through gen 1 and enjoyed it. I've been able to beat every single game and have fun up until this game came out. I didn't like black and white too much but I still liked some parts of the game. Pokemon y was my absolute favourite because of all the mechanics they added. although gts was a thing before that I never had wifiI've been a fan ever since gen 2 came out. Even after that I played through gen 1 and enjoyed it. I've been able to beat every single game and have fun up until this game came out. I didn't like black and white too much but I still liked some parts of the game. Pokemon y was my absolute favourite because of all the mechanics they added. although gts was a thing before that I never had wifi until 3ds and that blew my mind. With sword and shield I just can't seem to enjoy it. They removed so many of the mechanics I enjoyed and replaced them with so much garbage. The way to trade with people is complete trash now compared to what it was before. I loved mega evolution, I liked z moves, and I hate dynamax. And I haven't even brought up that they removed the majority of my favourite pokemon but kept the ones nobody likes such as maractus and stunfisk. I've had fun with every single pokemon that cost around $50 CAD, I've even enjoyed some fan rom hacks and I can't have fun with the one that cost $90 CAD. I'm not saying money's an issue, but why are the cheaper ones way better? In soul silver you could walk with EVERY single pokemon up to arceus (493 pokemon) and now 10 years later you can't walk with any of them, despite there being less pokemon. There were so many mechanics that were amazing that were all removed just for things like tr's, wild area, dynamax, and an annoying as hell rival that talks to you every time you enter a new town. I like the pokemon series way to much to consider this a main series game. And to those of you who argue that they had a small team make the game, here's a thought. If you're going to attempt to make a big game, hire some more people! After playing luigi's mansion 3, breath of the wild, and mario odyssey, I don't think this game should've been on the switch. It's an embarrassment for both switch games and pokemon games Expand
  18. Nov 18, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Game left a lot to be desired. As a long time pokemon fan I was expecting so much more.
    Wild area which was supposed to be the selling point of the game looks bland with not much else to do other than catch some pokemons - there really is not much to explore, if anything at all.
    The story left a lot to be desired; it was okeish up until the 3rd gym, then it felt rushed and not very well worked on. I know it is supposed to be a story for kids, but even then, the story felt very much unispired, boring and lackluster when compared to other pokemon titles. We are introduced to game elements out of nowhere and the explanation for those - giantmaxing - is as bland as it could be.
    Speaking of game elements - a lot of game definiting elements are missing. No national dex (more than 60% of the pokemon were cut! last time we had such few pokemons it was 2006 and pokemon pearl was being released!), no mega evolutions, no z moves, more than 150 moves were cut...you get the point.
    Game looks bad for a switch release. Let's be honest here, pokemon was never about graphics, but this is the freaking switch and there were to be expected MUCH better graphics than the ones we got. Pokemon Battle Revolution from 2006 looks BETTER than this! Models are LITERALLY the same as the 3DS ones for XY released in 2013, animations are poor, and textures are horrible albeit masked by some good lighting effects.
    The sound is also not the best. There are some crucial parts where we dont even got music going on due to pure laziness. Music used to be great, but honestly it's quite bad in sword and shield.

    I beat the game in 15h, its shorter than the other titles and the postgame is pretty much non existent.
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  19. Nov 18, 2019
    0
    For a Pokemon game that has turned natural progression into a grindy feel and just no consistency to previous games. Size, weight the look and play style of the Pokémon has completely changed and for the worse
  20. Nov 18, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gamefreak ruined the game. Removed everything that made it perfect and just lazingly put in things that were easy like gaint Pokemons. Removed 52% Pokemons. Removed Megas that were actually cool. Even Arceus the God Alpha Pokemon doesn't even exist. Expand
  21. Nov 18, 2019
    0
    The game feels pretty rushed with lots of errors and glitches. Images cutting out in battle, sprites clipping into each other, models rotating in circles when they are trying to walk... also the sprites are the same from the previous 3DS games.

    Not including all the Pokemon aside, the new Pokemon designs are cool and are the small saving grace for the game.
  22. Nov 18, 2019
    3
    They used the same codes off sword and shield that's unneceptable for a switch game and the graphics are from nintendo 64
  23. Nov 18, 2019
    0
    A game from the past generation with price of the next one . Recicled animations, models, exp sharp op, less pokemon, moves.
  24. Nov 18, 2019
    0
    Cutting the dex was stupid. Anyone who is arguing otherwise is ridiculous. There is nothing good about taking Pokémon out, let alone 400! That is over 66 different lineups if you’re only using each one once. Nonsense. I’ve always loved pokemon, and I was heartbroken at the cut. But the real reason I’m not getting this game is the reaction that the creators have had to the backlash. “ThanksCutting the dex was stupid. Anyone who is arguing otherwise is ridiculous. There is nothing good about taking Pokémon out, let alone 400! That is over 66 different lineups if you’re only using each one once. Nonsense. I’ve always loved pokemon, and I was heartbroken at the cut. But the real reason I’m not getting this game is the reaction that the creators have had to the backlash. “Thanks for loving Pokémon, keep buying, we’re going to keep making the bad choices we’ve made regardless of what our fans think”. If they haven’t realized that this decision has lost them money and fans they are intentionally ignoring their fan base. Expand
  25. Jul 15, 2021
    3
    Antes de nada decir que tengo TODOS los Pokemon anteriores, a partir del azul quedé completamente enganchado, como la mayoría de los que siguen comprando juegos a esta compañía seguramente, tengo hasta un mueble decorativo para exhibir todos los juegos comprados hasta la fecha incluyendo ediciones especiales dobles de Sol / Luna y Espada / Escudo, dicho esto para que se tome la opinión deAntes de nada decir que tengo TODOS los Pokemon anteriores, a partir del azul quedé completamente enganchado, como la mayoría de los que siguen comprando juegos a esta compañía seguramente, tengo hasta un mueble decorativo para exhibir todos los juegos comprados hasta la fecha incluyendo ediciones especiales dobles de Sol / Luna y Espada / Escudo, dicho esto para que se tome la opinión de un fan molesto, no de alguién que se inicia en la saga, comencemos.

    - Dificultad:
    Si bien es cierto que no pido un Dark Souls ni mucho menos, echo en falta que el juego te facilite tanto todo, es innecesario que te den tanto dinero al comienzo del juego, en ningun momento tienes ni que mirar cuanto tienes, cualquier cosa la vas a poder comprar, no vas a tener que detenerte NUNCA para subir esos niveles extra porque el siguiente gimnasio pueda costar, olvídalo, de carrerilla puedes ir gimnasio tras gimnasio y no tendrías que pararte, más aún con la excusa de intercambios misteriosos nada mas empezar, es un paseo.

