Pokémon Shield
- November 15, 2019
- Game Freak
Unsheathe your sword and take up your shield! The world of Pokémon expands to include the Galar region in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield!
Nintendo Switch
Reviews
- The game is highly enjoyable with a fun story and engaging characters, making it a favorite among players.
- It's beginner-friendly, allowing new players to easily enjoy the gameplay and story.
- The new Pokémon evolutions and battles, such as Gigantamax, add excitement and depth to the experience.
- The graphics are not particularly impressive, and some aspects feel outdated.
- The story lacks depth and feels uninspired, relying on familiar Pokémon trainer tropes.
- There are concerns about missing Pokémon being held back for future paid DLC, which detracts from the overall experience.
- story3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being uninspired and formulaic, primarily revolving around the traditional "pokemon trainer" narrative without any significant depth or engagement. Players express disappointment over the simplistic gameplay mechanics and the expectation of future paid DLC to expand the story, which feels incomplete and unoriginal.
“Uninspired story chopped up for paid DLC in the future.”
“This game's single-player story gameplay consists of picking a starter Pokémon and then just spamming its primary attack until you beat the game.”
“The actual story lacks any reason for me to become invested and hardly strays off the 'Pokémon trainer' narrative that they've been clinging to since the debut of Red and Blue.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The 3D visuals are generally praised for their quality, though some users note that the animated attack moves could be improved. Additionally, there seems to be a disconnect between the game's aesthetic and the preferences of older players.
“The 3D visuals look very nice, aside from some less than stellar animated attack moves.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this game is criticized for its simplicity, as players primarily engage in a repetitive cycle of selecting a starter Pokémon and relying on a single attack to progress through the single-player story.
“This game's single-player story gameplay consists of picking a starter Pokémon and then just spamming its primary attack until you beat the game.”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks depth, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I found the mechanics to be clunky and unresponsive, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
