Pokemon Sword

 Switch
User Score
4.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 5909 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,997 out of 5909
  2. Mixed: 852 out of 5909
  3. Negative: 3,060 out of 5909
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. CruiserS
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    I gave 10 jusg to compensate all those haters, normally I would give it a 9. Graphic is good. Music is perfect. Good story length and healthy progress with rewards.
  2. GoldenJeans37
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well I gotta say, Gamefreak truly made an amazingly well done game. I personally love how every pokemon is actually good and even though the game was relatively easy, I think it likes to focus more on the pvp and raids. Sure a ton of moves have been removed, along with pokemon, but they were unbalanced or useless moves. Hell they even buffed Metronome and gave it to more pokemon. Frames only really drop when online, ot feels very much like Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I understand people hating this game but in my opinion, this is the best main series game to ever exist and I hope that if they continue down this route that they keep the same viability and not have pvp filled with tons of legends. My only nitpick is that the raids are easily cheesed out up to the point I have to spam earthquake to make even a bit challenging and essentially troll. Hopefully Raids get drastically nerfed in a patch.… Expand
  3. Tabh88
    Nov 17, 2019
    7
    Just beat 2nd gym leader in the game and overall I’m enjoying it. But the game is far too easy for my liking and has been simplified and dumbed down to the point where it takes away from my enjoyment! Some of the pros are 1) less hand holding, the game gives you more independence compared to previous gens 2) great new selection of new Pokemon available from the start of the game and reallyJust beat 2nd gym leader in the game and overall I’m enjoying it. But the game is far too easy for my liking and has been simplified and dumbed down to the point where it takes away from my enjoyment! Some of the pros are 1) less hand holding, the game gives you more independence compared to previous gens 2) great new selection of new Pokemon available from the start of the game and really enjoying training them 3) the design and themes of the game are great - sleek at times but also familiar and with improvements 4) tried the wild area once and liked the variety of pokemon available. The cons are 1) this game is waaay to easy with too much handholding and not enough room for a challenge 2) I hate having the experience share set as permanently on - what an odd decision! I get you can switch out via link box to train other pokemon but the exp share levels up your team way too fast and you end being overleveled with no trainer battle challenges! 3) the trainers AI seems to have been reduced and there is no fight here 4) the gym battles are a breeze and lack gumption 5) the game lacks a good cohesive story line compared to previous gems e.g thought Alolan theme created a culture and fairly in depth plot line but this game is shallow in comparison with less character and depth. Very disappointed with experience share being permanently on. It seems the games are being geared towards younger new comers at the sacrifice of other elements. GM could have easily balanced these challenges out with some tweaks and seems they have missed a trick in places. But still several pros to the game as above. 7/10.… Expand
  4. Charlinhos
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    The wild area add hours and hours of funny! The game and historia are very good!
  5. moskitto2411
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    By far the best Pokemon Game ever. Must play. 400 Pokemon is more then enough. Raid battles are addictive.
  6. PokeSantiTW
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    One of the most epic games in the Pokémon saga. The Gym Battles are perfect. The Limited Dex and the graphics, in my opinion, it doesn't matter.
  7. Marrathanss
    Nov 17, 2019
    7
    Pokémon Sword e Shield vieram com grandes expectativas por parte dos fãs. Com sua receita/fórmula padrão usados desde os primórdios com o gameboy, fica realmente difícil um jogo de Pokémon ser ruim. Mas dada circunstância que estamos em 2019 a tecnologia e os conceitos de RPG evoluíram muito. Não há mal algum em atualizar e implementar elementos de RPG mais modernos isso só expandiria aPokémon Sword e Shield vieram com grandes expectativas por parte dos fãs. Com sua receita/fórmula padrão usados desde os primórdios com o gameboy, fica realmente difícil um jogo de Pokémon ser ruim. Mas dada circunstância que estamos em 2019 a tecnologia e os conceitos de RPG evoluíram muito. Não há mal algum em atualizar e implementar elementos de RPG mais modernos isso só expandiria a franquia. Falando do jogo, "S&$" conta com texturas de cenários preguiçosas em várias partes do jogo. As cidades são bem construídas mas as texturas de chão e rochas/montanhas deixam a desejar. O corte da dex não "faz falta" na campanha principal mas sem dúvidas seria um desafio pegar os 800+ Pokémon e com certeza se mostrará fazer falta no competitivo daqui a alguns meses. A Team Yell foi a pior equipe e eu achava que ninguém superaria a Transferência Skull. Os Pokémon nativos de falar junto as galarian forms fazem de falar uma região com a dex mais promissoras dos últimos anos, sem dúvidas. Os NPC falando sem sair som incomoda, passou daora de rever isso sem falar na repetição de alguns NPC que nem ao menos se esforçaram pra mudar algum detalhe. O universo de Pokémon chegou a um ponto de necessitar de um mundo aberto com cenários mais detalhados (não necessariamente realista), com NPC e Pokémon com uma inteligência artificial natural e não simplesmente programados para ficar no mesmo lugar faça chuva faça sol.… Expand
  8. Apenita
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    No os fieis de estos subnormales, muy bueno el juego, a quien le importan los gráficos jugando Pokémon?
  9. deepfriednuhhh
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    This is the first Pokemon game I've played since Red (and in turn, Let's Go essentially a remake of R/B/Y). I LOVE IT! There are so many cool mechanics in the game such as League Card trading, surprise trading, raids, the bike has returned, you can fish! :D The wildlands will kick your butt and force you to 'gitgud'. The gyms are actually stadiums now with large crowds and cheery musicThis is the first Pokemon game I've played since Red (and in turn, Let's Go essentially a remake of R/B/Y). I LOVE IT! There are so many cool mechanics in the game such as League Card trading, surprise trading, raids, the bike has returned, you can fish! :D The wildlands will kick your butt and force you to 'gitgud'. The gyms are actually stadiums now with large crowds and cheery music like a soccer (futbal for my international friends) match! You can change the appearance of your character however you like, the new pokemon are pretty awesome, the towns are bustling, you can send your pokemon on jobs to gain xp, there's a light rail (tram for my international friends), that gets you from point a to point b fairly quickly and even pokemon you can ride like mounts in wow. There is just so much to do and explore I have gotten lost in the world for the past 25 or so hours and only have my 3rd badge! I think this is the best entry in the series by far! They even brought back the battle system from before rather than just throwing balls in let's go. If you grew up watching yu-gi-oh the gigamaxing feature reminds me of those duals with the giant hologram monsters as well! I am looking forward to updates and future entries in the series now that its on home console :D… Expand
  10. scooby64
    Nov 17, 2019
    4
    The new Pokemon game did add a few nice things to the series like dynamexing and the wild area and some of the animations but in overall the game feels really rushed and not finished.
    -Trees copyd over from a 1998 game
    -1 of the enemies you face many times in the game only have 2 models and with how frequent they come they would really benefit from some variety - Most trainers in the    The new Pokemon game did add a few nice things to the series like dynamexing and the wild area and some of the animations but in overall the game feels really rushed and not finished.
    -Trees copyd over from a 1998 game
    -1 of the enemies you face many times in the game only have 2 models and with how frequent they come they would really benefit from some variety
    - Most trainers in the wild seem to have simple character models
    - The game holds your hand way to much sometimes you're forced out or into an area when you're not done exploring yet, this system would work amazing for kids it's very hard to get lost in the story i never really had to look at my map or check what my mission was some players like this and others dislike it
    - I personally am not to impressed by most of the Pokemon some of them look they are pokemon from older gens with very minor tweaks to it while there are some really good looking new pokemon i had higher expectation of the franchise main series
    - Some great animations but also some cheap animations as said before it feels unfinished
    - Frequent fps drops when there is a lot going on sometimes down to 10-15 fps (it feels like) in raid battles and when there is a weather effect involved
    - 1 other small critique is that we can't see a Pokemon is shiny until battle, they implemented this in Pokemon lets go and that was such a amazing feature IMO and really made you go crazy when you spot 1 while not even looking for it    … Expand
  11. KingArthur7
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    Pokémon Espada & Escudo es un juego al que le cuesta la nueva generación. Presenta problemas gráficos aquí y allá, pero en el núcleo sigue siendo el juego divertido y encantador que sienpre nos conquista entrega a entrega.
  12. ShadowMderp
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Loooooved this game so far, while it certaintly has some minor issues, it makes uo for it with fun characters and interesting new pokemon. This game has the best graphics in the series
  13. LycanLiam
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Pokemon Sword and Shield are the best Pokemon games in the series! I play the game every day! They are fun, exciting, and easy to play. I hope to see more Pokemon games that focus on story, character development, and gameplay! I recommend these games to everyone! I have played every Pokemon game in the series so far. This game is the best one so far. It is also really easy to learn and getPokemon Sword and Shield are the best Pokemon games in the series! I play the game every day! They are fun, exciting, and easy to play. I hope to see more Pokemon games that focus on story, character development, and gameplay! I recommend these games to everyone! I have played every Pokemon game in the series so far. This game is the best one so far. It is also really easy to learn and get the hang of. The graphics are great and the storyline is fun and engaging. I like how you can customize your character, and what types of new Pokemon are available, and it adds an additional depth to the gameplay. It is my favorite game in the Pokemon series. The storyline is very well thought out and is always interesting.… Expand
  14. Zycron
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    Awesome game, some lag in wild area online but still pretty difficult. Would recommend to returning fans as you can blaze through or even skip some tutorials
  15. Sqeewee
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    Honestly, this is a very good game. The graphics are very good and charming, the world around is fun just to walk around, and the controls are satisfying. The new Pokemon are actually pretty well designed. The national Dex cut isn't actually too noticeable and I didn't mind having less Pokemon. The wild areas are fun to explore, and it is so cool to be able to see Pokemon roaming theHonestly, this is a very good game. The graphics are very good and charming, the world around is fun just to walk around, and the controls are satisfying. The new Pokemon are actually pretty well designed. The national Dex cut isn't actually too noticeable and I didn't mind having less Pokemon. The wild areas are fun to explore, and it is so cool to be able to see Pokemon roaming the world. The gyms are very unique, and very fun. I could honestly go on and on. My only real complaint is a few characters are a bit annoying. This game is getting a lot of unnecessary hate, so I urge you to try the game out for yourself, and have an open mind. Thank you.… Expand
  16. ginoconde
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    So what if the national dex isn't complete. One of the major thrills of a new Pokemon game are the NEW POKEMONS! And the animation is bad? So if the animation for this game is bad, than all the animation for the previous Pokemon is bad as well? People need to reassess their opinions and look at the game objectively. For me I enjoyed this game. The game stayed true to it's core. You startSo what if the national dex isn't complete. One of the major thrills of a new Pokemon game are the NEW POKEMONS! And the animation is bad? So if the animation for this game is bad, than all the animation for the previous Pokemon is bad as well? People need to reassess their opinions and look at the game objectively. For me I enjoyed this game. The game stayed true to it's core. You start off with three starters, you explore and catch Pokemons to join your team, and strive to become Pokemon champion. The missed opportunity for me is the story. They could've made it more innovative, something different, something provocative. Despite how awesome Nintendo makes their games, story has always been their Achilles heel.… Expand
  17. Lord_Daishi
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    I’m down with the cuts. We get a fresh metagame. All the old major players in the Singles and VGC formats change. This gives us something new! Instead of us just bringing in, or grinding up our old sweepers and walls that we’ve known inside and out for yearssss, and hoping that either the new mons shake it up enough; or that game freak re-balanced everything... Again!