    - La historia:
    Se siente todo lo que haces forzado, vas sin un objetivo claro, me explico, en los de antes te ponen de una forma muy sencilla y rápida en la dirección a la que vas, el profesor que te pide ayuda para investigar, capturar Pokemons y ya si eso las medallas. Rápido y conciso.
    En cambio en este llega el típico amigo de la infancia el cual SI notas que tiene un objetivo, pero tu personaje lo mueve la inercia del momento, te arrastran a ir de un Punto A a B, a cada momento te paran el ritmo solo para recordarte lo bueno que eres por ganar cada combate y lo fantástico que sería ganar la siguiente medalla, LITERAL, TODO EL RATO.
    Hago un pequeño inciso también para el resto de personajes, por algún motivo van detrás tuya todo el tiempo, da la sensación de que todos os conocéis desde que naciste, pero no, te siguen porque tienen que ir parándote a cada paso que des, mención aparte cuando llegas a una ciudad, los caminos están cerrados por unos motivos que son de chiste, ya no es que llegués y resuelvas un marrón que haya en un edificio, el líder de gimnasio esté en problemas por algún sitio etc . . . No, llegas y te dicen que no puedes pasar, ya está, para que se aparten hay que ganar la medalla, al menos algo tipo Snorlax y la mítica Poke Flauta, te dan un "motivo" y además la opción de capturar un pokemon, que en eso se basa, no te ponen barreras temporales todas las veces para que vayas al gimnasio y listo.

    - Contenido:
    Ojalá me esté equivocando, pero no he visto ni safari, ni concursos de belleza, ni de captura de bichos, el poke parque etc . . Yo imagino que algo de eso habrá, pero ni lo he visto en las 30 horas que llevo, casas iguales en el interior salvo las de los protagonistas, un ejercicio de cutrez grandísimo, las ciudades se notan sin vida ninguna, no hay nada que ver / hacer, es todo un conjunto de edificios, en la mayoria ni puedes entrar, y en los que puedes no es necesario ya que jamás te paran para registrar una cueva, sotano de una mansión / edificio a lo SILPH, nada, solo de gimnasio a gimnasio. El mundo se hace pequeñísimo, igual soy yo, pero a mi me parece de los más pequeños que he explorado.

    - Gráficos / animaciones:

    Es bonito? Si.
    Está todo lo detallado que le pediríamos a una compañía de las buenas? Ni de lejos, si mañana dicen que lo han hecho una compañía aparte me lo creería también, lo de las animaciones ya es un caso aparte, no puede ser que los personajes en las "cinemáticas" se deslicen por el suelo como si esto fuera girarte en el Resident Evil de la PS1, clavado, personaje enganchado al suelo y empieza a deslizarse, me parece vergonzoso, y aquí es donde quiero hacer inciso para Fire Emblem, ese juego ha salido hace unos meses para la misma consola, ha tenido predecesor en la 3DS al igual que Pokemon, la diferencia es que en Fire Emblem se nota una generación de por medio, en Pokemon si simplemente pones el Sol / Luna con mejor resolución ya podrías confundirlo con el Espada / Escudo, así de sencillo.

    - Pokemons:
    A mi la excusa de que es mucho trabajo poner todos los pokemons no me vale, me encantaría entenderlo, pero no puedo, llevo pagando el banco pokemon desde que hubo acceso al mismo, no habría maneras y maneras de al menos seguir pudiendo guardarlos y usarlos en los nuevos juegos de Switch?
    Pagas para guardarlos para que luego en la Switch te digan, "sabes el famoso lema de hazte con todos? Ya no es nuestro lema" Ellos mismos están contradiciendo los inicios de la saga, para que hacer más Pokemons si la magia de todo era quedar con tus amigos para comprar versiones diferentes de nuevas generaciones y seguir con el trabajo que te encomendó el profesor Oak en su día, un trabajo que muchísimos querrían seguir y la propia creadora del juego te dice que no, que el objetivo es quedarte en cada nueva región y luego pasar a la siguiente sin más ...
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  26. Nov 19, 2019
    0
    yo le dije a mi hermanito que elija otro juego, pero no quiso. elijio este juego y le pareció mas corto que patada de chancho. y los gráficos.....sobre todo los arboles, de N64, es increíble que no tenga voces los npcs, hasta un juego de ps1 tenia voces, y el método de juego es el mismo de hace años, agregándole algunas cosas nuevas , pero es básicamente lo mismo. Esta franquicia tieneyo le dije a mi hermanito que elija otro juego, pero no quiso. elijio este juego y le pareció mas corto que patada de chancho. y los gráficos.....sobre todo los arboles, de N64, es increíble que no tenga voces los npcs, hasta un juego de ps1 tenia voces, y el método de juego es el mismo de hace años, agregándole algunas cosas nuevas , pero es básicamente lo mismo. Esta franquicia tiene que cambiar de una vez por todas. y lo de reciclar mecanicas de 3ds....bueno es en casi todo el juego. como diria un meme de uruguay: "dediquense a laburar.... manga de kokemones" Expand
  27. Nov 21, 2019
    1
    The game is way to easy, i dont understand why in the world they dont have an option to have it be for beginners to people who have played the games for years. Basically every game now has it why not pokemon? Story is lacking. Graphics are upsetting.
  28. Nov 23, 2019
    0
    Horrible game. Took out all the best Pokemon. No GTS. Hand held through entire story.
  29. Nov 24, 2019
    0
    Pokemon sword was a disappointing and linear mess of a game. They bragged about the wild area however that is the only way you are able to actually explore the world without your hand being held the entire time. Now you are able to skip the catching tutorial but that does not stop the game from holding your hand the entire time. The storyline is lack luster and the rivals are boring. EvenPokemon sword was a disappointing and linear mess of a game. They bragged about the wild area however that is the only way you are able to actually explore the world without your hand being held the entire time. Now you are able to skip the catching tutorial but that does not stop the game from holding your hand the entire time. The storyline is lack luster and the rivals are boring. Even Bede who is slightly interesting is never fleshed out in an interesting way. They claimed that all the animations would be new. However one can tell as long as they have played the 3ds games that this is not the case. The animations are reused. There are not all the pokemon in the game. The story is boring and there are glitches that make it feel like a Bethesda game. The world literally stops when you are on a ladder. This is the richest media company in the world. From any other developer we would not accept this as a good game. Expand
  30. Nov 25, 2019
    1
    Disgraceful.

    That is all I can think of when I was playing this game and it ended abruptly. Compared to its 3DS games, it somehow has LESS content than all of them, even XY. How is that even possible? The excuse that the animations took up most of their time is a blatant lie as well considering there has been MULTIPLE sources showing they were simply ripped from the 3DS games. For
    Disgraceful.

    That is all I can think of when I was playing this game and it ended abruptly. Compared to its 3DS games, it somehow has LESS content than all of them, even XY. How is that even possible?

    The excuse that the animations took up most of their time is a blatant lie as well considering there has been MULTIPLE sources showing they were simply ripped from the 3DS games.

    For a multi-billionaire franchise, this is an insult to its first real console game.

    The ONLY thing I can say that was good about this game was the addition of the Wild Area and the fact you can see fully evolved pokemon roaming around that you can catch as well. But, the negatives heavily outweigh the positives.

