Pokémon Shield - Nintendo Switch (Digital Download)
The Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield games take place in the Galar region. Galar is an expansive region with diverse environments— an idyllic countryside, contemporary cities, thick forest, and craggy, snow- covered mountains. The people and the Pokémon who live there work together closely to develop the industries in the region. - Fans will have the opportunity to visit various Gyms in the Galar region in their quest to become Champion. They will not be alone, since the newly discovered Pokémon they choose to be their first partner will be by their side. - The adventure begins in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield when players choose one of three new Pokémon—Grookey, Scorbunny, or Sobble. Grookey, a Grass-type Chimp Pokémon, is mischievous and full of boundless curiosity. Bursting with energy, Scorbunny, a Fire-type Rabbit Pokémon, is always running about. The stealthy Sobble, a Water- type Water Lizard Pkémon, shoots out attacks as it hides itself in water. - A whole new Pokémon RPG adventure awaits in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield on Nintendo Switch! Get ready to discover Galar, an expansive region with diverse environments. The people and Pokémon who live here work together closely to develop the industries within it. - The Wild Area is a vast expanse of land in the Galar region with untamed wilderness. While in the Wild Area, players can control the camera to explore the vast areas around them and search for Pokémon and items. Trainers will find a greater variety of Pokémon living in the Wild Area than anywhere else in the Galar region. - Max Raid Battles are a new battle format that takes place in the Wild Area, in which the player will team up with three other Trainers to take on a wild Dynamax Pokémon. Trainers will then get a chance to catch the wild Dynamax Pokémon if they manage to defeat it—but it won’t go down easily - Dynamax is a phenomenon unique to specific locations i the Galar region, where Pokémon can take on gigantic appearances during battle, and it’s an integral part of Pokémon battles in the region. All the moves of a Dynamax Pokémon will turn into special Max Moves! The Legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta are shrouded in mystery and are unknown even to those who live in the Galar region
The Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield games take place in the Galar region. Galar is an expansive region with diverse environments— an idyllic countryside, contemporary cities, thick forest, and craggy, snow- covered mountains. The people and the Pokémon who live there work together closely to develop the industries in the region. - Fans will have the opportunity to visit various Gyms in the Galar region in their quest to become Champion. They will not be alone, since the newly discovered Pokémon they choose to be their first partner will be by their side. - The adventure begins in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield when players choose one of three new Pokémon—Grookey, Scorbunny, or Sobble. Grookey, a Grass-type Chimp Pokémon, is mischievous and full of boundless curiosity. Bursting with energy, Scorbunny, a Fire-type Rabbit Pokémon, is always running about. The stealthy Sobble, a Water- type Water Lizard Pkémon, shoots out attacks as it hides itself in water. - A whole new Pokémon RPG adventure awaits in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield on Nintendo Switch! Get ready to discover Galar, an expansive region with diverse environments. The people and Pokémon who live here work together closely to develop the industries within it. - The Wild Area is a vast expanse of land in the Galar region with untamed wilderness. While in the Wild Area, players can control the camera to explore the vast areas around them and search for Pokémon and items. Trainers will find a greater variety of Pokémon living in the Wild Area than anywhere else in the Galar region. - Max Raid Battles are a new battle format that takes place in the Wild Area, in which the player will team up with three other Trainers to take on a wild Dynamax Pokémon. Trainers will then get a chance to catch the wild Dynamax Pokémon if they manage to defeat it—but it won’t go down easily - Dynamax is a phenomenon unique to specific locations i the Galar region, where Pokémon can take on gigantic appearances during battle, and it’s an integral part of Pokémon battles in the region. All the moves of a Dynamax Pokémon will turn into special Max Moves! The Legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta are shrouded in mystery and are unknown even to those who live in the Galar region
The Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield games take place in the Galar region. Galar is an expansive region with diverse environments— an idyllic countryside, contemporary cities, thick forest, and craggy, snow- covered mountains. The people and the Pokémon who live there work together closely to develop the industries in the region. - Fans will have the opportunity to visit various Gyms in the Galar region in their quest to become Champion. They will not be alone, since the newly discovered Pokémon they choose to be their first partner will be by their side. - The adventure begins in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield when players choose one of three new Pokémon—Grookey, Scorbunny, or Sobble. Grookey, a Grass-type Chimp Pokémon, is mischievous and full of boundless curiosity. Bursting with energy, Scorbunny, a Fire-type Rabbit Pokémon, is always running about. The stealthy Sobble, a Water- type Water Lizard Pkémon, shoots out attacks as it hides itself in water. - A whole new Pokémon RPG adventure awaits in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield on Nintendo Switch! Get ready to discover Galar, an expansive region with diverse environments. The people and Pokémon who live here work together closely to develop the industries within it. - The Wild Area is a vast expanse of land in the Galar region with untamed wilderness. While in the Wild Area, players can control the camera to explore the vast areas around them and search for Pokémon and items. Trainers will find a greater variety of Pokémon living in the Wild Area than anywhere else in the Galar region. - Max Raid Battles are a new battle format that takes place in the Wild Area, in which the player will team up with three other Trainers to take on a wild Dynamax Pokémon. Trainers will then get a chance to catch the wild Dynamax Pokémon if they manage to defeat it—but it won’t go down easily - Dynamax is a phenomenon unique to specific locations i the Galar region, where Pokémon can take on gigantic appearances during battle, and it’s an integral part of Pokémon battles in the region. All the moves of a Dynamax Pokémon will turn into special Max Moves! The Legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta are shrouded in mystery and are unknown even to those who live in the Galar region
The Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield games take place in the Galar region. Galar is an expansive region with diverse environments— an idyllic countryside, contemporary cities, thick forest, and craggy, snow- covered mountains. The people and the Pokémon who live there work together closely to develop the industries in the region. - Fans will have the opportunity to visit various Gyms in the Galar region in their quest to become Champion. They will not be alone, since the newly discovered Pokémon they choose to be their first partner will be by their side. - The adventure begins in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield when players choose one of three new Pokémon—Grookey, Scorbunny, or Sobble. Grookey, a Grass-type Chimp Pokémon, is mischievous and full of boundless curiosity. Bursting with energy, Scorbunny, a Fire-type Rabbit Pokémon, is always running about. The stealthy Sobble, a Water- type Water Lizard Pkémon, shoots out attacks as it hides itself in water. - A whole new Pokémon RPG adventure awaits in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield on Nintendo Switch! Get ready to discover Galar, an expansive region with diverse environments. The people and Pokémon who live here work together closely to develop the industries within it. - The Wild Area is a vast expanse of land in the Galar region with untamed wilderness. While in the Wild Area, players can control the camera to explore the vast areas around them and search for Pokémon and items. Trainers will find a greater variety of Pokémon living in the Wild Area than anywhere else in the Galar region. - Max Raid Battles are a new battle format that takes place in the Wild Area, in which the player will team up with three other Trainers to take on a wild Dynamax Pokémon. Trainers will then get a chance to catch the wild Dynamax Pokémon if they manage to defeat it—but it won’t go down easily - Dynamax is a phenomenon unique to specific locations i the Galar region, where Pokémon can take on gigantic appearances during battle, and it’s an integral part of Pokémon battles in the region. All the moves of a Dynamax Pokémon will turn into special Max Moves! The Legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta are shrouded in mystery and are unknown even to those who live in the Galar region
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The lowest price for Pokémon Shield - Nintendo Switch (Digital Download) right now is $79.95 at Localworks.
The all-time low was $68.00 on 27 Dec 2025 — today's price is 18% above the lowest ever. That's a little above the best price we've seen.
Prices last updated 23 June 2026.
