Pokemon Violet

 Switch
User Score
4.0

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 2050 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 635 out of 2050
  2. Mixed: 205 out of 2050
  3. Negative: 1,210 out of 2050
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  1. Matthew2008
    Aug 5, 2023
    8
    People are to harsh on this game. They are very fun story is great characters well written sure it has a lot of bugs but if you look over them the game is fantastic. Would recommend.
  2. TheCreb23
    Sep 4, 2023
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The story and gameplay was AMAZING! I really loved all of the story line items, such as AI Turo and Penny as Cassiopeia. The bugs can be annoying, but still so funny and goofy. One of the best Pokemon games I've played.… Expand
  3. TJD2
    Mar 5, 2023
    7
    The game is fun to play and the Pokemon designs are pretty good. That said, the game is marred by technical issues and poor performance. The framerate will stutter and the game will slow down to a crawl even when nothing is going on. It feels like a power point at times. The open-world ambition is offset by these issues and they are too glaring to overlook. I wanted to absolutely loveThe game is fun to play and the Pokemon designs are pretty good. That said, the game is marred by technical issues and poor performance. The framerate will stutter and the game will slow down to a crawl even when nothing is going on. It feels like a power point at times. The open-world ambition is offset by these issues and they are too glaring to overlook. I wanted to absolutely love this game, and I like it enough not to return it, but Pokemon Legends Arceus is a much better game that does not suffer these problems. If a patch is not released soon I may not even end up beating this one.… Expand
  4. jljosue
    May 12, 2023
    7
    Pokémon Violet presents many interesting and fun ideas, but unfortunately many of them are poorly executed. The premise of three routes or plots in this game seems unique to me, but the ease of many mini-games or challenges presented in Gym Leaders or Team Star discouraged me a bit. While many Pokémon are well designed and recreated in their habitats, the lousy performance of the gamePokémon Violet presents many interesting and fun ideas, but unfortunately many of them are poorly executed. The premise of three routes or plots in this game seems unique to me, but the ease of many mini-games or challenges presented in Gym Leaders or Team Star discouraged me a bit. While many Pokémon are well designed and recreated in their habitats, the lousy performance of the game terribly affects that sense of immersion with the Pokémon you encounter and the gameplay. All of this gave me the feeling that the game definitely needed more time, something Pokémon has been having a lot of trouble with lately, and their recent games speak for themselves. I hope that this in the future will change, and that these Pokémon Scarlet and Violet games will allow the Pokémon Company to rethink their priorities; where quality is above the amount of money they generate by wanting to release games on specific dates so as not to lose the economic business model they have. This business model, by the way, is affecting the company's image regarding the quality of their games. I, as a veteran fan of the Pokémon saga, know that they can do better and give more, and get out of that comfort zone.… Expand
  5. kaelmato
    Nov 21, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game sure is a mixed bag, for every step forwards, 3 steps have been taken back.
    After beating the game I thought I might as well post an honest review here which isn't just another 0 or a 10. My review will contain some spoilers but I will try to keep them as vague as possible.

    Lets start with the good:
    -The game is semi open world! You can at any point go anywhere which is a massive leap forwards for the franchise going forward.
    -The battle gameplay is as fun as it's ever been, still good old pokemon.
    -The raids are back and they're much better and in SwSh, you no longer need to wait for your turn if someone decides to go walk their dog in the middle of a raid, and overall the flow of the raid battles is much faster.
    -Some of the music is super awesome and memorable, and I will be listening it on my headphones.
    -Story spoiler, keeping it as vague as possible, look away now if you don't want to be spoiled in any way: The last 2 hours were geniunely the most amazing pokemon experience I've had in years, maybe ever, it's still fresh so I will need to mull it over. The tone was completely different from what I would've ever expected from a pokemon game. The tone was more like something I would expect from a xenoblade game, and I loved it. The ending singlehandedly raised my score from 6 to 7 for this game, if it weren't for the glaring issues the game has, it would easily be a 9 for me.

