Pokemon Sword

 Switch
User Score
4.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 5909 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,997 out of 5909
  2. Mixed: 852 out of 5909
  3. Negative: 3,060 out of 5909
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  1. Sorrelfur
    Mar 25, 2020
    1
    Got to be honest this game disappointed me. I love the series and I've played every single game. I got both sword and shield and I wanted to play both. But after play shield I regretted my decision so much. The map is insanely small, there's not a full pokedex. And the worst of them all the expansion. That is disgusting on Nintendos part and it screams money hungry. Should've know with howGot to be honest this game disappointed me. I love the series and I've played every single game. I got both sword and shield and I wanted to play both. But after play shield I regretted my decision so much. The map is insanely small, there's not a full pokedex. And the worst of them all the expansion. That is disgusting on Nintendos part and it screams money hungry. Should've know with how crappy the game was that they were planning this. 60 bucks is NOT worth it and neither is the expansion. You shouldn't have to pay like 100 dollars to play a decent pokemon game. Nintendo needs to reevaluate themselves and this decision.… Expand
  2. AntiArmys120
    Jun 22, 2020
    0
    No pusieron a bidoof y ademas pusieron mucho pasto y poco contenido, pero lo peor es que recortaron media pokedex para darla en dlc (ni siquiera pusieron a bidoof x2)
  3. MANXMAN76
    Aug 31, 2021
    4
    This game was and is still soooo unfinished everything about this speaks rushed most of the game is just the sun and moon scripted reused as well as every asset from that gen just copied over this is by far one of the worst pokemon games to release to date with so many removals from mechanics to even pokemon hell we had pokemon follow you in let's go but we have to buy DLC to be able toThis game was and is still soooo unfinished everything about this speaks rushed most of the game is just the sun and moon scripted reused as well as every asset from that gen just copied over this is by far one of the worst pokemon games to release to date with so many removals from mechanics to even pokemon hell we had pokemon follow you in let's go but we have to buy DLC to be able to have pokemon follow you in specific areas this was a blatant cash grab what we need is more time on mainstream pokemon games and have bigger teams pokemon is the biggest grossing franchise in the world and it all started from videogames and least amount of effort is being put into the franchise is the games the new BDSP remakes and legends games look so bland and boring that I don't have faith in this game franchise anymore but look at Pokkén Tournament and snap they are what a mainstream Pokemon game should look like and not a cash grab… Expand
  4. Danbearz3
    Feb 11, 2021
    6
    Man ... this isn’t a bad game ... by any means ... but as far as a Pokémon game goes .. it’s just too damn easy !! Come on Nintendo like ... Pokémon is already easy ... stop making it easier . Stop taking out cool **** . Stop with the bull**** dlc ... idk ... I’ll still play it cus it’s the newest Pokémon game and it’s where most of my Pokémon are ... but there needs to be more of anMan ... this isn’t a bad game ... by any means ... but as far as a Pokémon game goes .. it’s just too damn easy !! Come on Nintendo like ... Pokémon is already easy ... stop making it easier . Stop taking out cool **** . Stop with the bull**** dlc ... idk ... I’ll still play it cus it’s the newest Pokémon game and it’s where most of my Pokémon are ... but there needs to be more of an endgame / postgame ... more like x and y or gold and silver ... I want more of a challenge . Also the music in this one is just not that great .. kinda annoying . And the graphics could be wayyyyy better .... like Pokémon colosseum had more impressive graphics ... for the time it came out .. and then the fact all the Pokémon aren’t even in it I mean come on ... next Pokémon game needs to be better . Way better… Expand
  5. Niwai
    Jun 11, 2021
    2
    Нет русского языка. Игра и так не шедевр, а без русского вообще шлак. Русский язык третий в мире, но разработчику пофиг.
  6. NotShiny
    Jun 27, 2020
    0
    I've bought this game because I was hyped for a new generation. However, I can't get an egg shiny. It depress me that this game is so bad that it can't let me get a shiny. Gamefreak pls fix ur game. #BringBackNationalDex
  7. martinho_99
    Feb 7, 2021
    1
    This is just a pure impudence! A game with grafics from the early 2010s, 20h story, no voice actors and only this few pokemons for the same price as AAA Games like God of war or RDR2?? Don't even talking about the poorly designed new Pokemon, the unnecessary Gigamax or raids. Additionally it is far too easy, difficulty settings would be soooo necessary. I know you can't compare Nintendo toThis is just a pure impudence! A game with grafics from the early 2010s, 20h story, no voice actors and only this few pokemons for the same price as AAA Games like God of war or RDR2?? Don't even talking about the poorly designed new Pokemon, the unnecessary Gigamax or raids. Additionally it is far too easy, difficulty settings would be soooo necessary. I know you can't compare Nintendo to the high quality game studios of nowadays but with Breath of the wild, SM Galaxy or SM Odyssey they showed that they can make good games too. As a hardcore Pokemon fan from almost the very beginning I grew up having every game and tons of merchandise, but Pokemon lost me already years ago - the shows and the games. Zelda and Mario grew up as a frenchise but Pokemon is more childish and easier to play than ever. Make a good game, throw out all the annoying stuff that forces you to play the game longer without real content, bring back Mega Evolutions and move the whole thing into 2020s gameplay!… Expand
  8. Xephlogo
    Jul 26, 2020
    0
    This game is by far the worst mainline Pokémon game. There is no story, few Pokémon, dynamaxing is basically mega evolution but worse. The fact that the dlc, which costs $30 USD by the way, isn’t even worth is besides adding onto the Pokémon you can get in the game. At this time, the Isle of Armour has dropped and it only added around an hour of story to the game. 0/10 would not recommend
  9. Black_S
    Feb 28, 2022
    3
    Not acceptable. Many bugs, lies, DLCs etc.
    It is 3DS like game at switch for full price.
    Gamefreak is burned.
  10. gecowarrior
    May 11, 2021
    8
    the game could have a bit more content and story, but the pokemon basic was still there plus some innovation with the open-world part. I really enjoyed the game in basics and I think if you like pokemon or want to start getting into the series then buy the game (it's not sure worth the price)
    ist DLC is also good and many even better than the basic game.
  11. DaHomeaSimpzon
    Oct 28, 2020
    8
    Before I stated my thoughts on the game, I don't condone review bombing as they may have never played it before. The reason why I am making this is because the review bombing of the game on Metcritic just bothered everyone. I want to let you know I had played the game (Yes, I had both versions) and let me tell you the designs of the characters and the new Pokemon are great. If there thingsBefore I stated my thoughts on the game, I don't condone review bombing as they may have never played it before. The reason why I am making this is because the review bombing of the game on Metcritic just bothered everyone. I want to let you know I had played the game (Yes, I had both versions) and let me tell you the designs of the characters and the new Pokemon are great. If there things that Game Freak needs improve on is the National Dex (which they already did with the DLCs), the graphics, the storyline and other issues. Maybe an update would be perfect to improve the games. Even though I am bothered with the price of the game and the DLCs, it still hadn't stop me from liking Pokemon. Even though the games had some bad moments, Game Freak was trying their best as they can.… Expand
  12. ATamashiro
    Nov 3, 2020
    0
    This game is incomplete in many ways, bad graphics, animations, bugs, glitches and not worthy of a mainline pokemon game on switch. There is no excuse for making such a bad game.
  13. Petrokolos
    May 22, 2021
    0
    Nintendo's most boring, sterile, unimaginative IP. Only buy this if you want to punish your children for failing a class in school.
  14. Oreun
    Oct 11, 2021
    3
    El juego se siente vacío e inacabado. Las animaciones se ver pobres y no sirven como excusa para quitar unos 500 Pokémon. Una vez te pasas el juego principal, no tienes nada que hacer después. Desde luego los peores 60€ que he gastado en mi vida. Por favor Game Freak, recapacita.
  15. Jejeff
    Jan 23, 2021
    0
    Gamefreak stopped in 1996. Terrbile technical issues, animations and lacks challenge.
  16. Suza
    Jan 28, 2021
    0
    No good story
    No good visual
    No challenge
    No new good features
    No all pokemon
    Need Nintendo Online
    Need DLC
    Need Pokemon Home
    Why this game even existe.
  17. ladiebird
    Feb 24, 2021
    2
    I really wanted this game to work, but it didn't.

    I liked a couple things; the league tournament and new gyms were really nice. A lot of the new Pokemon are very interesting and well-designed, which makes me want to use them. The designs of many of the characters were also very good. Nessa, Bea, Hop, Bede and Marnie were some of my favourites, but their personalities didn't really live    I really wanted this game to work, but it didn't.

    I liked a couple things; the league tournament and new gyms were really nice. A lot of the new Pokemon are very interesting and well-designed, which makes me want to use them. The designs of many of the characters were also very good. Nessa, Bea, Hop, Bede and Marnie were some of my favourites, but their personalities didn't really live up to their designs in my opinion. That might be because the game lacks any interesting animations and voice acting, something which is really noticeable at certain points (at Piers' gym, for example). Finally, the character customisation is really nice, despite the fact that you can't customise your face, and at the start of the game your hair and eye colour has to be compatible with your skin (for some reason).

    A few of my main gripes:

    1. For a switch game, it's pretty ugly. I really liked some of the towns and one or two routes, but choppy animations, boring battle backgrounds and out-of-place animations ruin it. The wild area makes this especially obvious, with large empty areas, dark lighting, Pokemon popping into existence out of nowhere and weird looking trees. The berry trees look completely different from the normal ones, which is weird, but both are strange and look out of place beside the cleaner character models. The wild area itself is a fun addition, but would be a lot better if there was more effort put into it.