Last updated at 23/06/2026 14:43:44
Pokemon Shield
Free delivery
originally posted on bestbuy.com
Overall a good edition to the Pokemon franchise. The game is definitely a lot more polished then previous versions as well as the regions do feel a lot different then each other. The Wild area is great for picking up a variety of pokemon and you will be returning back there after each gym as well as a lot after finishing the story of the game and entering postgame. The raids idea is great and allows people to really interact more together which is definitely a plus and the customization of your actual player is nice with the clothing options. However, I don't really like they replaced Mega evolutions for Gigantamax completely and there is no Mega Evolutions whatsoever which basically makes a lot of viable pokemon now not so viable. Rest in Peace Mawile, Sableye, ... MoreOverall a good edition to the Pokemon franchise. The game is definitely a lot more polished then previous versions as well as the regions do feel a lot different then each other. The Wild area is great for picking up a variety of pokemon and you will be returning back there after each gym as well as a lot after finishing the story of the game and entering postgame. The raids idea is great and allows people to really interact more together which is definitely a plus and the customization of your actual player is nice with the clothing options. However, I don't really like they replaced Mega evolutions for Gigantamax completely and there is no Mega Evolutions whatsoever which basically makes a lot of viable pokemon now not so viable. Rest in Peace Mawile, Sableye, Pinsir, and More. I also am not a huge fan of really having a variety of different pokemon on each game. If you only pick up one version of the game you can never get all the pokemon unless you trade or have a friend playing the opposite version or if you buy the opposite version and replay the ENTIRE game. Although this is not new for pokemon it is just a gripe and wish they would change it.So takeaways the game is beautiful in comparison, good story, good character customization, good online battles/raids, Variety of new pokemon, good post game options.Bads: Need both games or a lot of trading, Graphics in comparison of other games could be better, They took away a big part of the game (mega evolutions) and forced gigantamax on the playerbase (you can't battle online without gigantamax evolutions included). Raids are good but tedious with no guarantee and unless your glitching it, is impossible to predict good pokemon. It is also WAYYY too easy to level up with the EXP candies.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
I used to play Pokemon all the time as a kid but haven't really bothered to buy any of the games since Sun and Moon. Wanted to get back into it before the Sinnoh remakes came out so I decided to pick this one up even though I didn't have high expectations based on all the negative things I had heard.It ended up being a lot more enjoyable than I expected. Sure, there's issues like easy battles until the end of the game, lack of major villains for most of the game, smaller Pokedex, etc... but it's still an enjoyable game even though it's geared towards kids. I binged it and it brought me back to the hundreds of hours I spent grinding my team to high levels. I guess even after 10+ years some things never change.The music is great, the character interactions are ... MoreI used to play Pokemon all the time as a kid but haven't really bothered to buy any of the games since Sun and Moon. Wanted to get back into it before the Sinnoh remakes came out so I decided to pick this one up even though I didn't have high expectations based on all the negative things I had heard.It ended up being a lot more enjoyable than I expected. Sure, there's issues like easy battles until the end of the game, lack of major villains for most of the game, smaller Pokedex, etc... but it's still an enjoyable game even though it's geared towards kids. I binged it and it brought me back to the hundreds of hours I spent grinding my team to high levels. I guess even after 10+ years some things never change.The music is great, the character interactions are entertaining and I liked how they incorporated the box legendaries into the story as more than just a plot device for the evil teams. I didn't expect to become invested in the game that much but I did.I'm glad I purchased. I understand older fans feeling left out but I think that people have such high standards that they aren't willing to give anything a chance. If you are just here to play a Pokemon game and have some more "casual" fun then this is definitely a great game.My biggest complaint is that the Dynamax pokemon are way too loud. Turn the volume down on your TV or adjust the in-game sound settings. I had my TV volume ridiculously low and they were still so loud that people in the next room over were asking me what was going on.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
Pokemon is inherently a fun series and this game definitely offers the classic Pokemon experience of catching and training Pokemon and collecting gym badges. I cannot deny that this is a fun game.However I was personally left disappointed overall because of the wasted potential. Training and catching pokemon has been streamlined due to exp share and being able to see pokemon in the wild which both lead to a much shorter game than other games in the series. I enjoy being able to see pokemon in the wild but I do wish that you could turn exp share off. As a result of exp share I finished the game and the end-game in under 25 hours with my entire party above level 70 and 200 pokemon in my Pokedex. It would have been nice to see more post-game content or just more ... MorePokemon is inherently a fun series and this game definitely offers the classic Pokemon experience of catching and training Pokemon and collecting gym badges. I cannot deny that this is a fun game.However I was personally left disappointed overall because of the wasted potential. Training and catching pokemon has been streamlined due to exp share and being able to see pokemon in the wild which both lead to a much shorter game than other games in the series. I enjoy being able to see pokemon in the wild but I do wish that you could turn exp share off. As a result of exp share I finished the game and the end-game in under 25 hours with my entire party above level 70 and 200 pokemon in my Pokedex. It would have been nice to see more post-game content or just more content in the game in general.Ultimately though my biggest complaint is that this game feels so much like it was designed for the 3DS and not the Switch. The fixed camera is so frustrating for a console RPG and the game in general just feels cramped. There is also no voice acting which feels out of place during cutscenes.If you are wanting to play a Pokemon game on the switch I recommend picking up one of the Let's Go games over this one.As a side note I don't mind that you can't import every previous Pokemon into the game, I figured that would happen eventually and if a pokemon isn't already catchable in the game I wouldn't be transferring anything over anyway.