    Now the bad:
    -The game runs atrociously, at times you will reach single digit frames, shadows, lighting, objects, everything pops and unpops into existance in front of your eyes.
    -The textures are horrible, even by pokemon standards.
    -Everything that is more than 8 meters away from you reverts to simple 4-6 frame animations. This includes people walking.
    -The same happens if there's a lot of people in an area at the same time, only 6-7 of the people are actually 30 fps (or whatever your current fps is at the time), while others are reverted to 4-6 frame animations, I can only assume this is a conscious choice to preserve switch computing power, but I know switch is capable of much more than this, looking at xenoblade.
    -There are bugs, you can fall through the floor, clip through things, get stuck in animations, spaghettify in multiplayer (This funs actually funny).
    -While the OST as a whole is great, there are some serious oddballs at pivotal moments, such as the elite 4 battle theme which are just horrible. The elite 4 in this case sounds like a songs intro, but the song never starts, it just feels off, and completely ruined the vibe of the elite 4 for me. Edit: Scratch that, my game was apparently bugged (because of course it was) and the song actually only looped the first 10 seconds, just looked up the song on youtube and turns out there's more to the song than I gave it credit for.
    -There is no battle tower.
    -The open world at times feels empty and there is no scaling so you still kinda have to do things in a set order or you'll be severily underleveld or overleveled.

    In conclusion, do I recommend this game?
    Sure, if you're a serious pokemon fan like I am, just be aware that the game runs like a turtle.
    If you're not a super fan like me, or you're new and just thinking of getting into the franchise, I personally would probably skip this one, or maybe wait for a patch that fixes things, no guarantee there will be a patch though.

    TLDR:

    7/10, it's a great game plagued by performance issues and bugs.    … Expand
  6. gamerguy78
    Nov 28, 2022
    7
    I had a ton a fun with the game but it dosent take away from the issues. This optimization is horrible and the glitchs are bad. But with that being said it's still a ton of fun and what I wanted from a pokemon game and I think this game is overhated (Also how do I change my username on this site)
  7. BloodMutt
    Nov 21, 2022
    7
    There's bound to be bugs and glitches in a new open world game and there are. But otherwise it's a decent game if a little lacking story-wise with a big but mostly empty world. The "bad guys" get weirder and less menacing with each installment, their motivation is also getting downright silly. I'm hoping for updates that'll fix most of my complaints.
  8. Ert0426
    Jun 11, 2023
    7
    Pokemon Violet could have been a fantastic game and a great leap forward for the Pokemon franchise, however, numerous bugs, graphical errors and oddities, framerate issues, a continued lack of voice acting, some weird omissions of features from previous games like catching pokemon without battling in legends: arceus, and an open world that, while vast and greatly detailed, can sometimesPokemon Violet could have been a fantastic game and a great leap forward for the Pokemon franchise, however, numerous bugs, graphical errors and oddities, framerate issues, a continued lack of voice acting, some weird omissions of features from previous games like catching pokemon without battling in legends: arceus, and an open world that, while vast and greatly detailed, can sometimes feel empty and lifeless. Fortunately, its new quality of life features, like auto battling, the unique designs of the new pokemon, the amount of freedom given to the player, and the new open world can at least keep Pokemon Violet on the level of being a good game, just not what it could've been.… Expand
  9. Syhlcam
    Dec 1, 2022
    7
    Pokémon Écarlate / Violet sont des jeux incroyable à deux doigt d'être des équivalents à Breath of the Wild pour Pokémon. Mais ces jeux souffre d'un manque de travail cruel sur la technique, qui pénalise l'expérience de jeu. Des textures horribles, des ralentissements et bugs, des choses évitables mais qui l'ont pas été.

    Et c'est dommage car derrière, les jeux offre un bon open-world    Pokémon Écarlate / Violet sont des jeux incroyable à deux doigt d'être des équivalents à Breath of the Wild pour Pokémon. Mais ces jeux souffre d'un manque de travail cruel sur la technique, qui pénalise l'expérience de jeu. Des textures horribles, des ralentissements et bugs, des choses évitables mais qui l'ont pas été.

