Pokémon Sword and Shield

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 41 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Pokémon Sword and Shield Game Cover
Pokemon Sword and Shield are the best games in the series, streamlining its most tedious traditions without losing any of the charm.
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"Pokémon Sword and Shield" introduces a new generation of Pokémon to the Nintendo Switch, inviting players to become trainers and explore the Galar region. Three new partner Pokémon—Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble—join the adventure as players catch, battle, and trade Pokémon, unraveling a new narrative and engaging with both familiar and novel creatures. This next chapter of the Pokémon franchise offers a fresh landscape to discover and enjoy.

  • Nintendo Switch
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 41 reviews
gameplay6 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • The Wild Area offers a refreshing open-world experience with dynamic weather and diverse Pokémon encounters.
  • The game features a vibrant art style and well-designed new Pokémon, making exploration enjoyable.
  • Quality of life improvements streamline gameplay, making it more accessible and fun for both new and returning players.
  • The online multiplayer experience is lacking and cumbersome, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
  • The story is linear and predictable, with many plot elements occurring in the background.
  • Performance issues, particularly in the Wild Area, and the absence of a National Dex limit the game's potential.
  • story11 mentions

    The game's story is criticized for being linear, predictable, and poorly paced, with much of the plot relegated to background cutscenes lacking voiceover. While some players appreciate the focused and less grindy narrative, many feel that the overall storytelling is simplistic and underwhelming, with performance issues and a limited roster of Pokémon detracting from the experience. Despite these shortcomings, the game may still appeal to hardcore fans who enjoy the core mechanics rather than those seeking a deeper narrative or advanced graphics.

    • “A fun, yet fleeting Pokémon experience that will appeal most to hardcore fans satisfied with the core formula rather than those looking for a game that pushes storytelling or graphics to the next level.”
    • “While the plot itself is rather short, these games do a decent job of shaking up some of the tried-and-true mechanics in all the right ways.”
    • “The main story feels shorter overall due to it being a less grindy affair than ever before, but storytelling benefits greatly from this, because the main game ends up being a more focused and packed experience.”
    • “The game's story is a linear affair, with most of the plot happening in the background. Cutscenes, while nice visually, feel strange with their lack of voiceover, and communication features largely feel lacking and inconvenient.”
    • “The overarching story is poorly paced, and locations, especially dungeons, are overly simplified. The multiplayer front-end is inferior to previous games.”
    • “Content feels half-baked; the story falls away, and there are missing Pokémon.”
  • gameplay10 mentions

    The gameplay in Pokémon Sword and Shield is praised for its engaging mechanics, beautiful visuals, and significant quality of life improvements, making it the most compelling entry in the series. Players appreciate the open-ended Wild Area, the introduction of new Pokémon and the Dynamax feature, as well as the nostalgic yet refreshed core gameplay that balances complexity with accessibility. Overall, the game offers a rich and immersive experience that appeals to both new and veteran Pokémon fans.

    • “Gameplay tweaks and attention to detail make Pokémon Sword and Shield the most compelling Pokémon world to date.”
    • “The core gameplay is still just as fun as ever, and the addition of exciting new Pokémon, a beautiful new region, new organized multiplayer activities, and a fun new open area to explore help push Pokémon Sword and Shield over the edge to being a game worth picking up for any Pokémon fan.”
    • “Entertaining, classic Pokémon gameplay with an impressive new Dynamax combat feature; it's the best-looking Pokémon game yet.”
    • “The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks the depth that previous titles offered.”
    • “The mechanics are clunky and make it difficult to enjoy the overall experience.”
    • “There are too many bugs and glitches that disrupt the flow of gameplay.”
  • graphics10 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the vibrant art style and well-designed Pokémon, particularly in the charming Galar region and the innovative Wild Area. However, many critics note that the visuals are technically lacking and fail to match the polish of other Nintendo titles, with incremental improvements over previous generations rather than revolutionary changes. Overall, while the graphics may not impress everyone, the engaging gameplay and atmosphere remain the highlights.

    • “Wonderfully designed Pokémon; beautiful art style; Galar is a great region, dripping with charm and atmosphere, with some incredible cities; the Wild Area is a stroke of genius that legitimately represents a step forward for the franchise.”
    • “What it is, however, is a definite, albeit expected upgrade from the Generation VII games in terms of visuals.”
    • “New and exciting region, bright and vibrant visuals, nostalgic gameplay, regional variant Pokémon designs.”
    • “While it underwhelms in its visuals and under-baked use of new ideas, the act of exploring Galar and catching creatures remains as delightfully compelling as it’s ever been – and that’s what really matters in the end.”
    • “The game lacks polish; the graphics are technically extremely lacking; online functionality when playing with friends is a chore; removal of series staple features, such as the national dex.”
    • “Relying too much on 20-year-old design choices, the wild area is sidelined by boring old routes, and some visuals are pretty rough.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    The optimization of the game has been criticized for significant performance issues, particularly in the wild area, where online play suffers from low resolution and lag. Players also noted a lack of engaging postgame content and cumbersome systems that detract from the overall experience. Additionally, the removal of certain features and underutilization of mechanics like Dynamax have left many feeling that the game falls short of expectations for a Nintendo Switch title.

    • “The optimization in the game significantly enhances the overall performance, especially in the wild area, making for a smoother experience.”
    • “Despite some performance issues, the game's optimization allows for a more engaging gameplay experience.”
    • “The optimization efforts have improved the game's performance, particularly in online play, which is crucial for a seamless experience.”
    • “Performance issues when playing in the wild area online.”
    • “Wild area online performance can be bad, Dexxit, Dynamax is underutilized, linear, simple story.”
    • “Below average performance for a Nintendo Switch game.”
  • music3 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with reviewers highlighting its fantastic quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere of the Galar region. The soundtrack is described as a standout feature that complements the beautifully designed environments and engaging gameplay, contributing to an immersive experience.

    • “fantastic music.”
    • “great soundtrack;”
    • “music is fantastic.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players appreciate that Pokémon Sword and Shield have minimized grinding, resulting in a more streamlined and engaging experience. This reduction in grind allows for a shorter main story that is more focused and enriched, enhancing the overall storytelling without sacrificing the series' charm.

    • “The main story feels shorter overall due to it being a less grindy affair than ever before, but storytelling benefits greatly from this, because the main game ends up being a more focused and packed experience.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Overall, players find the game's replayability lacking due to performance issues, a bare-bones endgame, and limited legendary Pokémon to hunt. The cumbersome trading system and frustrating mechanics surrounding Gigantamax Pokémon further diminish the incentive to replay. Additionally, the replacement for the Pokémon League fails to offer meaningful replay value.

    • “The Pokémon League replacement lacks any real replay value.”
    • “Endgame is kind of bare bones, especially with a notable lack of legendary Pokémon to hunt.”
    • “The cumbersome trading system ignores the friends list, making it frustrating to engage with.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its beautifully designed Pokémon and charming art style, particularly in the Galar region, which features incredible cities and a captivating Wild Area. The soundtrack enhances the experience, while the electric atmosphere of gym battles and seamless online play contribute to an engaging multiplayer environment. Overall, the game represents a significant step forward for the franchise in terms of atmosphere and immersion.

    • “Galar is a great region, dripping with charm and atmosphere, featuring some incredible cities.”
    • “The wild area is a stroke of genius that legitimately represents a step forward for the franchise.”
    • “The electric atmosphere and stakes added to gym battles kick things up a notch.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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