| Release date | 15 November 2019 |
Pokemon Shield
Free delivery
Overall a good edition to the Pokemon franchise. The game is definitely a lot more polished then previous versions as well as the regions do feel a lot different then each other. The Wild area is great for picking up a variety of pokemon and you will be returning back there after each gym as well as a lot after finishing the story of the game and entering postgame. The raids idea is great and allows people to really interact more together which is definitely a plus and the customization of your actual player is nice with the clothing options. However, I don't really like they replaced Mega evolutions for Gigantamax completely and there is no Mega Evolutions whatsoever which basically makes a lot of viable pokemon now not so viable. Rest in Peace Mawile, Sableye, ... MoreOverall a good edition to the Pokemon franchise. The game is definitely a lot more polished then previous versions as well as the regions do feel a lot different then each other. The Wild area is great for picking up a variety of pokemon and you will be returning back there after each gym as well as a lot after finishing the story of the game and entering postgame. The raids idea is great and allows people to really interact more together which is definitely a plus and the customization of your actual player is nice with the clothing options. However, I don't really like they replaced Mega evolutions for Gigantamax completely and there is no Mega Evolutions whatsoever which basically makes a lot of viable pokemon now not so viable. Rest in Peace Mawile, Sableye, Pinsir, and More. I also am not a huge fan of really having a variety of different pokemon on each game. If you only pick up one version of the game you can never get all the pokemon unless you trade or have a friend playing the opposite version or if you buy the opposite version and replay the ENTIRE game. Although this is not new for pokemon it is just a gripe and wish they would change it.So takeaways the game is beautiful in comparison, good story, good character customization, good online battles/raids, Variety of new pokemon, good post game options.Bads: Need both games or a lot of trading, Graphics in comparison of other games could be better, They took away a big part of the game (mega evolutions) and forced gigantamax on the playerbase (you can't battle online without gigantamax evolutions included). Raids are good but tedious with no guarantee and unless your glitching it, is impossible to predict good pokemon. It is also WAYYY too easy to level up with the EXP candies.
I used to play Pokemon all the time as a kid but haven't really bothered to buy any of the games since Sun and Moon. Wanted to get back into it before the Sinnoh remakes came out so I decided to pick this one up even though I didn't have high expectations based on all the negative things I had heard.It ended up being a lot more enjoyable than I expected. Sure, there's issues like easy battles until the end of the game, lack of major villains for most of the game, smaller Pokedex, etc... but it's still an enjoyable game even though it's geared towards kids. I binged it and it brought me back to the hundreds of hours I spent grinding my team to high levels. I guess even after 10+ years some things never change.The music is great, the character interactions are ... MoreI used to play Pokemon all the time as a kid but haven't really bothered to buy any of the games since Sun and Moon. Wanted to get back into it before the Sinnoh remakes came out so I decided to pick this one up even though I didn't have high expectations based on all the negative things I had heard.It ended up being a lot more enjoyable than I expected. Sure, there's issues like easy battles until the end of the game, lack of major villains for most of the game, smaller Pokedex, etc... but it's still an enjoyable game even though it's geared towards kids. I binged it and it brought me back to the hundreds of hours I spent grinding my team to high levels. I guess even after 10+ years some things never change.The music is great, the character interactions are entertaining and I liked how they incorporated the box legendaries into the story as more than just a plot device for the evil teams. I didn't expect to become invested in the game that much but I did.I'm glad I purchased. I understand older fans feeling left out but I think that people have such high standards that they aren't willing to give anything a chance. If you are just here to play a Pokemon game and have some more "casual" fun then this is definitely a great game.My biggest complaint is that the Dynamax pokemon are way too loud. Turn the volume down on your TV or adjust the in-game sound settings. I had my TV volume ridiculously low and they were still so loud that people in the next room over were asking me what was going on.