    Do not get this game. Let them know this is NOT how you treat a beloved franchise.
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  31. Nov 24, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Muy decepcionado pokedex muy limitada no vale la pena ni comprarlo y los diseños de los pokemon nuevos dan asco, enserio una tetera de pokemon? Expand
  32. Nov 25, 2019
    0
    One does not simply cut out over half the pokemon in the series and expect everyone to pay more money from the game. We wanted a BOTW like pokemon game, not an ugly looking wild area that actually majorly unbalances the pokemon catching experience in the single player portions.
  33. Nov 25, 2019
    0
    nao comprem , faltou carinho com a franquia . parece um jogo feito pela EA só que sem vender a parte que tiraram do jogo , por enquanto ....
  34. Nov 26, 2019
    0
    this is so bad. TPC and Nintendo need to do something for SWSH and pokemon future.
  35. Nov 27, 2019
    0
    I have watched the gameplays on youtube and holy rip.
    Raid battles gives us nothing and grinding for them is pointless
    There's no dungeon or hiden pathes in the wild area to find more pokemon or trainers The story progression is not as annoying as in sun and moon, but the characters are bland and awkward, it's like they tried to make them fancy, cool or funny, but they created ton of
    I have watched the gameplays on youtube and holy rip.
    Raid battles gives us nothing and grinding for them is pointless
    There's no dungeon or hiden pathes in the wild area to find more pokemon or trainers
    The story progression is not as annoying as in sun and moon, but the characters are bland and awkward, it's like they tried to make them fancy, cool or funny, but they created ton of cartoonish caricatures, back in the days they were balanced and looked normal. The worst art director ever, and it's of course cartoonist and englishman.
    The story is too short and naive, the max form of eternatus feels like a forced final boss with high stats that supposed to impress childrens, while necrozma was just turbo strong and scary, even design is good and it feels like a final boss, legendary dogs are helping us defeat it and it all feels like a bad anime.
    Also dificulty is too low, the story is too short, the region is too small, it's literally like they polished only first two routes and rest is just a 5 minutes route to the next town and next gym leader.

    There's nothing interesting in galar at all, it feels like unfinished game.

    Modern pokemon sucks, I remember when game had lot of side routes to offer and lot of challenges like during diamond and pearl or black and white/black and white 2

    alola was small and insulting, but this is even worse because they did not progressed at all and just made region for the sake of it being in the game.

    Lazy, lazy, lazy lazy, terrible, pokemon is dying thanks to this company
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  36. Nov 28, 2019
    0
    Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit Dexit
  37. Dec 21, 2019
    0
    an insult for the franchisee' fans, also, stan Pokémon B/W B2/W2 for a clear skin
  38. Jan 9, 2020
    0
    Huge let down. They are getting so lazy with development it’s a shame. This game is an insult to consumers. Do not waste your time playing this garbage.
  39. Jan 9, 2020
    2
    Very unhappy. Feels like half an unpolished game from 10 years ago. S u c k s
  40. Jan 9, 2020
    0
    Horrible, incomplete and so boring. Pokemon yellow is better than this pokemon. I await the pokedex complete.
  41. Feb 26, 2020
    0
    Game Freak and Nintendo lied only for sell DLC. Full price in game + DLC + 20 dollar for POKEMON HOME. I really love the franchise since POKEMON RED/BLUE but Game Freak and Nintendo are EVIL
  42. Sep 16, 2020
    4
    Le pongo un 4 porque se enciende y funciona. Solo voy a decir que se nota que era un juego de la 3DS.

    Además como fan de Pokemon de toda la vida estoy cansado de que el nivel de dificultad siga bajando con cada nuevo juego. Por favor Game Freak, para el próximo poned distintos niveles de dificultad y dejad de llevar de la mano al jugador durante todo el juego. 30 minutos de tutorial
    Le pongo un 4 porque se enciende y funciona. Solo voy a decir que se nota que era un juego de la 3DS.