    Sure we will    I’m down with the cuts. We get a fresh metagame. All the old major players in the Singles and VGC formats change. This gives us something new! Instead of us just bringing in, or grinding up our old sweepers and walls that we’ve known inside and out for yearssss, and hoping that either the new mons shake it up enough; or that game freak re-balanced everything... Again!

    Sure we will always have bans and useless mons per generation . (rip guzzlord; no one cared. And Bye bye pheromosa; have fun stuck in Ubers.) But when was Gengar not OU??? When he got nerfed; and was less relevant in the meta! Which I don’t know about you all, but I don’t want that for my mons.

    Which is a good reason why we have Pokémon bank! This allows game freak to preserve the Pokémon as they are. Maintaining their strengths and weaknesses as much as possible, and letting us keep and store them for future use; whenever game freak thinks they makes sense, for the balance of future games.

    Sure..., now some people can’t play with their favorites. I am actually particularly lucky I get to keep some of my favorites. But I’d have given them all up and let them chill in bank for all eternity if it meant more depth to online play. (We have co-op raids with real Pokémon mechanics now [rip pokemon go] and a much more interactive online than 3DS’ “ppl randomly showing up in your glorified lobby; Say Hi!”.)

    I whole heartedly accept this "no national Dex" and was actually more hype because it’s not there.

    Also, regarding the animations: Everyone looks at combat. However, no one mentions out of battle environments like Pokemon Camp which have some new animations something they probably couldn’t feasibly replicate for the whole roster. Sure; for many this is likely fluff, but It's clear they want to bring pokemon closer and closer to a pet simulator with every iteration.

    I bet majoirty of the people mad are salty they can't dunk on the competitive scene with pre-built OU threats and it's now impossible to hack anything outside the selected roster in. No more Azumarills, no more sleep Smergals, no more Chansey or Blissey, no more Grenninja, and no more megas like Lopunny. **This is a good thing This is a healthy thing!**

    We have not had such a refined metagame since Gen 1 and Gen 2. It's the difference between playing MTG in Standard compared to Legacy and Vintage.

    Which, at least to me makes this the BEST pokemon game in the series since they introduced online play.    … Expand
  18. 2Jaki
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    It has got good graphics. The battles are now more epic and great characters
  19. WerDNA-
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    No esta mal para ser un juego a carreras...
    Pero, es un hecho que pudo ser mejor.
  20. mimicc
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    I would say that this is probably one of the better Pokémon games/generations.
    Most of the new Pokémon are pretty good, and the region is good, too.
    I don't know why people are giving this game such negative reviews. After finishing the game, I came to realize that the removal of some Pokémon barely affected the experience, especially not in a negative way. All of the new features most    I would say that this is probably one of the better Pokémon games/generations.
    Most of the new Pokémon are pretty good, and the region is good, too.

    I don't know why people are giving this game such negative reviews. After finishing the game, I came to realize that the removal of some Pokémon barely affected the experience, especially not in a negative way. All of the new features most definitely cancel out the negative aspects of this game.

    Sure, it has a few bugs here and there, but that, too, has no effect on the gameplay.
    The graphics are pretty good, too. This is most prominent when you're in a town- All of the major cities in this game look great.

