If there’s one thing everyone knows about Pokémon Sword and Shield is that they have been talked about. They have been talked about a lot. Whether it’s the controversy surrounding the omission of individual Pokémon or a tree that looks a bit too low-res for people’s tastes, chatter about these games has been incessant since their announcement.
Fans are undeniably divided in a manner that will probably fall into history extremely quickly, but what it all comes down to are these two games; are they good? Are they bad? Do they have both good and bad points because nothing is inherently perfect or inherently worthless? Spoiler alert: it's the latter one, but let’s talk about why.
Starting off in Pokémon Sword And Shield is about as 'Pokémon' as it gets; you’re a young-ish child who’s been tasked with going off on the adventure of a lifetime surrounded by small creatures that do your bidding because that's what they’ve been programmed to do. It’s nothing you’ve not seen before if you’ve played a Pokémon game. This time, however, you’re in the largely idyllic Galar region, which is inspired directly by the United Kingdom, complete with the green and pleasant lands that undeniably remind us of dear old Blighty. You meet up with the first of your several rivals Hop, and you get yourself a Pokémon from his philanthropic brother Leon, who just so happens to be this region’s Champion.
There’s a lot of classic hallmarks here, but it’s sprinkled with a few interesting (if potentially inconsequential) differences, such as the Pokémon that neither you nor Hop picks at the start being taken by the Champion rather than being sent to the processing plant to make more candy in Pokémon GO. This last-chicken-in-the-shop also happens to be the monster that’s super effective against your own choice, which instinctively filled us with a sense of dread and anticipation thinking about when we’d have to face up against them.
What’s also new in Pokémon Sword And Shield is the hands-off approach to tutorials; the game does offer to explain things to you through dialogue options, but if you tell the game you’re already hard enough to tackle the swathes of level 2 monsters living just outside your house without any guidance, it’ll just let you be on your way, with the mysteries of the Pokémon type strength / weakness relationship for you to fathom largely on your own. Considering how massive the franchise is, this is a very welcome breath of fresh air for series veterans and certainly seems to streamline the introductory part of the game.
After a bit of chatter, a few new characters and a bit of wandering through tall grass, you’re finally let loose on the big selling point of the whole thing: the Wild Area. This is an expanse of grassland, water, and other bits and bobs that house myriad different Pokémon and (gasp) a controllable camera. It’s kind of silly just how much we appreciated this feature, and highlighted to us just how far behind Pokémon was in certain specific regards in comparison to other modern game series. This is something that we were sadly reminded of time and time again, but we’ll get onto that in more detail later on.
At first glance, we were totally enamoured with Pokémon Sword And Shield's much-hyped new Wild Area. It’s big! It’s full of Pokémon! Oooh, there’s things we can’t yet reach! We were filled with a sense of joy and wonder the likes of which we’d not felt in a Pokémon game for a long time; this is really new, and seeing all the countless varieties of Pokémon actually rustling around in the tall grass in front of our eyes (just like in the Pokémon Let’s Go games) makes it feel like we're in a world that’s alive and rich with character. Our task was to get to the other side of the Wild Area and enter the next town, which we did… a little too quickly, for our liking. After taking a good look at the map we realised that the Wild Area was just one point on the map, and as soon as we left it we were once again greeted with the same rigid routes and grassy patches (with the same wandering Pokémon, thankfully) that have been the series staple for so long.
After returning to the Wild Area, we discovered that it does, in fact, stretch about twice as far as we initially thought, which was a huge relief, but when playing through the rest of the story we kept returning to the Wild Area even though we didn’t really need to, just because it’s where we wanted to be. Hideously powerful Pokémon such as a level 50 Steelix were all just there, completely beyond our skill level but perfectly accessible, teasing us with an unimaginable EXP boost if only we could fell it. It’s exciting, endearing, and tantalising to see such overpowered monsters out in the open; we just wish it could’ve been a more integral part of the experience. Not that we could catch these powerful monsters even if we wanted to, because with so many strong Pokémon accessible so early, things had to be changed to make sure you weren’t able to blitz through things too quickly – and it’s all thanks to gyms.
The gyms are back, and bigger than ever. In the good old days, gym battles were humble affairs between you and a trainer who had somehow convinced everyone else that they’re ultra-powerful despite having only three Pokémon all under level 30. Now, these contests are preceded by challenges, which can be fairly simple and traditional or completely bonkers, such as herding Wooloo whilst avoiding a ‘ferocious’ Yamper.
These are generally quite enjoyable, save for one which is an absolute stinker in our eyes (we'll let you find out which one), but the real spectacle is once you’ve done all the nonsense and you’re ready to take on the Gym Leader proper. Stepping into the massive area is something we didn’t really appreciate when seen in trailers and the like, but doing it for real, it really was a gripping experience; one that we thought would dull as we nailed Leader after Leader, but instead the stakes became ever higher, and hearing the crowds chant and cheer really gives a gravity to the situation. Beat them, and you’ll be able to catch higher level Pokémon than you could before. Sneaky.
Then there’s Dynamaxing, the new gimmick slapped all over the promotional stuff where your Pokémon gets ludicrously big for a few turns. In truth, we weren’t bowled over by the idea as it seemed nothing more than a rather unsubtle means of getting fans excited about ballooned 'mon. Colour us surprised, then, when we started using it in Gyms (you can’t use it in normal encounters, only very specific ones) and actually ended up having a really good time with it. It's a mechanic that's not going to set the world on fire by any means, and realistically, we can’t see it becoming a staple of the series for years to come, but for what it is, it’s really good fun. It’s likely due to the atmosphere, crowds of people going absolutely ballistic when it happens, and the fact that you can’t do it most of the time, but for our money as a little addition, it does its job better than we’d hoped.
It does add a small amount of tactical variation as well; when you Dynamax a Pokémon, all the moves they had before keep their type, but lose all additional effects such as poisoning and lowering stats, meaning your Dynamaxed ‘mon becomes nothing more than an all-out powerhouse – which isn’t always what you want, so some consideration is needed. The only exception to this is a move called Max Guard, which is basically Protect for big boys and girls, with the same chance of failing if used repeatedly. As we said before, it’s not revolutionary, but for what it is, Dynamaxing is a lot more fun than we expected.
What goes on between the Gym battles though, that’s a bit of a mixed bag. The routes we mentioned before that have been a part of the series since the beginning are a little more vertical and windy than we're used to, but apart from that, there’s almost nothing to write home about in this respect. What’s more, you’ll be hounded by NPCs during the story that want to talk to you for a few moments, walk on ahead a few metres, and then want to talk to you again, mixing up the pace in a way that we didn’t appreciate.
Too many times we were so close to just mashing through the text that if we hadn’t had the job of reviewing the game, we probably would have. To make things worse, all this discourse is extremely basic and uninteresting; characters just bob their heads and flap their mouths repeatedly, or pivot on the spot by using a walking animation. It’s all stuff that would be fine on something as limited as the 3DS, but we’re talking about a console that is significantly more capable than that, and as a result, Pokémon Sword And Shield feels a tad out of place and rigid – especially when compared to other games on Switch. There are a handful of fully-animated cutscenes that, by contrast, look really good, but a solid 90% of the time it’s all just the same old chatting we explained prior, and it’s a real shame. Given the leap up to more powerful hardware, we really had high hopes that Game Freak could take the series to a new level in this regard.
What else is there? Well, you can access your Pokémon Boxes anytime you like when you’re not in a battle or a Gym, which is hugely appreciated. You can also make a Pokémon remember a move, forget a move, or just change its name in any Pokémon Centre in Galar, rather than flying to someone’s specific house on a specific route. It’s also free, meaning you’re much more able to mix things up and try out new ideas without fear of ‘messing things up’; these are small changes, but extremely welcome ones. You can also make use of your Poké Ball Plus if you have one, slapping any one of your many 'mon inside it to carry it around in the real world for a bit, and earn some in-game items at the same time. It's not much, but considering the accessory's rather hefty price tag, it's nice to see that it's still compatible in these newer titles.
You can also set up camp with your party at any time (besides in battles and Gyms like with the Boxes). You can play with your Pokémon, talk at them, and most importantly, cook curry with them. Yes, by tossing a handful of Berries and potentially even a special ingredient into a pot of endless sauce, you can cook up one of a colossal number of curries to feed to yourself and your Pokémon. If you’re good at it, you can not only heal your party and make them like you more, but also grant them experience points and restore PP. It’s a bit like having a portable Pokémon Centre with you at all times, which is especially helpful out in the Wild Area. It takes time, but due to the practically endless possible combinations at your disposal, it’s actually quite rewarding.
There’s also the inevitable slew of new Pokémon and moves as well. We’re not going to name any names to keep things spoiler-free, but overall, the new selection of Pokémon is really solid. There are a handful of less-interesting examples, but the vast majority are pretty chuffing lovely in our eyes. What makes them even more interesting is the fact that they were kept a secret in all the pre-release info. Yes, we knew about certain ones of course (and the leaks didn't help), but there’s little better in life than finding a Pokémon that you’ve literally never seen before, learning its ins-and-outs, and waiting to see if it evolves, and into what. We can’t express enough how much more enjoyable this made finding Galar’s new creatures.
All right, it’s about time we addressed the Donphan in the room, the lack of a National Pokédex in Pokémon Sword And Shield. Yes, it’s true that not every Pokémon available in previous games will be present in Galar, or even usable in the game, and if recent interviews are anything to go by, they never will be. Considering the fact that every game prior has at least been able to house all previous generations – even if they’re not actually present in the game and require external services – this is a big blow, and in our eyes couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Pokémon series is finally being pushed onto the big screen with its core games, running on the most powerful hardware it’s ever had access to, and yet we lose a whole chunk of the roster in the process. It’s a sad state of affairs, we’re not going to lie.
