Pokemon Sword and Shield Review Roundup

Pokemon Sword and Shield reviews have started to come in as the game is set for release this week.

The franchise that has stood the test of time is now entering into its eighth generation. This is the first time a main-series Pokemon game has been released on a home console (well, half-home, half portable). The anticipation for this game has been huge. Let's see what the reviews say about this highly anticipated game.

Games are only as good as their overall rating. Here is a list of top website game reviews:

Pokemon Sword and Shield reviews

IGN: 9.3 out of 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."

Gamespot: 9 out of 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 Pokémon is all about, and that makes for an incredibly strong showing for the series' proper debut on Switch."

Polygon: "The surprise in Sword and Shield is that I’m still finding things that surprise me, even after putting in so many hours. It’s in how Game Freak has made a linear game feel so much less linear. Make no mistake, Sword and Shield is not an open-world game. There are limitations. But the game’s designed for me not to notice them, and mostly, I don’t."

Game Informer: 8.75 out of 10. "Pokemon 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 Pokemon franchise is still great more than two decades after its debut."

Pokemon Sword and Shield Metacritic reviews

Pokemon Sword and Shield scored 81/100 on Metacritic, an average based on 25 critics. Here is what some critics had to say:

EGM: "The first new-generation Pokémon game to release on a proper home console does not disappoint. New features like Dynamaxing and the Wild Area are fun additions that make the experience of becoming a Pokémon champion still feel fresh. It’s just a shame that Game Freak didn’t lean into the new features more than they did."

GamePro Germany: "The best game of the series so far."

Metro GameCentral: The furore over Dexit may be overblown but even without it this is an underwhelming and unambitious attempt to modernise Pokémon and expand its horizons.

Everyeye.it: Pokémon Sword and Shield are complex and convincing games: a solid plot, a more varied gameplay and a very thoughtfully-created level design are the hallmarks of this new pokémon generation.