    2. The gameplay is about as repetitive as expected. There is barely any innovation on the traditional formula, which is sad, and the super-effective system makes things very easy, but the same can be said for every other Pokemon game before it. I know the game is mostly aimed at children, so I won't let the difficulty level affect my view too much, but it would be nice to have some kind of difficulty options. It's just not very fun, and leaves no room for interesting strategies.

    3. GameFreak was blatantly obvious about cutting corners to get this game out as fast as possible with a smaller team. I initially wasn't mad about Dexit (they probably have to cut Pokemon out at some point) but the (paid) DLC adds a lot of these Pokemon back in. DLC isn't worth the price tag, especially when you consider the game as a whole.

    For me, at least, SwSh was the final push I needed to stop buying new main-line Pokemon games. I didn't buy the Sun and Moon games because I was bored by Kalos, and wish I'd stuck to my guns for this title. Spend your money elsewhere.    … Expand
  18. sjc9495
    Mar 4, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I know there are a lot of mixed reviews for this game, but I personally love it. I love all the different pokemon from different regions, dynamaxing, etc. I loved it so much that I have 365 hours spent on this game. I love cooking and bonding with my pokemon, and the battles. The only problem I have with it is unless you have nintendo switch online, some of the dynamaxing battles because of bad AI take several times sometimes to beat. My pokemon that I use have good stat, good moves, and are really powerful, but I get teamed with AI's that use moves like follow me or just weak. I have to admit my least favorite pokemon to get teamed up with is wobbuffet. He is psychic, yet doesn't know any powerful moves unless he gets hit like counter& that's a fighting type move. I think the AI's should use better pokemon/ moves. I have had many occasions where I'm the only one standing and my "helpers," have died a lot on 5 star battles. If I was to personally tell the creators how to improve the game, it would be get smarter AI to help a little with five star battles.… Expand
  19. BigBoiBranby
    May 11, 2022
    3
    "Mum! I want a new Pokemon game!"
    "We have Pokemon at home."
    This is the Pokemon "at home", and nobody wants it. Its lacklustre, bland story can't save it from the dreadfully dull linear gameplay. Points are scored for the one and only saving grace, being the wild area, a semi open world where Pokemon magically pop out of the ground when you reach their draw distance and the scenery    "Mum! I want a new Pokemon game!"
    "We have Pokemon at home."

    This is the Pokemon "at home", and nobody wants it.
    Its lacklustre, bland story can't save it from the dreadfully dull linear gameplay.
    Points are scored for the one and only saving grace, being the wild area, a semi open world where Pokemon magically pop out of the ground when you reach their draw distance and the scenery is ripped straight out of a Nintendo 64 Zelda game.
    The animations and Pokemon models are simply upscaled version of the models from the 3DS, showing a distinct lack of effort on Gamefreaks part. This is just one of the many corners that have been cut in this game.
    I won't talk about the new Pokemon designs, because although there are a couple of good additions, the majority are instantly forgettable or so horrifically mashed together that they leave you questing existence itself.

    What you're left with is a hollow shell of a Pokemon game, dumbed down yet again in order to appeal to "a wider audience". No challenge, no originality and no heart put into creating it.

    A real shame.    … Expand
  20. GameBoyAdv4002
    Aug 26, 2021
    5
    This game was inevitable. A franchise whose growth is this this independent from its quality was destined get a game that squanders its potential and sells its soul to the infants. I am not a Pokemon fan. Judging by this game, I never will be. That might have had something to do with the fact that if you don't get into Pokemon between the ages of 9 and 14, you almost never will. But IThis game was inevitable. A franchise whose growth is this this independent from its quality was destined get a game that squanders its potential and sells its soul to the infants. I am not a Pokemon fan. Judging by this game, I never will be. That might have had something to do with the fact that if you don't get into Pokemon between the ages of 9 and 14, you almost never will. But I think it might have been due to the fact that a game like this was doomed to have happened ever since gen IV. Most of Pokemon's revenue comes from merchandise. Theoretically, all the Pokemon company needs to do is released a half-assed game every four years with a batch of new Pokemon designs. Can you tell where I am going with this? This game is not bad. But it is clear that Pokemon is now too big for quality. When the company can tell bald-faced lies and fail to update on a 20 year old formula and still create a best seller, it is clear that any hopes for this series are in the gutter.… Expand
  21. HappySylveon
    May 2, 2021
    10
    My favorite Pokemon game up to date, I did play the previous games but this one is just better overall, it's not amazing, just good, and the best main series Pokemon game in terms of features and the core aspect of pokemon gameplay, so it gets a 10/10.
    The only thing missing is a good story, but I'll let that slide as the DLC provides that, which you should totally get, especially crown tundra.
  22. danlol483
    May 9, 2021
    5
    Este juego se carga un poco la saga de Pokémon por obvias razones:
    ¡Hay muchos DLCs!
    Y lo mas importante...
    ¡La historia es demasiado sosa y estupida!
    No recomiendo mucho la compra de este juego.
  23. nickaer101
    May 11, 2021
    0
    love win a Pokémon that I'm fighting gets to to use 3 different moves before I get to use one is and the win you do get said Pokémon you can only use one so i see a **** game that just don't what you to have fun they only give you 2 master ball through out the whole ass game and then expect you to catch more legendary with out it win and then have to throw 200 ultra ball to get onelove win a Pokémon that I'm fighting gets to to use 3 different moves before I get to use one is and the win you do get said Pokémon you can only use one so i see a **** game that just don't what you to have fun they only give you 2 master ball through out the whole ass game and then expect you to catch more legendary with out it win and then have to throw 200 ultra ball to get one legendary for the mission for my short answer just don't buy waste of a $100 just play the old ones or newer games… Expand
  24. DrPebba
    May 13, 2021
    4
    this has to be the worst high budget game ive ever played, to quit the good stuff out of the way i have to say the game looks good, it has ok graphic in some parts but its inconsistent in other like the nintendo 64 trees, the new pokemon are ok i guess some of them have cool design like toxicitry and grimmnsnarl but most of them are forgettable and ok thats enough the lame parts, theythis has to be the worst high budget game ive ever played, to quit the good stuff out of the way i have to say the game looks good, it has ok graphic in some parts but its inconsistent in other like the nintendo 64 trees, the new pokemon are ok i guess some of them have cool design like toxicitry and grimmnsnarl but most of them are forgettable and ok thats enough the lame parts, they removed more than the half of species to improve graphics, funny how the graphics are just ok, the story is bad, short, and easy, the wild area is terrible, the pokemon are just unnatural they dissapear and the behavior is repetitve, there is nothing to explore and its just to small, the villages are tiny, even some 3ds towns are bigger, and overral the game could just be made for the 3ds if you downgrade the graphics and remove the wild area, there isnt anyything interesting to do when you beat it, the online you have to pay, yeah how fun and it isnt even good. then shortly after release they announce a dlc that could have been in the main game, no thanks. this isnt the worst game of all time, but from a rename company like nintendo its actually the worst rename game i have ever played. dont throw your 60 dollars away and use it on a better game… Expand
  25. Tiziown
    May 22, 2021
    0
    The worst game in the series, short, boring, plain story, plain characters, too many cuts and horrible addings like the Gigamax.
  26. Berd
    May 25, 2021
    0
    Short, bland, no content, and little innovation. Feels very barebones and not worth full price. Maybe $15
  27. Axomarine
    Aug 25, 2021
    5
    While Pokemon Sword and Shield share their version of an open-world game in the form of the Wild Area, it makes for the most forgettable characters and moments in the main series games.
  28. Burnhard
    Jul 4, 2021
    3
    This is, without a doubt, the weakest game in the whole series. It's even more linear than Ultra Sun, and it's about as easy as the Let's Go games.

    I know Pokemon games aren't meant to be very challenging, but there isn't one even slightly challenging moment in this game. The exp. share can no longer be turned off, which is a fine change for people who hate grinding (like me), but for    This is, without a doubt, the weakest game in the whole series. It's even more linear than Ultra Sun, and it's about as easy as the Let's Go games.

    I know Pokemon games aren't meant to be very challenging, but there isn't one even slightly challenging moment in this game. The exp. share can no longer be turned off, which is a fine change for people who hate grinding (like me), but for people who didn't like the modern exp. share, it must really suck for them.

    I never cared too much about the lack of a national dex (there are much bigger problems with the game), but it's still really lame how they didn't include all of the Pokemon in this new SWITCH game. Game Freak would rather have people pay for their favorite Pokemon alongside the game. It's consumer hostile. Aside from that, the game looks like they just up-scaled 3ds textures and models for the switch (and some of the textures still look like they're on 3ds). The character and Pokemon animations are either reused or just really basic. Speaking of reused character animations, the new rival, Hop, reuses a few animations that were used for Hau in the gen 7 games.

    Speaking of Hop, he is pretty much just a copy and paste of Hau, as he goes through a very similar and generic character arc of having initial high hopes about being a trainer, then being shot down toward the end, but somehow regaining his confidence because another person told him something off-screen. The rest of the characters in the game are just as one-dimensional, which is a shame because most of the character designs look really good.

    At least the game's music is pretty good... There we go, like that's hard for a Pokemon game to do.

    The reused Pokemon models (as well as the new ones) are good as well, as their colors were given much more saturation in this game, making them look miles better than the washed out, pixelated models from the 3ds games. That being said, it's just the same old 3d models from Gen 6, which was over 6 years old by the time this game came out.