And then there’s the other small issue, and that’s graphics and performance. This is quite difficult to pin down, as there are certain instances where Pokémon Sword And Shield looks and runs great. This is usually in battles, where the highly-detailed Pokémon models pop out of the screen at what our eyes estimate to be a cracking 1080p and at a very solid 30fps, for the most part. Camping is a particular highlight, with your party ‘mon running up to you in all their high-tri-count glory, with a shallow depth of field producing a very pleasing bokeh effect behind them; it’s moments like this that remind you that yes, this is proper mainline Pokémon game running on your Switch, and it's glorious.
Disappointingly, there are just as many moments when things look (not wishing to put too fine a point on it) really quite underwhelming. The Wild Area, for all its mechanical prowess and deliciousness, can look pretty plain and basic for a Switch game, and there are even moments of noticeable frame rate drops around here as well. As we mentioned previously, most dialogue sequences are stiffly animated, and many towns are woefully underpopulated and barren. What’s even worse is these underpopulated town centres are also prone to drastic frame rate drops, for some bizarre reason. It’s nothing that impacts the overall experience, and many people likely won't care at all, but for us, it's a little disappointing given the Switch's potential.
What's far from disappointing however is the game's soundtrack. Sweet groggily goodness, this is a spicy set of jingles we have here. Everything from the town themes to the piercing bagpipes heard in the Wild Area is absolutely tip-top, but the real cream of the crop is the Gym Battles. Once again, the care and attention put into these iconic battles is heightened even further by a thumping, bass-heavy string of tunes that add real feeling into every moment. Combine this with the crowds joining in ARMS-style as the Leader's final Pokémon takes its stand, and you've got a recipe for a serious adrenaline rush.
Remember Dynamaxing? That thing we mentioned earlier and said can only happen in Gym Battles? Well we lied – you can also take on giganto-mon in Max Raid Battles, which pit you and three other trainers from the real world (or the made-up world) against a Pokémon that would be too big to fit on a 3DS. These are quite different to normal battles and can be tricky to complete within the limited time frame. This is mainly because not only are these Pokémon hench, but they can also erect shields to protect themselves and attack multiple times in a turn. They hit so hard that they can often body any of your team in a single hit, which means your only option is to hit back just as hard. Thankfully, you can do that by Dynamaxing your Pokémon as well. Only one person can do so – and only once – and with the same three-turn limit that your opponent is not restricted by. If you manage to defeat it, you can catch it, and considering these are often rare (or even exclusive to Max Raid Battles), it’s well worth your time taking them on. Max Raids prove to be a fun little challenge and give the game a social element, much like that seen in Pokémon GO.
Conclusion
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. There are moments contained within that are best the series has ever been, but this joy is at times spoiled by contrasting moments that left us disappointed and did not match up to the rest of what the rest of these games can offer. What we've got here is an experience full of highs and lows, from the unadulterated wonder and joy of seeing a brand-new Pokémon in a stadium full of cheering crowds, to the monotonous and dragged-out dialogue we just wanted to skip. The wonders of exploring the Wild Area feels like the true evolution of the series, but even this brave stride forward is balanced out by the inclusion of restrictive and boring Routes from games of old. The niggling issues are impossible to ignore, then, but on the whole, Pokémon Sword and Shield are a solid start to the HD generation of Pokémon games, but there's ample room for improvement with the next outing.
Comments 304
Is there a graveyard in the game? Please answer
Update: I asked a guy on Reddit that has finished the game and he told me that there is no cemetery in Sword and Shield.
I know it sounds weird.
Be sure to pick up your popcorn at the foyer, people. Here we go..
Had a feeling the Wild Area would be the main success. I imagine the next mainline game will have a full focus on a whole game wild area. The game still seems like a lot of fun; regardless of the controversy.
Here we go again.... haters will say this is a paid for review.
If DLC is announced, this game's reputation in the fanbase will probably be ruined.
Just 2 more days
An 8/10 here is about as expected so probably more like a 5/10 I guess.
Relying on 20 year old design choices? Yep that sealed the deal for me.
An 8. So haters going to hate it just like haters always do.
I will enjoy the game this friday. And many days after.
So basically the series hasn't evolved much.....😉
@AlexOlney What's your thoughts on the post game content as it's not mentioned in the review? Is the battle tower as good as past games, epilogue story etc
@Zuljaras Alright Dracula, chill the blood lust
@BenAV NL seems to be on the lower end of a lot of big sites this time. Some of the bigger ones are 9 or higher.
What a surprise, the game is good. Like pretty much every other time a vocal minority has gone on a rampage pre-release.
So is as short as people are saying?
Looking at Twitter (urgh), this is going to be one hell of a balancing act... Thanks for penning this Alex, it can’t have been easy. Personally I worry that people, and feedback, are going to be so focussed around Dexit (which could be considered pretty reasonable considering how many of the bloody things there are now) that they look over other technical and structural issues with the series that arguably should have been fixed in the transition to Big Boy Machines. Ho hum.
Thanks again for writing this, Alex; and good luck with the comments section...
Awesome! Pretty much what everyone expected from the leaks. I for one, will still enjoy it though.
Alex used reasonable arguments
It's super effective!
Can't wait to see if I'll like the game myself
Thank you for such a detailed review that covers both the good and the not-so-good of the upcoming games. It’s nice to see all the points laid out without leaning too far one way or the other and it only further cements my hype to give these games a go for myself. My kids, hubby and I are likely going to enjoy this new adventure together a ton!
Lol the biggest surprise is that this didn't get a 9/10, which is the NintendoLife default score for any major release by the big N.
Well, with this game, we'll be able to see who the sell-out reviewing sources are. And NL... isn't looking too good with that review score RN. The only thing I'd actually say has been good about these games are the designs of the new 'mons, but in no way does that save these trainwrecks.
"Relying too much on 20 year-old design choices"
The reason I haven't touched pokemon since yellow version.
That's good it's not as bad as I was worried, but still, an 8 seems high for this to have high high and low lows. I feel like a 7 is more reasonable, because the lows and 20 year old designs, while not game breaker bad or anything, seem like they are more annoying than anything, but sprinkled throughout the entire experience. Still, I'll probably get this now at least, so thanks for the review!
So essentially, a good game with some issues. That'll do, donkey. That'll do.
@BenAV except this is one of the lower scores. IGN 9.3 gamespot 9
Glad it didn't turn out to be a complete dumpster fire disaster. But could've wished it was something more.
Ah well, still getting anyway.
@Spoony_Tech That's not really surprising either. All main series Pokemon games get waaaaaaay overrated.
Other reviews are coming in, all very positive. Of course the haters can’t stand being wrong, so now the reviewers are all ‘shills’.
@BenAV disagree you just seem desperate to hate
@Brutchie-bear For it to be an 8 or 9 it'd have to be the best main series game since gen 2 in my opinion. None since then have done enough to deserve that rating.
Wouldn't be hating if they made a good game for a change. That's all I want really.
As much as it pains me to leave over half of my Pokémon behind, I am looking forward to playing this game. Here’s hoping they reverse their decision and eventually make an eighth generation game that features the entire national Pokédex. I don’t even care if you can’t catch them all in a single game, but just let me import my collection. As it stands, certain Pokémon will never be able to battle others ever again if they keep dropping them in and out. It feels hollow and incomplete.
@Spoony_Tech They usually haven't, which is fine imo, as generally new pokemon additions to the overall collection are generally an objective upgrade, and offer some new experiences in the new environments even if it's the same gameplay I enjoy. As different an experience as it is, Mario Maker 2 is a good example of why simply tossing in a few new things to a base formula over and over like multiplayer levels do is a real fun thing.
Primarily in this case, however, I have issues not with stagnation, but regression, as the article briefly touches upon: While there are some QOL improvements, they still went back in a few areas, so while this title DID change from USUM, it didn't move forwards, I feel.
@johnvboy honestly I feel like they are still being a bit generous. It's lower then what I think their average score for a Pokemon game is, but it's definitely not paid for because they wouldn't have mentioned as much negativity as they did. I feel like this game is a 7/10 simply because this really doesn't feel like a great deal of effort by gamefreak, it feels more like a set up of a cookie cutter format so they can pump out yearly releases of Pokemon games to make the most profit
I find this review a bit bizarre to be honest. I was always happy with the reviews on this site because they felt like they gave a proper score to a game based on the reviewer's feelings. I don't care that the game got 8/10 here, what I care about is that reading through the article I thought the game would get 6/10, or 7/10 max. I don't understand the score, it feels inflated arbitrarily; it doesn't sound like Alex had a great time with the game, but mostly that it was just "ok".
The closing line reads "The niggling issues are impossible to ignore, then, but on the whole, Pokémon Sword and Shield are a solid start to the HD generation of Pokémon games, but there's ample room for improvement with the next outing." That doesn't sound like an 8/10 to me.
How long is the main story? Is it really that short?
@Sabruka Room for improvent does like a 7 unless it was rounded up to 8. I thought 8 would be great while 7 is good.
@Maelwolf A fair argument. However, I don't think we can talk about a vocal minority when they got #GameFreakLied to trend worldwide... Just food for thought.
@NIN10DOXD 13-15 hours from what reviewers are saying, which is about half what most of the Pokemon games have. Aside from Gen 4, which as many can vouch for, was reeeeaaaally slow. I love it, but for the content the main story had, 40 hours is very long
Vote with your wallets people. You can get USUM for less than half the price and it has double the pokemon.