Pokemon is inherently a fun series and this game definitely offers the classic Pokemon experience of catching and training Pokemon and collecting gym badges. I cannot deny that this is a fun game.However I was personally left disappointed overall because of the wasted potential. Training and catching pokemon has been streamlined due to exp share and being able to see pokemon in the wild which both lead to a much shorter game than other games in the series. I enjoy being able to see pokemon in the wild but I do wish that you could turn exp share off. As a result of exp share I finished the game and the end-game in under 25 hours with my entire party above level 70 and 200 pokemon in my Pokedex. It would have been nice to see more post-game content or just more ... MorePokemon is inherently a fun series and this game definitely offers the classic Pokemon experience of catching and training Pokemon and collecting gym badges. I cannot deny that this is a fun game.However I was personally left disappointed overall because of the wasted potential. Training and catching pokemon has been streamlined due to exp share and being able to see pokemon in the wild which both lead to a much shorter game than other games in the series. I enjoy being able to see pokemon in the wild but I do wish that you could turn exp share off. As a result of exp share I finished the game and the end-game in under 25 hours with my entire party above level 70 and 200 pokemon in my Pokedex. It would have been nice to see more post-game content or just more content in the game in general.Ultimately though my biggest complaint is that this game feels so much like it was designed for the 3DS and not the Switch. The fixed camera is so frustrating for a console RPG and the game in general just feels cramped. There is also no voice acting which feels out of place during cutscenes.If you are wanting to play a Pokemon game on the switch I recommend picking up one of the Let's Go games over this one.As a side note I don't mind that you can't import every previous Pokemon into the game, I figured that would happen eventually and if a pokemon isn't already catchable in the game I wouldn't be transferring anything over anyway.
I found this game to be very fun to play through. I went into it a little wary, but was pleasantly surprised by what a good time I had with it.There are a ton of new Pokemon to discover- most of them weren't even hinted at before release. Most of them felt like really solid designs too, with very few that seemed like filler. Personally, I was disappointed in all 3 of the starter lines for the Galar region, but others may disagree. Fortunately I felt like the rest of the new designs were much stronger than what they gave us for the starters.Going in I thought some of the features in this generation seemed gimmicky and not very appealing, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed them. Dynamaxing, though unlikely to make an appearance in future generations, is ... MoreI found this game to be very fun to play through. I went into it a little wary, but was pleasantly surprised by what a good time I had with it.There are a ton of new Pokemon to discover- most of them weren't even hinted at before release. Most of them felt like really solid designs too, with very few that seemed like filler. Personally, I was disappointed in all 3 of the starter lines for the Galar region, but others may disagree. Fortunately I felt like the rest of the new designs were much stronger than what they gave us for the starters.Going in I thought some of the features in this generation seemed gimmicky and not very appealing, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed them. Dynamaxing, though unlikely to make an appearance in future generations, is pretty fun for what it is. Max raid battles are really fun too (although the high difficulty ones are very frustrating if you have to play with AI partners)The wild area really gives you something to keep coming back to. I find it really fun to just explore it, see what raids are available each day, and see what Pokemon pop up in different weather.The game looks great visually, and the music is fantastic.It's not a perfect game however. The story in this one is incredibly thin- bordering on nonexistent at points. Overall, the main story and gym journey feels pretty short too. There's still things to do after beating the game, but if you mainly play the game for story I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.There were some puzzling design decisions made- like giving no option to turn off the exp share feature like in other entries to the franchise, Also, there is no way to grow your own berries- which is particularly disappointing considering how crucial they are to the new cooking system. You still get plenty of opportunities to collect berries, just no way to direct which berries you get.And of course there's the controversial huge dex cut. For me personally, this ended up being less of an issue than I anticipated. Are there Pokemon that I love that are missing from this game? Yes. Is that disappointing? Absolutely. However, there are still a wide variety of Pokemon populating the region, and you have so many to choose from. While I did miss some of my favorites, it didn't feel like an empty region. There was a good mix of Pokemon, new and old, to be found along the routes and especially in the wild area. They put enough in to make it feel like every area had a healthy variety of Pokemon to find, but not so many that it felt overwhelming.Ultimately, while the game does have its flaws, I am giving it an excellent rating based purely on the fact that I had a blast playing it.