    Overall, this game's pretty good. If you're a Pokémon fan, you should probably play it. It's probably one of the best games in the series.    … Expand
  21. Toastymanny
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    This game was amazing, the gym battles are handled much better and the ending was awesome. All these reviews from people who want a bloated rehashed experience (and haven't even played the game) really dull what people look at in this game. Highly recommend.
  22. alaval
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Un gran juego, intenta dar una nueva experiencia a través de nuevos personajes, gráficas geniales
  23. Eddy702
    Nov 17, 2019
    4
    The game is regular, some scenarios are fine, but, it feels like if game freak did the game fast. The story... meh.
    There's no GTS, i couldn't even have a trade whith a friend. We couldn't understand the interface of the "y connection"" I uses yo love Pokemon ganes, but, i can't love this:(
  24. j0hn4devils
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    I’ve been playing Pokémon for all my life, and I appreciate the Quality of life improvements and the risks they took. The game is balanced really well and I was never over leveled.
  25. Nerusomen
    Nov 17, 2019
    3
    Habiendo comprado las entregas de ultra luna y el mismo juego de luna, entre ambos cultivé un total de casi 500 horas de juego, este juego me parece una copia por casi todos los lados (exceptuando la historia, añadido de pojemon y actividades cortas) en general es aburrido ver las mismas animaciones desde X&Y y de paso una calidad de gráficos no muy buena llevados de la mano de unaHabiendo comprado las entregas de ultra luna y el mismo juego de luna, entre ambos cultivé un total de casi 500 horas de juego, este juego me parece una copia por casi todos los lados (exceptuando la historia, añadido de pojemon y actividades cortas) en general es aburrido ver las mismas animaciones desde X&Y y de paso una calidad de gráficos no muy buena llevados de la mano de una historia y juego muy cortos, este juego no vale 60 dolares.… Expand
  26. whitenight2013
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    I'm going to have to take a good look at replayability, but as of right now, this is my favorite Pokemon game. In some ways, this game is just like every other entry. Catch Pokemon, beat the gym leaders, rinse and repeat. The game has a similar art style to Sun and Moon, so the game is taking a more stylized aesthetic rather than anything groundbreaking. You can see some Pokemon appear inI'm going to have to take a good look at replayability, but as of right now, this is my favorite Pokemon game. In some ways, this game is just like every other entry. Catch Pokemon, beat the gym leaders, rinse and repeat. The game has a similar art style to Sun and Moon, so the game is taking a more stylized aesthetic rather than anything groundbreaking. You can see some Pokemon appear in the grass which can cause a little lag, but I've only ever had that happen once in a certain wide open area of the game. It is a little sad that since the Switch gave us fantastical new experiences with Zelda and Mario Odyssey that the same didn't happen with Pokemon, but holding that against this game is a little unfair. There's also no national dex in this game, but that's something that was going to happen eventually no matter what. Overall what this game did was give you a past Pokemon game and then improved on everything you could complain about that game.
    Grinding for instance. This game gave two huge changes for this by making the EXP share on no matter what and making it so that catching Pokemon gives you exp too. As a result, I never once had to stop and grind out any levels. I caught a Pokemon every time I ran into one I didn't have yet, and beat every trainer. Doing that my party stayed at about the same level as the gyms as I fought them. People complain about how short this game is, but I honestly think it's the same length as others without all the grinding bloating up your time. Now this does cause a problem because it means you don't want to search through the grass a lot. Most of the new Pokemon don't appear in the overworld; you have to get on your hands and knees and really look for them which you want to avoid for the most part or else risk leveling up your Pokemon too much and making the game too easy.
    The game also developed a real sports theme for the game, and I love it. Really brings some energy to the game, and it works thematically. Of course Pokemon battles would be this world's main sport. It also makes good sense for why you have to challenge the gyms in a certain order. Most importantly for me is the fact that it gives you actual tension with your rivals. You actually have a reason to compete against them because only one person can challenge the champion. In past games there was never a reason why you and your rivals couldn't challenge the elite four. They just didn't because you beat them. And as for the rivals, they tried making them a little more interesting. They gave your main rival an actual ark which was cool, and another one, Marnie, was an actually endearing character. I think she might be the first rival who wasn't annoying, hot-blooded, a jerk, or some combination of the three.
    The music is fantastic. Every Pokemon game I've played, I've usually played with the volume off. Each game had one ost song in the background I actually liked listening too, but this one went all out. I refuse to go against a gym in this game with the sound off. It has a nice beat to it, and really brings the blood-pumping. It's the same for towns, routes, and regular battles. Also, they finally got rid of the stupid bike music.
    Storywise, there is one. Pokemon has never been known for their great storytelling. Usually it amounts to, bad guy shows up a couple times, you beat them, finally you find their main base, beat them up, and catch a legendary. This game does change things up a bit, and I did enjoy the story, but it's not as enticing as say gen 5 and 7.
    Overall the thing about this Pokemon game is that it's fun, and you get what you put into it. If you purposely grind away levels or play the game as a more complicated game of rock, paper, scissors--then there's not much here for you. It's no longer a game where you can just kill time on without thinking about anything as you spend a couple of hours grinding out levels in preparation for that next gym leader. Whether this game is for you is all down to a question in my opinion. Are you the type of person who has your water Pokemon take down the fire gym on its own, or are you the type of person who sends out their electric Pokemon first to make things a little more interesting.    … Expand
  27. Dg18reen
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    Don't play a lot of Pokemon but this game looks good. I think u should give it a try.
  28. Nomadskimgdom
    Nov 17, 2019
    4
    I tried to come at this with a sence of optimism but ultimately became so disappointed. When playing through I found myself thinking about the starter I always transfer up and how much I loved that over scorbunny...The open world is not really all that impressive since there really isn't much in it other than over powered pokemon I dont like using. The battles are fine, but the gyms areI tried to come at this with a sence of optimism but ultimately became so disappointed. When playing through I found myself thinking about the starter I always transfer up and how much I loved that over scorbunny...The open world is not really all that impressive since there really isn't much in it other than over powered pokemon I dont like using. The battles are fine, but the gyms are kind of tedious with the mini games not being anything to write home about. Once you get to the elite 4 though it becomes annoyingly repetitive. Over all not the worst graphics, not the worst story, not the worst game but it's definitely down there and a big disappointment coming from game freak...hope for better in the future though. #bringbackthenationaldex and it would get a 8… Expand
  29. Perkypears
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    Not a perfect game, visuals do not hold up to what a switch game is capable of or what most $60 titles look like. If you have interest in the competitive aspect however many parts of the game are streamlined, such as changing a pokemon's nature, and EV training. The length of the game is about average for the series, but if you like most Pokemon games you'll probably like this one
  30. ace1016
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    It’s a new region of the Pokemon world and like the Alola region it was well done. The new Pokémon are cute and cool with every bit of weirdness that we are used to and more
  31. Emrald
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    QoL improvements in this game are very nice, plenty of good new pokemon designs, lots of pokemon to go out and catch and VERY PRETTY graphics and character models. Would rate 10/10 but Hop is annoying.
  32. Redpool
    Nov 17, 2019
    8
    te quiero mamá y a ti Paco, que eres un grande, le quiero agradecer a mi madre y a mi padre pon tener este gran honor, este Pokémon en decepcionante por cómo no lo vendieron, pero no considero que necesite un treh, yo le daría un meno treh
  33. Evoku
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    Personally I love it. They made the game beautifully in terms of its English touches. They made the scenery, the Pokémon and the even the colloquialisms really really well for an English themed region and I absolutely love it.
    There are a lot of people who say it had more potential in terms of graphics and they didn't like that they removed a lot of Pokémon from previous gens. But this is    Personally I love it. They made the game beautifully in terms of its English touches. They made the scenery, the Pokémon and the even the colloquialisms really really well for an English themed region and I absolutely love it.
    There are a lot of people who say it had more potential in terms of graphics and they didn't like that they removed a lot of Pokémon from previous gens. But this is the first super competitive Pokémon game with a ranked ladder system and I believe it's to balance the online gameplay.

    The game is beautiful and being able to run around the wild zone and see other players is incredible. I have been playing with 3 friends who have been loving this game as well. The new features like gigantamax are very enjoyable and feel powerful to use. Graphics in battles is super clean. There's only a couple frame rate drops at the very start of the game. And sometimes graphics goes a bit funny but the overall graphics is pretty good so these review bombs are literally garbage. The whole experience is totally amazing for a new Pokémon game.

    So many large and small things like in battle snippets of characters talking and camping with other players, sending Pokémon on jobs. I could say so many new things that make this game amazing but it's better you actually pick up the game and play it yourself without me spoiling it. And in terms of the Pokémon cuts, there is still well over 500 Pokémon so the removal of some Pokémon is not a problem and some will probably be available in Pokémon home to transfer in next year... Maybe...

    The best Pokémon game Ive played in a very long time....    … Expand
  34. DrakX316
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    This game is really good. As a long time pokemon fan I dont know what all the hate is really about
  35. Piermattia
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    Some criticize the title because of the supposed technical problems and the decision of Game Freak not to insert a "National Pokedex" or in other words the new Pokemon titles will have half of the existing pokedex available.
    This is definitely a flaw but FOR ME is counterbalanced by the aesthetic quality of the new Pokemon
    (there are also hideous creatures that are clear) that always    Some criticize the title because of the supposed technical problems and the decision of Game Freak not to insert a "National Pokedex" or in other words the new Pokemon titles will have half of the existing pokedex available.
    This is definitely a flaw but FOR ME is counterbalanced by the aesthetic quality of the new Pokemon
    (there are also hideous creatures that are clear) that always keeps the player's attention level high.
    The story for now seems well made, the gyms are very fun to challenge (each has a mission to play to be admitted to the real challenge with the gym leader)
    The real flaws reside in the constant stuttering in the wild that castrate the online experience (stuttering does not occur with local communication but only with online communication) and that's it.
    For the rest we find ourselves at a Pokemon title that respects the tradition of the main titles and that allows itself to play perfectly.
    … Expand
  36. SplendidHoney
    Nov 25, 2019
    9
    Yes the graphics and animations could have been better but I believe this is the best pokemon game to date.

    The story is really good, you're initial rival is a complete pushover but there are other rivals and characters in the game that give you the feel of a traditional rival. There are so many quality of life improvements such as changing pokemon from your pc on the go and changing a    Yes the graphics and animations could have been better but I believe this is the best pokemon game to date.

    The story is really good, you're initial rival is a complete pushover but there are other rivals and characters in the game that give you the feel of a traditional rival. There are so many quality of life improvements such as changing pokemon from your pc on the go and changing a pokemons natrure so that competitive battling is more accessible