@NIN10DOXD I highlighted the last line, but let me rephrase. Usually when reading a review I can guess the final score perfectly, especially with Alex's reviews. That said, when reading I thought "well he had some fun, but not much... I estimate 6/10". The final score caught me by surprise, and I can't help but wonder why the score didn't match the tone of the review as well as it did in the past.
Unfortunately visuals are a let down nowadays. Odyssey and BotW (and LM3) set the bar too high up. Also, it's the most rich franchise ever we are talking about. No excuses there. They could've hired monolith for worldbuilding and optimization ffs
I'm surprised that there havent been as many "paid shill" accusations as I expected.
Looks like this is a good but flawed game, as I and most normal people expected.
I'd say "INB4 toxicity" but it beat me here.
We should be talking about the game my dudes, not calling each other entitled, shills, fanboys, haters, etc.
It's pretty reductive towards the opinions everyone has here, and I think you guys will genuinely enjoy actually voicing how you feel about the content rather than how other people feel about it
This article seems pretty fair and I'm excited to play my copy in a couple of days' time.
But I'm a bit confused by the end score? Having read the article it seemed like it was going to come out at a 6 or 7. And a lot of the negatives mentioned in the review didn't appear in the cons list (which with most reviews, I just skip to).
It's conspiracy territory, but if reviewers give a game a lower score, are they less likely to receive a review copy in future or something?
Sweet groggily goodness!
An 8 is good enough for me m
The term 'hater' is infantile.
@Sabruka The review is clearly made to be biased. Don't listen to it.
@YourGoodFriendly 13-15 hours doesn't sound abnormally short compared to other recent games. Usually can easily play through them in a couple of days or so of pretty casual play. As someone who only buys the game for competitive battling and only play the story because I have to, the relatively short length is one thing I'm thankful for.
Paid haters will just spam comments with the same debunked smear campaign because they want to destroy the japanese industry. Pokemon is the entry level for JRPG genre. You kill pokemon, then other JRPG like Persona or Fire Emblem will die, and this is exactly what these people want.
So... yeah. Exactly what I thought it'd be, despite the hysterical crowing of some people online. A largely solid entry that's a step forward in certain respects, but still plays it safe in others.
With that said, nothing has quite the charm of a new Pokemon game.
Onward to Friday!
@YourGoodFriendly Even if it turned out good which wasn't my concern. I'm not sure 15 hours to complete is good for $60 JRPG on a home console anymore.
Very balanced and informative review. It’s a pity this couldn’t be to the Pokemon series and Breath was the Zelda series; a revolutionary leap. The Wild Area suggests some ambition, but due to whatever constraints, it seems this couldn’t be fully realised.
In some ways, the success of the franchise is its own worst enemy. Where there Zelda devs could delay the game to tweak, polish or scrap any element they felt necessary over a number of years, Pokemon needed to be out by December 2019, and here we have it. I’d love to see the devs just greedily delay and experiment and refine until we got something that felt like a groundbreaking home console RPG epic. But Pokemon as a franchise carries so much momentum that the deadlines must be met and the leaps can only ever be so big. Despite the main new gimmick, it seems this isn’t the gargantuan evolution of the franchise many were looking for.
@PKBegley Alex usually does a very good job of writing unbiased reviews. Perhaps this review IS biased, but it would be unorthodox.
@Galenmereth It's often impossible to read reviews or even news here without ad block. The ads are so "striking" that my screen used to blink and/or freeze
@JellyPop That's how a lot of the reviews are. I don't know if the charm of Pokémon does that to people or not. I will just by Christmas and see how I feel. The games seem good, but I still don't like the PR practices of the developers.
@BenAV
Or same score and higher....
@invictus4000
""Relying too much on 20 year-old design choices"
"The reason I haven't touched pokemon since yellow version."
Conversely, it's the reason I've played every generation. If it ain't broken, don't fix it. I'm definitely a "casual" gamer, so this review re-enforces my opinion I'll enjoy this one.
Sounds good, I'm sure my kids will love them! Thanks for the review!
Sounds as expected, a very good, but flawed game... which is not even out of place as Pokémon games usual fit such description.
I just wish they didn't do the PR mess they did, never had such a mix of hype and worry for a game I'm looking forward to.
Friday can't come soon enough to wash away all my fears... or set them on fire XD
This reads like a 7, but got an 8. Probably got bumped up just because it's Pokemon.
I'm glad some folks are liking it, there's been too much they've done wrong for me to pick this up though.
@Skalgrim Not talking about what I expect other reviews to score it, if that's how that came across. Talking about what I expect the actual quality of the game to be. All main series games seem to average like 85-90% in review scores no matter how mediocre they are.
There are too many awesome games coming out lately, I´ll pass and wait for the next gen. I hope they put more effort and make the series evolve next time!
It sounds a bit like a 'meh' release, not impressed with what we've heard about the story and setting so far. Will probably wait for it to be on sale, or for next years game.
I'll take this review into account when (or if) I look into the best second-hand offer for the games.
Probably getting Jedi Fallen Order instead honestly
@Sabruka I have to agree 100%. If other games had empty, uninspired areas, lack of series evolution and a few performance issues they would get a 7 tops. Not saying the review was manipulated but the score doesn't quite fit the review.
@BenAV
Soooo, you mean the reviewers are either incompetent or paid by GameFreak?
I read the entire review in Alex's voice, that might have me biased, but, no pokemon game has ever felt phenomenal, nor terribly poor. I'm always cautiously optimistic for a new game
But that is only my opinion
So... the game is good, but not Alcremie-my-pants good?
@Sabruka Yeah.
This is honestly a disgrace. They've clearly been paid to not mention any of the backlash to convince us to let GF get away with this.
Based on what was written this is 6.5/10 at best to me
In regards to the power levels in the Wild area, that contradicts some of the leaks. Is it possible that the initial leaker didn't have a final copy?
What multiplayer options are here, aside from trading and battling?
Does the game deserve an 8 for me after playing it?
No
Could it deserve and 8 if GF fixed (mostly) performance/bugs/graphical issues?
Yes
Even while I don't agree with the score based on the game it's state overall, the review itself score aside was a fine reading.
For me catching them all is left over, but there are other games that need my attention more now, those were okayish 13 hours, so let's hope GF won't be lazy like usual and does fix the issues, because with the 3ds games they never really did that.
@BenAV The shortest average playtime according to howlongtobeat.com, a site that collects user submitted completion data, is Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, at 25 hours. 15 hours is significantly shorter
@Skalgrim Either of those are quite possible I suppose. Or a lot of people just like mediocre games, I dunno. Doesn't really matter in the end, I really couldn't care less about review scores of games in general.
@YourGoodFriendly Fair enough. I swear I've finished the last few games the weekend they've come out so I guess I just played a lot in those first couple of days. Glad this is shorter then, that's the first good thing that I've read about the game.
Damn, I'm excited for the game on Friday!
@Rayquaza2510 Any way you could remember and answer my question please. I have been annoying enough about it
It just looks a bit flat for me. I might pick it up later on but idk, I’ve been a big Pokemon fan for years but my interest has been slipping recently.
Isn’t dynamaxxing essentially just mega evolution under a different name?
@Sabruka I think the main thing underlying the article is potential. Fundamentally, it’s a good game. Game Freak have never made a bad core Pokemon RPG, so this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Most of the people insisting this would be genuinely awful video game have been hysterical internet weirdos who view design decisions as personal slights by malicious developers who literally want them to suffer. It’s not awful and it was never going to be awful, just as no mainline Pokemon game ever has been.
But it had the potential to be revolutionary and epic, and push the boundaries of Pokemon where they’ve never been. As a series, Pokemon has been taking baby-steps away from its top down grid based pixelated beginnings since Black and White in the DS, and has remained the darling of Nintendo’s handhelds. This entry brought the opportunity to cast off the shackles of its handheld past and prove itself as nothing less than a full-fat, home console epic. As it stands, the game appears to still be beholden to 20 year old design decisions and lacking the visual leap that might be expected has come from not just the successor to the 3DS, but the successor to the Wii U. It can still be a great game despite this, just not one that lives up the the lofty expectations that many had quite understandably hoped for.
If there’s a tone of disappointment in the article, then that’s likely because the interviewer was disappointed. It’s very possible to be disappointed by an 8 if you were envisaging a 10. But a somewhat disappointing 8 is still an 8, and it would be unprofessional of the reviewer to let their unmet expectations deflate the score any more than it deserves. And given the way these games have been discussed during the buildup to launch, a little professionalism is very much appreciated.
TL;DR: A disappointing game is not a bad game. It’s just a game that is not as good as you hoped it might be. SwSh may be disappointing in certain respects, but they are certainly not bad.
The whole thing seems a bit lazy. I think the strategy behind it is as follows: first release a pokemon go game for a quick cash-in. Second release a watered down main game - fans are gonna buy it anyway. Then release ultra versions with more pokemon and some additional stuff. Or skip the ultra version and release a bigger and better new main game in the series and do the ultra version after that.
Awesome game! I highly recommend it!!!
@Euler I'm pretty sure dynamaxing is a lot more restricted in terms of its use. Also, it doesn't change the form of the Pokemon. Gigantamaxing (sp?) is closer to mega-evolution insofar as it leads to a physically different design for the Pokemon.
Surprising that Nintendo Life is actually one of the more lukewarm reviews. Polygon and Kotaku are glowing and the IGN reviewer, who is a massive Pokemon fangirl, called these the best she's ever played.
Now is there any danger at all that the moaners might actually just play the game and enjoy it instead of whining all the time?
@NIN10DOXD Both Link's Awakening and LM3 are around the same mark, at the same price point, and they are some of the best games I have played. I'd argue that the quality of the experience is what matters, rather than its length.