    Et c'est dommage car derrière, les jeux offre un bon open-world qui pousse à l'exploration. Un monde ouvert qui est généreux en objet, en Pokémon et en environnement. Un jeu qui offre également plusieurs quêtes intéressante, apportant parfois des nouveautés pour la série principale. Et qui se fini sur une quête très narrative qui nous transport dans une ambiance originale pour la licence. Le tout sur une bande sonore exceptionnelle et avec l'utilisation intéressante de la téracrystallisation.

    Mais on peut également noté que la personnalisation est certes bien amélioré mais déçoit sur certain aspect. Que la difficulté non basé sur le joueur facile l'expérience de jeu. Et que les cinématiques manque de doublage pour qu'elles soient plus impactante.

    En clair, Pokémon Écarlate / Violet sont de très bon jeu, qui propose un vrai pas en avant pour la licence Pokémon avec un bon open-world, mais c'est aussi des jeux qui souffre de leurs techniques.

    FULL TEST : https://www.geekexperience.fr/jeux-video/avis/avis-pokemon-ecarlate-violet/    … Expand
  10. RevUBrah
    Jan 29, 2023
    7
    I've been one of GF's biggest critics since the Gen 6 Battle Frontier fiasco, and if not for the rushed development I'd call this a step in the right direction. Good mon variety (aside from some uninspired designs like "Flamigo") and freedom to catch & explore like Legends Arceus shows that they've learned from some of their mistakes. However, the lag and removal of Megas/Nat Dex ensuresI've been one of GF's biggest critics since the Gen 6 Battle Frontier fiasco, and if not for the rushed development I'd call this a step in the right direction. Good mon variety (aside from some uninspired designs like "Flamigo") and freedom to catch & explore like Legends Arceus shows that they've learned from some of their mistakes. However, the lag and removal of Megas/Nat Dex ensures this game will never stand among the greats like SoulSilver or Emerald.… Expand
  11. xionthedark
    Dec 7, 2022
    7
    A better step up than the previous title. Fun game and good story. The game definitely should have been delayed and worked on further. No excuse on the state this game is in when launched. Would be a 8 or a 9 but right now. its a 6 for me.
  12. MentosFreshner
    Nov 29, 2022
    7
    Would be an easy 8 for me if it ran a bit better, maybe a 9 if the world was a bit more realised and polished. Can’t say I’ve encountered any major glitches, mostly just slowdown/frame rate stuff. I honestly have been loving my experience but I do think Pokémon deserves more time and care. They have such an amazing history of groundbreaking games and this one just seems to be scraping byWould be an easy 8 for me if it ran a bit better, maybe a 9 if the world was a bit more realised and polished. Can’t say I’ve encountered any major glitches, mostly just slowdown/frame rate stuff. I honestly have been loving my experience but I do think Pokémon deserves more time and care. They have such an amazing history of groundbreaking games and this one just seems to be scraping by in some places. That being said, the characters, story, music and Pokémon are all sweet as, the open world is fun to traverse too!… Expand
  13. ElSmasher
    Apr 5, 2023
    7
    Before I start, I would like to congratulate Game Freak for taking the risk of having released for the first time a TRUE openworld (just like Sonic Frontiers) in such a short time. Pokemon Ecarlate and Violet are games that are unfortunately made "hastily", and this is felt with a technique that is excecrable, worse than that of Arceus. Bugs, clipping, aliasing, everything goes; TheBefore I start, I would like to congratulate Game Freak for taking the risk of having released for the first time a TRUE openworld (just like Sonic Frontiers) in such a short time. Pokemon Ecarlate and Violet are games that are unfortunately made "hastily", and this is felt with a technique that is excecrable, worse than that of Arceus. Bugs, clipping, aliasing, everything goes; The artistic direction however saves the furniture, and is better than LPA in my humble opinion. Apart from this "technical" part, the game is excellent. It is true that we can note some rhythmic problems because of the long pokemons captures, missing or weakened features in favor of the openworld or a weak post-game. But, its main frame is varied and is a pure pleasure, so addictive. RPG Codes are still as well retranscribed coupled with a lively openworld as air, we are free!!! The lifespan is impressive: 20-30h in rush, 60h if you take your time. We are a long way from Sword and Shield’s failure to take risks or the LPA’s broken promise. Pokemon Ecarlate and Violet is excellent, yes but unfortunately outdated by today’s technique, which makes it ugly.… Expand
  14. irai16
    Mar 28, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Yeah...this is a hard game to review. Even though I have enjoyed my time with it overall, I really can't give it a higher score due to its pathetic graphics and performance. The main story is alright, but the best part of the game is definitely the post-game in Area Zero which shockingly might have the best story in the entire series (RIP Turo!). The multiplayer as always is very fun, though they really need to add some guidance on stuff like EVs and IVs in the game itself, all the info is still only online. If you're a Pokemon fan, well, you probably already have this game, but if you're not, don't feel bad about skipping this.… Expand
  15. N64ftw
    Nov 19, 2022
    7
    The open world combined with 3 storylines is entertaining, but the horrific programming cannot be over looked. This game has great potential, but I cannot recommend it in this state unless you are a die hard fan.
  16. magerehein666
    Feb 5, 2023
    7
    The framerate issues and glitches took away a bit of how fun the gameplay is. I have been a fan of Pokemon for over 20 years so I am a bit biased to like the game. But I found the storyline nice, better than Sw/Sh. Postgame is fun as well. Excited for the DLC
  17. grimreapersims
    Dec 6, 2022
    7
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  18. mepphy
    Nov 22, 2022
    7
    cool game,hope dlcs and next one can ACTUALLY evolve the formula also fixes were appreciated, would be cool to enter in houses
  19. Arcanjojr
    Nov 21, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Se tivesse nas mãos da netmarble sairia um jogo 10/10, estou jogando o Violet e dou 7/10 e me divertindo pelo vasto mundo aberto para exploração e sair um pouco dos pokémons tradicionais e ir para o mundo mais tecnológico✌… Expand
  20. Daniel1516
    Feb 24, 2023
    7
    esta culero mazizo lleno de errores en ocaciones ni se puede disfrutar Puntos(3)