    Además como fan de Pokemon de toda la vida estoy cansado de que el nivel de dificultad siga bajando con cada nuevo juego. Por favor Game Freak, para el próximo poned distintos niveles de dificultad y dejad de llevar de la mano al jugador durante todo el juego. 30 minutos de tutorial está bien pero no 30 horas...
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  43. Mar 5, 2020
    4
    As the latest entries in the Pokemon video game series, "Sword" and "Shield" are as generic and tired as their subtitles would suggest. As video games, they are a master class in how not to plan, develop or market your product. To the average Pokemon fan, they are so-so games that do just enough to scratch the itch. To longtime fans who have spent the majority of our young lives growing upAs the latest entries in the Pokemon video game series, "Sword" and "Shield" are as generic and tired as their subtitles would suggest. As video games, they are a master class in how not to plan, develop or market your product. To the average Pokemon fan, they are so-so games that do just enough to scratch the itch. To longtime fans who have spent the majority of our young lives growing up with this beloved twenty-four year old series, "Sword" and "Shield" are an insult and a misstep so hideous and poorly-conceived at every step of their execution that they do not merely scrape the bottom of the barrel, nor can they be described as the bottom of the barrel: these games do not deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence with the barrel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Dynamax your wallet instead.
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  44. Jun 7, 2021
    3
    Now I'm sure most of you have read other reviews and already know it's bad. But here's something to add to truly make you angry. It's about the animations. I want you to go play any other videogame. Now anytime the main character does an action, such as picking up an item, petting an animal, or anything else, imagine the screen fading to black, having a text box saying your character didNow I'm sure most of you have read other reviews and already know it's bad. But here's something to add to truly make you angry. It's about the animations. I want you to go play any other videogame. Now anytime the main character does an action, such as picking up an item, petting an animal, or anything else, imagine the screen fading to black, having a text box saying your character did that, then returning to your character in the exact same idle pose he/she is always in.
    That's the pokemon experience
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  45. Mar 25, 2020
    0
    I wish there was an option to give -10.the game was Soo bad that you can finally hate the franchise.disappointment.
  46. Mar 25, 2020
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sucks so bad it hurts my feelings, the online is pretty cool actually except for the fact that there's so much unbalanced mechsnics snd Pokemon wich overhaul the metagame. Expand
  47. Mar 26, 2020
    2
    The game itself doesn't do any thing differently from the previous ones. This is basically a portable game with the price of a home console.
  48. Mar 10, 2021
    5
    The story is straight and boring. If you only wants to enjoy the adventure, then don’t buy this game
  49. Jun 22, 2020
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is garbage the combat animation is **** graphics are awful and the story line is lame. Expand
  50. Oct 26, 2021
    4
    Ok so to conclude my feelings abou this game, I started to play since pokemon yellow and I bought one game each gen that came untill today, each game I tried to complete the pokedex and in a few of my games, I did.
    The game has 2 diffrent scores in my eyes, one with the DLC and one without the DLC, the DLC pretty much fix the game, it does it by adding follower pokemon, full episode that
    Ok so to conclude my feelings abou this game, I started to play since pokemon yellow and I bought one game each gen that came untill today, each game I tried to complete the pokedex and in a few of my games, I did.
    The game has 2 diffrent scores in my eyes, one with the DLC and one without the DLC, the DLC pretty much fix the game, it does it by adding follower pokemon, full episode that is with rottating camera and added goal which is to win each pokemon type and reach as far as possible using mono type which added 5 hours of gameplay to my game. With the DLC the game is a 9 or a 10. The game is very solid with DLC, having a story, puzzle to solve, a new rival character. The game still has not enough to do and the new learnable moves are very very weak and specific that I rather never ever use them ever. Example a move that always fail if you don't have grassy terrain, and the grass removed after use, very specific and useless moves, maybe one out of 50 pokemons can use one move at most since the moves are very specific "if pokemon got stat lost during the turn, the move deals double the damage" which is good if you are in 2v2 and use tail whipe on your ally... very weak moves, useless and pointless for the most part. So since the moves are so useless and the total added playtime is like 8 hours which is not enough to justify a DLC price in my opinion, the game with DLC is 9.
    But this is a Base pokemon game, without the dlc the game is feeling empty, there is no area to explore after the league, there is a terrible online gaming that requires friend code (this is fixed in the dlc because you get to go on a 1 hour advanture with meaningful choises - hence the high score)
    The game including DLC is almost a 10. But without it, there is a shell of a game, growing big pokemons aren't that fun, mega evolutions did this better, even if they only gave a select few new megas, it would be a lot more appealing and better from a strategy point of view. pokemons are capable of reaching high level instantly which sounds good on paper but it's not since it breaks the game. Pokemons in the DLC should all be level 90+ or otherwize your fully leveled up pokemons will never have a situation which requires strategy.
    I am struggling to give base pokemon a score, Just know that if you buy pokemon without DLC you get a shell of a game, if a full game gets 10, then I think a shell of a game should get 4. The recycled animations and the missing pokedex and the teachable moves blocked behind a paywall, 2 versions of the same game in 2019, low effort if you don't take into account the DLC which is clearly a cut content that was sold later because of greed.
    Pokemon without DLC = 4
    Pokemon with DLC = 10
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  51. Sep 19, 2020
    3
    A huge downgrade to the Pokemon series, and not for nostalgia reasons. There are so many bugs and dropped features leaking throughout this mess, which is unacceptable for a huge company with a highly anticipated game like Nintendo.
  52. Jul 18, 2020
    0
    I played all Pokémon games until the sixth generation, and it's amazing how Nintendo can saturate its games to the point where they become garbage. Pokémon was the franchise that most marked my childhood, but this game is a complete disrespect to fans.
  53. May 29, 2021
    1
    Es un juego pésimo primero de todo es juego es SUPER fácil ya al comenzar te dan una cantidad de dinero absurda segundo el repartir XP es un desastre ya que entre el repartidor, los absurdos caramelos de XP y los pokemons a niveles absurdos en el área salvaje tu equipo siempre va a ir tipo 10 niveles por encima de los enemigos aparte de eso casi todos los npc te regalan items por la caraEs un juego pésimo primero de todo es juego es SUPER fácil ya al comenzar te dan una cantidad de dinero absurda segundo el repartir XP es un desastre ya que entre el repartidor, los absurdos caramelos de XP y los pokemons a niveles absurdos en el área salvaje tu equipo siempre va a ir tipo 10 niveles por encima de los enemigos aparte de eso casi todos los npc te regalan items por la cara después la historia es una mierda primero de todo no hay ningún equipo villano porque me rehusó a llamar equipo villano a la mierda de team gel o como se diga y el villano final no tiene sentido porque como la crisis pasara dentro de 1000 años en ese tiempo la tecnología podría mejorar y solucionar todo aparte cuando lo vences el te APLAUDE wtf le acabas de arruinar el plan y el se alegra wtf aparte de eso es el juego con las rutas mas simples y lineales el 99% de ellas son puro pasillo aparte de eso tira a la mierda a los movimientos z a la megaevolucion y al ultravuelo para agregar a putos pokemons grandes por cierto los gráficos son asquerosos parecen de 3ds sin mencio lo unico bueno del juego es el competitivo Expand
  54. Nov 4, 2021
    2
    So basically, I came back to this game every 3 months starting from it's release to counter the nostalgia it could have on me. And my opinion was only getting lower and lower : this game is basically garbage.

    I wanted to wait and see if this game had something to propose me more than just basically following a linear story that's among the worst written I've ever lived. No. Pure
    So basically, I came back to this game every 3 months starting from it's release to counter the nostalgia it could have on me. And my opinion was only getting lower and lower : this game is basically garbage.

    I wanted to wait and see if this game had something to propose me more than just basically following a linear story that's among the worst written I've ever lived. No. Pure disappointment was what was waiting for me at the end.

    GAMEPLAY : In this game, you basically litterally ANNIHILATE every single opponent because it keeps giving you levels just live an Alzheimer striken grandma would give you candies EVERY.SINGLE.MINUTE. This became ridiculous to the point where I had a lv100 Charizard at the FOURTH badge.

    LOOKS : The graphics lose in front of pretty much every 3D game on Switch. It hurts when you tell yourself BOTW was already around 2 years old at this time. I think even games on new 3DS were looking better (and Wii U of course).

    STORY : This is at the level of a fanfic...written by a 8 year old who wouldn't even be the first of his class, more like low-average. All characters seems stupid or have only one trait of personnality.

    MUSIC : Only the Gym Leader theme is memorable, the rest is no more than forgettable.

    I think 2 or 3 is appropriate (on 10). I was hoping they would learn the lesson to better Legends Arceus but from what I've seen, it doesn't go this way. Of course they wouldn't change, everyone keeps buying. This license is pretty much dead in my heart.
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  55. Feb 28, 2021
    5
    Boring and uninspired Pokémon game and is a major letdown although some of the new Pokémon are relatively cool and still not able to change the camera angle for **** sake
  56. Apr 4, 2021
    3
    1) The Good:
    - It's a pokemon game after all, if you liked the previous games, at some degree you will like this one too;
    - The soundtrack is great; - The pokemon design. 2) The Bad; - No challenge at all; - Too many exp items; - Too short; - No side quests; - No option to turn off the exp. share item; - Too linear and no exploration at all; - Unfinished graphics - The
    1) The Good:
    - It's a pokemon game after all, if you liked the previous games, at some degree you will like this one too;
    - The soundtrack is great;
    - The pokemon design.