@Jooles_95 To play Devil's Advocate, these are JRPGs though so one would usually expect them to be longer than those examples especially since Pokémon is turn-based.
That didn't read like an 8/10 review...
@Sabruka Sometimes reviewers choose to soften their criticisms in order to maintain access to future games. That’s why, for me, independent reviewers not tied to industry (not getting perks like early access, etc.) are the more reliable resources.
I review films. It happens far too often.
This review I’m reading on Twitter is actually nicely written, fair, addresses concerns and where the game could improve as well as what seems to be done well:
https://twitter.com/LaurakBuzz/status/1194617261383995392
@Richwalker13
I think its an 8. It's still a fun experience at its core I guess just not the revolution expected by many.
@Ooccoo_Jr Nope. Lots of people are crying "SHILLS!" and "PAID REVIEWS," despite the game already having a lower than average metascore for a mainline Pokemon JRPG
@KawaiiKitsune13 I enjoyed reading what she had to say. Thanks for sharing!
I enjoyed the review, but it didn't answer the most important question, is this pre- or post- Brexit Galar?
When I saw this my first thought was at looking at the pictures it would be a 7. The pictures alone gave me a 7 number to this game. Seeing the score 8 I was a bit shocked. Didn't expect that. The written review and looking at the graphics... those aint good. And joy points says graphics are great at some part and ot cons it says it doesn't look good. You know some games are really trash but because it has a name somehow it's playing with peoples mind to make them think it's a good/great game while it's not. I wonder if it would've gotten an 8 if the game wasn't named Pokemon. In the past when you saw a picture of a game you were sold or you didn't want to touch it. You knew it right away. This gives me the same vibe by looking at those graphics... it's a meh game. Well we won't get quality from them since it carries the Pokemon name... After Pokemon Colloseum on gamecube the others weren't as great to me personally. Well each his own. If you like what you see go get it
I'll be buying it simply because it's the first true Pokemon game on the Switch. I hope it turns out to be a good game that I enjoy, but either way, it's going in my collection.
@Snaplocket Those are completely different games though; enjoyment between different genres is extremely subjective and varies wildly. For example, I far prefer Pokemon and other RPGs over all three games you mentioned; that doesn't mean that those games are bad in any way, shape or form - it's just personal preference. Unless Alex personally reviewed all those games, I don't think it's comparable.
I think this is one of those situations that proves sometimes it's best to not look at scores and look at the review itself. Even if it was scored at a 7/10 i'd still be playing it. I am irritated at the laziness of this game, and the cuts. However I'm still looking forward to playing it because I love pokemon. I think it just can't be said enough though that GF/PC can do much better, and I think most would agree it was stupid to straight up lie about things like graphics/animations being worked on as their excuse for cutting the dex, instead it's just better to be be honest about it that they straight up know the dex is getting to big for a game that has to be released on a yearly or 2 year cycle and it's getting difficult with time crunch which I think is the real reason.
Can't wait to play this, hurry up postperson! ^_^
The thing is by now Pokemon games shouldn't had to rely on one save file anymore especially if they are coming to home console like the Switch. That crap should had been left in the past.
@Ralizah Didn't you know everybody is paid off now if they have a different opinion than us.
will wait a lot before getting this, it's time to leave on the shelves games that don't deserve day one buy
So, lot's of reviews do say the game is fun like other pokemon games, but criticise meh graphics, cut pokedex, lacklustre content and an underwhelming experience, yet give it 8/10 or 9/10...
That's why those reviews aren't much better than random comments on trailer on YT.
Well who knew? The sky did not fall after all. It maybe just got a little more overcast (depending on your opinion of the series to date).
Played it for 15 mins or so today at Mega Plaza in Bangkok, the stall will get the game for sale tomorrow and I have it reserved, collecting in the afternoon. Looked and played pretty nicely
I just don't know anymore. I didn't care about the dex. I don't care so much about the moves. Dynamaxing doesn't seem quite as annoying as Mega Evolutions, even though I don't appreciate them going back to playing favorites again after the first reveal.
The exp share and the dumb justification made me question if the developers even know how their own features work. Accessing your boxes anywhere solves that particular problem.
But. Finding out that dealbreaking issues actually aren't that bad should make the game look more positive to me. But they don't if I happen to read them in a review after official sources take a more "deal with it" stance. This constant back and forth is really exhausting.
My excitement of this game has been a rollercoaster ride. Unfortunately, the furor over the last week has dampened. And I'm back to waiting and seeing when the dust settles whether or not Sword and Shield are worth diving into immediately.
And yes, you can point out its Pokemon and all the bellyaching is irrelevant and you should just buy it and have fun. I think it's a valid concern to question whether or not the stuff culled from the series for these titles makes it worth $60.00. I consider myself a true Pokemaniac. But my fandom only goes so far. I am not willing to buy a half baked game that isn't gonna give me my money's worth based on its past or its name.
I would love to know if the post-game is substantial or not. I've seen some early reports it isn't. But I'm somewhat over the Dex issue and can ignore some of that other stuff if the post-game content is substantial
Meh. I'mma wait a few months and buy it used like I usually do.
@PKBegley Instead of heckling the reviewer (which, by the way, is really rude), did you stop and think that perhaps he genuinely enjoyed the game in spite of its flaws? Just because you don't like the look of the games or the way GameFreak has handled the PR surrounding them, it doesn't mean that anyone actually enjoying the games is a 'moron' (as you have so charmingly put it earlier in this sub) or a sellout.
@PKBegley An opinion is always biased. It's an opinion. I was worried about these games, but that doesn't make Alex a shill because he gave it an 8. It just means he liked it enough to forgive some of the issues he had as mentioned in the review.
People need to stop reviewing these games as "Pokémon games" and scrutinize them in equal footing with other Switch releases.
They now have the same 60$ tag, they run on the same platform and have more resources than most developers and publishers out there so there's no reason to settle for mediocrity.
If you tell me the Wild Area looks impressive when we have Xenoblade and Breath of The Wild running in the same console I have to say you are equivocated. If you tell me the battles look amazing I also have to differ due to how often poor animations and backgrounds break the immersion.
The lack of polish is apparent for me and I truly believe these games would get rasher reviews if it wasn't for the "it's a Pokémon game" mentality.
I was expecting something that would justify a nearly 60% reduction in content for a 50% increase in price, but unfortunately the end result end up being far from that.
@NIN10DOXD It's actually pretty interesting that you class Pokemon in the JRPG category - I see it more as an action/adventure game with turn-based combat instead. I tend to view JRPGs as something with 80+ hours of main story content (plus extensive post-game), branching side-quests, a convoluted story and deep customisation mechanics (i.e. crafting, gathering materials, etc.), in the vein of DQXIS, Octopath, Ni No Kuni and Persona. On the other hand, I see Pokemon games as the sort of game where the length is determined by the player rather than the story: I would usually expect to complete the main story in around 20 hours, and then proceed to spend another 50 hours doing completely optional stuff, like completing the regional Pokedex and hunting/breeding shinies.
@Burning_Bacon,
It's aimed at the younger market, issues the core have is they have grown older but still love the pokemon franchise, so to them it's a much bigger issue than for the main audience.
I think I’m just going to sit this game out and wait for “Eternal” Sword and Sheild. I’ll get Luigi instead.
@Yorumi I am definitely no supporting these games. They seem mediocre at best, but what I'm saying is he can't spam the comments saying the review was paid for. I've seen him do it at least three times now. It's just not productive.
Wow, an 8/10, just like any other seemingly controversial Nintendo game on reviewed on NintendoLife. Seriously. Paper Mario Sticker Star, Star Fox 0, this... It's pretty much a running gag.
That being said, this did not read like an 8/10 review. The game is plagued with technical issues, it runs at 30fps despite looking incredibly unimpressive, framedrops slow down the entire game.
No mention on postgame either, and it's a hilariously short game for full switch title price. I remember an indie game being criticized for having a low money to hours rate - is that not a thing when it comes to Pokemon then?
And this sentence, "Disappointingly, there are just as many moments when things look (not wishing to put too fine a point on it) really quite underwhelming.", does not belong in an 8/10 review.
@johnvboy That's the problem though. They market it to one one audience, but studies suggest they're ignoring large chunk of their base. The Pokémon fan base is aging faster than it is bringing in new fans. In some ways Game Freak either denies or downplays this, but it still has an impact as seen with how many complaints every new game gets for being the easiest one yet. Pokémon was already easy and accessible for children to so making it easier is only more baffling with each release especially since they still use archaic practices like one save file and no difficulty select.
This game seems really good to me, can't wait to play it. I don't really get such vitriol, what am I missing? Ok graphics aren't great but the gameplay seems a lot of fun!
@ShinEon Most of the reviews for these games on other sites also give high scores after their final thoughts come off as mixed and disappointed.
@AstralSoul13 Who sent death threats though? I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I have ironically seen more angry defenders of these games than the people upset.
@quinnyboy58 I think it's due to the length of the game's and most reviews coming off as lukewarm despite high scores.
Reviewers be like: " It was alright fun, but kinda bare bones despite costing 50% more and being on more powerful hardware. 9/10 Best one yet."
@Yorumi just to nip this in the bud, big sites very, very rarely struggle with access even when games get bad scores. In the rare case this has happened it's easy - we just buy the games instead. So it's really not a factor that enters the reviewers head at any point.
@NIN10DOXD I know, right? Judging by some comments on here, apparently pro AND anti SwSh people are being paid off. I didn't know the shill game was so universal and lucrative!