    The game can also be challenging if you allow it to be. The experience share is always on however battles are at a higher level to compensate for this.    … Expand
  37. Riveradrawin
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    I have a good and fun play time with Sword, I dont care about the graphics but the animations are lacking. Over all this was great
  38. Roxas99
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I like the game. It's enjoyable. I wish the camera was controllable at all times, and I'm not exactly sure why that wasn't implemented. The story is strange, honestly. Parts of it are pretty good, I like the meetings with Sonia and some of the other characters. The evil team is hardly in the game, referring to Macros Cosmos. I think it's interesting to have the chairman of the Pokémon league being the main villain. I wish more was done with that.
    The visuals are pretty hit or miss. Some of the textures are stretch weirdly. The ground and the trees. But some of them look pretty great.    … Expand
  39. AriesRayne
    Nov 18, 2019
    10
    I have played most pokemon games, and I honestly think this is one of if not the best pokemons games I have played
  40. Navifighter64
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    Con todo respeto, comprendo totalmente lo que dicen de que el juego tiene problemas, yo ya me encontré con algunos, como la falta de uno de mis pokes favoritos y la bajada un toquecito notable de fps en la wild area cuando utilizo el internet, PEEEEEERO, puedo decir con seguridad que este juego es el mejor juego del año, con su jugabilidad adictiva como sus predecesores, un soundtrack queCon todo respeto, comprendo totalmente lo que dicen de que el juego tiene problemas, yo ya me encontré con algunos, como la falta de uno de mis pokes favoritos y la bajada un toquecito notable de fps en la wild area cuando utilizo el internet, PEEEEEERO, puedo decir con seguridad que este juego es el mejor juego del año, con su jugabilidad adictiva como sus predecesores, un soundtrack que tiene más alma que varios juegos actuales y unos diseños muy bonitos de los nuevos pokes, sin contar los preciosos gráficos que, aunque en ciertos momentos puedan verse un poco peor (el maldito árbol...), logra en otros momentos ofrecer una experiencia de juego inolvidable. Lo único que puedo destacar es que, si sos un fanático de la saga, no dudes en comprartelo, y si no sos fan y te intriga saber que es todo este tema, porque lees a un tipo que no tiene nada mejor que hacer más que jugar al Pokémon y escribir reseñas? COMPRATELO Y A DISFRUTAR!… Expand
  41. HerbSmith
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    Overall pretty fun game. I enjoy the gameplay and the story is pretty good. There is a couple issues but its good. The gym battles have these really fun and cool challenges that make every gym unique. The new wild area is amazing and has a lot to do. 8/10 would recommend
  42. William690420
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    The game does not have amazing graphics or breath-taking plot story, it is still a game packed with emotions and amazing new features. I dont know why people are saying the game has bugs since I have not encountered one in any way possible. Yes, the Pokedex is cut in half but I can see that GameFreak, despite being a company is trying to do something new for the franchise and I see this asThe game does not have amazing graphics or breath-taking plot story, it is still a game packed with emotions and amazing new features. I dont know why people are saying the game has bugs since I have not encountered one in any way possible. Yes, the Pokedex is cut in half but I can see that GameFreak, despite being a company is trying to do something new for the franchise and I see this as GameFreak's first step into making a better, more amazing and breath-taking pokemon game in the far future… Expand
  43. JaMz1992
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    I really liked Pokemon Sword. The story was overall good the only thing I don't like was that it was too short. The graphics are not the best which I am really disappointed.
  44. AngelBarrio
    Nov 18, 2019
    7
    It is really fun and an exciting story, while hip can be annoying sometimes it is not bad. The apparently “short story” is a lie. It takes around 20 hours for a normal play through. Not as good as past games, but very enjoyable
  45. cdtommy
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    This is coming from a guy who hasn't played a mainline game since Black and White on the DS, so take that as you will, but I've played close to 6 hours already and I've thoroughly enjoyed the game. Sure Pokemon may have been cut and graphics aren't the best, but the gameplay is really engaging. It's just straight up Pokemon fun. The wild area though a little underwhelming is amazing. To beThis is coming from a guy who hasn't played a mainline game since Black and White on the DS, so take that as you will, but I've played close to 6 hours already and I've thoroughly enjoyed the game. Sure Pokemon may have been cut and graphics aren't the best, but the gameplay is really engaging. It's just straight up Pokemon fun. The wild area though a little underwhelming is amazing. To be able to walk around in a vast area with 2nd and 3rd evolution Pokemon is just amazing. Overall Sword and Shield may not be perfect, but it's classic Pokemon at it's core.… Expand
  46. RebaDerps
    Nov 18, 2019
    10
    Excellent game! They brought back gyms, the new Pokémon designs aren’t mostly inanimate objects, the graphics looks great, you can breed Pokémon again (unlike Let’s Go), there’s a new shiny hunting method, and overall the story is simple and not too convoluted like previous games. Older games had a tendency to try and force me to feel something for the characters, like the forced romanceExcellent game! They brought back gyms, the new Pokémon designs aren’t mostly inanimate objects, the graphics looks great, you can breed Pokémon again (unlike Let’s Go), there’s a new shiny hunting method, and overall the story is simple and not too convoluted like previous games. Older games had a tendency to try and force me to feel something for the characters, like the forced romance in ORAS or pity for what’s-her-face in USUM. I hated that. I couldn’t even finish Sun and Moon. This game however makes a great comeback, even if the Pokédex is smaller. I feel like the new Pokémon make up for it.… Expand
  47. Victahhh
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    Genuinely enjoying this game a lot, as someone that hasn't played Pokemon since Ruby/Sapphire.
  48. Jenosaur
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    Going into this keeping pre-launch criticism in mind, it maybe doesn't build a ton on the game's 20-year+ old mechanics but still feels fresh and very fun. I would've enjoyed seeing more new designs rather than old Pokemon injected in but it doesn't take away from it for me at all. Graphics aren't amazing but a fair upgrade from DS. If you really don't want to support the dev then buy aGoing into this keeping pre-launch criticism in mind, it maybe doesn't build a ton on the game's 20-year+ old mechanics but still feels fresh and very fun. I would've enjoyed seeing more new designs rather than old Pokemon injected in but it doesn't take away from it for me at all. Graphics aren't amazing but a fair upgrade from DS. If you really don't want to support the dev then buy a used copy, but I think most would be pleasantly surprised.… Expand
  49. awesomecreatx
    Nov 18, 2019
    7
    The game is quite enjoyable in my opinion, I can see y people are mad, and i respect their wants. But personally, I am loving the game. It does have many issues such as the muddy textures and max frame rate at 30 FPS, and the drops in the wild area to 10 FPS are common, but the core combat is very fun and enjoyable like normal. The main Problem is that it did not innovate enough, but theThe game is quite enjoyable in my opinion, I can see y people are mad, and i respect their wants. But personally, I am loving the game. It does have many issues such as the muddy textures and max frame rate at 30 FPS, and the drops in the wild area to 10 FPS are common, but the core combat is very fun and enjoyable like normal. The main Problem is that it did not innovate enough, but the game is still very fun.… Expand
  50. Trevantula
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    National dex or not this game gives you so many Pokémon to use early game and has made so many positive changes to the franchise. I loved every second of my journey and am looking forward to all the raid battles and competitive tournaments Nintendo will be holding
  51. C-Mo
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    Ich muss eine Lanze für das Spiel brechen:

    Pokémon Schwert/Schild sind fantastische Spiele, die sich sowohl an neueinsteiger als auch an Veteranen richten soll. Es ist sehr gut gebalanced und bietet die ein oder andere kniffligere Herausforderung als es früher noch der Fall war. Zudem ist die Story sehr gut inszeniert und interessant auch für mich, der die Reihe schon seit den Anfängen    Ich muss eine Lanze für das Spiel brechen:

    Pokémon Schwert/Schild sind fantastische Spiele, die sich sowohl an neueinsteiger als auch an Veteranen richten soll. Es ist sehr gut gebalanced und bietet die ein oder andere kniffligere Herausforderung als es früher noch der Fall war. Zudem ist die Story sehr gut inszeniert und interessant auch für mich, der die Reihe schon seit den Anfängen genießt und liebt. Klare Empfehlung!    … Expand
  52. FullmetalB
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    Very addictive game, simple but beautiful graphics, so much content, pleasing music and overall great fun.
  53. ArjenSnow
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    Llevo 2/3 de la aventura del juego y me esta gustando, por lo menos mas que Sol y Luna. El apartado gráfico esta muy bien (Menos en la zona silvestre) y el diseño de los Pokemon es por mucho, bastante mejor que la generación anterior.
    Espero que hagan algunas actualizaciones del juego para mejorar la calidad del mismo.
  54. Lalo17837281
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    Sin contar con el algunos errores visuales considero que es un muy buen juego de pokemon
  55. ArtFR
    Nov 18, 2019
    7
    I finished the game in about 20 hours and had fun, the game is obviously rushed but i still think it isn't that bad
  56. NinjaSox7
    Nov 18, 2019
    10
    The game is very fun and I seriously recommend giving it a second chance.
  57. Cuhozz
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    Despite the fact the game could have been better (in graphics) the other features are pretty funny and adictive.
  58. Kingbrettalomew
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    I don’t usually write reviews, but considering the controversy around this one I wanted to share my opinion. First of all, let me get the biggest complaint out of the way. Everyone is upset about the lack of National Dex in this generation. I don’t care about it at all. There’s over 1,000 Pokémon at this point and personally, it’s nice to be able to actually finish a Pokédex for once. NotI don’t usually write reviews, but considering the controversy around this one I wanted to share my opinion. First of all, let me get the biggest complaint out of the way. Everyone is upset about the lack of National Dex in this generation. I don’t care about it at all. There’s over 1,000 Pokémon at this point and personally, it’s nice to be able to actually finish a Pokédex for once. Not to mention I think it creates more balance since you can’t just use some of the more op Pokémon from previous games. I understand the desire to carry over all your Pokémon but it’s honestly not that big of a deal. Okay, with that out of the way, let me just say that I thought this game was a lot of fun and to me that’s what matters most. Does it have perfect graphics? No, but the Pokémon series has never been known for it’s graphical prowess. The graphics and animations have been simple since the very beginning of the series. It’s not a surprise to see the same here, and honestly I don’t think the animations are bad by any means. They are a bit outdated, but did not affect my experience at all. The designs of all the new Pokémon are very strong and the old ones continue to look great. The routes are a bit more linear this time around, but they look great and often have a larger variety of Pokémon than past games. Now the wild area is a different story.