To start with, I'm not a long-time Pokemon fan by any means. I didn't play my first one until a few years ago, so I don't have any nostalgic or fond memories of playing the games or watching the show as a kid.This game really embodies a lot of what I've come to know about the series, the good and the bad. There are things it does excellently, and there are things that I think really needed some reworking at best.Gameplay:For the most part, the gameplay is standard Pokemon. You run around capturing monsters and battling trainers, with the goal of eventually becoming strong enough to be crowned as the Pokemon Champion - the most powerful Pokemon trainer in the region. It's honestly a lot more fun than I'd expected as a gameplay loop, and if you're looking for ... MoreTo start with, I'm not a long-time Pokemon fan by any means. I didn't play my first one until a few years ago, so I don't have any nostalgic or fond memories of playing the games or watching the show as a kid.This game really embodies a lot of what I've come to know about the series, the good and the bad. There are things it does excellently, and there are things that I think really needed some reworking at best.Gameplay:For the most part, the gameplay is standard Pokemon. You run around capturing monsters and battling trainers, with the goal of eventually becoming strong enough to be crowned as the Pokemon Champion - the most powerful Pokemon trainer in the region. It's honestly a lot more fun than I'd expected as a gameplay loop, and if you're looking for that, you'll definitely get it with this game.Now there are some things that are different between this game and the previous entries in the series. To start with, tall grass behaves a little differently than you might be used to. Rather than having completely random encounters in it, you'll see Pokemon spawn, and you can choose to engage with them, or try to avoid them. This makes it so that you don't have to deal with an obnoxious amount of battles when you're just trying to get to the next story area. Some of the Pokemon will chase you for quite a ways if they notice you, some will approach and stop at a certain distance, and some are so ridiculously fast that you have no chance of getting away if they notice you. I think it's a great way of giving more control to the player, and I utilized it quite a bit as I played. If you've ever played Dragon Quest XI or Final Fantasy XIII, the random encounters often behave like they do in that game. I should mention that there are still encounters in the grass that are a little harder to avoid - an exclamation point will appear and the grass will rustle, but you won't see a Pokemon. Those are random encounters that are still avoidable, but it's a little harder to do so.Another new thing about the game is what they call Dynamaxing. Essentially, you or your opponent's Pokemon (only a singular one) will grow really big... and that's kind of it. The attacks don't really do a whole lot more damage than normal ones, and most of the Pokemon in the game do not change their design at all when they do this. There are a select few that actually have a design change when they Dynamax - in that case it's referred to as Gigantamaxing - but personally, I never had any in my party that could do this at any point. Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing is only possible in select battles, however. Most gym battles and a few story battles allow it, but otherwise you're not going to encounter it very often. I expected it to be an annoying mechanic to deal with, and it kind of is, if only because it doesn't really change anything you're doing as much as you'd expect for how long each dynamax animation is. By the way, it only lasts 3 turns, which I understand, but at the same time it makes it even less of a challenge or threat to deal with when you encounter it.There are a lot of quality of life improvements from previous entries here. For example, you don't need to go to a Pokemon center to access your box. You can swap Pokemon from your box to your party and back from the regular menu, and it's extremely helpful. You don't need to go into the key items menu or make a shortcut to use your bike - you just press a certain button once you have it. You don't need to teach Pokemon TMs or HMs at all to navigate the area - most of those sorts of things have been streamlined in some way, which I have mixed feelings about, to be honest. Pokemon Centers are home to the nurse (of course), the PokeMart, and an NPC who will do anything from name rating to move forgetting, all in one location. It's really convenient and I have no qualms with it.In terms of building friendship with Pokemon, the main way to accomplish that this time around is by going camping. In most of the overworld, you can set up camp. Your party of Pokemon will be out, strolling around the campsite, interacting with each other, getting stuck on an invisible