    2) The Bad;
    - No challenge at all;
    - Too many exp items;
    - Too short;
    - No side quests;
    - No option to turn off the exp. share item;
    - Too linear and no exploration at all;
    - Unfinished graphics - The Nintendo Switch could do A LOT better;
    - Poorly animated moves;
    - No National Pokedex;
    - Not dubbed;
    - The Wild Area is bland;
    - Graphics pop in;
    - An expensive game for what is delivered.
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  57. Nov 4, 2021
    5
    I was very excited for this game, but unfortunately it's one of the worst in the series. The gameplay changes are mostly bad. Cutscenes are too long and make you loose interest before the real play starts. I guess I have to wait for the next generation.
  58. May 10, 2021
    4
    El juego es directamente aburrido, desde la perspectiva de alguien que disfruta la inclusive poco desafiante dificultad de los juegos anteriores. Parte de la magia de los juegos de pokemon es esforzarse para que nuestros pokemones favoritos lleguen a un nivel digno para enfrentar al proximo gimnasio, y seguir jugando para tener un equipo fuerte y balanceado. En los demás juegos el tener unEl juego es directamente aburrido, desde la perspectiva de alguien que disfruta la inclusive poco desafiante dificultad de los juegos anteriores. Parte de la magia de los juegos de pokemon es esforzarse para que nuestros pokemones favoritos lleguen a un nivel digno para enfrentar al proximo gimnasio, y seguir jugando para tener un equipo fuerte y balanceado. En los demás juegos el tener un equipo que sobrepase las barreras de nivel de los adversarios es algo que toma bastante tiempo, inclusive en más recientes entregas donde se siente que dicha barrera de nivel se supera aún fácilmente. Este juego tiene un sistema de experiencia compartida que le da experiencia a los pokemones de tu equipo aunque no hayan entrado a batalla en ningún momento, lo que hace más fácil subir de nivel a tu equipo, solo que lo hace demasiado fácil. Jugando llegas hasta el punto en que tratas que los enfrentamientos si quiera sean desafiantes, pues el juego te da demasiadas herramientas para subir el nivel de los pokemones haceindo muy fácil el superar a lo enemigos. Inclusive sin recurrir a estas herramientas como los campamentos pokemon, los caramelos, o si quiera enfrentando pokemones salvajes, el desarrollo de tu equipo es muy rápido solo con los enfrentamientos obligatorios, lo cual hace muy aburrido el juego en sí. Además, la historia es demasiado simple y aburrida, sobre todo también porque ninguno de los enemigos que te enfrentaras verdaderamente será complicado, casi ni te lo puedes tomar en serio. Además, es un buen agregado que muchos de los pokemones dificiles de conseguir en otras generaciones sean más sencillos de obtener por los tradeos, sin embargo, el sistema de trading no tiene ningún filtro ni si quiera un sistema de valor y equivalencia. Puedes conseguir un Mewtwo por un pidgey desde el primer segundo del juego, y lo más probable es que la mayoría de intercambios sean de dichas características, lo que el sentido de tener un pokemon raro. Además, de la misma forma puedes intercambiar un pokemon valioso y obtener un rattata, lo cual hace a los intercambios prácticamente un sin sentido. Además queda aclarar que no se encuentran todos los pokemones, hablando de una gran cantidad de ellos faltantes. El mundo abierto casi no tiene nada, parece que se enfocaron mucho en ello pero parece todo lo mismo. No se siente un verdadera apego con el juego, es directamente aburrido, no da ganas de jugarlo después de sus primeras impresiones, tratarás de convencerte de jugar pero con el tiempo solo aburre. Expand
  59. May 27, 2021
    1
    This game has no exploration or treasure hunting or adventure. They have destroyed what makes pokemon fun. I used to love when I would get lost or sometimes lose pokemon battles in the originals. This game is painfully easy. Not just easy, its painfully easy. Its awkward to play. If you didn't like pokemon sun then you will also not like this one, they are very similar
  60. Jun 12, 2021
    2
    The online game is trash balanced play with cheats or play if you feel lucky game freak in 100 years will not balance the game sto buying this game until they change something.
  61. Oct 28, 2021
    0
    With an impeccable story, Pokemon Sword and Shield is a fantastic experience, with lots of replay value too. Also, there is a good number of Pokemon, a very good thing.
  62. Nov 14, 2021
    0
    Malisimo, la distancia de dibujado es horrenda. No se lo recomiendo ni a mi peor enemigo
  63. Nov 18, 2021
    2
    So unfortunate to see a dexcut, hand holding, lack of interesting plot and introduction of Dynamax, a worse gimmick than Mega evolution. Overall subpar compared to all other Poke-titles.
  64. Nov 21, 2021
    2
    Look, it wasnt trash, however it was not at all great, and THE STORY IS NON EXISTING
  65. Nov 22, 2021
    0
    Too bad. Gen 7 has great because it has about 900 species. But Sword & Shield has only 400 species. My favorite Pokemon is Greninja, But I can't use it. I'm so sad.
  66. Jul 7, 2022
    3
    I DO NOT RECOMMEND

    THE GOOD Thoroughly enjoyable gameplay loop, as always. Not much else, sadly. THE BAD Absolutely no refining or adapting anything whatsoever. Gamefreak have become the EA of Nintendo and it shows. They should be ashamed of themselves. THE UGLY Again, shoddy technical performance. Sub-par frame rate for a game of this visual design/constraints. Surprising
    I DO NOT RECOMMEND

    THE GOOD
    Thoroughly enjoyable gameplay loop, as always.
    Not much else, sadly.

    THE BAD
    Absolutely no refining or adapting anything whatsoever.
    Gamefreak have become the EA of Nintendo and it shows.
    They should be ashamed of themselves.

    THE UGLY
    Again, shoddy technical performance.
    Sub-par frame rate for a game of this visual design/constraints.
    Surprising lack of content for a recent game.
    Makes the GBA Pokemon games look appealing by comparison.
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  67. Nov 15, 2019
    2
    Honestly just an unfinished cash grab game, I've always been a fan of the games but for the first time I will (and recommend others too as well) be skipping on this one.
  68. Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Honestly, the game is not all negatives.
    While this review is low, we'll get to why in a moment, this isn't just part of some bomb.
    Pros: The game isn't completely unplayable, there's some good in there. -The game has great Pokemon designs. Creativity abounds, with everything from a group of little Kirby-like soldiers that fight as one to an alien-like witch with tentacles. -There's
    Honestly, the game is not all negatives.
    While this review is low, we'll get to why in a moment, this isn't just part of some bomb.
    Pros: The game isn't completely unplayable, there's some good in there.
    -The game has great Pokemon designs. Creativity abounds, with everything from a group of little Kirby-like soldiers that fight as one to an alien-like witch with tentacles.
    -There's some good QoL features added, such as nature changing items and increased vitamin limit, plus reduced level grinding if you do the (rather easy) raids.
    -A few neat compromises, such as the inclusion of both overworld and random encounters.
    Cons: While the list goes on much more than this, I'm sure the other reviews have quite a thorough explanation, so I'll keep it brief, at 5 points or less.
    -The dex cut. Regardless of what you think of it, this is removing what was known as a series staple.
    -Bugs. As of this writing, there's apparently a dangerous autosave bug that could result in data loss.
    -Low content. I'm not talking about the length of the story here, but rather the fact that the game uses the Wild Area to patch up how little content the rest of the game has, even compared to some of the 3DS games.
    -Finally, the game doesn't really have much in the way of engaging fights and just isn't as immersive overall. While there is one uniquely interesting fight that I will not spoil here, it falls more to just watching CPUs fight for you.