    Moving on to the story, however, it sucks. It's pretty much just a copy of Sun and Moon's story, but way lazier. To tell it short: seemingly evil team isn't actually that evil, and the corporation chairman Rose runs is the bad team all along. Thing is, there is no build-up or anticipation for that twist like there was for Sun and Moon. The game would genuinely be better if there wasn't an evil team at all. If Game Freak wanted to keep Team Yell (the seemingly bad team that ends up actually helping the player), they shouldn't have made Chairman Rose the villain. It's a pointless and stupid twist that didn't need to be added.

    Notice how I've been saying "this game" instead of "these games"? It's because there are next to no differences between them, just like every other Pokemon game (yes, even the good Pokemon games suffer from this).

    I can't rate this game highly in good conscious. It's still a Pokemon game, and because of that, the game play is still kinda fun. However, the lack of any slight amount of challenge, content (if you don't bother with the DLC), and with almost everything else around the game play being poor make Sword/Shield the worst in the mainline series. I'd rather play the buggy original Red and Green versions from Japan.    … Expand
  29. capchaba
    Jul 14, 2021
    4
    This is by far one of the worst pokemon games ever. It still is a lot of the same thing but worse. The first game where it's impossible to fulfill the pokedex, the animation looks old, there are many indie companies that can do a better job than what game freak did to this game. Play it only if you are a pokefan. If you are new to the franchise, just skip it.
  30. gotas
    Jul 16, 2021
    8
    The game is very fun the region design and the music are amazing. The new Pokemons are not that good but are ok. The only thing i dont like is the vagueness of the developers for including such a small amount of Pokemons and the bad textures and animations.
  31. goodpoint
    Jul 19, 2021
    0
    Pokemon Sword is hands-down the worst use I have ever made of 60$.
    Half the game feels like an overbearing walkthrough and like the developers had no faith that the player could figure anything out for themselves. I understand they catered to kids this time around especially but... really? Even as a ten year old I would've felt insulted.
    The animations are lazy and terrible. I mean, they    Pokemon Sword is hands-down the worst use I have ever made of 60$.
    Half the game feels like an overbearing walkthrough and like the developers had no faith that the player could figure anything out for themselves. I understand they catered to kids this time around especially but... really? Even as a ten year old I would've felt insulted.
    The animations are lazy and terrible. I mean, they couldn't even animate a woman pacing back and forth a couple times properly.
    The incredibly short render distance does a fantastic job at destroying immersion.
    The story is in your face and devoid of all subtlety.
    The starter pokemon are more human than pocket monster. Really, is the design team being run by furries? I have no problem with furries, but... come on.
    The wild area is the most boring thing I have ever experienced in a video game, and I've played a lot of games.
    The only good word I have for this game is that a few new pokemon are cute and they came up with some nice gym leader designs. But that's the bare minimum for a pokemon game.
    Overall, this is very disappointing. Even for those satisfied with the game, I urge everyone to steer clear of similarly flawed pokemon games until the higher-ups step up to the table if you want more out of this company. If you want them to return to making truly great games. Because, you know why this game is so flawed? Because they didn't have to try. People ate it up anyway. I put my blind faith into this game, hoping for something that I wouldn't have to force myself through. Something that I would actually enjoy. And I was mistaken, and so were many others.
    I'm going to go play Soul Silver, now. Just play that one if you want a good pokemon game.    … Expand
  32. zhekon03
    Aug 17, 2021
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 2021 год а русского языка нет, зато реклама с русской озвучкой, неплохо, а так тяжело выделить переводчика для этого хотя игра и нет так велика как кажется.… Expand
  33. Winter320
    Sep 19, 2021
    4
    Let’s just get this straight, these are a low point in the franchise in almost every way and don’t live up to the standards that the first mainline home console pokemon should have. As a series about catching and evolving monsters, game frEAk refuses to evolve and sticks to the same tried and tested formula from 25 years ago. These games are empty and linear at every turn with “routes”Let’s just get this straight, these are a low point in the franchise in almost every way and don’t live up to the standards that the first mainline home console pokemon should have. As a series about catching and evolving monsters, game frEAk refuses to evolve and sticks to the same tried and tested formula from 25 years ago. These games are empty and linear at every turn with “routes” that are more just straight lines and a one-way progression system that kills replayability. You can’t leave a town with some kind of road block forcing you to do everything the game wants you to do before moving on. This story is cheap, filled with plot holes and one sided characters. The wild area is just an open plain with bad textures and aimless wild Pokémon with a short draw distance. The area is reminiscent of hyrule
    field from ocarina of time with its emptiness but at least that had secrets to uncover as you explored. This game is still unpolished with noticeable frame drops appearing was you even try to move around. The cut Pokédex just adds to the disappointment as there are basically no new animations (unlike what was promised) and they stick to the 8 year old ones from X&Y. The online is pitiful and now costs a subscription fee to use which baffles me and I could keep talking. There are more detailed and critical reviews on the web that can give more info but overall, these games are a boring at best.    … Expand
  34. Gameryxa
    Sep 22, 2021
    8
    Очередные покемоны! Не плохие галарские покемошки, новые открытые зоны и функция Диномакс—все это отлично. Такой же примитивный сюжет как и раньше, но все равно неплохой. Из проблем могу отметить легкость игры и противную музыку которая быстро начинает бесить. В целом это все те же покемоны. Ни чем не лучше или хуже предшественников.Очередные покемоны! Не плохие галарские покемошки, новые открытые зоны и функция Диномакс—все это отлично. Такой же примитивный сюжет как и раньше, но все равно неплохой. Из проблем могу отметить легкость игры и противную музыку которая быстро начинает бесить. В целом это все те же покемоны. Ни чем не лучше или хуже предшественников.
  35. TSNintendogamer
    Sep 27, 2021
    7
    I say it's a good Pokemon game with some missed potential. The story isn't that great because it's trying to be a journey with a little bit of an intense moment at the end but it also misses the mark but it does have some good characters like your rivals. Also the new game mechanics are cool. I like the gigantamaxing and it's cool how the gym leaders can do it too as opposed to the gymI say it's a good Pokemon game with some missed potential. The story isn't that great because it's trying to be a journey with a little bit of an intense moment at the end but it also misses the mark but it does have some good characters like your rivals. Also the new game mechanics are cool. I like the gigantamaxing and it's cool how the gym leaders can do it too as opposed to the gym leaders in x and y with just regular pokemon. I also liked the different forms the pokemon have and the post game with the dlc is great. They nailed the dlc with the second pack filled with legendries. Lastly the wild area is fun but to battle your friends is a little complicated. It's also too bad that the game doesn't improve too much unlike sun and moon version and if you all thought x and y were easy, this game can be really easy if you use candies to level up your pokemon found in the area. It's a good thing game freak is trying to step it up with the legends games but it may not work out. We will see.… Expand
  36. YourLocalChonke
    Oct 3, 2021
    5
    One of the most mediocre, rushed games on the switch so far. The game looks like a 3DS port to the switch, and it plays on 30fps, which may sound good for the switch, however, when compared to a game like BOTW, which also runs on 30fps, you can see that the lack of polish starts to seep through the cracks. The game constantly hand holds you the entire time, every other minute, you'll beOne of the most mediocre, rushed games on the switch so far. The game looks like a 3DS port to the switch, and it plays on 30fps, which may sound good for the switch, however, when compared to a game like BOTW, which also runs on 30fps, you can see that the lack of polish starts to seep through the cracks. The game constantly hand holds you the entire time, every other minute, you'll be stopped by an NPC and told where to go, which would be less if a problem if the game wasn't so linear. There is no exploration in this game, every where is a straight line excluding the occasional second path that is just the same thing as the other path, except it gives you an item. The animations of the pokemon are stiff, and lifeless, and half of them were cut. The reason for this was that they were working on new and improved animations and graphics, which was completely false, as 90 percent of the animations and textures were taken from the 7 year old games which were X and Y. Along with this, the game was horrendously easy and the story was garbage. The biggest and most cheap cash-grab of the century. However, despite it's flaws, it's still pokemon, it's still the exact same formula as 25 years ago, which is why it will always be enjoyable to some extent. I just wish they stopped treating pokemon as a game for 5 year olds. Heck even 5 year olds were able to play older pokemon games, they really don't know who they're target demographic is.… Expand
  37. cyansilvia
    Oct 7, 2021
    0
    I can't use my favorite Pokémons in this game.
    I think center of this game's series is Pokémons, but my impression is that those who make this game, don't think that. In my opinion they make much of people character then Pokémons. So I don't like this game.
  38. teddyeloso
    Nov 17, 2021
    7
    Historia mala, gráficos maso menos, en jugabilidad es como siempre fueron los Pokémon, y se siente raro que no tengan actuación de voz en algunas partes y los subtitulos esta muy españolizado ósea que no hay latino
  39. SnorlaxGeek
    Jan 29, 2022
    4
    Um jogo feio e pouco original. Um absurdo o que a Gamefreak está fazendo com a franquia Pokémon.
  40. 32fromdiscord
    Jan 29, 2022
    0
    Pokémon Sword and Shield are by far the worst entries in the series. There's not even a debate to be had about it. Anyone defending these games should reconsider their life decisions.
  41. Robert95
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Literally an incomplete game, this game had too much potential to be the first mainline games on switch
  42. Suitwo
    Nov 24, 2019
    8
    Okay the first thing I am going to say is don't bother reading reviews which say "I chose not to play the game" or something to that extent, unfortunately there are a lot of reviews which feature that and lower the overall review as you can see.