    The wild area is honestly kind of rough. I love the idea of it, but playing with the online functionality makes it very choppy and it stutters a lot. Did it ruin my experience? Not at all. But it is definitely a visual and performance downgrade from the rest of the game. I will say though, that I did not experience any frame rate drops or performance issues anywhere outside of the wild area. I loved the max raids. I played a lot of them and enjoyed every minute. However, the online functions are a struggle. You often have to disconnect and then reconnect because it won’t update to show current raids or trade offers. Once again, it didn’t ruin anything for me, but it is very annoying to see a gigantimax raid and then be locked out because it was old. I also found the lack of global trade system absolutely baffling. You cannot search a specific Pokémon you want and are instead at the mercy of strangers or friends. As far as the gameplay goes it’s classic Pokémon. You still leave get a starter Pokémon and travel the region trying to collect gym badges and be the champion. There’s been a number of improvements to the formula this time. You have to use exp share which to some is for some reason a huge foul. I love it. It’s nice to not have to individually level every Pokémon you have and it keeps your whole time at a consistent pace. It’s no different than a Final Fantasy game where your whole party gets exp at the end of a battle. This game also introduces dynamax which is fun to do but can only really be done in raids or gyms. This prevents it from being too op the way mega evolutions and z moves were. Filling out your Pokédex is easier than ever with the introduction of exp candy. You get them for completing raids and can use them to level the Pokémon in your box easily. There’s also now one use TM’s in addition to the infinite TM’s which allows for some strategy in picking moves. Overall I thought the gameplay was great. I thoroughly enjoyed playing it and quite honestly thought it was the most fun game since X and Y.

    Story wise, it’s really no different from passed games. Pokémon has never been about super engaging serious stories. It’s simple and moves you along and that’s what matters. I actually liked the fact that it was less end of the world/region/Pokémon and instead focused a lot on the spectacle of gym battles. I also thought it was interesting that the main “Team” wasn’t necessarily bad this time around and are really just rowdy Pokémon fans. As far as music goes, there are some seriously stand out tracks throughout the adventure. The gym battles as well as the first legendary encounter have killer music. The rest is serviceable and never got on my nerves nor really stood out. Overall, I understand that this game has some problems. Game Freak upset a lot of it’s fans and create ill will. The graphics aren’t perfect and the online functionality is really outdated and hard to work with. But none of that really bothered me. This game is fun. I really loved my time with it and I’m glad I ignored all the hate and went into it with an open mind. And I’m the end isn’t having fun the point of games? These days we spend so much time worrying about graphics and performance and power when the point of a game is enjoyment and this game gave me more than enough of that. I can say with complete honesty that this is my favorite entry since X and Y. Maybe even Black and White.    … Expand
  59. Akthal
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    Amo este juego, la verdad no hagan caso a tanto hate, el juego es bueno, pero sin llegar a la exelencia.
    Tiene un apartado gráfico superior que sus antecesores, pero obviamente que para 2019 no es nada del otro mundo.
    El mappeo del mundo es hermoso, de lo mejor que he visto en pokemon. La banda sonora es épica como siempre, tan solo entrar a un gimnasio pokemon y luchar contra el líder    Amo este juego, la verdad no hagan caso a tanto hate, el juego es bueno, pero sin llegar a la exelencia.
    Tiene un apartado gráfico superior que sus antecesores, pero obviamente que para 2019 no es nada del otro mundo.
    El mappeo del mundo es hermoso, de lo mejor que he visto en pokemon.
    La banda sonora es épica como siempre, tan solo entrar a un gimnasio pokemon y luchar contra el líder del mismo se te eriza la piel.    … Expand
  60. voltopt
    Nov 18, 2019
    10
    This game is incredible. Pokemon has finally evolved to a more complete game, and something that is rewarding to come back to!
  61. Beautybrand
    Nov 18, 2019
    10
    This is the one I would recommend. It has grown to be an essential new game that blows the old crappy ones out of the water.
  62. yakub97
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    Pokemon Shield is a good game all around. Outside of the wild area it looks pretty good. Not BotW levels of good but solid enough. The raid function is very well implemented and adds a lot of replayability when it comes to shiny hunting/HA hunting/egg move hunting. At the current rate I am going at, the amount of pokemon I'll need to transfer is at a minimum. Fly is accessible from one ofPokemon Shield is a good game all around. Outside of the wild area it looks pretty good. Not BotW levels of good but solid enough. The raid function is very well implemented and adds a lot of replayability when it comes to shiny hunting/HA hunting/egg move hunting. At the current rate I am going at, the amount of pokemon I'll need to transfer is at a minimum. Fly is accessible from one of the earlier cities, making travel reasonable.

    The only downsides to the game outside of the dex cut is the graphics decrease in the wild area (understandable, but still heavily jarring in areas with more graphics intensive weather) and the online UI. It's not easy to set up a trade or battle without bumping into other people who happen to be using the same code as you are.    … Expand
  63. ButterJaffa
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    All I really need to say is it's Pokemon but with some new stuff in and other stuff taken out... combat feels amazing as always but the game can sometimes hold your hand with somethings... it's a fun and enjoyable game and I recommend it to any Pokemon fan or someone trying to get into Pokemon.
  64. drakneel95
    Nov 18, 2019
    10
    Hasta ahora lo he disfrutado mucho, hubieron muchas pequeñas mejoras y detalles en el menú y la jugabilidad además de mas libertad para decidir tu equipo en la aventura, un clásico pokemon de siempre, espero que con actualizaciones mejoren y aprovechen la Area silvestre que puede mejorar aun mas, la banda sonora que le pusieron a este juego fue totalmente un acierto !
  65. Jakey92
    Nov 18, 2019
    10
    The best game in the series to date. The Wild Area in particular is any Pokémon lovers dream.
  66. RandoFoxxo
    Nov 19, 2019
    9
    I am a Player, that hasn't played any pokemon gen 3-7 game. Only gen 1,2 and now 8. Right now I'd say im half way through the game.

    However, I think the game is fantastic. It took many Features from the previous game (Let's go pikachu etc) like catching pokemons granting exp, the world design and graphics and combat UI, as well as most Features from the more traditional pokemon games.    I am a Player, that hasn't played any pokemon gen 3-7 game. Only gen 1,2 and now 8. Right now I'd say im half way through the game.

    However, I think the game is fantastic. It took many Features from the previous game (Let's go pikachu etc) like catching pokemons granting exp, the world design and graphics and combat UI, as well as most Features from the more traditional pokemon games.

    Since the beginning, it engaged me a bit in the Story and I just generally enjoyed fighting other npc's, gym leaders and wild pokemons.

    My two Cents are, that I feel like the world is a bit simple. Each City is basically only divided by one route. You go from City to route, to City, to route and so on. Sometimes there is a cave in between. In contrast to the first and second gen, they had many routes connecting at one Point. I miss that a bit, the world felt larger and more complex.

    The second Point is obvious, lack of plenty previous gen pokemons. Maybe I am optimistic, but I just want to go to the wiki, look at pokemons, find a cool one I like and add it to my Team when I am playing the currently newest gen. But sadly, I have to double check if it's in pokemon sword. I hope the future will bring more pokemons into the game, that existed previously.

    Otherwise, the game is fantastic, enjoyable and absolutely worth the Price.    … Expand
  67. OkBoomer
    Nov 19, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game was really good and I actually enjoyed it but the story was really short. Beat the game in 2 days and it really wasn't that hard. The best part about the game was probably the wild area. You can do a lot there and it shows there's more than just story… Expand
  68. kombatkarrot
    Nov 19, 2019
    2
    Very linear, corridor based game in the 10 hours I have played, I am already bored of the meaningless handholding, the town map now tells me where to go so I do not need a boring NPC tour guide. I had a level 37 starter before the second gym with no real effort which tells me the XP system is unbalanced and broken. The online raid system is terrible. I have been unable to join many raidsVery linear, corridor based game in the 10 hours I have played, I am already bored of the meaningless handholding, the town map now tells me where to go so I do not need a boring NPC tour guide. I had a level 37 starter before the second gym with no real effort which tells me the XP system is unbalanced and broken. The online raid system is terrible. I have been unable to join many raids and can barely get players to join mine. The 'safari zone' is near empty. filling it with other players instead of NPC's dungeons and side quests just makes it an XP pit. I can find very little positive about this game besides the camping mechanic.… Expand
  69. 1_M_
    Nov 19, 2019
    6
    Just finished it. Unfortunately game is pretty mediocre. I don't have a problem with lack of National Dex (maybe because I'm a lucky bastatd, and all my favs are in), but I can objectively understand all the havoc it made. Plot in this generation is extremely dissapointing, hollow and probably the worst ever, especially with it's stupid twist, faceless and unimportant team Yell, andJust finished it. Unfortunately game is pretty mediocre. I don't have a problem with lack of National Dex (maybe because I'm a lucky bastatd, and all my favs are in), but I can objectively understand all the havoc it made. Plot in this generation is extremely dissapointing, hollow and probably the worst ever, especially with it's stupid twist, faceless and unimportant team Yell, and non-sense main antagonist's motivations. Wild area is a nice idea, but it needs alot of polishing, right now it feels borring and kinda empty, I spent there about 20 minutes during my 14 hour long walkthrough, because I didn't feel the need to spend more time in a location like this. When it comes to graphics, well... I'm a kind of person, that usually don't care about such things but damn it, some textures in Sword&Shield look very bad, company with such history and experience shouldn't let this happen, I'm pretty sure game could look so much better. New Mons are obviously a matter of taste, there are some I like very much with one of them instantly becoming one of my all time favourites, and two or three that I absolutely hate, but that's always the case, this series always was all about finding your favourites to me, no matter what they are and how they look.

