Pokémon Sword and Shield Reviews
Despite a few shortcomings in mechanics and story, Pokemon Sword and Shield delivers an experience that is undeniably Pokemon.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are the best games in the series, streamlining its most tedious traditions without losing any of the charm.
Pok'mon Sword and Shield add some brilliant new creatures, but like their gargantuan Dynamax forms, the games feel like a hollow projection.
Gameplay tweaks and attention to detail make Pokemon Sword and Shield the most compelling Pokemon world to date.
The compelling formula of simultaneously building your collections of monsters and gym badges has proven timeless, but the new additions and enhancements show Pokémon isn't done evolving
Pokemon Sword and Shield scale down the bloated elements of the series while improving what really matters, making for the best new generation in years.
The surprise in Sword and Shield is that I’m still finding things that surprise me, even after putting in so many hours. It’s in how Game Freak has made a linear game feel so much less linear.
The magic of Pokémon is that it lets you tap into a sense of wonder that becomes more and more difficult to access as an adult. Sword and Shield do that more successfully than any Pokémon release has in years. It won’t be everything to everyone, and it will not make everyone happy. I’m not sure it needs to. It’s a portal to a new world.
The short version of this review is that Sword and Shield are fun, good-looking Pokémon games with a solid story mode and some welcome changes to the game’s mechanics.
Pokemon Sword & Shield is all too often a bit disappointing, and in some places actually feels a little unfinished, but it also fully provides that warm, fuzzy feeling that one expects from the series. Crucially, even through frustration, never once did I think about putting it down, which is to its credit. It comes recommended almost for the Galar setting and new Pokemon alone, but with a long list of caveats indeed.
Sword and Shield are amazing as is and truly define the term quality over quantity.
Pokémon Sword and Shield succeed in bringing some new ideas to the table, but they’re also somewhat guilty of not pushing things far enough. What’s done right is done right, but what’s done wrong feels like it’s come from a decade-old design document.
Sword and Shield do a great job of introducing the world of Pokémon to people while pairing it with everything that makes the series comfortable and warm to most of its longtime fans. Even if it’s not a spicy, innovative curry.
Sword & Shield is a really tricky Pokémon entry to pigeonhole. It retains the old Pokémon charm, but it's not without flaws
Pokémon Sword and Shield is a bold move into a new generation. There are technical hiccups, but those pale in comparison to the bustling Wild Area and the charming Gen 8 additions.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are a lot of fun, even if the series is experiencing growing pains with the transition to home consoles.
As a generational premiere, Pokémon Sword and Shield are at a high level. Its attempt to combine different audiences and demands is well received, although we expect much more from future games more revolutionary that would take advantage of the potential of a console like Nintendo Switch.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Sword and Shield are not the best entries in the series but, despite some hard-to-ignore faults, they're still fun to play.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Pokémon Sword and Shield is a positive step in a new direction, but one that is held back by a fear of the Unown. It's still an incredibly fun new adventure, and the Pokémon selection and variety is the best it's ever been. That said, it would be incredible to see the Wild Area become the new norm for the series, but as it stands, many of the new features feel more like spraying your sofa with Febreeze when really you need to buy a new sofa. Sure, it smells and feels new, but it's not, and you should really just commit to moving on from what was normal, and forge a new path into a new sofa. Look, just go with it.