Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield Review Round-Up
Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield might be the first core games in the series to come to a home console, but they’ve been packed with so much controversy throughout the build-up to their release that a lot of people will be looking to the critics to give them an idea of whether the new entries are worth jumping into.
That’s where we come in. The reviews are in and we’ve compiled those from the most popular video game media outlets to help you decide whether these games are for you.
Here’s the review round-up for Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield:
IGN — 9.3/10
“Pokemon Sword and Shield are the best games in the series, streamlining its most tedious traditions without losing any of the charm.”
– Casey DeFreitas
GAMESRADAR+ — 4.5/5
“Gameplay tweaks and attention to detail make Pokemon Sword and Shield the most compelling Pokemon world to date.”
– Sam Loveridge
GAMESPOT — 9/10
“In collecting, battling, and exploring, Sword and Shield cut out the bloat and focus on what makes these pillars of the Pokemon games so captivating in the first place.”
– Kallie Plagge
GAME INFORMER — 8.75/10
“While some frustrations hold it back from true legendary status, this new generation proves the Pokémon franchise is still great more than two decades after its debut.”
– Brian Shea
NINTENDO LIFE — 8/10
“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.”
– Alex Olney
VG247 — 3/5
“Pokemon Sword & Shield is all too often a bit disappointing, and in some places actually feels a little unfinished, but it also fully provides that warm, fuzzy feeling that one expects from the series.”
– Alex Donaldson
EUROGAMER — Unscored
“Pokémon Sword and Shield add some brilliant new creatures, but like their gargantuan Dynamax forms, the games feel like a hollow projection.”
– Chris Tapsell
KOTAKU — Unscored
“It won’t be everything to everyone, and it will not make everyone happy. I’m not sure it needs to. It’s a portal to a new world. And it definitely has something for Pokémon’s core audience: everyone in the entire world.”
– Gita Jackson
Most of the critics seem to agree that both games are outstanding entries that cut out the tedious and tired mechanics of old games to reveal new and exciting ways to play. The decision to not include every Pokemon from previous games will probably hurt completionists, but with so many of these Pocket Monsters to collect, most players will probably be less disappointed.
While there were a few harsh words from some critics, it’s hard to imagine any Pokemon fan skipping this generation at all. Given the choice of playing a new Pokemon game over not doing so, I think the choice is clear for any fan. Sure, you might not end up putting in as many hours in the new games as you did with previous entries, but you’ll probably get your money’s worth to play even just the main campaign on your TV.
Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield launch on November 15th exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
