Pokémon Sword and Shield Reviews

Pokémon Sword and Shield is ranked in the 79th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Nov 20, 2019

If you’re not sick of the formula, or if you’re new to the franchise, then it’s easy to forgive the meh story, subpar visual presentation, unchanged battle system, and messy multiplayer. It’s a solid Pokemon game that anyone can enjoy. Nothing more, nothing less.

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8 / 10.0
Nov 20, 2019

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.

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8.5 / 10.0
Nov 20, 2019
Pokemon Sword and Shield Review (Nintendo Switch) video thumbnail
9 / 10.0
Nov 20, 2019

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.

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Unscored
Nov 20, 2019

Pokémon Sword and Shield take us on a journey to the beautiful and vast region of Galar, where the challenge of gyms has recently been brought. We, a village boy / girl have to discover all the new pokémon that have been introduced in the eighth generation and decipher the Gigamax phenomenon. It is a very precious game with a great soundtrack, which proves to have work behind it, even if it is half finished.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7 / 10
Nov 21, 2019

While returning to its roots in some ways, Pokemon Sword and Shield feels stuck in a transitional phase

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7 / 10.0
Nov 21, 2019

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

7.5 / 10.0
Nov 21, 2019

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.

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3 / 5.0
Nov 21, 2019

Pokémon Sword and Shield have a lot of great ideas and fun creatures, but the stark lack of content, rough performance, and a concerningly large number of minor issues keep them from being the definitive home console Pokémon games that myself and many other fans hoped for.

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83 / 100
Nov 21, 2019

While not being the best title in the main Pokémon series, Sword and Shield manages to improve what is needed giving us a fun experience where capturing and fighting creatures feels simply great.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Krista Noren
Top Critic
7.7 / 10.0
Nov 21, 2019

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.

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Nov 21, 2019

Pokemon Sword and Shield breathe a joyous breath of life back into the series, with great improvements and a stellar batch of new 'mon.

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Nov 21, 2019

"Long live the king."

Review in Finnish | Read full review

6.5 / 10.0
Nov 22, 2019

Pokémon Sword introduces some welcomed features, but the game feels as if it would be more at home on the 3DS, with the dated visuals, lacklustre animations, and a lack of polish that leaves you wishing they had taken more time on the game.

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GamingBolt
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Nov 22, 2019

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.

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Nov 22, 2019

It's the best Pokemon generation in years

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8 / 10.0
Nov 22, 2019

Sword & Shield is a really tricky Pokémon entry to pigeonhole. It retains the old Pokémon charm, but it's not without flaws

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4.5 / 5.0
Nov 22, 2019

Sword and Shield are amazing as is and truly define the term quality over quantity.

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4 / 5.0
Nov 22, 2019

All in all Pokemon Sword and Shield, despite being the first core game on the Nintendo Switch, is a very typical Pokemon game. It innovates a bit, messes stuff that should have been left alone up, and leaves other things alone for better or for worse just like every generation before it.

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PowerPyx
PowerPyx
8.5 / 10.0
Nov 22, 2019

Pokemon finally joins the 21st century by going off the 2D Standard and incorporates many long-overdue changes that make it a more user-friendly experience. Albeit void of any challenge, it’s a leap in the right direction, and worth checking out for all age groups.

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