    Nueva reseña el juego con las actualizaciones esta bien ya no estan tantos problemas tecnicos pero se ve la verdad muy mal a comparacion de otros de la misma nintendo yo en lo personal se siente algo vacio la idea es buena pero como que le faltaron ganas para que este bien implementad    esta culero mazizo lleno de errores en ocaciones ni se puede disfrutar Puntos(3)

    Nueva reseña el juego con las actualizaciones esta bien ya no estan tantos problemas tecnicos pero se ve la verdad muy mal a comparacion de otros de la misma nintendo yo en lo personal se siente algo vacio la idea es buena pero como que le faltaron ganas para que este bien implementad .    … Expand
  21. ILIKETHEGAME
    Jan 3, 2023
    7
    i beat this game and the game is fun. but the graphics are... horrible HOW NINTENDO CAN PUBLISH A GAME LIKE THAT
  22. Rhex98
    Jun 24, 2023
    7
    El juego es divertido, cuenta con buenos nuevos Pokémon, tiene buenos personajes y una buena historia, además de ser el primero en tener un mundo completamente abierto sin tiempos de carga, el GRAN problema viene en su rendimiento, dios GameFreak como puedes sacar un juego en estas condiciones, tiene tantos bugs y un rendimiento terrible a 20 fps, horrible en todos los sentidos. Si eresEl juego es divertido, cuenta con buenos nuevos Pokémon, tiene buenos personajes y una buena historia, además de ser el primero en tener un mundo completamente abierto sin tiempos de carga, el GRAN problema viene en su rendimiento, dios GameFreak como puedes sacar un juego en estas condiciones, tiene tantos bugs y un rendimiento terrible a 20 fps, horrible en todos los sentidos. Si eres capaz de tanquear todo eso y eres fanático de la franquicia no te lo puedes perder, igualmente dudo que lo hagas.… Expand
  23. MechGundam13
    Dec 1, 2022
    7
    Pokemon does one step forward and three steps backwards.

    I'm not going to talk about the countless glitches, bugs, performance issues because I'm sure they are going to get fixed. Lets address the Elephant in the room, the graphics, the graphics even for a switch game are really bad and it's not like the switch couldn't handle better graphics, SMT, Monster Hunter, Zelda and even    Pokemon does one step forward and three steps backwards.