    Oh, and there's a Battle Tower. Cool...

    It hurts me down to the bone to say that in my opinion Sword and Shield with their story, characters, lots of bugs, and graphic issues are dissapointing titles. Creating underdeveloped games that look like they were released too soon and needed more time for polishing isn't a way I would like Game Freak to go. I hope Gamę Freak and Pokemon Company will draw conclusions and consequences from this situation, although this is very unlikely because despite all the issues these two games are selling like hotcakes.

    In general I would score SwoShi 5/10, but that one effing cute Pokemon forced me to ad one bonus point.

    One more thing. I can understand that some players, especially new to the series may subjectively like those titles, but for the love of God. How can anyone say they're the best Pokemon games ever?!

    Also sorry for my bad English.    … Expand
  70. Akayomi
    Nov 19, 2019
    7
    I got Pokemon Shield but since they're pretty much the same game, I'll paste my review here as well.

    Short version: The Good: - Refreshing feeling overall - Good character designs - Good looking graphics and animations (Half of the time, more on this down on the 'bad') - Wild Area is amaizing The bad: - Lazy animations on a lot of attacks (Which makes it even worse, considering    I got Pokemon Shield but since they're pretty much the same game, I'll paste my review here as well.

    Short version:
    The Good:
    - Refreshing feeling overall
    - Good character designs
    - Good looking graphics and animations (Half of the time, more on this down on the 'bad')
    - Wild Area is amaizing

    The bad:
    - Lazy animations on a lot of attacks (Which makes it even worse, considering some attacks have beautiful animations)
    - FPS drops on the Wild Area, even in Docked mode
    - Cutting the National Dex to "include better animations". Animations that are not in the game.
    - General unpolished feel to the game. This game needed at least 3-6 more months of development, and it could've easily been the BEST pokemon game of all time. Instead, we get a half-baked, mediocre pokemon game.

    Overall: If you enjoyed pokemon games, you will have fun. The game lacks in a lot of aspects, but it's still an enjoyable experience. I wish GameFreak would've taken more time to polish it a bit more, or at the very least that they adress the issues on patches down the line.

    Long version:
    I'm glad I bought this.

    Yes, the game has issues (FPS drops, some animations are cheap as **** it's generally unpolished, unnecesary dexit) but the game really ISN'T as bad as leakers and naysayers would have you believe. It pisses me off because if they had a few more months (say, 3 months, like Animal Crossing) this game could have been the BEST pokemon game ever. Instead, we get a half-assed mediocre game, but with enough fun stuff that it guarantees a huge profit for GameFreak, therefore they will not learn, and will continue to half-ass games, most likely. That's pretty sad.
    Also, anyone saying "the game is short!!! you can beat it in 8 hours!!" is full of **** I haven't even finished the main story and check it: 26hs and ticking. And I haven't even started doing max raids or anything endgame like that.
    The XP share turned on all the time is a pain in the ass, and we SHOULD have an option to turn it off.
    The difficulty is... very low. You can just mash A and you will probably win most fights. That being said, difficulty does spike in a few battles here and there. But most of the time it's very easy.

    Is this game perfect? No, not at all. Is it bad? Not really. It's average, or mediocre, whatever word you prefer to use. But it's fun. If you walk into the game wanting to hate it, you'll nitpick and hate every part of it. If you walk into the game wishing to have fun... well, you'll have tons of fun.

    Whether or not this game is worth 60$ is up to you to decide. For me, it should be 40$ and not a cent more. But I still bent over and paid full price. Even tho I reckon it shouldn't be full price, I personally am having lots of fun, and that makes it worth my time and money.    … Expand
  71. Thatchurr
    Nov 19, 2019
    7
    Not the best Pokemon game in the series for sure but definitely loads of fun. Great new Pokemon and designs. My main issue with game is the TMs are trash. TRs are good but dont like that they are one use and you have to raids to have a chance at getting one. Also i dont care about there not being a Nat Dex. Kind of annoying with the level cap on captures but still good game
  72. Mister_Jey
    Jan 12, 2021
    8
    → Attrapez-les tous !
    Étant fan des jeux Pokémon depuis tout gamin, je ne pouvais pas passer à côté du petit dernier. Celui-ci reprend fidèlement le concept tout en ajoutant quelques nouveautés. L'histoire est comme d'habitude avec la franchise, plutôt enfantine. j'ai trouvé que les développeurs se la joué petit bras avec les terres sauvages, qui servent à remplir un grand morceau de map    → Attrapez-les tous !
    Étant fan des jeux Pokémon depuis tout gamin, je ne pouvais pas passer à côté du petit dernier. Celui-ci reprend fidèlement le concept tout en ajoutant quelques nouveautés. L'histoire est comme d'habitude avec la franchise, plutôt enfantine. j'ai trouvé que les développeurs se la joué petit bras avec les terres sauvages, qui servent à remplir un grand morceau de map avec beaucoup de Pokémon disponibles, et quelques mécanismes qui ne resteront pas franchement dans les annales. D'ailleurs côté créatures, il y en a un bon paquet présent à attraper. Du côté des graphismes, c'est très chouette. Bien qu'il ne soit pas parfait, il propose néanmoins une aventure digne de ce nom et franchement très agréable.

    Sortie en novembre 2019 / Développé par The Pokémon Compagny.    … Expand
  73. ZonaManine
    Nov 19, 2019
    9
    Gráficamente se podría mejorar, pero tampoco esta tan mal: es mas estilo a Anime. No he visto bajada de fps en ningún momento, aunque como he dicho se puede mejorar.
    La Banda sonora esta muy bien currada y más cuando estamos luchando en un gimnasio. La historia deja mucho que desear, aunque bueno.... ningún juego de Pokémon ha tenido una historia muy allá.
    La duración, pues bueno, he    Gráficamente se podría mejorar, pero tampoco esta tan mal: es mas estilo a Anime. No he visto bajada de fps en ningún momento, aunque como he dicho se puede mejorar.
    La Banda sonora esta muy bien currada y más cuando estamos luchando en un gimnasio. La historia deja mucho que desear, aunque bueno.... ningún juego de Pokémon ha tenido una historia muy allá.
    La duración, pues bueno, he tardado unas 25 horas en pasármelo y todavía me queda muchas cosas por completar (pokedex, torre batalla, etc) y la jugabilidad; hay cosas viejas que ya vimos en entregas anteriores y cosas innovadoras. El juego es mas accesible al público (mas casual). Lo mas malo es la Dex (no están todos) y la historia (que podría habérselo currado mas). En mi canal Zona Manine hago un Análisis mas detallado sobre el juego.    … Expand
  74. sebet89
    Nov 19, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. rápido
    não tem todos pokémon (menos que a metade)
    grupo inimigo lixo
    vilão fraco
    não tem Elite Four
    não curti o campeão
    rival lixo
    muito fácil
    história lixo
    animação fraca    … Expand
  75. Megatorpon
    Nov 20, 2019
    7
    The content of the game is really weak, short and the company lied about what they were announcing.

    The graphics are endlessly better in BOTW so it's known that the console has enough power to move it well. It's a really enjoyable game, I loved it but I can't say it's not true everything fans are complaining for. For a Pokemon game, the quality of content of this one is quite quite    The content of the game is really weak, short and the company lied about what they were announcing.

    The graphics are endlessly better in BOTW so it's known that the console has enough power to move it well.

    It's a really enjoyable game, I loved it but I can't say it's not true everything fans are complaining for. For a Pokemon game, the quality of content of this one is quite quite lower.

    Even with that it has amazing things, such as the music, the design of the new Pokemon, the gym battles (I mean, the mechanic of the stadium and the epicness of the battle itself) and the wild area.    … Expand
  76. Kr94
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    I've been playing Pokémon since I was very young, starting with Gen 1. I don't have the time for all the 'beneficial natures' or 'competitive movesets' or 'balanced metagame' that most of these negative reviews seem so hugely focused on.

    Fact of the matter is that I enjoyed this game. A lot. More than any main series or spin off title in the series since gen 5. Sure it has the odd flaw,    I've been playing Pokémon since I was very young, starting with Gen 1. I don't have the time for all the 'beneficial natures' or 'competitive movesets' or 'balanced metagame' that most of these negative reviews seem so hugely focused on.