    With that out of the way let me give you my unbiased opinion, something you rarely see nowadays. Disclaimer, I have not finished the game yet,    Okay the first thing I am going to say is don't bother reading reviews which say "I chose not to play the game" or something to that extent, unfortunately there are a lot of reviews which feature that and lower the overall review as you can see.

    With that out of the way let me give you my unbiased opinion, something you rarely see nowadays.
    Disclaimer, I have not finished the game yet, in fact I am only just about to challenge the third gym. I wanted to get this in now though, I will add or edit this after I have finished but my schedule is going to get more demanding so that may be a long while away.

    Onto the review, I have liked what I have seen so far, the game feels different from those before and the graphics are beautiful from previous games, if you are playing the game just take a moment to appreciate the scenery of towns, cities and every route, cave and wild area. Dynamaxing so far has been limited to raid battles and gym leaders but it doesn't disappoint, it's not the same as mega evolving as you get a choice of what you dynamax so you can vary every time you fight. The 3 turn limitation means you have to get the fight done quick but against gym leaders you don't want them to get an early dynamax while you spend a turn switching. The battles themselves are as fun as ever and the gym battles are something else entirely, with the audience in the background cheering when a move hits or when a Pokemon dynamaxes, you can't help but get hyped. Another thing worth noting is the game length, I mentioned I am about to fight the third gym leader, well I have played Shield for 6 hours now and that entire time I have being moving forward or exploring new areas, there is a lot of content to this one compared to say Ultra Sun or Alpha Sapphire, some of the more recent released and both those games I finished well under 24 hours.

    I'll address the issues I have seen around, starting with animations; yes not all of them are perfect, Scorbunny using double kick is a meme at this point and there will be a few others like that, does it take away from the gameplay? Not in the slightest and not every animation is like that. Second the National dex cut; I don't know about you but I never have once caught every single Pokemon and I can tell you for fact most people never will due to event Pokemon like Manaphy, Mew and Jirachi being super rare these days, I like using the new Pokemon, if I wanted to use old ones I would play old games, there is no reason whatsoever to use an Eeveelution for the hundredth time when there are 90 new choices. These next few are a small concern but I am sure are fixable by Nintento in future patches, connection issues and frame drops, I have not experienced the issues myself but I still think the possibility of save files being deleted or something to that extent just for trying to connect online is a serious concern, like I said though, I am sure Nintendo will resolve and and as I don't use it, it is no worry for me or anyone else who doesn't use it. Framedrops can occur and will happen say when going up a ladder or some moves are being used, or maybe nothing happens after you input a move, again nothing that I haven't seen before so if it is such a big thing now, why was it not a big issue before? Answer; people being nit-picky.
    A small issue which I know can put people off and bothered me a bit was the permanent exp share feature, I much prefered the item that you could only give to 1and I didn't use it to complete the main story, what Nintendo did this time however was make the battles tougher so the boss battles Pokemon are slighly higher than your party of 6 if you just progress with the story.

    I overall really like the game, it feels much more refreshing than the last few Pokemon releases, the small issues which people are trying to make out like they are a big thing really aren't a concern for casuals like myself, I have no problems playing the game the way it is meant to be an neither should anyone else. It was not worth £60 let me just say that but that's why I waited and got it for £45, a much better deal and totally worth the buy.    … Expand
  43. RJD2
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    For reference I gave Let's Go Pikachu a generous 2/10. SWSH is a great improvement but lacks polish, graphics and animations are very underwhelming for a home console game. Despite the short comings it feels like any other pokemon game which is good and bad, they have evolved just enough for me to enjoy the game as a new experience but there's so much lost potential, the wild area is aFor reference I gave Let's Go Pikachu a generous 2/10. SWSH is a great improvement but lacks polish, graphics and animations are very underwhelming for a home console game. Despite the short comings it feels like any other pokemon game which is good and bad, they have evolved just enough for me to enjoy the game as a new experience but there's so much lost potential, the wild area is a huge step in the right direction but Gamefreak really needs to step their game up in Gen 9 and take risks. I'm just hoping all this criticism will finally give TPCi and Gamfreak reason to put all the resources they can in the next game.… Expand
  44. Skum
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    It’s the usual Pokémon experience, something I was greatly looking forward to. Although the graphics aren’t as polished as one would hope for today’s standards, the gameplay holds up. Unfortunately, there’s a large and angry community spreading a combination of false and negative-only reviews. Not to suggest the game is perfect, it could certainly have “more”. More story content, and yes,It’s the usual Pokémon experience, something I was greatly looking forward to. Although the graphics aren’t as polished as one would hope for today’s standards, the gameplay holds up. Unfortunately, there’s a large and angry community spreading a combination of false and negative-only reviews. Not to suggest the game is perfect, it could certainly have “more”. More story content, and yes, the entire Pokedex.
    Fun new characters, cool new Pokémon designs, and a beautiful new region.    … Expand
  45. BenjaminBM
    Nov 16, 2019
    7
    It's a good game, but the technical issues, not up to date graphics and Animations and cut pokemon/moves makes the game worse, than it is.
  46. RiceTwice
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    Absolutely horrible in so many aspects that it would take me hours and hours to write this review. This has been by far the worst entry in the franchise and everyone involved in it's creation should be ashamed. #GameFreakLied
  47. Bruhboinohomes
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    Rushed game, brought nothing new and exciting to the series, dynamic and gigantamax are a ridiculous gimick that require minimal skill level and are simply broken in their base stats. Game graphics and animations are a mess especially as this a AAA title game with one of the largest companies helping fund the game and put it on a system that has supported beautiful and great games, likeRushed game, brought nothing new and exciting to the series, dynamic and gigantamax are a ridiculous gimick that require minimal skill level and are simply broken in their base stats. Game graphics and animations are a mess especially as this a AAA title game with one of the largest companies helping fund the game and put it on a system that has supported beautiful and great games, like the breath of the wild. Game freak has honestly no excuse for producing a game of this incomplete and almost ps2 looking quality game. Game freak needs to get their so stuff together and think about their fans and a good game rather then money … Expand
  48. Tidus88
    Jan 2, 2020
    8
    Game Freak can improve some parts (for example graphics, animations, storytelling) in further games, but I like the first console Pokémon. The world is full of beautiful places and lovely details and I still love the gameplay. I enjoyed my 35-40 hours trip trough Galar and will continue my journey.
  49. Critex13
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    I really love the music, my favort tracks so far and the new pokemon designs are excellent, but Everthing else feels really lifeless. So many thinks felt as if the devs sinply didnt care. I expected to see reused pokemon animations and iam fine with that but reused cut scene animations from previous games!?
  50. S0urceC0de
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    You know, I typically go into a long lengthy review but given the circumstances (ie the reviews on this site that obviously aren't very accurate) I will say that it looks better than previous entries, it plays like Pokemon it just has LESS Pokemon. Dynamax is just this game's iteration of the "awesome power to obtain" like recent previous entries had. Don't listen to the butt hurt, selfYou know, I typically go into a long lengthy review but given the circumstances (ie the reviews on this site that obviously aren't very accurate) I will say that it looks better than previous entries, it plays like Pokemon it just has LESS Pokemon. Dynamax is just this game's iteration of the "awesome power to obtain" like recent previous entries had. Don't listen to the butt hurt, self entitled lunatics; if you like Pokemon get it. This game is a solid 7. Could have been better, yes but it is still Pokemon at it's core. … Expand
  51. Liiriko
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    Siendo sinceros llevaba un tiempo desconectado de la saga Pokémon y si veo el recorte enorme en la Pokedex y fallos técnicos pero he podido disfrutar del juego por supuesto se que no es perfecto ni mucho menos y está limitado pero no es un mal juego
  52. Theze
    Nov 17, 2019
    1
    The game is waaayyyy to short. It looks straight off of a 3ds. To much cut content leaves the postgame with much to be desired. One of the worst games in the series in my opinion. Pretty much Sun and Moon 3. There are some fun moments in the game which is saving it from getting a zero but way to lackluster for being on a home console
  53. Caasalazarsa
    Nov 16, 2019
    4
    I feel it's gonna happen like X/Y people loving at first and later realize it had nothing special to offer with no replay value. With the fact a community member can fix and can even include not programmed mod, there's no way to defend such level of incopetence and laziness.
  54. Janguru
    Nov 17, 2019
    1
    Classe 1988. Pokemon mania presa in pieno. Gamefreak ha sempre dimostrato involuzione nei suoi giochi al contrario delle sue creature. Il brand più redditizio al mondo che sfida la fiducia cieca di tanti appassionati. Forse questo gioco andava bene se fosse uscito per GameCube e sottolineo il forse. Assolutamente sconsigliabile finanziare questo tipo di strada intrapreso da gamefreakClasse 1988. Pokemon mania presa in pieno. Gamefreak ha sempre dimostrato involuzione nei suoi giochi al contrario delle sue creature. Il brand più redditizio al mondo che sfida la fiducia cieca di tanti appassionati. Forse questo gioco andava bene se fosse uscito per GameCube e sottolineo il forse. Assolutamente sconsigliabile finanziare questo tipo di strada intrapreso da gamefreak praticamente da pokemon cristallo in poi… Expand
  55. Leisj
    Nov 20, 2019
    2
    Pokemon Sword and Shield truly defines what Game Freak had become ever since the release of X and Y, mediocre. This new title feels less like a Pokemon entry and more like a mobile game. It suffers from bugs, awful coding, pitiful framerates, reused animations, awful texturing, dismal draw distance, and many odd, idiotic moves that have set this game up to be one of the worst games of thePokemon Sword and Shield truly defines what Game Freak had become ever since the release of X and Y, mediocre. This new title feels less like a Pokemon entry and more like a mobile game. It suffers from bugs, awful coding, pitiful framerates, reused animations, awful texturing, dismal draw distance, and many odd, idiotic moves that have set this game up to be one of the worst games of the year.
    Everyone knows by now that Game Freak has lied to their fans and customers with their outrageous claims made during the development of the game. They claimed that they cut pokemon and moves to make way for better animations and models and to improve the competitive balancing of the game. Of course, it was leaked that all the models, textures, and animations in the game are reused from older titles. Was it so hard to make new models and animations? Was it so hard to establish a competitive ban list that didn't affect casual players? Was it so hard to do your job?