This is clearly one of those games where lots of different people have different expectations of the game. The review suggests that, hey, this is still a good game - but it could have been better. That will affect people that are "die-hard" fans of a series probably more than those that are new to it. Maybe we need to support two different scores to accommodate that? Speaking of scores, ultimately we'd always recommend people read the review to help them come to their own conclusion whether it's for them - the score is just a guide.
I think that's a pretty good and balanced review overall, good job NL.
I'm just glad this is finally getting released and out of the way. Shame Gamefreak couldn't push more boundaries with it, but hey, Breath of the Wild for all its awesomeness is also very guilty of showing up other games.
Will we get a better Pokemon next time? I'm confident of that, and will be waiting for that.
Roll on the January Direct and I really hope 2020 is a better year than 2018 and 2019.
2 more days to go. 😁
I'm planning to get Sawk, Lucario, Sirfetch'd, Lanturn, Pikachu, Vaporeon, Sobble, Zacian as my team.
Glad this games reviewing well because I've got 4 copies coming 😂
I'm looking forward to finally playing this myself. It will be the first Pokemon I sink my teeth into, never really played them much before.
I’ll be picking this one up day 1. Metacritic if 81 is about what I expected
I think this game was a good base for what's to come. If it had another year to develop it would have been on the level of BotW visually. That said I fully expect their next major entry to be the truly evolutionary step for a console Pokemon. For now this will pleasantly suffice
@Yorumi I think to say it's "almost broken" is completely false. You'd have to ask each reviewer how they determined their scores, there is no universal criteria that everyone sticks to, each publication has their own scale too - so comparing like for like numbers is misleading (metacritic really doesn't help in this regard). This is precisely the reason many sites are ditching scores.
This review doesn't answer a lot. Is the GTS really gone? Does the day night cycle really not work on routes? What about the lack of Exp Share or any difficulty? How is the difficulty curve? Are the rumors about the game crashing true?
@link3710 if you tag the author @AlexOlney he might be able to help answer your questions.
Good review, thanks. I lost track of this series for a while but playing Let’s Go with my son has rekindled that interest. It seems to be reviewing pretty well so I’m looking forward to it.
That said, after an outstanding 2019 for the Switch it’s a case of finding the time.
Pokemon just never really interested me, I am here to wish everyone who plays to have fun x x
Either you are getting it or you are feeling betrayed with everything Game Freak did that you're no longer a fan like myself. That's the bottom line.
Yup, about what I was expecting. Can't wait to play Shield on Friday. 😁
I'm concerned about some of the technical issues like the supposed bugs and crashes. Hopefully it's nothing too bad and they issue a patch soon.
@AstralSoul13 I see Joe Merrick tweeting about threats he recieved, but the only image I ever found was one person saying they deserve a shallow grave which is definitely wrong, but not quite a threat more than a distasteful jab.
I'm always interested to know how long it takes to complete a game. I may have missed it in the review, but if anyone knows, please @ me.
Thanks Ant, will do.
@alexOlney
If you wouldn't mind, this review left me with a lot of questions. Is the GTS really gone? Does the day night cycle really not work on routes? What about the lack of Exp Share or any difficulty? How is the difficulty curve? Are the rumors about the game crashing true? Is the game's length really significantly shorter than previous titles? There's a lot of rumors flying around right now so...
@NintendoByNature I think the range is between 13-15 hours to complete the main campaign.
@antdickens Thanks Ant! I'm actually more inclined to play it now! Large time sinks usually make me avoid them.
I find it hilarious that people can be shocked by review scores.
@Saro That's a little bit of an extreme view to have over a video game.
@NIN10DOXD People need to understand how language works. Suggesting that someone belongs in a shallow grave is a death threat - if you don't think so, you are in denial and have an infants understanding of the English language. If someone doesn't have the foresight to censor their ability to speak without threatening death to folks over video games, everything they have to say is null and void.
@Yorumi two reviews by different reviewers almost 10 years apart, it's difficult to directly compare them now. One point below LM3, Skyrim, Witcher seems fair based on Alex's review - he still enjoyed the game after all.
Looking forward to playing another fun pokemon game on switch. Will get this soon.
@Yorumi The site is the same, but the reviewers are different. Emerald was a third version as well, so it's reviewed more harshly too.
Also, there are things in SwSh that fans have been waiting for a long time, add in multiple QoL and it can compensate the frustrations depending on the opinion.
This review felt positive for the sake of balancing negative opinions, rather than giving a really in-depth piece about the game.
@antdickens well done for replying, shame the reviewer hasn't bothered but good job on you for doing so! amazed at all the hate, this looks a good game to me.
I've got two copies coming hoping that playing with my wife will enhance the experience. I'm not expecting Breath of the Wild but I enjoy collecting Pokemon, battling and the wild area will be a good addition.
@Ooccoo_Jr Casey is one of the most knowledgeable Pokemon fans out there. While I do acknowledge some of the issues that Sword and Shield has, if she tells me the game is good then I believe it is good.
@arekdougy Yeah, it may sound like it, but Pokemon really got me through the darkest time of my life and helped me make lifelong friends. The confirmation of Game Freak lying about the models just killed it for me. Thought Game Freak still cared about the fanbase. Not anymore.
@arekdougy What? That saying means that whenever the person dies, they are to be buried in a shallow grave, as in a grave that is easily dug up. It’s meant as a very disrespectful jab, not an outright death threat. It literally means that you don’t respect the person, even after death.
Err, so why did the new Mario and Sonic get a 7/10? I smell scoring bias.
@AstralSoul13 Or, people who are frustrated that big companies aren’t listening to them. These things aren’t as black and white as everyone makes them out to be.
People always hates new stuff pretty common things..
@NIN10DOXD I thought I was the only one that noticed that. The reviews read like a solid 6-7, but eh it’s Pokémon here’s an 8-9.
@ShinyUmbreon People only hate things because they are new? What?
@quinnyboy58 you're welcome - also, he'll reply, he's a busy man today but I'm sure he'll get back to people when he can.
@NIN10DOXD,
But again even the older players fall mainly into the more casual group, I know we do not always want to admit it, but core hobby gamers that post on internet forums are in the minority.
@Mr_Muscle You know some people hate the new and like the old you know those people..
@Yorumi sounds like you've already solidified your opinion on the game pre-release so there is little point me trying to sway you either way - you're entitled to your opinion, much like Alex is with his review which seems to be in line with the general consensus on the game thus far.
@ShinEon Exactly. Couldn’t agree more with you.
@ShinyUmbreon Sure, but from what I’ve read this isn’t the case.
@Saro I definitely empathize with that. That being said, I am not willing to stake my emotional wellbeing on say, George RR Martin's next novel. Or a video game for that matter. You will always be disappointed some day if you stake your bets on media.
"Despite The Hate"
It's called constructive criticism, looks like people here don't know what that is.
Good thing I'm not an obnoxious Pokemon fanboy that I have to complain about everything when things don't meet my lofty expectations.
I'll be getting Pokemon Shield day one!
Looking forward to playing this. I may choose Scorbunny as my starter but I may still change my mind.
@arekdougy So you take a shot at my capability to interpret language yet don't know the difference between digging a shallow grave and putting someone in said grave?
They really went double down on the waifu tho
@Yorumi
A game should be rated at its own. Would better graphics, animations make it a better game?
If its still a solid pokemon experience would a 7 be deserved?
@Yorumi I felt like the review was overly positive to attempt to balance the negativity this game has been getting. NL reviews really need some work. I walked away from the review feeling like he was trying to scold people, and I didn’t leave the review feeling like I learned a lot about the game. Honestly, I’m convinced that most of these guys are afraid to speak the truth about the games they review, lest Nintendo takes action against them like Bethesda did with Kotaku.
@Yorumi I couldn’t agree more. Only reason I visit is to stay on top of releases. The reviews are the pits and need an overhaul.
My favorite thing about all this nonsense is how upset fans of the game are getting at the legit criticisms
@PikPi People with complaints are now "haters" or paid by Sony. 😂
Having played the game for 8-odd hours, I'll say this review is largely on the mark, and I thank @AlexOlney for mentioning the performance problems. I'd give it a score of 6-7, but that's on a scale where 5 is an average score. I think it's essentially the same as an 8 in this site's scoring system.
Graphically, obviously all of the models and animations for old Pokémon (and even characters: Hop does Sun and Moon's Hau's 'squat and wave my arms in excitement to explain something' animation all the time) are reused, but the lighting effects they added this time around make the game look really stylish. It really makes the game's colours 'pop', and now I wonder what it would have looked like if the Switch had had an OLED screen. It's a shame that it doesn't run at native resolution all the time. I know it's Game Freak we're talking about, but although it's been a year, I don't recall Pokémon Let's Go running below 720p in portable mode. Sword and Shield, though, at times looks about as blurry as The Witcher 3 or Doom, but without all of the graphical feats those games are pulling off.
I really like the designs for nearly all of the new Pokémon (strongly excluding the "literally just a dog" cover legendaries), and I'm glad they've decided to continue with the regional themed older Pokémon (this time even with exclusive evolutions).
Overall it's a good game and I'm pleasantly surprised, but it could have been much better. It also costs 50% more than any previous Pokémon game (not taking Let's Go into account) but doesn't offer 50% more content. Not that the price matters, Pokémon prints money anyway.
@SuperEndriu
What defines a solid Pokemon experience? How does being a series of games affect the rating of the singular game being reviewed?
Better graphics is subjective so I would like to keep that can of worms closed. Better animations though? It'd certainly help to immerse in a world if not every attack looks either entirely shoddy or turns into a beam of light. For example, I was interested in Sirfetch'd, and he has his own unique move. It started out well, but then lo and behold, he turns into another beam of light, before turning back again into his regular model.