    Fact of the matter is that I enjoyed this game. A lot. More than any main series or spin off title in the series since gen 5. Sure it has the odd flaw, but if you're really put off continuing this beloved franchise by some absolute nonsense like breeding mechanics etc then you probably shouldn't be playing Pokémon. Let people enjoy things, don't tear a game down purely because of some stupid thing that makes literally zero difference to the non-entitled portion of the audience    … Expand
  77. CodieFrink
    Nov 19, 2019
    9
    It's not perfect, but it's a Pokemon game that lets me do everything I expect from a Pokemon game, and then some.

    Having it on the Switch is something I've been wanting for a long time!
  78. Rirato91
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    Muy buen juego, no se lleva mas por la falta de pokemon, pero fuera de eso excelente trabajo, un poco corto, el que te correteen los pokemon es algo muy divertido, asi como el tambien buscar uno en especifico, con solo ver lo y tocarlo puedes iniciar la batalla, el encontrar objeto por las excursiones dinamax es perfecto y rápido.
  79. gdgalex
    Nov 19, 2019
    7
    To get the elephant in the room out of the way, yes, this game plays and feels like a slightly upgraded 3DS game. The pacing and movement of everything in the game, from controlling your character on the map to how battles flow, are slow and occasionally less responsive than in Sun and Moon. The content in the game's story is also somewhat lackluster, especially when considering theTo get the elephant in the room out of the way, yes, this game plays and feels like a slightly upgraded 3DS game. The pacing and movement of everything in the game, from controlling your character on the map to how battles flow, are slow and occasionally less responsive than in Sun and Moon. The content in the game's story is also somewhat lackluster, especially when considering the endgame in comparison to previous entries in the series. But at its core, this game still accomplishes everything you would expect put of a Pokemon game while introducing an interesting take on the traditional structure the series has followed. If you are looking to play a Pokemon game because you enjoy the standard adventure through a new region with Pokemon to catch and try out in battles, you won't be disappointed by what the game has to offer. To avoid spoilers, I'll give a general list of what I liked and what I disliked.

    Liked:
    The Wild Area. It's a sizable open area that, despite not looking the best at times and dealing with the game's problematic tip-in graphic issues, provides the most open and exploratory feel in the game. This one place seems where Pokemon has always wanted to go, and I hope they continually improve this kind of thing in future games. Wild Pokemon being visible in the overworld really makes the game look and feel more alive.

    The gym battles are genuinely more of a spectacle than they were before. This likely has to die oth Dynamax being limited primarily to these battles and raids, so it actually feels special.

    The massiv ramping of QoL improvements the game has, such as being able to skip tutorials and adding a number of late game items that make competitive battling much more accessible.


    Disliked:
    Your primary rival is far too talkative. They definitely tried to emulate Sun and Moon here.

    The evil team is a a failure of emulating Sun and Moon's Tram Skull. They really want to have the same effect, but they ultimately come off as less comical and more imbecilic than anything else.

    The difficulty limit seemingly set for most Trainer battles. Many areas of the game boast wild Pokemon that are genuinely more of a challenge than these Trainers. While it was appreciated that wild Pokemon were at generally usable levels when caught while progressing through the main story, having the Trainers not bumped up to at least that strength turned them into little more than treasure chests that talked. This makes the game incredibly easy in comparison to practically every other title in the series and ultimately turns it into somewhat of a bore once you get a few good Pokemon on your team. The game definitely should have had difficulty levels, with the current build being either normal or easy.

    The facial expressions in the game outside of pre-rendered movies are lacking. So are the unique trainer animations. Watching your primary rival DBZ charge every time he talks excitedly gets very old very fast.    … Expand
  80. FrostbyteXP
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    Playing this game is definitely a trip if you are not a new player to pokemon, if anything they made this game for the newer kids to the franchise from what i feel, i do enjoy the pokemon they add but am taken away from the fact that they take away majority of our hard work with the fact that our usually included national dex has been casted away. it hits me like DMC: devil may cry gamePlaying this game is definitely a trip if you are not a new player to pokemon, if anything they made this game for the newer kids to the franchise from what i feel, i do enjoy the pokemon they add but am taken away from the fact that they take away majority of our hard work with the fact that our usually included national dex has been casted away. it hits me like DMC: devil may cry game where it has become another game made differently to support the franchise but almost as if they threw this game out only to be somewhat unfinished but it is not a horrible game, it has many things about this game that keeps me coming back especially encounters, the fashions, the evolution's and i see what can seem underwhelming about this game but it is still solid, can't wait to finish it, I'll come back after i finish it.… Expand
  81. HomelessToggle
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    It has definitely no stunning gameplay, it also doesn't have the sickest graphics, but this isn't what pokemon is all about. Many people are for example sad, that they can't take all their 700 Pokemon to their new-gen. I for one, who has started playing Pokemon with 10 and Pokemon black, am happy, that I now don't have to catch up with all (would be nearly 1000 Pokemon I guess) to get myIt has definitely no stunning gameplay, it also doesn't have the sickest graphics, but this isn't what pokemon is all about. Many people are for example sad, that they can't take all their 700 Pokemon to their new-gen. I for one, who has started playing Pokemon with 10 and Pokemon black, am happy, that I now don't have to catch up with all (would be nearly 1000 Pokemon I guess) to get my full Pokedex. I now have a chance to play Pokemon as it felt in the first-gen when you could catch 99% of the pokemon you need to complete your dex in one game. This is and Shinihunting is a very calm experience, which defenetly has the charm Pokemon should have! 8/10… Expand
  82. Ben-j-man15
    Nov 19, 2019
    9
    I believe this game is great. I had so much fun creating my team, with new and interesting pokemon, such as dragapult, grapplockt, centiscorch and others. The main story, though lacking, is fun and interesting to play through. I understand that the game is not perfect, but is a great addition to the nintendo switch lineup, and I would recommend it to anyone who asks.
  83. Lysio
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Thisgame is a good classical RPG of the pokemon Genre, and by its look by far the best one. It doesnt really brother me, that there arent all pokemon in the game, singe it provide many hours of fun, it deserves a 9. It isnt quite perfect tho. The lag in online play is pretty noticable yet still its pretty good playable. The level scaling is the best of ALL TIME it was quite challenging andThisgame is a good classical RPG of the pokemon Genre, and by its look by far the best one. It doesnt really brother me, that there arent all pokemon in the game, singe it provide many hours of fun, it deserves a 9. It isnt quite perfect tho. The lag in online play is pretty noticable yet still its pretty good playable. The level scaling is the best of ALL TIME it was quite challenging and i like that. Theyve learned from the past, and thats good.… Expand
  84. Mayo-13
    Nov 19, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Just recently finished the game, and I had a blast with it! Although I was not happy with half the pokedex being removed, I quickly got over it after seeing a lot of the cool pokemon in the region, my favorites being Dragapult and the hilarious yet powerful Appletun. I also really enjoyed the characters although Hop being a little too lame of a character. The game surprised me and the negatives are outweighed by the positives… Expand
  85. jalannin
    Nov 19, 2019
    7
    Unlike most of the review bombers who haven't actually played this game, I have. The game isn't perfect, but it's far from a 0. It's not my favorite Pokemon game by any stretch, and I do wish there were more features/Pokemon, however it is a fun game. The storyline is pretty basic and linear, the NPC animations are pretty stiff, and the characters are mostly not relatable. I wish GameUnlike most of the review bombers who haven't actually played this game, I have. The game isn't perfect, but it's far from a 0. It's not my favorite Pokemon game by any stretch, and I do wish there were more features/Pokemon, however it is a fun game. The storyline is pretty basic and linear, the NPC animations are pretty stiff, and the characters are mostly not relatable. I wish Game Freak would have tried to push the Switch more than they did, but at the end of the day, this is still a fun Pokemon game. From the start of this game, you will see more Pokemon than any previous entry, simply because random encounters are gone. Being able to see Pokemon before battling is far superior to random encounters (I know Let's Go did this first, but I love that it found it's way into the mainline). It makes the world feel more 'lived in'. The problem is you can see these Pokemon pop up on screen which takes you out of the game a little, but it's still better than random encounters. Don't get me started on Team Yell, it's just a poor excuse for a 'Team Rocket'. All of this being said, when you enter a battle it still feels like Pokemon which is perhaps the most important aspect for any Pokemon player. I still link up with friends and battle them prior to each gym, and now that we are done with the main story we'll continue to battle our beefed-up teams and that's the most important thing about Pokemon to any fan.… Expand
  86. woof
    Nov 19, 2019
    9
    This game is gorgeous, and despite a couple animation quirks, it more than delivers as a worthy first Pokémon Switch entry. The new mon designs are fun and interesting, the characters and creatures look wonderful, and the gameplay is a real step up from the previous title. A fantastic, engaging, and very well executed title.
  87. Starfree
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    This game has some problems that it shouldn’t have, but overall super fun game, and one of the best games on Switch. I do feel like the game isn’t finished in a few areas and the story is kinda lacking, but most locations look beautiful and the new Pokémon are awesome. There aren’t really any drops in frames and no graphical glitches... or any glitches of any kind so I don’t know whatThis game has some problems that it shouldn’t have, but overall super fun game, and one of the best games on Switch. I do feel like the game isn’t finished in a few areas and the story is kinda lacking, but most locations look beautiful and the new Pokémon are awesome. There aren’t really any drops in frames and no graphical glitches... or any glitches of any kind so I don’t know what everyone is talking about. This game is great… Expand
  88. NellieBellie
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    In no way does this game deserve a 4 out of 10

    Look I love pokemon, I have adored the franchise since the first game and followed it all the way through. This by far, is the most immersive pokemon world to date. It is the best looking pokemon game by far ( which should be expected ). Is it without flaws? No, no pokemon game is. I went into this game extremely sceptical and even    In no way does this game deserve a 4 out of 10

    Look I love pokemon, I have adored the franchise since the first game and followed it all the way through. This by far, is the most immersive pokemon world to date. It is the best looking pokemon game by far ( which should be expected ). Is it without flaws? No, no pokemon game is.

