Pokémon Sword and Shield Reviews
While it sounds like a lot of changes are present here, and a lot is new, Pokemon Sword and Shield doesn’t really feel all that different. The Wild Area does change things up quite a bit, but it isn’t completely revolutionary just yet.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are good games that improve on the Pokemon formula, but a rushed late game and cut content keep them from being great.
Pokèmon Sword and Shield is the result of going all-in in some aspects of the game, completely forgetting the adventure elements of the RPG formula: dungeons and story.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Pokemon Sword and Shield represent the best games the series has seen since the start of the 3DS era, and a promising foundation for the franchise to build on with future games.
Sword and Shield are amazing as is and truly define the term quality over quantity.
Bad press aside, I found Pokemon Shield to be a solid entry in the Pokemon franchise. If only the difficulty was a bit elevated for seasoned players.
There are some aspects of Pokémon Sword and Shield that feel like they'll reach their full potential in the next generation, but overall the game is fun, pretty and has a universality to its appeal that is genuinely impressive.
A fun, yet fleeting Pokémon experience that will appeal most to hardcore fans satisfied with the core formula than those looking for a game that pushes storytelling or graphics to the next level.
While it does make a lot of good changes, Pokémon Sword & Shield make more mistakes compared to previous iterations in the franchise. Regardless, newcomers and Pokémon fans alike are bound to find enjoyment in the new region and those that inhabit it.
Despite a few minor flaws, and an avalanche of controversy, Pokémon Sword and Shield prove themselves to be excellent games, and stellar new Pokémon adventures.
Older fans are catered to in tournaments and events, making it hard to claim it is “just a kid’s game.” Even as a kid’s game, one giant leap for Pokemon is one small step to the industry standard.
At the end of the day, Pokemon Sword and Shield are genuinely fun. That fun might be a little short-lived, but it's still got all the trappings that you can expect from a Pokemon game. There's a few new bells and whistles, a few steps taken forward, and a couple of steps taken back, just as there is with every new generation of the franchise.
Pokémon Sword and Shield is at once a really fun game and a disappointment. It has a lot of great new features, excellent new Pokémon, some much-needed quality of life improvements, and is generally a solid Pokémon title. However, the first console outing feels like it should've been more impressive, especially given the reduced Pokedex. If you're a fan of Pokémon, you'll enjoy Sword and Shield a lot, and if it's your first Pokémon, it's a good way to experience the franchise's high points. If you're a longtime fan hoping for the Breath of the Wild of Pokémon games, you'll be disappointed.
The series needed that soft reset, and now Game Freak has the same outstanding basis and core to build on anew. Just as it did back when Pokemon Blue & Red so effectively captured my imagination 21 years ago.
The Wild Area in particular is fun, though I mostly stayed offline due to it slowing down ever so often. What the new Pokémon does right is battling and in the smaller details. There are many little tweaks that keep the experience lighthearted, which I wouldn't have any other way.
Pokemon Sword and Shield breathe a joyous breath of life back into the series, with great improvements and a stellar batch of new 'mon.
The main story feels shorter overall due to it being a less grindy affair than ever before, but storytelling benefits greatly from this, because the main game ends up being a more focused and packed experience.
Even if you’re not the type to want to fill your Pokédex or endlessly hunt for shinies, Pokémon Sword‘s charm is enough to keep you engaged until after the credits roll.
Pokemon Sword and Shield is more an iteration on a well-worn formula than a leap forward. Hardcore fans are going to enjoy the trappings of a series that has catered to them for years, but as a mainline home console Pokémon game, the expectations are going to be higher, and in some areas it's a bit lacking.
Pokémon Sword & Shield are an experience full of bittersweet contrasts. They do several things right and Pokémon fans will have a great time exploring Galar. Whit that said they also have half-baked elements that feel off. I have to admit that they leave me excited for the future of the series; hopefully, Game Freak will commit to ideas like the Wild Area and Dynamax forms.
Review in Spanish | Read full review