    Overall, the game just isn't terribly good. It's not worthy of a 1 or 2 for sure, as there are some good points, but for now, it will have to stay at 3. The length isn't much of an issue as some may say it is, because it's not too much shorter than average, but the Wild Area feels disappointingly flat and bland, and there's not enough content to make up for the removed content or even ignoring that, it's just not something I'd recommend getting for full price, especially as someone who's not supremely rich and has to pick and choose carefully when buying expensive Switch games like this. There's not enough bang for your buck with these games. Do yourself a favor and shop around for another game before choosing this one, and if you HAVE to get this because it's Pokemon, I'd at least say postpone the purchase until they iron out that save bug or it becomes available for a little cheaper.
    Cheers, and happy hunting (for a different game that is).
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  69. Nov 15, 2019
    3
    The game it's just like the 3DS entries, doesn't evolve in anything, too short and the Wild Area looks horrible
    Poor story, poor postgame and the dexit it's another factor for rate the quality of this cut gaming
    And pop in exist in the entire game
    A unnecesary pokémon game
  70. Nov 15, 2019
    3
    I play Pokemon mostly for the collecting, breeding and shiny hunting. I had really hoped to play this, despite all the various negative issues, but If I can't keep all the ones I've collected so far, there's no point.. I don't want my hard earned shinies to sit in limbo because they can't be used in Sword and Shield.
  71. Nov 16, 2019
    4
    I've been a avid player since 6 years old and ever since X and y it's been pretty hard to stay interested in this franchise. Don't get me wrong pokemon will always have it's fun moments but I deffenatly believe the franchise has been in a decline. Pokemon sword and shield has a few good moments and I enjoy the new pokemon but it feels rushed and many good features were removed like pokemonI've been a avid player since 6 years old and ever since X and y it's been pretty hard to stay interested in this franchise. Don't get me wrong pokemon will always have it's fun moments but I deffenatly believe the franchise has been in a decline. Pokemon sword and shield has a few good moments and I enjoy the new pokemon but it feels rushed and many good features were removed like pokemon and moves. The switch has many better titles worth the 60$ unlike this game. Expand
  72. Nov 15, 2019
    6
    This game is not the game for long-standing Pokemon fans that was promised last year. Few of the new features are new. This should have been a game similar in scope to other Nintendo franchise on the Switch, but it really isn't. Ultimately, this is just another Pokemon game. Hopefully next year the game will be improved, as this release feels half baked.

    The positives: +A minimum of 20
    This game is not the game for long-standing Pokemon fans that was promised last year. Few of the new features are new. This should have been a game similar in scope to other Nintendo franchise on the Switch, but it really isn't. Ultimately, this is just another Pokemon game. Hopefully next year the game will be improved, as this release feels half baked.

    The positives:
    +A minimum of 20 hours of new adventure
    +New Pokemon
    +Raids
    +Overworld Pokemon!
    +Game is Pokemon and includes many Pokemon you have always loved
    +Breeding made even more approachable, allowing more people to dip into the competition
    +Game will likely maintain the majority of its sale price for at least a year
    +Dynamax adds an interesting fusion of megas and z moves

    The negatives:
    -Overworld Pokemon are currently not capable of being shiny
    -Half of all Pokemon removed, including many days favorites like Greninja, Dragonite, and Metagross. Even Arceus is removed.
    -Roughly 150 moves removed. Most of these are irrelevant, but there are some very notable removals that threaten the balance and encourage rain teams more than ever, which were very strong already.
    -the endgame is essentially just the battle tower and raids. Something larger would have been nice.
    -GTS REMOVED
    -Game feels incredibly unpolished, including many bugs
    -no ability to set difficulty of game or turn off experience share, or turn off the forced healing given at ever corner. Game is incredibly easy as a result. You will find yourself bored.
    -Very few routes
    -No real dungeons
    -The removal of megas and z moves. Megas were incredible because they turned awkward Pokemon into powerhouses, fixing many of their flaws and making them finally usable. Gigantamax essentially reset this important progress.

    Overall, this game is fun for the 20 hours it lasts, but for its price and console, it really leaves you wanting a lot more. The game as a whole feels half baked. 6/10
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  73. Nov 19, 2019
    2
    I was really disappointed with the animations, the music and the length of the game. For a $80 game I don't see the amount of polish as it should be.

    I am not even annoyed by the culling of pokemon.
  74. Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Pokemon Sword and shield is a decent game at best, And an abomination otherwise. With casualized gameplay, things such as exp sharing, early max revives, HMs being removed, Level locking and more, I can't be anything but disappointed. I give this game a 4 because it's playable and fun. But it loses those 6 points because of the flaws. -400+ pokemon were removed from the game. I don't carePokemon Sword and shield is a decent game at best, And an abomination otherwise. With casualized gameplay, things such as exp sharing, early max revives, HMs being removed, Level locking and more, I can't be anything but disappointed. I give this game a 4 because it's playable and fun. But it loses those 6 points because of the flaws. -400+ pokemon were removed from the game. I don't care about the graphics, but excuses for removing them are false. For hardcore fans, this game is a huge letdown. They're catering far too much to a young, lazy, and casual audience. Expand
  75. Nov 17, 2019
    2
    The game is such a dissapointment. Gamefreak straight out deceived the customers.

    They were supposed to work in brand new animations and models of Pokemon to try to justify cutting the National Pokedex but they failed. They recycled assets. The game difficulty is a joke. I finished the game in less than 20 hours. Barebones endgame content. The "Wild Area" is an embarresment for
    The game is such a dissapointment. Gamefreak straight out deceived the customers.

    They were supposed to work in brand new animations and models of Pokemon to try to justify cutting the National Pokedex but they failed. They recycled assets.

    The game difficulty is a joke. I finished the game in less than 20 hours.

    Barebones endgame content.

    The "Wild Area" is an embarresment for a supposed AAA game (too tiny).

    They even have the nerve of charging $60 for this.

    Avoid it all costs.
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  76. Nov 16, 2019
    1
    Se esperaba mucho de este videojuego sin embargo resultó peor de lo esperado con muchos problemas
  77. Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Extremely disappointing. Considering every other flagship title on the Switch, this is nowhere near their level. A barren wild area as opposed to BoTW's lush open world, the game freezing and crashing, objects popping in compared to seeing practically the whole world from the starting player and music just not being there in some of the most "climactic" moments! This is without evenExtremely disappointing. Considering every other flagship title on the Switch, this is nowhere near their level. A barren wild area as opposed to BoTW's lush open world, the game freezing and crashing, objects popping in compared to seeing practically the whole world from the starting player and music just not being there in some of the most "climactic" moments! This is without even mentioning the majority of Pokemon being cut but the same models and animations being used, the lack of any enjoyable challenge and only straight lines to follow, no complexity at all. I want a refund.