    How can a Pokemon game in 2019 run at a locked framerate of 30 FPS on a console that can run Doom and Wolfenstein at average to above average FPS? Why are the "wild areas" so barren and empty? Why are the textures for trees and grass worse than those found on Pokemon Stadium for the N64? Why do I need a special in-game item from an NPC to simply lower the volume of the game? These choices are bizarre and ruin the experience for anyone who didn't even care about the national pokedex's removal in the first place.

    All of this coupled with a nice, hefty $60 price tag just shows Game Freak's laziness, incompetence, and money-grubbing attitude towards their consumers. These "critic" reviews clearly explain the issues in the games, yet the scores don't match with the blatant, obvious, experience ruining issues found in the title. The only reason this game gets a two is because, at the very least, the game was readily available at launch and booted up when inserted into the Switch...    … Expand
  56. Giuseppe98PG
    Nov 29, 2019
    0
    Motivazioni dello 0:
    - Il gioco dura pochissimo
    - La storia è frivola - I nuovi pokemon sono pochi (ho faticato tantissimo a costruire una squadra di 8 generazione) - La regione è minuscola - Le aree selvagge sono noiose, tutte uguali e non hanno uno scopo - la GTS è stata rimossa - Primo gioco pokemon nel quale puoi catturare solo 3 leggendari - Primo gioco pokemon con un endgame    Motivazioni dello 0:
    - Il gioco dura pochissimo
    - La storia è frivola
    - I nuovi pokemon sono pochi (ho faticato tantissimo a costruire una squadra di 8 generazione)
    - La regione è minuscola
    - Le aree selvagge sono noiose, tutte uguali e non hanno uno scopo
    - la GTS è stata rimossa
    - Primo gioco pokemon nel quale puoi catturare solo 3 leggendari
    - Primo gioco pokemon con un endgame noioso e frivolo
    - Primo gioco pokemon senza un vero team cattivo
    - Non ci sono attività side al di là del parco lotta

    Non trovo neanche interesse nel finire il pokedex come nei titoli precedenti. Non importa la mancanza del pokedex nazionale, io volevo giocare un gioco pokemon completo, non uno spinoff pagato anche di più    … Expand
  57. FlamingWaffels
    Dec 1, 2019
    8
    Pokemon Sword and Shield are a step in the right direction in some ways, and a step back in others. The game is the most fun I have had with Pokemon since Heartgold and Soulsilver. The hands-off approach to the story makes for a refreshing change after Sun and Moon, although I find the story to not be as good as say, Black and White's or X and Y's- and the Usual 60-80hr playthroughs ofPokemon Sword and Shield are a step in the right direction in some ways, and a step back in others. The game is the most fun I have had with Pokemon since Heartgold and Soulsilver. The hands-off approach to the story makes for a refreshing change after Sun and Moon, although I find the story to not be as good as say, Black and White's or X and Y's- and the Usual 60-80hr playthroughs of Pokemon I was accustomed to had been cut to about 39hrs for me. However, the balancing adjustments, combined with the brilliant map design and lovable characters- and especially the Wild Area, makes the games feel polished and like a lot of genuine creativity went into them. I played the game much slower than many others did, beating the Champion at around 39 hours- but there is a decent post-game and much to do in a both competitive and casual manner! Of course there is a little less content here than some of the other games, (Namely the cut Pokemon and shorter story), but I feel as if there was much less filler content and jammed full of enjoyable areas, bosses, and gimmicks. While old games had entire sections of the map I dreaded going through, I felt excited to explore every inch of the Galar Region and loved Catching as many Pokemon as I could! I hope that Game Freak will add back more of the Pokemon and increase the length of the Story in the next entry while keeping up their great pacing and balance.

    Time logged into the game at the time of this review: 55 hrs.    … Expand
  58. Bruiser4000
    Feb 2, 2020
    8
    Quite possibly my favorite Pokemon game to date. To be fair, the graphics aren't as good as promised and it doesn't try too much to innovate, but the core gameplay is still the same turn based style we come to know and love, the new Pokemon certainly make up for the Pokemon cut, and the Galar region is one of my favorite designs of any regions. In the end, I don't see the cutting of theQuite possibly my favorite Pokemon game to date. To be fair, the graphics aren't as good as promised and it doesn't try too much to innovate, but the core gameplay is still the same turn based style we come to know and love, the new Pokemon certainly make up for the Pokemon cut, and the Galar region is one of my favorite designs of any regions. In the end, I don't see the cutting of the National Dex as a problem and can still enjoy the game regardless of its absence.… Expand
  59. Zekroxin
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    All the Old Pokemon Games are much better than this what they Selled us as Pokemon Game Story really Bad gameplay okay but all in all half done and Trash.
  60. doczeroone
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    preview: Well, the graphics look shockingly bad at first for a game of this generation. But I got used to them very fast. It´s Pokemon, if you played 1st or 2nd gen or Pokemon go, you´ll feel right at home. I would recommend this game for beginners or kids. I did have some fun or kinda addicted to catching the little creatures, the designs of some are unmemorable but others were cute.
  61. kaijuking
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    It's good overall I enjoyed the game but if I have one complaint I don't like that you can't shut off the exp share I accidentally overleveled my Pokemon in the beginning and it made it really easy to beat the first three gyms
  62. NicholasPayet
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    It's a good, fun game. But part of that is because it's a Pokemon game and the pokemon formula will always be fun. It feels rushed, I feel like it could have been one of the best games ever if it was just less rushed. There's a whole town with only two openable doors being the gym and the pokemon centre, which is frankly unacceptable. That said I still enjoyed it and reccomend it toIt's a good, fun game. But part of that is because it's a Pokemon game and the pokemon formula will always be fun. It feels rushed, I feel like it could have been one of the best games ever if it was just less rushed. There's a whole town with only two openable doors being the gym and the pokemon centre, which is frankly unacceptable. That said I still enjoyed it and reccomend it to Pokemon fans, but is it on the same level as emerald, hgss, platinum or BW2? Hell no.… Expand
  63. Edu1717
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    Es entretenido para jugadores casuales, no presenta dificultad, las animaciones en ciertos puntos son buenas, en algunas le falta pulir la calidad, el juego no debe ser considerado como triple A, no es de la mejor calidad, por su proceso de creación y tiempo que se envierta en pasarlo debe ser un juego que no sobrepase los 40$
  64. Sunikusu
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    I have not finished the game, but I'll tell you this -- the fact I can make an account, post an influential review to a game that took 2+ years to make is absurd.

    The gameplay, graphics and music are on-point. Dont believe the hype that game freak lied, or cut corners. Thia game stays true to the original pokemon games while adding in a bit of flare with dynamax and other great additions.    I have not finished the game, but I'll tell you this -- the fact I can make an account, post an influential review to a game that took 2+ years to make is absurd.

    The gameplay, graphics and music are on-point. Dont believe the hype that game freak lied, or cut corners. Thia game stays true to the original pokemon games while adding in a bit of flare with dynamax and other great additions. So what if theres only 400 pokemon?    … Expand
  65. BlindFox
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    Quitando todo los lloriqueos de la gente, yo de verdad disfruto el juego, tiene buenas mecánicas que han vuelto de otros juegos y muy buena rejugabilidad, y eso de poder encontrarte a gente cercana jugando, un toque muy bonito, me gusta mucho la verdad.
  66. PhilipMoon
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    Game is fun, like all Pokemon games tend to be, nothing groundbreaking. Graphics are definitely the low point of the game, but that might have more to do with the system than the game. Could not care less for Dynamax, mega evolutions were way more fun.
  67. SenseiScythe
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    Pokemon Sword and Shield are great Pokemon games. Easily recommend to fans. The game has a few graphical issues like the trees and some battle animations (double kick for example), as well as very useful moves like hidden power being cut out. Overall, there are many improvements to the main formula. The wild area is a joy to explore, the gyms are harder than XY's (still not the toughest),Pokemon Sword and Shield are great Pokemon games. Easily recommend to fans. The game has a few graphical issues like the trees and some battle animations (double kick for example), as well as very useful moves like hidden power being cut out. Overall, there are many improvements to the main formula. The wild area is a joy to explore, the gyms are harder than XY's (still not the toughest), and the more anime-like league format is very fun. One minor gripe is the locked audio controls. You have to get an item for some reason.

