Pokémon Sword and Shield Reviews
Pokémon Sword & Shield is a worthy inheritor to the franchise's best traits and a wonderful first step forward into the future with a few stumbles.
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.
Pokemon Sword and Shield is an excellent entry in Game Freak's iconic franchise, pushing the series forward in some exciting ways while never forgetting the roots that made it so loved in the first place. While it underwhelms in its visuals and under-baked use of new ideas, the act of exploring Galar and catching creatures remains as delightfully compelling as it's ever been – and that's what really matters in the end.
In the end, Pokémon Sword and Shield is a decent Pokémon game that will keep you playing until the end. It doesn't deserve all the controversy it's been getting, but it's not a particularly stand out entry in the franchise either.
The first new-generation Pokémon game to release on a proper home console does not disappoint. New features like Dynamaxing and the Wild Area are fun additions that make the experience of becoming a Pokémon champion still feel fresh. It's just a shame that Game Freak didn't lean into the new features more than they did.
Pokémon Sword and Shield have a few problems which prevent them from attaining classic status, but what's here is an incredibly fun, pretty, and enjoyable RPG that is hard to put down once you start playing. The loop of fighting trainers and catching Pokémon is one that works incredibly well here as it ever has, but I can understand why hardcore Pokémon fans will feel let down. Still, if you're not bothered by Dexit, this is a great Pokémon game to pour a couple of dozen hours into, at least.
It's the best Pokemon generation in years
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.
As has been the case with Game Freak for years, Pokemon Sword and Shield feels like two steps forward in some ways and one step back in others. The loss of more than half of the total number of Pokemon is certainly felt, but the introduction of the Wild Area and the reemergence of gyms on a much larger scale help to make Pokemon Sword and Shield another must play Pokemon experience regardless of the more glaring than usual flaws.
Sword & Shield is a really tricky Pokémon entry to pigeonhole. It retains the old Pokémon charm, but it's not without flaws
Performance issues and lazy tropes hold them back from being excellent, but Pokemon Sword and Shield are a strong step in the right direction for franchises latest generation.
Despite a few shortcomings in mechanics and story, Pokemon Sword and Shield delivers an experience that is undeniably Pokemon.
Overall, Pokémon Sword and Shield is stunningly good. It might not make everyone or every fan happy but I enjoyed every minute I spent with it. For a series that’s 23 years deep with very little innovation, Pokémon Sword and Shield feels like a good first step towards finally shaking up what a Pokémon game can be.
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
Pokémon Sword and Shield represent an exciting new beginning for the saga. Some ideas aren't perfectly developed, but overall the work of Gamefreak is convincing.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Few games have caused as much controversy and conversation in 2019 as Pokemon Sword/Shield, from the exclusion of previous Pokemon to the inclusion of gym missions and version-specific battles. For many, the question remains: Are Pokemon Sword and Shield good games, and more importantly, are they good Pokemon games? To both of these inquiries, I have to concede a confident “yes”. Pokemon has never felt better than it does in Sword and Shield, between variation of available monsters, flow of the storyline, larger than life moments and battles, and overall graphical integrity. I do understand the reservations many fans have, and share some of my own disappointment with them, but couldn’t help but smile while traveling through the Wild Area on my electric powered bike-ski.
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.
Thankfully, the spirit of Pokémon (of catching and collecting these monsters while aiming to be the very best) is alive and well — perhaps more than it’s ever been in a single pair of games. It just comes at the expense of pushing the franchise forward in other areas.
Pokemon Sword and Shield is a decent mainline entry and a good attempt for their first home console Pokemon game. The new pokemon are lovely, the cinematic experience is phenomenal and it does most things quite well. Newcomers will have plenty to enjoy, while veteran fans will likely be disappointed. Add in the lack of a national dex and it's a shame but not enough to say it kills the experience.