It'd also help if pokemon had more than one physical attack animation, so that your starter doesn't headbutt using his feet.
Point is, the graphical side of things is not entirely "pretty pictures does not make a better game".
Then there's the fact that these games simply run poorly when they're already not graphically impressive, with the games looking like upscaled 3DS games.
So then you start looking for where the effort went. Did it go into making sure all the content is there? No, this is the first pokemon game where many corners were cut regarding mechanics, moves and the pokemon itself. So is it a long game? No, it's about 20 hours, give or take depending on players. Well then there must be some postgame content to keep you busy, right? No, wait, there's just a regurgitated battle tower featuring randomly generated trainers from a pool of pokemon and trainers.
...So where's the effort? And why all the (alleged) lies and lack of communication about these cuts from Game Freak? And why are so many features gone? Could they not be bothered programming an off switch for the exp share? Was implementing a GTS suddenly too difficult for them after 4 generations of having it?
@Yorumi
You have a poin there. But aren't the games you mentioned different from pokemon? Is more content always better?
In the end it boils down to how much fun you have with a game imo. I mentioned it already with the witcher review performance should be rated separately. I played dq11, great game! After some time I checked a graphics comparison vid and ps4 is obviously better. What to make of it? Would playing on ps4 make it more fun for me?
Seems it's a real mixed bag, i'm looking forward to playing through it, i've avoided the spoilers so i'm genuinely excited to experience most of the new 'mon myself, a lot of the negatives mentioned i'm not too bothered about, the graphics for example, and the linear paths are something i quite like, i get bored of open worlds, it'll be a nice change of pace to all the open world games out there nowadays.
One thing i absolutely hate though is that the Pokemon STILL don't speak their own names, it's ridiculous that we still have the ancient gameboy sound-bites, why on earth they won't fix this i have no idea, but it's my biggest bug bear with the series, even more than dexit tbh.
@ShinEon
If Gamefreak hadn't shifted the blame for the lack of certain pokemon on having to redo all animations nobody would have taken a much closer look at them. That being said it was a shady thing to say.
Honestly, I will give this game a pass. I doubt its gonna drop in price but I will buy myself a new switch on occasion so if it comes bundled with it...
@Yorumi if you didn't find the review useful to you, then fair enough - but it seems like the majority have found it useful, which is pleasing considering there are so many different expectations for this game, it'll be the first mainline Pokemon game for many, for example. This stuff about being "scared" we won't get future games is just plain nonsense, honestly, as I said before, we'd just buy it. Recent examples being Labo/Ring Fit, we were not allowed to score review copies, so we just bought it and didn't make a big deal out of that fact - it really is a non-issue.
Rabbid "fanbase": this game is an insult to us and gets rid of things we love, including my favorite pokemanz!
Nintendolife: all cons are based around them not getting rid of even more old game design ideas that have no place in today's game space.
I cant wait for this game, or gen 9 where they get rid of even more old garbage!
Review seems on point. Great job. On it's own merits, divorced from other entry comparison, it seems on point.
@AlexOlney I always enjoy reading your reviews - you have a great turn of phrase!
A couple of questions for those who have played the game. If you’ve never played a Pokémon game, is this an easy enough jumping on point? And why are there two versions - Sword and Shield - what’s the difference?
@Heavyarms55 So Friday it is then?
@Yorumi
Hmm, the graphics were always bad. Sun and moon has some aweful textures here and there and it constantly switches between sections. Yo kai watch is better in this regard imo. And here we are!
To be honest, I only have seen gamexplains review and the graphics aren't terrible. They are actually quite nice and friendly (thats what I seek in a game). The game seems to have lots of charm. A score lower than 8 would do it a disservixe imo.
What I don't get are those 9.3 ratings by IGN. A 9.3 sort of implies there is only room for very minor improvements while swsh is clearly not the revolution and A LOT more could be possible.
My fear is, this game is there to test the waters. Nintendo fans are known to buy everything and if this game sells fantastic the next switch pokemon won't see much of an improvement.
Great review cant wait too play the game myself, so interested in seeing the wild area
you know that Nintendo done messed it up when the most fanboy web Nintendo Life gives a Pokémon game an 8/10
@Radbot42 yes I was thinking a 7 after reading but a Nintendolife 8 well that's more like a realife 6!
@invictus4000 the reason I havent touched Pokémon at all
You gotta love how pretty much anyone that gives these games criticism and points out Gamefreak's lies is automatically labelled as being "Entitled" and "Haters".
i hate the Pokemon fanbase... in the times when people are angry that they have to pay for additional content, the Poké fans are OK that Nintendo literally forces them to pay for two games when they want a complete game experience
Wow, there are a lot of people who haven’t played the game yet and are complaining about a review score. It would seem they are rabidly voicing there opinion. It reminds me of snowflakes, but not the derogatory slang term for a person, implying that they have an inflated sense of uniqueness, an unwarranted sense of entitlement, or are overly-emotional, easily offended, and unable to deal with opposing opinions. Snowflakes are aggregates of ice crystals that appear in an infinite variety of shapes, mainly at temperatures near the freezing point of water. They are like Glaceons who haven’t quite mastered adulthood yet.
Are people seriously planning to speed run through the content in 15 hours on their first run and complain it's too short?
I haven't indulged myself in any leaked information, but reading and watching reviews tells me that I'm going to enjoy this Pokemon adventure as much as I've enjoyed Sun/Moon and Let's Go.
I'm surprised the numerous bugs in the game (like, missing music in fight against the box legendary) are not mentioned in the review, as well as terrible quality of animations (which is what Game Freak said that it's why they are cutting the pokedex for, to work on THOSE). Not to mention that the game runs at 720p and looks MUCH worse than any other Nintendo game on the Switch and is just slightly above 3DS quality.
Not to mention Game Freak outward lying. Game may not be out, but some stores broke the street date and the game's data is around, accessible. Models in the game have been checked and they are exactly the same as models in Sun and Moon. And Game Freak said that they are making them from scratch. Here is a link to article where they claim that: https://www.polygon.com/pokemon/2019/7/13/20693069/pokemon-sword-shield-pokedex-limited-game-freak-statement-nintendo-switch
I don't want to be negative about this series, I love it a lot. But they should give it 2 years instead of 1 year and releasing an incomplete game.
I think the funniest thing about reading these comments is that everyone is judging the review and not the game. None of you have even played it yet so how can you form a proper opinion? LOL
@Aurumonado you can catch as many in ultra moon and ultra sun. The whole national dex crying is becoming just sad. The games don't have more pokemon in themselves so for the majority that doesn't trade or transfer pokemon there is 0 difference in dex between us/um and sw/sh
@Peshokinha The problem isn't the fact pokemon are cut anymore. The problem is that Game Freak lied about the reason they are cut (they said they are making the models from scratch: https://www.polygon.com/pokemon/2019/7/13/20693069/pokemon-sword-shield-pokedex-limited-game-freak-statement-nintendo-switch ) while in truth, now that dataminers have access to the games, it's been confirmed that the models are exactly the same as they were in Sun and Moon.
I can honestly say, I disliked Sun and Moon and was one of the complainer who where mad about the Let’s Go games. I howled and moaned about the changes. The argument was it was not a main game. I was so satisfied with Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee. It had charm and was seriously a great game. Bring on Friday and don’t forget to have fun. After all, it is only a game.
In truth, game freak is a B list developer with an A list property. The franchises success often over shadows that fact. I don’t much mind when this affects the presentation or performance, but it’s a bummer how much this tappers back their ambition. Such as their approach with the Wild Area, it’s role is to be the hot new piece of marketing, but they hampered it in hopes of gathering intel on their next game rather than taking big risks and strides in this game.
Ultimately I’m here to play Pokémon, and perhaps that is the route of the problem, either an apprehension to innovate that could alienate fans (tho recent controversy suggests that isn’t it) or the much more malignant laziness as the series will sell regardless.
You can tell how genuine this review is by the fact that they didn't include the fact that hundreds of pokemon are missing in the list of cons... Great journalists.
@Yorumi
I guess you have a point there!
Maybe we are all blinded by the pokemon franchise. I mean this game is obviously not a great one. The pokemon franchise is expected to score in the 9 range and an 8 suggested it hasn't met expectations.
I think a 7 would be more appropriate. In the end meta scores are sending a message to the developer. Of people praise this game, the developer won't see any reason to spend resources and improve the next title.
Who knows maybe content that is missing will be added later via paod dlc
@PKBegley,
And if the review was negative it would be bang on the money, this review says the game has some issues, but does not say the game is awful like you wanted.
@AndreaF96,
The review does not mention what we already knew.
@Yorumi,
The Pokemon games have ever been graphical showcases on any system, the art style in this new game is great imho.
I think in regards to whether or not this does well sales-wise, it doesn't necessarily guarantee that it won't force GF hand if they're convinced that the issues some have are a detriment to the games going forward. We can probably point to a number of examples of franchises that, while doing good sales-wise, have been derailed going forward by bad user experiences and/or word of mouth.
Pokemon is such a huge franchise with its tentacles and just about every facet of the stratosphere, I wouldn't even dare to suggest one little hiccup (if this is what Sw & Sh turn out to be) would ruin the brand as a whole. But I can see it being a problem for the games if GF doesn't truly consider how they navigate this situation next.
Trowing some tissues for those cry babys to wipe those baby bubbles of snot.
Enjoy life more.
@The-Chosen-one Bring some pacifiers too and some warm non dairy milk for the bottles. Some might be lactose intolerant and that is OK.
I'm excited to play this game on Friday
Today is gonna be the longest day 😌
Edit: 4 hrs in and it’s outstanding 🥳
@Quarth Well I'd be at least trying the game no matter how it reviewed. I already paid for it.
