Pokemon has been a staple in the gaming community since the dawn of time and with over 20 years of Pokemon games, its hard to spice things up, but it seems the developers always manage to do it.
With the latest installment in the franchise now available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, gamers all around are excited to get their hands on the long-awaited game. Reviews for the game are going live and it seems that the game is a success as plenty of well known gaming sites are praising the game for its streamline mechanics, new arenas, and the remove of overly complicated tactics.
Down below are some of the most respectable gaming sites in the industry, check out the highlights for their reviews on Game Freak’s first Pokemon title for the Nintendo Switch — Pokemon Sword and Shield:
IGN 93
Pokemon Sword and Shield are the best games in the series, streamlining its most tedious traditions without losing any of the charm.
USgamer 90
Pokemon Sword and Shield’s single-player experience is filled with neat characters and a new region that’s brimming with personality, but running around the Wild Area with other players offers a special kind of fun. Quality of life improvements to the metagame, including the ability to change your Pokemon’s nature and rent teams for fights, gives you good reason to stick with the game after you’re crowned the new champion of the Galar region. Despite the controversy, Sword and Shield offers a great time.
While I can admit that it still doesn’t do enough different, (The absence of voice acting is jarring.) the inclusions such as the Wild Area and streamlining of tired aspects are big steps in the right direction. Game Freak has succeeded in creating a new core entry worthy of being on home consoles, and Pokémon Sword and Shield are a couple of the best games on Nintendo Switch.
GameSpot 90
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.
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.
Sword and Shield will feel like a revelation to anyone who’s missed out on the last few Pokémon cycles. It’ll feel like upgrading from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone 11 Pro Max. Game Freak’s first attempt on a home console is a worthy entry to the franchise, despite it adhering closely to its mobile game roots.
Pokemon Sword and Shield is now available to purchase on the the Nintendo Switch. Are you planning to pick up the latest installment in the long-running franchise? Let us know in the comments below!