    I went into this game extremely sceptical and even hating on G.F for the flaws but after playing I have been swayed.

    cons:
    - The story is kinda short
    - The difficulty is a little easier ( but still harder than Sun and Moon )
    - The textures and some environments could be designed much better
    - Lack of NPC's and things to do outside of story and catch pokemon

    Pros:
    - The world is gorgeous, the towns are huge and ooze atmosphere and the routes look lovely
    - Gen 8 is one of my fave generations of pokemon designs ever, I've seen maybe one or two duds.
    - The additional of pokemon that run around adds a level of immersion and ease that I adore
    - The wild area is a great building block to something far better
    - Competetive play has been made far easier with nature changing, IV checking and EV changers being far more available.
    - Music

    I have played 13 hours and I just got the 5th badge, if you take it slow and don't steam roll it you can very easily have a 20-30 hour game experience long before you catch all the pokemon.

    This game is not perfect, nor did I really ever think it was going to be, Gamefreak was plauged by the Pokemon forced release cycle and were using far greater hardware for the first time with Pokemon,

    They built and engine, it does work, but it needs refinement, on the next pokemon game they won't need to build an engine. they'll be able to focus solely on refinement and I believe they will do so.

    This as a stepping stone into the future of pokemon is great and I am positive the future games will show how much they are capable of listening and adapting the criticism. Gamefreak has done it before, so I am sure they'll do it again.    … Expand
  89. Yuesergio
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    No cumple con el objetivo de atrapar público nuevo, exceptuando el área salvaje continúa siendo un Pokémon clásico (sin pokédex nacional) Falta de pulido y texturas en ciertas zonas, fondos blancos, desaparcen entrenadores y caída de frames, reutilizado de moldes, en cuanto a historia es buena y si eres fan o as tocado un Pokémon antes te atratapara hasta terminarlo las dinámicasNo cumple con el objetivo de atrapar público nuevo, exceptuando el área salvaje continúa siendo un Pokémon clásico (sin pokédex nacional) Falta de pulido y texturas en ciertas zonas, fondos blancos, desaparcen entrenadores y caída de frames, reutilizado de moldes, en cuanto a historia es buena y si eres fan o as tocado un Pokémon antes te atratapara hasta terminarlo las dinámicas implementadas y la diversidad de cosas para hacer son sus puntos fuertes… Expand
  90. Fliphip1409
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    Played for a few days now and really enjoying it. My first experience since Pokemon Red and it’s taking me back. Nice that my son can play/watch too. It’s now got him in to Pokémon Go which again is a great thing! Voice acting (although I know it is expensive and arduous) and a full Pokédex would have allowed me to give a 9 or 10. There is a lot of text and to fully submerge myself in toPlayed for a few days now and really enjoying it. My first experience since Pokemon Red and it’s taking me back. Nice that my son can play/watch too. It’s now got him in to Pokémon Go which again is a great thing! Voice acting (although I know it is expensive and arduous) and a full Pokédex would have allowed me to give a 9 or 10. There is a lot of text and to fully submerge myself in to the world would have been easier without having to read so many MPC’s boring comments! Overall, a great game that delivers lots of promise for the future of Pokémon on the Switch.… Expand
  91. DrJos
    Nov 22, 2019
    4
    Pokémon Sword and Shield are just your average standard pokémon games. The story is not a high point in the series but it's also not a low point. There are some quality of life changes that deserve to get praised (easier creation of competitive pokémon through mints and egg-moves changes, escape ropes being a key-item, the bike doubling as surf, trade evolutions can show up in the wilds)Pokémon Sword and Shield are just your average standard pokémon games. The story is not a high point in the series but it's also not a low point. There are some quality of life changes that deserve to get praised (easier creation of competitive pokémon through mints and egg-moves changes, escape ropes being a key-item, the bike doubling as surf, trade evolutions can show up in the wilds) but there are also features that are lacking (either in their execution or as flavor, shinies not visible in the overworld, you can't ride pokémon, camping could have been done different and ofcourse the big elephant in the room the removal of about 50% of the national dex that existed before the game).

    The removal of the pokédex has been an eye-opener for me and has shown/solidified for me that the pokémon games have been going down in quality in almost every gen. It always seems to be 1 step forward and 2 steps back.

    If you don't care at all about the national dex I would give this game a 6/10, it's an adequate pokémon game and you'll have fun. But seeing as I personally do care about the dex I can't but lower it's score for this, which is why I feel a 4/10 is justified for this game.    … Expand
  92. Maxtri22
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Secondo me molto bello e valido critiche ingiustificate l'unica pecca è che dura poco
  93. DaShCAm
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Great Game. Had a lot of fun and enjoyed it alot. I absolutely recommend trying it out and have fun
  94. landon94
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Pokemon Sword and Shield changed the negative trends we've been seeing in pokemon games since generation 5. While everyone is complaining about the national dex they are ignoring the fantastic new pokémon in this game. The difficulty isn't there yes that's true but the wild area and other things make up for it. The new changes to gyms made me actually excited to enter a gym for the firstPokemon Sword and Shield changed the negative trends we've been seeing in pokemon games since generation 5. While everyone is complaining about the national dex they are ignoring the fantastic new pokémon in this game. The difficulty isn't there yes that's true but the wild area and other things make up for it. The new changes to gyms made me actually excited to enter a gym for the first time in quite some time. It all feels much better and more satisfying even if the difficulty isn't there. I went ahead in the wild area and spent hours there, the game encourages you to do so thus playing it in your own way, so when you end up beating the game in your own way it gives you an amazing feeling. I enjoyed every second I was playing this game but it isn't perfect, for the majority of the beginning of the game Hop holds your hand through the first gym i believe. The post game is a bit underwhelming and the end of the main game can linger a bit. Team yell isn't much of an evil team at all but your focus on the gym challenge makes it so the game doesn't really need one. All the major plot twists were predicted but that doesn't make any of them less satisfying to uncover. The linear region lead to me to feel the progression and the wonderful scenery allowed me to love every second playing this game. It appeals to old pokemon fans and new pokemon fans, for what nintendo was trying to do pokemon sword and shield hit it right on the head.… Expand
  95. Gamegang
    Nov 20, 2019
    8
    It’s Pokémon that’s all and I don’t care if all the Pokémon are in the game or not.
  96. Evenstar1985
    Nov 21, 2019
    9
    I find it sad how on the 2 previous 3DS games the user score was less than 1000 people, now you see those fake negative scores/reviews on a really good game.
  97. Crom1919
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    is alright. played 50 hours min-maxing my team but didn't have a lot to do with a said team outside of playing with friends. the story is bad, environment and graphics i like. QOL improvements are really solid and a big step up from previous games.
  98. asesinator21
    Nov 21, 2019
    4
    It does not offer enough content for its price. They are selling a 15 hour long game for 60 bucks,biggest rip off ever.
  99. Swarley74
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    Je ne comprends pas les notes des gens.... Si vous avez déjà joué à Pokémon avant, le jeu est plus beau, plus riche, il ajoute de la coop, une zone ouverte, des pokémons visibles... Pour un jeu Pokémon, il est génial. Par contre il est toujours aussi facile, et malheureusement aucun choix de difficulté possible. Mais en même temps c'est écrit Pokémon sur la boite pas witcher ou xenoblade.Je ne comprends pas les notes des gens.... Si vous avez déjà joué à Pokémon avant, le jeu est plus beau, plus riche, il ajoute de la coop, une zone ouverte, des pokémons visibles... Pour un jeu Pokémon, il est génial. Par contre il est toujours aussi facile, et malheureusement aucun choix de difficulté possible. Mais en même temps c'est écrit Pokémon sur la boite pas witcher ou xenoblade.
    Le prochain il a interet d'avoir :
    - Pokédex complet
    - mode hard : pas de multi-xp, taux de capture plus bas, prix plus élevés..
    - un vrai monde ouvert
    - l'antialiasing ON
    - le retour des GTS    … Expand
  100. BrianHoge
    Nov 22, 2019
    1
    bonk bonk chonk chonk ..............................................................
Page:

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

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