    I'm not going to talk about the countless glitches, bugs, performance issues because I'm sure they are going to get fixed.

    Lets address the Elephant in the room, the graphics, the graphics even for a switch game are really bad and it's not like the switch couldn't handle better graphics, SMT, Monster Hunter, Zelda and even Pokemon Lets Go are graphically way more impressive and that's what Pokemon should at least look like.

    The new story ,,paths'' are all nice and bring something new to Pokemon, but they are not executed perfectly well.

    Also while the game has cut scenes, they are in silence, they should have at least voice actors for the cut scenes.

    Archiving major accomplishments like beating the Pokemon League are not celebrate like in other games and is basically nothing special in this game.

    The new Pokemon's are all nice and I like the new Forms of certain Pokemon's.

    The new Tera transformations dosnt't look really nice and while it bring something to the competitive multiplayer, they don't bring anything to the main game.

    Also new mechanics like ,,auto-battles'' don't really work well, the path finding of your Pokemon screws up a lot.

    If we are also going to talk about the new open world, there is basically nothing to explore or see, it's just a empty world.

    Another thing I didn't like was you can't go in every building, you can't talk to every NPC and trainer battles are optional.

    Visual customization of your own character was cut in content a lot in comparison to sword and shield.

    I still had fun exploring the new Pokemon and I did like the Zone Zero area in the game, so that's why I still give the game a decent rating.

    Game Freak should take some time off there normal release schedule and really work on a good Pokemon Game.    … Expand
  24. Simone010
    Nov 20, 2022
    7
    Kinda disappointed even if there are so many interesting features and coil scene
  25. nzmetacritic
    Dec 9, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Hi Guys. I am enjoying this game so far. However, I have Mix reviews on this game. Technically I would rate this a 6.5/10 however I am a bit nostalgic and I still love Pokemon even if it wasn't to my expectations.

    The Storyline is great, its actually really enjoyable. However it is bit of children storyline and too simplistic for me. it doesn't give me a wow factor for sure. The Characters are great, full of personalities and great design. The animation is much better than the old, old Pokemon games.
    The open world is great for exploring but the design element is very, very poor. The interior design inside the buildings are amazing! But the outside world is lacking any innovative designs. Its basically just snow, grass, some trees, same cliffs, and water. It doesn't make me feel connected to the world that I am in. Monster Hunter World is one of the few Switch games that I have actually felt mesmerized by the world. But I love the fact that you can explore the world with 1-4 players in the same party, battle and watch your friend get beaten by your other friend, do raids together, ride mounts together etc.
    I like how I can change some of my clothing accessories but unfortunately you can't change your uniform which is a shame.

    Definitely performance issue. When moving around to the next place you can see the screen glitch a little, its minimal but noticeable. This means its running very low FPS. This is bad for a triple AAA game company. Why does Zelda and Immortal fenyx have better level designs and environment and still retain good FPS. Strange ?? The Sunflora animation is a good example of BAD FPS. The lighting and the shadows can be very poor or not optimized properly.
    Please optimize Gamefreak. I do miss the fishing rods and the tall grass. I wish they could have still implemented this idea and have more foliage, plants, forests, reefs, rock pools. more terrain, caves with crystals, gemstones or something to give more life to the Pokémons we love. This is a very low bar expectational game. The original addictiveness of the game still remains and still fun catching and battling. Tera Raids is ok, not my taste. Gamefreak you should always take your time developing and spend at least 4-5 years. Its not a bad game but it's not great either. This i why I give it a 7/10.    … Expand
  26. Divad27
    Dec 17, 2022
    7
    What a shame game, one of the most fun in the saga that is affected by how bad it is, apart from being ugly it looks really bad, with exaggerated drops in fps and textures that make you dizzy. If you try to forget about all that, it is very very entertaining and has a story that is possibly the best in the series (After BW and BW2)
  27. Vidril
    Nov 20, 2022
    7
    If Game Freak patches the game to fix the pop-in and frame dips the score bumps to an 8.
    This is the best game in the series by a relatively large margin otherwise.
    The already refined, fundamental gameplay of Pokémon gets so much out of being able to go wherever you want to find the Pokémon you want to use. The new Pokémon this gen introduces are all really well designed and the    If Game Freak patches the game to fix the pop-in and frame dips the score bumps to an 8.
    This is the best game in the series by a relatively large margin otherwise.