    In conclusion, Pokemon Sword and Shield have strong points that I haven't seen being mentioned by the blind haters that call themselves "Pokemon fans". The new Pokemon have quality over quantity (coming up to 81 without counting G-max). Pokemon Sword and Shield may feel unambitious but it's a joy to play and it adds a bit more challenge than the Gen 6 and 7 games. (apart from Hop, he's easier than Hau)    … Expand
  68. Hertzdonut2309
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    It definitely has its problems, but I wouldn't say it's bad. Most of things people complain about are things that shouldn't really matter. Note I said most not all, there are a few things GameFreak could and should have done better but for the most part it's a solid game.
  69. AsusCrafter
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    It's a good Pokemon Game
  70. TheLastTay1
    Jan 16, 2020
    8
    I really don't understand peoples gripes with this game. it is clearly a return to form for the franchise and a truly great experience.. TARGET AUDIENCE OF CHILDREN but adored by adults alike.
  71. DailyBlunts
    Nov 26, 2019
    8
    Pokemon Sword and Shield contain a host of marvellous and imaginitive new Pokemon with great designs, interesting types and moves. The slightly lessened tutorials at the beginning of the game help to ease issues which occured in the previous generation, and new ways of finding Pokemon in the wild show Game Freak made an effort to make some changes compared to previous games.

    Despite    Pokemon Sword and Shield contain a host of marvellous and imaginitive new Pokemon with great designs, interesting types and moves. The slightly lessened tutorials at the beginning of the game help to ease issues which occured in the previous generation, and new ways of finding Pokemon in the wild show Game Freak made an effort to make some changes compared to previous games.

    Despite many negative reviews, I find these games to be an enjoyable return to Pokemon, with excellent graphics considering the hardware and need for balance between handheld mode battery life and docked graphical fidelity. Some gameplay features inspired by Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, and a simple yet fun online system accessible anywhere show system improvements.

    The fashion and trainer card editing features, plus the gym challenges and Pokemon camping/cooking side games make for a refreshing experience between battles that prevent the games feeling like a slog, and the slightly more explorable routes and short but sweet cut-scenes give depth without overwhelming the player.

    Lighting effects and the design of various towns throughout the game is interesting and diverse, giving you a feeling of excitement for what will come next, and the music is all around enjoyable with some occasional punch.

    While there may be more features that could have been crammed in, as a base game I'm very happy with Pokemon Sword as a whole, and would wholly recommend it.    … Expand
  72. MarioFan91
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    I don't get all the vitriol surrounding Sword and Shield. The whole National Dex thing caused a bit of a stir long before release, and a lot of Pokémon have been wiped out of the slate. But, the reasons are understandable, as these Pokémon games are massive in terms of scope.

    Pokémon Sword and Shield bring you to the Galar region, which is based on the UK. There you get three new    I don't get all the vitriol surrounding Sword and Shield. The whole National Dex thing caused a bit of a stir long before release, and a lot of Pokémon have been wiped out of the slate. But, the reasons are understandable, as these Pokémon games are massive in terms of scope.

    Pokémon Sword and Shield bring you to the Galar region, which is based on the UK. There you get three new starters, Grookey (the grass type chimp), Scorbunny (a fire type rabbit), and Sobble (the water type lizard). I chose Scorbunny in both games, largely because of his usefulness in the first gym battle, which focuses on grass Pokémon.

    Do they have their flaws - like inconsistent graphics and a lack of voice acting? Yes. Am I disappointed that some of my favorite Pokémon from the first generation like Squirtle and Bulbasaur have been wiped from the slate? Absolutely. But flaws aside, they're still a lot of fun to play. It's still the Pokémon that's been beloved for years, and flaws aside, I still recommend them.    … Expand
  73. josh4fun
    Nov 22, 2019
    8
    Pokemon Sword is a game that never had a chance to live up to its hype. The game has many endearing qualities that are overshadowed by blind expectation.

    The addition of the wild area, an open world type area, is one of the most refreshing things a Pokemon game has ever done. This is sadly overshadowed by poor optimization whether it be pop-in or FPS drops. It wasn't close to    Pokemon Sword is a game that never had a chance to live up to its hype. The game has many endearing qualities that are overshadowed by blind expectation.

    The addition of the wild area, an open world type area, is one of the most refreshing things a Pokemon game has ever done. This is sadly overshadowed by poor optimization whether it be pop-in or FPS drops. It wasn't close to unbearable in my opinion, but it was definitely noticeable.

    The music in this game left me with a nostalgic feeling of 90's RPGs but was also completely Pokemon in the way it sounded. The audio sliders in this game are locked behind receiving an item from an NPC first, which doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

    The battles were definitely Pokemon battles. Battles are pretty easy and experience share is always on. A new feature to battles in this game is Dynamaxing/Gigantamaxing. Dynamaxing makes your pokemon giant and allows it to use powerful moves with special effects. These Dynamax moves look spectacular. However for every spectacular Dynamax animation, there is at least one awful regular attack animation.

    The game looks very good in motion most of the time with very few notable issues outside the wild area. Some of the camping animations for the Pokemon give them a little extra personality that I haven't notice an prior games in the series.

    At the end of the day, Pokemon Sword and Shield made a lot of improvements and steps in what I believe is the right direction but they will be overshadowed by bad PR and down right dishonesty. I started the game and could not put it down. I beat the game in about 30 hours in 3 days and I'm already going for round 2. Sword and Shield feels incredibly rushed but has a charm that is quite infectious, however this is overshadowed by consistent thoughts of, "I can't wait to see where they take all these cool additions" instead of, "I can't believe this is how far Pokemon has come."    … Expand
  74. TheMegaGodz
    Jan 16, 2020
    8
    It's a very good Pokémon game. Do I agree with reviewers calling it the greatest Pokémon game ever? No. Do I think whiny fanboys made it seem worse than it actually is? Yes. The dex cut is not that big of a deal and neither are the graphics. I don't play Pokémon games for the trees. My biggest complaint with the game is that a few of the battle animations are very lackluster, but even thatIt's a very good Pokémon game. Do I agree with reviewers calling it the greatest Pokémon game ever? No. Do I think whiny fanboys made it seem worse than it actually is? Yes. The dex cut is not that big of a deal and neither are the graphics. I don't play Pokémon games for the trees. My biggest complaint with the game is that a few of the battle animations are very lackluster, but even that didn't ruin my overall experience. This game is great. It's not perfect, but it doesn't deserve the hate it receives.… Expand
  75. NGU1057
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    I believe that this is a great game, but I know it has its flaws (frames drops) but why are people complaining about the graphics? Look at USUM, those graphics were way worse!
    I liked how this game made it feel like I was a prodigy instead of being a random kid beating the elite four and how they made the game feel more tourney like. We all know that when new pokemon are revealed or    I believe that this is a great game, but I know it has its flaws (frames drops) but why are people complaining about the graphics? Look at USUM, those graphics were way worse!
    I liked how this game made it feel like I was a prodigy instead of being a random kid beating the elite four and how they made the game feel more tourney like. We all know that when new pokemon are revealed or evolutions, they aren't going to turn out the way we want it too. But we just have to get used to it. (eg. Popplio).    … Expand
  76. RaverCrow
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    I'm about 9 hours into the game so far and honestly it looks and plays pretty well. Granted, there are some hiccups with framerate drops in heavily populated areas especially the wild area when you're online but it's not bad. The Dynamax raids are a nice gimmick and the gym challenges are a nice change of pace from just fighting gym trainers and leaders every time. I feel like this gameI'm about 9 hours into the game so far and honestly it looks and plays pretty well. Granted, there are some hiccups with framerate drops in heavily populated areas especially the wild area when you're online but it's not bad. The Dynamax raids are a nice gimmick and the gym challenges are a nice change of pace from just fighting gym trainers and leaders every time. I feel like this game would have been more complete if they didn't split development resources towards Let's Go and Little Town Hero midway through development of SwSh but I'm hopeful for an update that adds more of the cut Pokemon or a third title down the line that includes the rest of the roster, but it's still a good game so far.… Expand
  77. Tomethy
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    It's honestly a great game which has its flaws - but it's never a 0-5
  78. sackhkc
    Nov 22, 2019
    8
    The review bombs here are garbage. The game is flawed, but good. It is much better than the 4.1 user average. I get it. No National Dex, price hike, some glitches here and there. New system. New demands. This is a natural evolution for the franchise. The trade system is awesome. The new gym style is refreshing. I enjoy seeing the Pokémon out in the Wild Area and abroad. I have played sinceThe review bombs here are garbage. The game is flawed, but good. It is much better than the 4.1 user average. I get it. No National Dex, price hike, some glitches here and there. New system. New demands. This is a natural evolution for the franchise. The trade system is awesome. The new gym style is refreshing. I enjoy seeing the Pokémon out in the Wild Area and abroad. I have played since Red and Blue, and these are up there with my more fun experiences. Oh, and sales speak volumes over the level of sheer entitlement being displayed her. Thanks.… Expand
  79. Missin
    Dec 17, 2019
    8
    These games are not as bad as people think. The removal of the national pokedex was to improve the quality of the game, and it removed a lot of unnecessary Pokémon I don’t care much for. While it did remove some fan favorites, we have over 80 new Pokémon to look at! Most of the new Pokémon are decent to great. Give the newbies a chance. I really like the wild area in the Galar region andThese games are not as bad as people think. The removal of the national pokedex was to improve the quality of the game, and it removed a lot of unnecessary Pokémon I don’t care much for. While it did remove some fan favorites, we have over 80 new Pokémon to look at! Most of the new Pokémon are decent to great. Give the newbies a chance. I really like the wild area in the Galar region and it keeps me returning to the game. Outside the wild area though, the game is kinda boring. Being unable to turn off the exp share and high levels of wild Pokémon makes the trainers and gym leaders really easy. It does reduce the need to grind, however. My favorite aspect of the game is max raid battles. It’s great to feel like I’m doing a raid in Pokémon GO. While I can’t meet new people, I don’t have to leave the house for it. People are complaining about the graphics, but I don’t think they look that bad. Overall, I can say that Pokémon Sword and Shield are decent middle-of-the-road Pokémon games!… Expand
  80. Azoputamadrelol
    Nov 17, 2019
    0
    Que onda con este juego? Parece hecho con el culo .-. Mediocridad al 100% no vale lo que cuesta
  81. Pio3d
    Nov 17, 2019
    0
    Corners were cut, pokèmons were removed, dumb gimmicks were added... seriously, go replay sum and moon, they are awkwardly better, don’t waste your money on that corner cutter trash
  82. Plansh
    Nov 17, 2019
    0
    O jogo é o pior da franquia pelo simples fato da pokémon Company ter tido preguiça em colocar a National dex, removendo mais de quatrocentos pokémon e mais de 100 golpes
  83. scoub
    Nov 17, 2019
    2
    This is the most linear game to date. There is zero room for exploration and no dungeons whatsoever. Aside from an optional area, every single route and town is a small hallway where all you have to do is press forward and the game essentially plays itself until you get interrupted by another cutscene.
    The graphics are also extremely subpar compared to other Switch games. It looks like it    This is the most linear game to date. There is zero room for exploration and no dungeons whatsoever. Aside from an optional area, every single route and town is a small hallway where all you have to do is press forward and the game essentially plays itself until you get interrupted by another cutscene.
    The graphics are also extremely subpar compared to other Switch games. It looks like it was directly ported from the 3DS and most parts of the game look rough or straight up unfinished.
    Do not play this game. It's not worth your time.    … Expand
  84. Empoleonmaster2
    Feb 15, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokémon Sword & Shield are an enjoyable experience which make a smooth transition from the 3DS to the Switch for a mainline Pokémon Title. These two games received heavy criticism for decisions made during their development, but how does the final product rate? Here's my opinion on whether the games delivered.

