Pokemon Sword & Shield Review Roundup

It feels like we have been covering Pokemon Sword & Shield since forever but, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel as we are only a few days from catching them all. The lead up to release day had been interesting, to say the least, with it being marred by fan protest and questionable marketing but, at the end of the day, we finally get a true console Pokemon game. So, does Pokemon Sword & Shield reinvent the series? Or is it more of the same in HD? Here's the review roundup:

IGN  (Score 9.3/10)
'Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield are closer to my dream Pokemon RPGs than anything that’s come before. I’d still like better cutscenes, companion Pokemon, the complete Pokedex, and a more visually interesting Wild Area, but nitpicks are just not very effective when everything else was such a complete joy to play. The way they respect my time is wonderful, and the removal of monotony from random encounters and other odds and ends distills it down to only the pure and charming fun of capturing, training, and battling wonderful creatures. And hey, if I’m missing any tedious repetition, I can always get back into breeding.'

​For the full review click here.

GAMES RADAR  (Score 4.5/5)
'Thankfully though,  this is a seriously memorable Pokemon adventure. The story delivers enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, steeped in the kinds of myths and legends that you forget the British Isles are chock-full of. It might lack the puzzling areas of previous series' entries like Silph Co, but there's plenty to love about Pokemon Sword and Shield, especially the loveable cast of characters, and the impeccable attention to detail in the Galar region both visually and in terms of the regional dialogue. It's a great way to start the next core generation of Pokemon games.'

For the full review click here.

GAMESPOT  (Score 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. You're not held back by overly complicated back-end systems or hoops to jump through; from the outset, you can start wandering the Galar region, seeing its new Pokemon, and trying out its new battle strategies with very little in your way. This leaves you free to enjoy what Pokemon is all about, and that makes for an incredibly strong showing for the series' proper debut on Switch.'

For the full review click here.

GAME INFORMER  (Score 8.75/10)
'Pokémon Sword & Shield are strong first attempts for the series’ full transition to consoles. 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.'

​For the full review click here.

NINTENDO LIFE  (Score 8/10)
'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. 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.

For the full review click here. 

GAMEEXPLAIN (VIDEO REVIEW)

Overall, Pokemon Sword & Shield currently sits at a Metascore of 81 from 17 reviews which would suggest while the game may be good, it didn't exactly revolutionized the series. When Pokemon Sword & Shield was first revealed we questioned what a 'AAA' HD console Pokemon would need to be. Of course, we will need to play it for ourselves but based on these reviews it seems some our questions have been answered.   

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