    At least the trainer customisation is nice.
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  78. Nov 17, 2019
    2
    I was very disappointed with the game. I expected my but playing a pokemon game I don't know why i ever had my hopes up
  79. Nov 18, 2019
    0
    it’s trash, don’t buy it, game freak is a liar and the whole game is incomplete with a toxic fanbase
  80. Nov 15, 2019
    1
    Awful graphics, awful controls, awful camera and bad theme. This is a pretty mediocre release in every way. Graphics are like welcome to five years ago. Were they blindfolded when making the camera? Main character is boring. Hopefully this is the last game in the series.
  81. Nov 15, 2019
    3
    I want a refund for this game and I am not getting one. I feel scammed. This game is medriocre for a switch game but it could be ok for a handheld I guess.

    There is no voice acting, there is only one save file, the landscape and graphics are not breathtaking and the combat system is awful, so awful and dull and uninspired. I was expecting something different. I am no longer buying
    I want a refund for this game and I am not getting one. I feel scammed. This game is medriocre for a switch game but it could be ok for a handheld I guess.

    There is no voice acting, there is only one save file, the landscape and graphics are not breathtaking and the combat system is awful, so awful and dull and uninspired.

    I was expecting something different. I am no longer buying anything from Gamefreak. At least they should have released a demo so we could see how bad it was.
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  82. Nov 15, 2019
    3
    The game does not live up to the current standards for games, has no content and is an insult to pokemon fans.
  83. Nov 15, 2019
    3
    Yes, there are new features in this game that are great. With that said NOTHING will make up for the damage that removing the National Dex will do to the franchise, now or moving forward. Pokemon games are now more expensive, with fewer creatures and more bugs.
    With that out of the way, I believe that all criticism should be constructive, so here are some suggestions for the developers on
    Yes, there are new features in this game that are great. With that said NOTHING will make up for the damage that removing the National Dex will do to the franchise, now or moving forward. Pokemon games are now more expensive, with fewer creatures and more bugs.
    With that out of the way, I believe that all criticism should be constructive, so here are some suggestions for the developers on how to improve the games moving forward.

    1. Stop removing beloved Pokemon from the games. Removing Pokemon from a core game is antithetical to everything the series stood for over the years. Past pokemon games were about bonding with mystical creatures and exploring a dangerous, fantastical region with these friends. The new ones are about capturing “friends” and trying to bond with them so you can throw them aside as soon as the newest Pokemon game decides to cut them from the dex. Not quite the same is it? Also, I know this next point is made a lot, but it is valid. The catchphrase of the series is “Got to catch them all”. This game does not have HUNDREDS of “em all” in it. I don’t mean there are pokemon you can not encounter, there are hundreds you are not allowed to play with, even if you have them in Pokemon home/ Pokebank. This is, in fact, the only “core” game that activity stops you from having “em all” in over a decade. When your catchphrase is no longer applicable to your games, you have taken a misstep.

    2. Please make a “hard mode” available in future games. To older players, these newer games (gen 6-8) can be fun but they are nowhere near as fun or challenging as the older games are. Adding an optional hard mode would engage older fans while still allowing younger fans to enjoy the games on normal difficulty.

    3. This game is buggy. It appears that it was rushed out. I get it, deadlines are awful. But a company as well monied as the Pokeman company should have the manpower to put out games that are complete and near bug-free. They gained that money by building a reputation as a company that only created great games. I still play pokemon games from Gens 3-5 and I’m blown away by how good they are. I expect incomplete nonsense from Activision or Bethesda, not Game Freak.

    And finally, I will talk about the aspects of this game that I like. Adding automatic floats to the bike is an amazing idea. Good job there. Many of the new Pokemon designs are cool and the Dynamaxing/Gigmaxing component of the games is not awful. For these reasons, my score is not a 0.
    On the off chance that anyone who works on the game sees this review, thank you for seeking out criticism. One of the most honorable actions a person can take is to acknowledge their mistakes and to learn from them.
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  84. Nov 17, 2019
    2
    Little innovation compared to previews game. Cut 55% of all Pokemon and game is VERY easy
  85. Nov 15, 2019
    6
    If you just want a main line Pokémon game that isn't Let's Go, this will just do it.

    It's definitely not the game we need, nor it's the game Game Freak needed to launch, but if you just want a new Pokémon generation, Sword and Shield will just do the job this year. Or you could just wait a year and see if they launch a revision or a Diamond/Pearl/Platinum remake. You decide, but keep in
    If you just want a main line Pokémon game that isn't Let's Go, this will just do it.

    It's definitely not the game we need, nor it's the game Game Freak needed to launch, but if you just want a new Pokémon generation, Sword and Shield will just do the job this year. Or you could just wait a year and see if they launch a revision or a Diamond/Pearl/Platinum remake. You decide, but keep in mind that outside of a few interesting lore bits on the campaign, this is just more Pokédex completion and online battles until you get bored of it and wait for the next game in the series. One thing is true though: a new engine, tailor-made for the Switch is, now more than ever, a necessity and not a luxury. I don't think this 3DS engine will cut it in a few years.
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  86. Nov 16, 2019
    4
    I’ve enjoyed to online features, gyms and league cards. However I dislike the wild area, lacking postgame, and with the reduction of dex the competitive scene will be less diverse. So for my score: Gamefreak gave us than half the dex so they deserve less than half the score.
  87. Nov 16, 2019
    5
    Some QoL improvements, but not what you would expect from a AAA game on the switch in 2019. Lots of graphical issues, cant catch them all, no voice acting.
  88. Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Pokemon will always be good but never be GREAT. Catching the new mons (which I think are pretty well designed) and interacting with the pretty diverse cast of characters while you battle through eight gyms is a fairly failsafe formula that has always been enjoyable. Unsurprisingly Pokemon Sword checks all these boxes and is a certainly enjoyable playthrough. However, once one attempts toPokemon will always be good but never be GREAT. Catching the new mons (which I think are pretty well designed) and interacting with the pretty diverse cast of characters while you battle through eight gyms is a fairly failsafe formula that has always been enjoyable. Unsurprisingly Pokemon Sword checks all these boxes and is a certainly enjoyable playthrough. However, once one attempts to try to enforce their own playstyle or control the game constantly frustrates at every turn. Having plodding linear progression with limited options for things like exp share one feels rather talked down to by gamefreak. These certainly are childrens games but methinks the company is underselling how smart kids can be and what they can pick up on. After the main game is completed is where the bulk of my complaints come to. This game has the least number of routes in any mainline pokemon game with very few being postgame content. There is a short (2 3 hour) story mission where you capture the third legendary, and there is a lackluster battle tower (with no bosses) and then of course completing the pokedex. No other legendaries no significant geographical locations significant enough to engross for any long period of time. No mount silver, no white forest, nothing. With development of videogames on a whole being hard more expensive and more time consuming, game freak may be damned if they continue down this path. Releasing one game a year worked for them for a while, but the cracks and poor management are starting to show and I don't know how long they will be able to slide by with a lackluster product. Especially for 60$ 5/10 BUY IT USED IF AT ALL Expand
  89. Nov 15, 2019
    4
    The base game of any pokemon game is fun because capturing and battling all these amazing mods is fun! Unfortunately that's the only good thing about Pokemon Sword and Shield. There is nothing about these games that makes them improvements over earlier iterations of the series. They have stripped many features and have not made the effort to make Pokemon's first major appearance on a homeThe base game of any pokemon game is fun because capturing and battling all these amazing mods is fun! Unfortunately that's the only good thing about Pokemon Sword and Shield. There is nothing about these games that makes them improvements over earlier iterations of the series. They have stripped many features and have not made the effort to make Pokemon's first major appearance on a home console amazing. So unfortunately I have to rate this game negatively as once again it makes no effort to improve upon previous iterations. Expand
  90. Nov 17, 2019
    2
    I had high hopes for this game, but playing it was very uncomfortable. Pokemon are scaled incorrectly in battle (Pokemon Let's go had proper scaling),Pokemon still don't flap their wings, frame-rate issues and the draw distance is pitiful. Mega evolution was cut, the national dex was cut and several moves are no longer usable, shooting competitive players in the foot. The overall gameplayI had high hopes for this game, but playing it was very uncomfortable. Pokemon are scaled incorrectly in battle (Pokemon Let's go had proper scaling),Pokemon still don't flap their wings, frame-rate issues and the draw distance is pitiful. Mega evolution was cut, the national dex was cut and several moves are no longer usable, shooting competitive players in the foot. The overall gameplay itself would be fine if we hadn't had any better before. So many good ideas are present, but all fall short. When Pokemon Camp is more entertaining than the base game, you've definitely messed up. There's a large disconnect between Camping and battling, in Camp the Pokemon are very lively and show that they are alive. In battles, the Pokemon more resemble some sort of action figure. Other than the developers blatant lying about the game, there are a myriad of smaller details missing. Things like Pokemon producing a ripple effect in the water and team Yell being about as interesting as a sack of potatoes.
    This i not a game for dedicated fans, this is a game for people who came from Let's go. The Pokemon series has always been directed toward children, but has always been at least accessible to those who have been dedicated to the series.