    I liked a majority of the new Pokémon designs in Sword & Shield. Certain Pokémon, such as Inteleon and Grimmsnarl, were stand-outs to me among the other Pokemon. There were only a tiny amount that I truly didn't like, like Blipbug and Chewtle. Despite the limited animations that each monster possesses, TPC has managed to convey a personality for each species.

    One of the most contested points prior to release was the removal of the National Dex from the game, and the subsequent prevention of any non-Galar native Pokémon from being transported to the games. This is not unprecedented in the history of the series. Generation 3 had many Johto Pokémon completely unavailable until Emerald, almost 2 years after the original release of Ruby and Sapphire. A similar move has now been made with the Switch, which is the first console since the GBA to not be directly backwards compatible with the previous console. With the number of species approaching 4 digits, this move makes sense. It cleans up the competitive scene and allows the developers to focus on other aspects of the games as opposed to focusing on the Pokémon themselves. This cut has given me an incentive to complete the Pokédex, as it is now a manageable task. 367 Pokémon available in a single version is also not something to scoff at, beating out the original Sun and Moon on that account. The addition of more Pokémon in the upcoming DLC is both a positive and negative move is this regard, as it undoes the advancements made by doing this in the main game (in particular, the legendaries). However, this is still ultimately a positive in my opinion. Finally, they have chosen to add the National Dex in Pokemon Home, meaning that whilst it may be tedious now, future progress (The eventual Generation 9, 10 etc) will not have to be constantly re-earned by manually transferring each Pokemon to the new generation.

    Pokemon Sword and Shield's story is fairly barebones in comparison to the generation which it follows. The majority of the plot consists of things that do not occur to the player character directly, with the adult characters often taking the lead when they occur. An good example of this is when a Power Spot appears covering all of Hammerlocke City, where Sonia and Leon investigate the situation whilst the player progresses straight to the next gym. Although this may be less enjoyable, it is a over-proportionate response to the criticism surrounding Sun and Moon's story. When those two games were released, they were criticised for having the story be in the player's face constantly. As a result, Sword and Shield have stepped too far in the opposite direction and have removed the player from interacting with the story almost entirely, barring the battle with Chairman Rose and Eternatus at the climax of the game. This provides what can be perceived as a more 'realistic' Pokémon experience, with the player not becoming involved in any huge plots (until it comes to them, due to their battle against Leon who was directly involved). Instead, the player progresses through the Gym Challenge, earning fans as they go and becoming well known throughout the region.

    This is also the reason the player does not fight any true 'evil team'. The player will instead fight Team Yell, who simply wish to stop the player from beating Marnie to becoming Champion. The story no longer revolves around the prodigy child who saved the world (although this still occurs). It is built to follow a child who is competing in the biggest event of their life, facing challenges that accurately reflect those they would encounter and becoming famous due to their successes.

    There is also the Post-Game, which ties in more closely in with the player due to their encounter with Eternatus and the Legendary Dogs of the Galar Region. This has been criticised for being too short by the community. I believe that this provides a decent extra bit of play-time to the game, not to mention the Battle Tower and things such as Max Raid Battles. Whilst perhaps not as comprehensive as the 3rd games in Generations 3 and 4, as well as the sequels in 5, it beats out other entries like X & Y and Sun & Moon in terms of extra content. However, this does not mean it could not be improved, as this formula has been in place since X & Y regarding Post-Game content.

    In conclusion, I believe that Sword & Shield both exactly what they needed to be. They are a good bridge for the main Pokémon series from Handheld to Home Console. Whilst there are evidently areas that could be improved in future, the games are fun to play and feel like Pokémon Games. I rate Pokémon Sword and Shield 7.8 / 10.    … Expand
  85. Fweb34
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    The game is fun, but it is fundamentally a handheld game. Not a console game. The online functionality is non-existant. Waiting to find a raid or get people to join yours simply does not work well at all. You can wait for over an hour re-trying to get people in your raid with the 3 minute time limit and you might have one person join, when realistically you NEED 4 real players to completeThe game is fun, but it is fundamentally a handheld game. Not a console game. The online functionality is non-existant. Waiting to find a raid or get people to join yours simply does not work well at all. You can wait for over an hour re-trying to get people in your raid with the 3 minute time limit and you might have one person join, when realistically you NEED 4 real players to complete the high level raids. Its really dissapointing how little effort was put into this game. We took one step forward with the pokemon franchise and 5 backwards. Really disappointed.… Expand
  86. SammyHauguth
    Jan 15, 2020
    1
    Max Raid Battles sucks, can't find other people to team up with which is no fun because the NPC's use Magikarp, and what is Magikarp now again? Yes, the worlds most pathetic Pokémon there ever is!

    Edit:
    And the end credit is unskipable... Another thing that is ****
  87. GerfyGerber
    Nov 18, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Finished the whole game in 16 hours. Story was very bland and boring, with no villain until the last hour of the story that was completely obvious and really sucked. 2 legendaries after last gen had a lot of great ones. Of course there's Dexit, which I personally didn't care much about, but it's still worth mentioning. The online is godawful even for Nintendo standards. Characters were handholdy and bland the whole game through, with only Marnie being somewhat interesting. Wild area is neat, but the ever present lag just sucks the fun out of it. Dynamaxing is a dumb mechanic, and Gigantimaxing is even dumber, the Corviknight that I raised from a Rookiedee CAN'T gigantimax because reasons, I have to catch a specific one from a raid battle, what happened to bonding with Pokemon?? Only good thing i can really was is that the music was great as usual.

    Overall, very bland, short and incredibly disappointing. Stop pushing a Pokemon game out every year, it is killing this once great franchise.    … Expand
  88. KasaiWolf
    Nov 18, 2019
    0
    If I could I would score a 0 for these games.

    -GameFreak lied about the models and cut 400 odd Pokemon for it.
    -Wild area is very lazily done and very bad graphically
    -Games feel very empty in design and in length
    -Almost no post game
    -No mega evolution or Z moves.

    Overall I could write forever on why these games are bad but this should scratch the surface.
  89. klkevinkl
    Nov 17, 2019
    3
    The latest entry into the Pokemon series feels bare. There's ten routes, two caves, two forests, a battle tower, and one big "Wild Area." With most cities having three identical buildings you can enter and a Pokecenter/Mart, a clothing store, and a hair salon, towns feel absolutely empty. Much of the game focuses around just going from gym to gym and whenever the B plot comes up, theyThe latest entry into the Pokemon series feels bare. There's ten routes, two caves, two forests, a battle tower, and one big "Wild Area." With most cities having three identical buildings you can enter and a Pokecenter/Mart, a clothing store, and a hair salon, towns feel absolutely empty. Much of the game focuses around just going from gym to gym and whenever the B plot comes up, they literally tell you to let the adults take care of it while you go to the next gym. While some areas like the dark forest on the way to the Fairy Gym is nice with the interactive light up mushrooms, much of the game just feels barren. The Wild Area is also poorly designed, with arbitrary Pokemon levels that sometimes scales and sometimes does not. The result is that about halfway through the game, you will encounter Pokemon you cannot catch until two gyms later. Dynamax Pokemon are interesting, but the fact that you cannot use them outside of gyms and the Wild Areas make them kind of pointless most of the time. And for some reason, legendary Pokemon cannot use Dynamax. The raids are the worst as you have to match up with AI players to try to bring down the giant Pokemon and their stupidity will usually cause you to fail. I tried to get other players, but all the online features for the game were broken and by the time I finished the game about eighteen hours later, I still could not complete my first equivalent of the Wonder Trade that I started the moment that it was available (about 30 minutes in). The gym puzzles are interesting, but they gave up on those about halfway through with some dungeons not making sense at all, such as the rock type gym being on the snowy mountain. Towards the end of the game, the opponents you face suddenly jump ten levels too, making it seem like something was missing. But the biggest problem of all is the pitiful selection of Pokemon. For the first time ever in any Pokemon game, I reached the end of the game without a team that I felt confident with taking down the champion because I just did not have the ability to deal with many different types due to the limited selection of Pokemon. By the end of the game catching every unique Pokemon that I encountered, I had about a hundred Pokemon, but perhaps only ten of them were actually usable due to poor status values.

