Pokémon Sword and Shield Reviews
Pokémon has always literally been give and take since the second generation. Some give more than others, and Sword and Shield has taken away quite a bit. But in the end, I was smiling on most of my journey throughout the Galar region, and 21 years later, I still have a desire to catch them all. "All of the Galar region" will do nicely for the time being, even if it feels more fleeting than past generations.
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.
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.
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 & 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
Pokemon Sword and Shield present a revitalizing and refreshing perspective on the series, taking steps back to the series’ roots to remind players what it means to try and become the Pokemon Champion.
Once the dust settles from the controversies stirred up over the summer, Pokemon Sword and Shield will be looked upon by fans fondly. This is a great Pokemon game, one that, at times, pushes up against its self-imposed limitations and teases a new path for the Pokemon franchise. The real question coming out of Pokemon Sword and Shield is whether the Pokemon Company will build upon the newest innovations seen in the game and strive to keep the Pokemon franchise exciting and relevant, or if they'll just retreat to familiarity and disappoint a fanbase looking for reasons to keep playing for decades to come. Pokemon Sword and Shield is a half-step forward for the Pokemon franchise — we'll see if they put the other step forward with their next set of games, which could be critical to keeping some of its more jaded fans.
Enjoyable and a great title of the saga, in my humble opinion, very well above of other titles of the franchise like Pokemon Sun & Moon or Pokemon X & Y. And It has recieved a disproportionate hate.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
All and all I had a great time with Pokémon Sword. The game runs very well docked or in handheld mode, online features work great aside from the slowdown and the gameplay is quite addictive. I loved all of the characters and some of the theme music is the best I’ve heard in a long time. I felt like the game was easy enough for a casual player to get into, while it still had plenty of depth for veteran players to explore. This is exactly the balance you want in a game like this. I played this for around 55 hours for this review and finished the main story and bit of post game content. I feel like this game is well worth $60 price tag. There is plenty of content and I feel like old and new players will find a lot to love here.
Pokémon Sword and Shield are the most fun I’ve had with a Pokémon game since Pokémon Gold and Silver, which is a statement that should mean a lot to any Pokéveteran.
Played, analysed, and tested, Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield exceeded my expectations and I was really amazed by them, giving me a great Pokémon game and a great eighth gen. The goal of maintaining the already large community of fans and bringing new players closer to the brand was definitely successful.
Review in Italian | Read full review
It's a huge step forward for the Pokemon franchise and demonstrates GameFreak's will to change the classic formula. But, in the end, it's not as flawless as we might have hoped.
I was trying to go into Pokemon Sword & Shield with low expectation due to the realization that I wasn't going to get the huge reboot-like change that I've been waiting for so long, however, the game does feature enough new additions that I ended up actually putting in around 50 hours into it.
Although there are few minor, annoying details, Pokemon Sword & Shield is an ultra fun Pokemon experience. It seems like experience will get even better with new content and surprises to come.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
one of the best Pokemon games that everyone will definitely enjoy whether they are Pokemon veterans or newcomers
Review in Arabic | Read full review
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.
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.
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.
Even with the controversy surrounding Dexit, I still find Pokemon Sword and Shield to be a fun romp. While certain features still feel like they’re not quite fully fleshed out, I appreciate all the quality-of-life improvements as well as the new things Game Freak added to change things up. Pokemon Sword and Shield feels fresh and new, something I haven’t felt in the series since Diamond and Pearl. It may not be the very best like no Pokemon game ever was. But it’s promising, which makes me look forward to what comes next for the series.
Pokemon Sword and Shield won't throw many surprises your way, but they both offer the great Pokemon experience that's worked for two decades. The game boasts a new region to explore, as well as new monsters and combat.