Glad it doesn't sounds as bad as the leakers implied.
@Ralizah Gigantamaxing is effectively Mega Evolution (appearance change and stat boost)+Z moves (but on a turn timer).
Dynamaxing has the stat boost+Z moves (so effectively Mega Evolution for every Pokemon, without an appearance change).
The big difference is that there's a turn timer on Maxing, which I guess was created so there wouldn't be permanent power boost (everything else in battle can be straight up removed by multiple sources).
Looking forward to picking up Shield.
@Heavyarms55 Yeah, this is no trainwreck. This seems to be pretty good!
Sounds like several good quality of life changes with perhaps some issues with content changes (or lack of change, in some cases). The lack of a full national pokedex is a bit of a downer, but not a dealbreaker.
@Elithal
BOTW reviewed pretty highly and it was a lot of boring nothingness too.
@Quarth I hope so! (^_^;)
@sword_9mm you are over the top a little arent you?
@BlackenedHalo
Not really. BOTW was a lot of just nothing and walking around. I mean there's some enemies but nothing all that interesting in vast parts of that overworld.
There's somewhere between "hating" and saying that nobody should say anything negative about these games. This review actually does a pretty good job of being there.
Pokemon is in so many ways two generations behind even where other Nintendo games are in aesthetic, game design, mechanics, performance, user interface, etc. etc. And there were some pretty bad decisions made with this one and some really bad PR. And there really shouldn't be the performance issues you describe for what's on offer in this game. There's just nothing that should be causing that. But when push comes to shove, there's some real mistakes, but the two generations old game they keep offering us is still pretty fun. It's an enjoyable 30-50 hours that I usually remember fondly. And despite the whole two versions thing, these aren't anywhere near as much of a shameless cash grab as most AAA games: they give the player their money's worth. Admitting that they made some bad decisions and should be better doesn't mean this game is awful. The biggest question for me is why I should buy this one instead of just replaying say, AlphaSapphire or Pokemon Gold, which don't make some of the mistakes this game does and are basically the same game. I mean, it doesn't sound like this one takes advantage of the more powerful hardware in any meaningful way and still has performance issues, so is it really any real upgrade from say, Alpha Sapphire, which I liked?
@NIN10DOXD Yes!
Eh I don't like my gym badges restricting the level of pokemon I can catch, I do think things could have been handled better with a little fan input as well.
If they put all the past generation pokemon up on a poll and said "hey vote on which ones you think best suit fantasy-England" for 30 days that might have shut people up. The allegations about ported pokemon models I'm not clear on though maybe people would find something to be mad about if it were not the cuts.
I’m glad the wild area has been well received. A long time ago, during gen 4, I did some work with various studios in Japan. (Kinda like freelance). As an adoree of the Pokemon series I submitted a list of things they should probably add to the series. One of them was, I think I called them Wild Fields inspired by my own adventures as a kid. Places that sat adjacent to and in addition to routes. Where weather would be varied and done in a way to have more parameters for Pokemon to appear in.
Funnily enough in Black and White they did add some screen-spanning fields. I’m really glad they added them seemingly identical to my design doc.
Of note: I was also involved with Sony pre-Vita and got to make suggestions and designs there too. However they were mega deaf to improvements from outside their hardware team. And guess what? It flopped.
Oh and this game. I dunno. I have enough big Switch games to be getting on with and I’m not hyped enough to buy another just yet. My kids are getting a version each on download… like who even buys carts any more? As with the vita it’s best to buy one cart, a game you’re never going to want to remove (BOtW for my partner and myself) and just buy a massive 512gb microsd cards so you never have to juggle downloads haha but I actually need two of them now as I can’t stop buying games on this thing. It’s a problem. But good as I travel a lot for work!
8/10 seems fair based on the content of the article. Pokemon is a great game, period, and it seems the lack of all Pokemon has knocked a point off the score. It wouldn't surprise me to see in a year a Pokemon Sword/Shield Ultra (or a Pokemon Ultimate) that is the complete and ultimate version. As somewhat a novice Pokemon player, I'm looking forward to it and it will get it day one.
PS: One thing I know I'll appreciate about this game is you can see Pokemon in the wild. The whole "random encounter" aspect in previous games I found absurd, and was probably the reason I never completed any of the few Pokemon games I bought. Hoping this will be the first one I complete.
@Saro
“ Either you are getting it or you are feeling betrayed with everything Game Freak did that you're no longer a fan like myself.”
Nonsense. There are hundreds of shades of grey between those two points.
@sword_9mm
You’re talking about one of my favourite games ever. You may not get why, but it’s magnificent.
Thank you for the review Alex. This is what I was looking for. A decent touch of how it preforms and how the game play is. I think I'll end up passing on it and I'll wait to see what the future holds for the series. Moon left me disappointed and I'd rather wait for a pokemon game that excites me over the status quo and another chugging game. Back to Fire Emblem.
@miitomobenji If we are judging the review and not the game...sounds like that logic might be wasted on you!
@sword_9mm Exactly. BOTW is HUGELY overrated for a huge, empty world.
Open question. Why do some Gamers get so hung up on Review scores? They don’t really matter. Read reviews, form your own opinion, spend your money how you want. Reviews are not the law or even close to it.
Pokémon sucks, Yo-Kai Watch rules. The end.
This game deserves a 4/10 at best, if we are to assume that 5/10 is a "mediocre" game. This game is an unpolished, unfinished, overpriced, outdated, slap in the face to customers. It is below average. It is a bad game.
A bad game can still be fun. If you have fun with this, good for you. I have had fun with a few shovelware games too.
@arekdougy Well at least you were honest.
There are mostly positive or neutral comments and the defense brigade is still complaining about "babies" and snowflakes." This is beyond self-parody. The review are out and now we just have to wait for release. Then you can continue the raging if you want regardless of stance.
@johnvboy I would strongly disagree with that...
The 3rd generation games on GBA looked great at the time, and still do. They have great colors and sprites. That art is timeless.
The gamecube games had some rougher models for older Pokemon but still looked fine. Everywhere else the games showed off wonderful graphics and great effects. I'd argue both gamecube games have a better overall package of graphics and performance than Sword/Shield.
And there's no comparison to the 4th generation games. HGSS in particular look amazing on the DS, and Battle Revolution on the Wii is stunning for a console that is limited to standard definition output.
Sword and Shield look like hot garbage.
As all these people will be missing a good game.ill be sitting here friday with both copies since I preordered the bundle pack
@greengecko007 you sound really butt hurt no is getting the game for you.itll be ok you will have it one day.just saying
Criticism now apparently is hate. This review(Also as videos before this one )seems a bit too apologetic and it sounded more like a 6 or a 7.
I'm not a Pokemon fan but I've played a couple of them. I see people raging that this game should be a 5 or a 7; but I seriously doubt that it's that bad, or even bad at all, its more probable that people just have a case of sour grapes.
@FrowningCoach I think there is sometimes a fine line between hate and criticism. Generally though, I consider criticism something with at least some objective merits that avoids bald assertions. Criticism can be quite productive. The opposite then are fallacious assertions, making statements with little to nothing backing them up. This usually is not productive. So, taking a specific issue with game mechanics can be an example of the former, while claiming a developer is lazy or lying is an example of the latter.
The downside with the debate surrounding this particular game has been how muddled the actual criticism has become with what I can only describe as the hate bandwagon.
It's as I suspected...the hype on certain welcome points in refreshed game mechanics aren't enough to mask the crappy stale ones. Pokémon Moon was pretty underwhelming overall and I didn't have the heart to undertake Alola again in Ultra so until the 'next' edition/updated version comes out (Pokémon Mace or Pokémon Lance perhaps?😆), I'll be playing my newly bought Pokémon Crystal in the meantime....😜
@Maelwolf I agree. Sorry i completely changed my initial comment. That said your point is valid and I agree.
im gonna guess the game on its own as fine, but comparing everything its been building up to all these years makes it underwhelming in comparison
@Ernest_The_Crab @Kalmaro ...the maxing can also be only done in specific areas which is a good way to keep a more traditional battle balance in random encounters now that pokemon can't just metal evolve or throw Z-moves on a whim anymore outside of the proper locations.
That the gyms are just so one of the locations that support it however makes sure it remains important AND give the game's gym an unique flavor if their own however (which also answer one of my gripe with mega-evolution... that more often than not only the player had access to it to curbstomp NPCs with the mechanics most NPCs didn't have access to.
Now EVERY gym leaders might have access to maxing which will be a really different deal for me. )
It's a subtle but very significant change in my eyes.
@Ludovsky I would have been just fine with randomly having a max battle in the wild.
You thought zubat was annoying? How about a MAXX zubat?!
Reading the full evaluation without paying too much attention to the number at the bottom, I have come to the reasoned conclusion that this game is probably not worth full-price in my eyes. I will happily jump in if I ever see it for £30-35. To all those who have read this and are happy, enjoy your new game!! They are supposed to be enjoyed, after all.
@NIN10DOXD Ha. I will admit to not fully understanding the saying. I will try to defend myself by indicating that I do think people should still refrain from such sayings - especially online. Bringing up any 'digging of graves', even shallow (now that I understand that as the tongue-in-cheek slight against the target), exacerbates arguments, especially considering the imagery. Your point is just as valid, if not more, and we likely agree on more than not. All the rage involved in this is wildly unnecessary, in my eyes. Regardless of whether or not you're excited for these games or not.
Hey, is the party still going here?
@BlackenedHalo
Haha, well played. And it makes sense judging by your profile pic, which is from one of the best games ever made. You have a superior taste in games.