    The already refined, fundamental gameplay of Pokémon gets so much out of being able to go wherever you want to find the Pokémon you want to use. The new Pokémon this gen introduces are all really well designed and the returning ones are all fan-favorites. The story, while dumbed down for the absolute youngest audience, kept my enjoyment and the final section was a marvel for Pokémon. The music is fantastic as always, with the addition of Toby Fox returning for the best tracks in the game.
    The pure gameplay is the best the series has to offer, if only they learn what the hell software they're using and actually fix the pop-in and nauseating frame issues.    … Expand
  28. Super_Oshawott
    Feb 8, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After the review bomb that happened on the day of the release and playing it all the way through, I can say that everyone that reviewed negatively docent know what fun is.

    It's not perfect, especially with the stability of the game, but this is way better than Pokemon Sword by a long shot. The story is fun, Arven is a great character and the connection your character has with the main legendary is a lot more unique than anything Nintendo put out for the series since Black and White.

    It's has its issues, but it's fun. And that's all a game really needs.    … Expand
  29. kingcobra69
    Nov 19, 2022
    7
    Ignore the people that talk about graphics they dont realize the hardware the switch has let alone gamefreak and how they work as a whole the games amazing im still gonna play it the only 2 gripes I have is performance and we cant have custom clothes like pants skirts shirts etc I personally wouldn't recommend buying it right now but once they fix the constant stuttering and lag I highlyIgnore the people that talk about graphics they dont realize the hardware the switch has let alone gamefreak and how they work as a whole the games amazing im still gonna play it the only 2 gripes I have is performance and we cant have custom clothes like pants skirts shirts etc I personally wouldn't recommend buying it right now but once they fix the constant stuttering and lag I highly recommend it… Expand
  30. bremensberg
    Dec 9, 2022
    7
    A Pokémon game with many new ideas. The open world, different story paths the way of catching. They took many good things from Legends Arceus in the game and it makes fun. But you can not play the game without realizing that it is un unfinished game that was rushed in the developement. All those bugs and glitches, clipping through the floor, game crashes, low frames and all the bad stuff.A Pokémon game with many new ideas. The open world, different story paths the way of catching. They took many good things from Legends Arceus in the game and it makes fun. But you can not play the game without realizing that it is un unfinished game that was rushed in the developement. All those bugs and glitches, clipping through the floor, game crashes, low frames and all the bad stuff. The game would have needed half a year more in developement, the old attention to details, Pokémon ever had.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 118 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 118
  2. Mixed: 61 out of 118
  3. Negative: 2 out of 118
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 24, 2024
    60
    Not a bad game. It still has its solid core, new Pokémon, and what's worked for years continues to work. The open world is a questionable addition in my opinion. [Issue#324]
  2. VideoGamer
    Dec 14, 2023
    70
    Pokemon Scarlet and Violet take the long-awaited step into a fully open-world, but one poorly implemented and marred by frustration. A compelling story and characters are a saving grace in what is ultimately a fun game, but Pokemon's attempts at modernising continue to fall disappointingly short.
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  3. Het Nieuwsblad
    Jul 31, 2023
    20
    A square wheel spins more smoothly and fluidly than this game. If three Pokémon or characters come into view at once, the whole game creaks and falters. Edge-off unplayable. And that's a shame. Because the addition of an open world is "on paper" a puffy idea to refresh the franchise. No more linear walking that takes you past gyms and ever stronger and different Pokémon, gotta catch 'em all. You can go wherever you want. With some tactics, you can take on some very tough challenges with Pokémon that aren't nearly strong enough. Fun! Except this game just wasn't ready. It's shameless that Nintendo and Game Freak are still throwing it on the market. Nevertheless: 10 million games sold in just three days.
    Read full review
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