    In summary: Players of Let's go and a new generation of kids will find this game acceptable, experienced players dedicated to the franchise shouldn't buy this, you will be disappointed.
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  91. Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Lousy graphics and animation in places!
    Laggy in places!
    Several launch day and pre-launch day
    bugs and glitches.
    A sad day for the franchise.
    Less quality and content with a higher price
    tag
  92. Nov 16, 2019
    4
    This is the worst game in the series. The animation and graphics are too inconsistent. The story is a rehash of Sun ans Moon. If you are looking for a new pokemon game, avoid this and wait until Gamefreak gets their act together.
  93. Nov 16, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pro: Very good story and characters Con:First of all: some of the new pokemon are TERRIBLE. After completing the story you can clearly tell that a lot of them are in the game just for their dynamax form.
    Wild lands are only a "safari zone" and I'm 90% sure they didn't even tested the dynamax raid. HOW CAN YOU DEFEAT A RAID IF YOUR AI ALLIES KEEP HEALING THE BOSS (es: water moves on a pokemon that can absorb water type moves) AND HE HAS 4X4 BARRIERS + A S**T TON OF HP?? PLUS HE CAN ATTACK TWICE AND ONESHOT YOUR ALLY POKEMON! WTF?! Not to mention that AI's pokemons use moves like a wild pokemon would do (totally random, sometimes the move has no effect on that situation etc.) Making impossible to destroy barriers in the time limit and defeat any high level raid.
    Post-Game becomes very boring after the first 3 dynamax bosses and can't clearly be compared to the good main campaign.
    No national pokedex means no real competitive game, so I'm not even motivated in keep playing.
    The "camping" thing is only a minigame that last 1 min and just heal your party.

    Conclusion: it's a new game that fails in every new mechanics, removing some of the best one of the predecessor. Characters and the main story are good, but that's it. No replay value, boring post-game, no complete pokedex. For a 70 dollar game it's bad.
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  94. Nov 17, 2019
    0
    Garbage. Nintendo should buy out the shares for Pokemon and get a new developer. Game freak deserves to be dissolved over this rushed game that is devoid of content and looks like it was a port from the 3DS.
  95. Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Hey, if loved the 3ds games of pokemon, this is the perfect game for you, pretty much just got a horrible face-lift you will feel right at home in 2011, because they look just like an upscaled version of them just 30$ more expensive with less content, what an offer!
    Seems like the developers are unable to provide a 2019 RPG with graphics on par to other Nintendo titles. (Breath of the
    Hey, if loved the 3ds games of pokemon, this is the perfect game for you, pretty much just got a horrible face-lift you will feel right at home in 2011, because they look just like an upscaled version of them just 30$ more expensive with less content, what an offer!
    Seems like the developers are unable to provide a 2019 RPG with graphics on par to other Nintendo titles. (Breath of the wild, Luigis mansion, etc)
    The experience is linear, the game suffers from terrible frame rate connected to the internet, the render distance is almost non existing.
    They tried making an average game, and they succeeded. It's sad having a great Idea and slowly killing it by doing mediocre work and not putting the right amount of resources to create something that will take the pokemon franchise to another level.
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  96. Nov 16, 2019
    0
    Too many cut things, game looks unpolished, unfinished and rushed, sad cause i had high hopes
  97. Nov 17, 2019
    0
    I don't find sufficient differences between Sun and Moon and these games, basically the same with better graphics. You guys could have done so much more, I was expecting an open world like Zelda Breath of Wild, the wild areas and remove random encounters is not enough for me.
  98. Nov 17, 2019
    4
    This is probably the least enjoyable playthrough of pokemon to date. You simply go from gym to gym. There are no caves to explore or team rocket to fight. It feels more akin to pokemon Colosseum than a flagship entry in the series. I can accept the smaller pokemon pool but the game just isnt fun
  99. Nov 17, 2019
    4
    It has a lot of little improvements over previous games and makes some interesting premises with some of the ideas it implements but massively cuts back on features in past games which were actually good, plus the overall game comes off as incredibly short plot wise and underwhelming in terms of girth of traditional content (route and dungeon variety). It also doesn't help that the gameIt has a lot of little improvements over previous games and makes some interesting premises with some of the ideas it implements but massively cuts back on features in past games which were actually good, plus the overall game comes off as incredibly short plot wise and underwhelming in terms of girth of traditional content (route and dungeon variety). It also doesn't help that the game more or less encourages you to just play solely with your starter since your other 'mon will get exp from battles anyhow so there's no point in swapping out since everyone will be kept at similar levels unless you pick up an exceptionally low leveled late game Pokemon which even then you can now boost with exp. candies which is a nice feature addition although makes more sense as a post-game item and should be a crutch on which the game can lean on due to a poor level curve. Expand
  100. Nov 17, 2019
    3
    Bad graphics, bad animations, no voice acting (c'mon, it's about time) reused models and 60% of Pokémon cut.
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 87
  2. 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. 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.
  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]