    The only thing positive I can say was that the gym leader battles definitely feel a lot more exciting. Most trainers will move when they declare an attack now. When you get to the gym leader battles in that stadium, the crowd reacting to knock outs is absolutely amazing. It was a shame that the same effort was not put into other battles too. The gym trainers on the way to the gym leaders did not even have a background.    … Expand
  90. ZaydelJmz
    Nov 17, 2019
    4
    Low effort on this year Pokemon Game. We can get the most awesome RPG game of this gen and we get a 3DS game on a bigger screen, Game Freak lied...
  91. mashedtatter
    Nov 18, 2019
    6


    I like this game. I don't LOVE it. But it's not bad. If I had to rank this generation against the rest, I can say it's at least better than every Pokemon game that isn't Heart Gold/Soul Silver, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, or Black/White/2. I don't really miss any of the old Pokemon, and even though I having a Living Pokedex on my copy of Ultra Sun, I don't mind not being able to

    I like this game. I don't LOVE it. But it's not bad. If I had to rank this generation against the rest, I can say it's at least better than every Pokemon game that isn't Heart Gold/Soul Silver, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, or Black/White/2.

    I don't really miss any of the old Pokemon, and even though I having a Living Pokedex on my copy of Ultra Sun, I don't mind not being able to bring them all over to this game. That said, I get why people are upset, but also think they're blowing it out of proportion. Anyone with half a brain would realize they couldn't just keep throwing the same 800+ Pokemon into each game forever. You call it "laziness", I call it realizing a lot of the Pokedex is useless filler.

    The story thus far (I've only gotten up to fourth gym as of this review, currently 15 hours in and I'm taking my time exploring the wild area) isn't really much to write home about, sure. But you don't REALLY play these games for story, do you? I don't. I play to catch cute creatures.

    The music is some of the best Masuda had done yet. All the battle themes just might end up being my favorites of the whole series.

    The graphics/art are much improved over the last gen, though I will always miss the sprite art.

    Overall, I'd say this game is worth your time if you're not horribly attached to old Pokemon and don't mind that a bunch of moves were cut as well. It's not bad. It's just not great either. Middle of the road, I guess.    … Expand
  92. MrKiwaVGC
    Nov 16, 2019
    7
    This version of Pokemon is only fun by the Pokemon formula, if it weren't for that, it would go unnoticed by people. Although it should also be mentioned that the game has enough mechanics without risking anything because they are improvements of old mechanics but well implemented to be very enjoyed. The graphics are better than what they showed in the reviews, but the technical problemsThis version of Pokemon is only fun by the Pokemon formula, if it weren't for that, it would go unnoticed by people. Although it should also be mentioned that the game has enough mechanics without risking anything because they are improvements of old mechanics but well implemented to be very enjoyed. The graphics are better than what they showed in the reviews, but the technical problems are there. The gameplay is the same as always, there is nothing to highlight. The music, is the always classic Pokemon's music but with the regional arrangements. They miss many game mechanics and the Online game options are very complicated the first time (make a raid with friends isnt intuitive). The story and characters, this is the best and the worst, the good thing is that the game has many new and very good characters, your rival are again Hau and Silvio, these characters, and other more, help you develop a story, although it is not at all Interesting, it does the function. The trouble is that all people are Lillie to make your life impossible and stop for a conversation every 5 steps, because the game is a rail progression game, you can only go where they let you go, as in previous installments, it is something that happens a lot, before going you will have to watch a long conversation or cinematics. The difficulty ... It's very easy, in my case I am playing the Let's GO style game, I only capture the wild Pokemon that I have not seen (although I have captured several times for their ability, for the first Gym you would have already passed for the wild area and that's why I had already completed 1 and a half boxes) and I have faced all those who challenge me, the first Gym has its strongest Pokemon at Level 20 and my strongest Pokemon at level 22.… Expand
  93. Zenol31
    Nov 17, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Estaba muy entusiasmado con este juego, pero resulta que es menos incluso los juegos 3DS y aún así que te costarán 20 euros adicionales, en comparación con las entregas anteriores de Pokémon...Sufre en gran medida de una historia torpe y de ritmo pobre que no le da suficiente tiempo para que su elenco brille y se desarrolle. La historia en sí misma está reutilizando muchas animaciones de la última entrega, aunque el juego comienza con fuerza, se siente apresurada y superficial hacia el final. Tan superficial como su historia es el mundo del juego, la región de Galar, que presenta solo 10 rutas, bastante cortas que tienen poca o ninguna exploración.El juego no cuenta con mazmorras tradicionales, y casi nunca tienen más de dos caminos de ramificación. La característica más anunciada del juego, Wild Area, es un desastre decepcionante que muestra la mayoría de los problemas técnicos, opciones de diseño de juego cuestionables y textos de baja resolución y velocidad de fotogramas inestable, junto con el mundo del juego estéril, que carece de detalles o contenido. Pero desafortunadamente, los problemas no terminan ahí. Se eliminaron más de 100 movimientos del juego, de pokedex deja fuera más del 50% de los Pokémon de generaciones pasadas, el postjuego es increíblemente decepcionante. El nuevo truco de esta generación, Dynamax, tiene un tema prometedor: luchas Pokémon gigantes inspirados en Kaiju, que, lamentablemente, no está a la altura. Los nuevos diseños y personajes de Pokémon son encantadores y creativos, pero no justifican una compra de 60 Euros… Expand
  94. eugenioanez
    Nov 23, 2019
    10
    Great game and nice introduction to the series for new players. Give it a go if you enjoyed Pokémon Go!
  95. Nati
    Mar 14, 2021
    0
    This DLC has absolutely destroyed Pokemon Sword/Shield Ranked matching.

    Ranked is just an imbalanced JOKE now that requires zero skill or knowledge and spamming Legendaries. Urshifu is OP... I dont care about your "debate" That pokemon is OP. Not to mention other STARTLING imbalance issues that has ruined a long history of great competitive gameplay. Way to kick the hardcore fans    This DLC has absolutely destroyed Pokemon Sword/Shield Ranked matching.

    Ranked is just an imbalanced JOKE now that requires zero skill or knowledge and spamming Legendaries.

    Urshifu is OP... I dont care about your "debate" That pokemon is OP. Not to mention other STARTLING imbalance issues that has ruined a long history of great competitive gameplay.

    Way to kick the hardcore fans Pokemon, this was a rediculous decision. 0/10    … Expand
  96. JuaniAndres
    Dec 2, 2019
    10
    The game is not that bad as a lot of people are saying just read blogs ratings that are by far more real that what you can read here
    I had already beaten the game and finish the dex but still have a lot of things to do I would give a 8/10 because I miss some pokemons and more routes but the music was great and I had fun playing
  97. Maurog21
    Nov 16, 2019
    7
    No me gusta la dirección que esta tomando la saga, el juego esta bastante limitado y técnicamente podían haberse trabajado mejor algunas texturas, la generación es bastante mediocre y hay cosas que realmente no comprendo, por otro lado, el juego tiene bastantes cosas innovadoras pero sin destacar demasiado, recomiendo el juego si eres muy fan de Pokemon o si es tu primer juego de Pokemon
  98. Gelider
    Nov 17, 2019
    1
    Es un juego q no merece la pena , popping, animaciones recicladas , gráficos malos ( hasta ps2 tiene mejores gráficos) faltan pokemon , dificultad nula , etc
  99. DjNinjaRj
    May 4, 2021
    0
    Bad Game I Do Not Like Tghis Game, It Poopy HEAD This Is Not A Real Pokemon Game
  100. Ness128
    Dec 2, 2019
    10
    Excelente juego de pies a cabeza aún con Pokédex recortado pesele a quien le pese
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 87
  3. Negative: 0 out of 87
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 30, 2020
    80
    Sword & Shield stumble in a few areas and history may not be kind to them, but they're setting up a future that I'm excited to see. [Issue #44 – January/February 2020, p. 73]
  2. GameCritics
    Feb 6, 2020
    75
    I enjoyed my time with Pokemon Sword and Shield, but I ended feeling conflicted. I appreciate many of the changes and felt that it generally respected my time, but I almost felt like a passive participant. The more complex gym challenges had a meatier role, but the narrative shouldn’t have been shoved to the side. Overall, I would recommend it to players who want to have a Pokemon experience, but this one won’t stick with me the way the older ones have.
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  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Jan 14, 2020
    78
    Pokemon Sword/Shield is uncharacteristically user-friendly: now there’s no need to backtrack half across the world to heal your entire team of pokemon or to get to a particular city, for example. [Issue#242, p.66]
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