No Nidoran! No Buy!
Mr.Mime Regional? He has an evolution? PREORDER NOW!
Glad to hear it's a good game. Looking forward to it.
Now if Nintendo Life would just get around to blocking the 40 or so trolls on the site, whom all have 3-4 accounts a piece to make it seem like there are even more Pokemon haters than there really are...
@Maelwolf dont forget about some of the haters whining over the lack of national pokedex seriously im glad gamefreak made this game less bloated over the past entires time for pokemon to go into a new direction.
What ive learned from the Internet: critizising bad decisions makes you a a troll and a toxic person.
Good luck people who have this mindset about critizism. You will never be able to keep a job that requires more than flipping a burger.
I will buy the game despite knowing that GameFreak * up in some parts.
So, taking into consideration that pretty much every 1st party title always scores either a 9 or a 10 on NintendoLife.. Them giving the game an 8 essentially means the game isn't any good. Or am I missing something here? 🤔
As a person who has only played like four entries (and three of those are versions of Red/Blue LOL) in the Pokémon series, I don't really care about these games, but the diehard NatDexers are a bit much.
Not saying their critiques are invalid, but many of them are overly aggressive such as getting angry over people who say anything positive about any of the new features (especially Dynamaxing).
There are definitely Pro-Gamefreak people that are just as overly aggressive, but I've seen this behavior more often exhibited by the NatDexers.
@johnvboy so, by the same logic, it shouldn't mention dynamax or wild area right?
@NIN10DOXD 42.6 hours
I have watched a few reviews online, this being the fourth and all are pretty positive. I understand the ECW Poke fans have issues with the game and that's fine but calling it and out and out trainwreck etc is just a little ridiculous. I am 100% positive the game will shift millions of units and boost system sales along with it.
Forgetting the dumpster fire which is why I usually pop my head in, I watched Alex’s video review last night, as someone who’s never had any interest in Pokemon whatsoever and it looks like a fantastic game for kids! It reminded me of Saturday morning TV with all its cute little cartoon characters and feel...Having worked on designing music packaging and books for children, the simplistic minimalist approach works best.
@AndreaF96,
It's up to the individual reviewer what he mentions or does not, I guess they may not feel the need to cover every aspect as a lot has been covered in the directs, but thus far the reviews seem to be far more positive than negative.
@greengecko007,
I do not agree with you fella, the art style is nice and I love the clean cartoon look of the new Pokemon.
@Toy_Link,
This is an issue as well, I totally get some fans are upset but to suggest everything is wrong with this game is well.... wrong.
8? Seems more like a 6 or max 7, even from what you state.
@WiltonRoots,
Without a doubt, I loved the cartoon style Pokemon ever since the initial reveal.
@johnvboy I love the way people come to this site, see the reviews and keep complaining about the scores, even though they've actually played the game and the complainers haven't. And to add to that, even though they completely disagree with the scores, they keep coming back. If I don't agree with the opinions of a site, I go somewhere else and find a site that's on my wavelength.
it's amazing how many people who have not played this game know just how bad it is! they must have special psychic talents.
@quinnyboy58
They have convinced themselves a while ago that they will not like these games, so the review scores at this point will be irrelevant to them at this point, as their issues for not liking the game will still be present, I do feel however if they do end up buying this game, which I suspect many will do even despite their feelings towards it, they will end up having a blast, not that any of them will tell you of course.
@WiltonRoots,
They feel this will alter future entries of the series, I am not so sure it will have much of an effect but who knows?.
@johnvboy lol you are probably right
@Galenmereth,
Very true, same with reviews, as we are quick to trust a negative one far more that a positive one, the brain is far more receptive to bad news.
I haven't played a pokemon game since red on the original gameboy but I have a switch now. Should I buy this or should I play lets go pikachu first?
@Alucard83 Without the Pokémon name it'd be a 9. That's the funny thing.
It's a good game, but it trashes too much of what the vocal minority of Pokémon fans love.
@electrolite77
Never said it was a bad game; but it's very empty. They could've shrunk the land-mass down quite a bit so it seemed more alive.
I'd say the same thing about a lot of 'open world' games. Sure you can program out 1000 miles of area but if you can't fill it with interesting things then don't bother. GTA fits in this and I love GTA.
@River3636
Hahahahahah
@Yorumi,
Never criticized anyone, and never said their issues were wrong or unfounded, simply stated that they were in the minority for caring about such things in a game designed for kids, and the reviews thus far seem to think the games are o.k, not perfect but very enjoyable.
@EmmatheBest You're calling this game a trainwreck while using a gen 1 icon... what's the pokemon equivalent of "ok boomer"?
@johnvboy yes, the reviewer chose not to mention the major cons of the game. What a good journalist he is!
@AndreaF96,
Like I have said I do not think the game is perfect, but in the case of the IGN review, the site stated for ages that core fans may not like this new game, so when it's come time to review the game they have probably given it to a reviewer that likes the franchise, and realizes who the game is mainly aimed at, so looking at the game and who it is made for then the review is positive, looking at the overall reviews 8/10 seem to be a fair estimation, sure the game has issues but overall not enough to detract from a strong overall entry to the series.
But according to the complainer a game they are determined not to like gets a bad review, then those reviewers are the good guys with trustworthy opinions, whereas any review that is positive is from a Nintendo loving hack, who does not know what they are talking about.
Yep sounds balanced as usual on here.
@sword_9mm,
To be honest that's an issue with many open world games, once you have created that space how can you make it interesting?.
@nimnio,
I still feel GameFreak were wrong to even start to justify the DEX cut, it's their IP at the end of the day, they made the decision and if people do not buy the game as a result they will have to reinstate it next time.
No, it's much better to look up all the new Pokémon beforehand and figure out what moves you want to give them and how to evolve them without a bunch of lame trial and error. Maybe it's my OCD, but I much prefer knowing and planning these kinds of things in advance. Besides, it's pretty much necessary these days when there are more and more unintuitively weird evolution methods and form changes to learn. For example, does anyone know a single person who figured out on his/her own how to evolve an Inkay? If you do, he/she lied to you.
Pros: It's a Pokemon game, it plays like a Pokemon game except a bunch of cut stuff
Cons: The other stuff
9/10, it has a little something for everyone.
@sanderev all other reviews have panned this so bad. Feels like ea realising a fifa game but made it worse. Hope the fans like it cos it sounds poo.
I'd give it 6 out of 10 it isn't that bad.
@Ralizah Is it not the same idea though? Your Pokemon becomes extremely powerful for a limited duration, but it can only be used in limited scenarios? Also, is Mega-Evolution proper in the game?
@Euler The main problem is that Dynamax and Gigantamax are gimmicks of Galar just like Z-moves were a gimmick of Alola, whereas Mega Evolution has been in several games so far and seemed like it would be a mechanic of the games going forward, but now they've completely deleted it. Several Pokémon were really weak before Mega Evolution, then suddenly became really good, and now they're weak again. Also, the Dynamax stuff all plays out incredibly slowly, which is boring.
@johnvboy I didn't say that. It just sounds not professional not to include (one of) the main con of the game in the end bullet point list.
Been playing Sword for awhile now. Gotta say it does feel half-baked and that I'm disappointed in many of the reused aspects from earlier titles. I'm not sure it will hold my interest much past the holiday season. My children may appreciate Sword longer than me I suppose. I'd disagree with the 8 / 10 and, as a user score, rate more like 6.5 / 10.
@ryobi85 metacritic is higher than the Nlife score. I have Sword and actually really like the game. Everything works really well, and even though they cut the national dex. The regional Dex is one of the biggest. Giving you early on access to many different Pokémon. My personal score is currently at 8,4/10. Which is higher than Sun / Moon.
I will also get Shield in the (near) future.
Why are people hating this game because of its length. I thought goose game and stretchers taught us that length doesn't matter if it's fun. I think they should release the next Mario game by level. Here's the first level full price and then package the rest of the game in dlc. After all we seemingly love micro experiences.
@WiltonRoots to be fair for whatever reason this site has the most active comment section. I much prefer nintendoeverything but they have a fraction of the commentors. No idea why that is though.
@Galenmereth Sure. I agree with much of what is said. As I mentioned, I'm sure it will hold my kids interest longer than mine. This is just their first Pokemon experience while I'm leaving the table disappointed.
It was fun but once you beat the story then what it's no longer got to catch them all and I understand that you can't put them all in because of how many their are but still I return it after I beat the story cuz it just lost its spark I'm back to ultra sun cuz even if there not all in the pokedex at least you can still have any pokemon
Wow, the online trading in this game is a huge step backwards for the series.
Paid review, untrustworthy.
Although it is not the Breath of the Wild of the Pokemon, it captures the pokemon essence like no other game of the franchise. It lacks ambition at some points, but the wild area works as a preview of what the future of pokemon will be.
I cannot see this game as higher than a 7, in fact normally I'd give it a six! however because Gamefreak lied about certain things in the game, well I have to give it a 1. (This is coming from a Pokemon fan since birth)
@Elvie Hehe looking back at old reviews...
Oof
I personally think it’s a 7. When I see the reviews on ign and whatnot at 9s, it makes me feel like I am maybe losing faith or interest in Pokémon? That’s fine if you all LOVED it. I didn’t. Something about the magic of the games disappeared after Sun and Moon for me. Is it because I’m maturing and am losing interest in the genre? Maybe. I am personally excited for the TemTem release. The added difficulty and that the monsters seem to all be viable competitively (around the 450-485 stats) it makes me happy to know that people have the opportunity to make cool teams. Much unlike Pokémon where most are just downright unusually competitively.
This is one of the best Pokémon games I've enjoyed playing.
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