wall for no apparent reason. You can cook curry for them, using berries and various ingredients you'll find throughout the game. It can restore HP, grant experience, increase friendship levels, and if it's REALLY high quality it can remove all negative status effects, including fainting. It's annoying because it's difficult to tell whether or not you're doing a good job during the cooking minigame, and for a consistent experience I'd recommend using the button inputs to do the game rather than using the motion controls - they will cause issues more often than not. You can also play with your Pokemon - you can play fetch, have them attack a toy (when you have a 7 foot tall Pangoro attacking you in first person, it's a little terrifying) and you can also chat with them. There are a LOT of glitches with this system - Pokemon will get stuck on nothing, they'll get stuck on each other for amusingly long periods of time, they will pick up a fetch toy and then just not bring it back ever, they'll get stuck in loops where they stand there doing the same animation and making the same noise for 10 straight minutes, it's honestly pretty hilarious, and I got a lot of entertainment out of it. I think this is the best they've done with making you as a player feel like you're connecting with them - rather than only having the option to forcibly feed them dozens of treats, you can actually play with them and I think it's really cute.Overall, the gameplay is standard Pokemon with some QoL improvements and a new gimmick that feels a little bit half baked. It's a lot of fun, and aside from Dynamaxing being underwhelming, I have nothing to complain about.Story:You know that thing in every other Pokemon game, where the apocalypse is actively occurring as an unbelievably powerful creature destroys time and bends space, and then everyone tells a 10 year old that the fate of the universe lies on the shoulders of them and their pets? It's something that's always kind of bothered me. But it doesn't really happen here for the most part. Of course it happens a little, but without spoiling it, it ends up being saved until the very last moment and it's actually explained pretty logically. I really liked this change because I always thought it was weird that nobody else in the region could handle the situation or even attempt to control it.The rival is extremely annoying in my opinion.There comes a point where, basically, your dinner plans get cancelled and then you and a whole group of people decide to storm a private corporate headquarters as a result. No, I'm not joking, and no, it doesn't make any sense in context either. It's a major plot turning point and it's frustratingly bad. I wasn't expecting anything profound, but... really? It's like they had two halves of a story and didn't know how to connect them together so they just had an AI write the connection and called it a day.It's acceptable at the lowest possible standard. I've experienced worse stories in games, but this one was aggressively mediocre, even compared to most other Pokemon games.General Stuff:The online in this game ranges from being okay but badly implemented, to being outright broken and barely useable. If you want to join a Dynamax raid, good luck. It will show one is available to join, you'll try to join it and it will give you some vague error that doesn't tell you what's actually going on - most of the time, it means the raid party was already full. If you start one and hope people join you, good luck there too. You'll be waiting for 2 and a half minutes for nobody to join the raid half a dozen times before you get a single person to join you. You can technically play without real players - they'll add NPCs to fill the missing slots - but the NPCs are worthless. They never bring effective Pokemon (they will sometimes even bring a useless Magikarp), if they DO have an effective Pokemon they will almost never use a move that actually does damage, they'll just buff their stats literally every turn without attacking until the raid ends. You might think it's a bad AI, but there are a number of battles in the game where the AI is very clearly well designed - it will not hesitate to one shot your whole team and it will always find a way to win in a war of attrition - so that's no excuse.In my opinion, there is no real post game. There's a small story bit that lasts maybe an hour and a half, there is a battle tower, but aside from that you've got nothing. There are no difficult, new, or interesting dungeons to explore. There are no areas where you can use a TM/HM you didn't have before to explore a new section, that aspect is just... not here. There are only a grand total of 3 legendary Pokemon in the base game. One you catch for the story, one you catch in the post-game story section, and one you are literally handed at the battle tower for no reason. That's it. It's... disappointing. Especially since you can catch nearly all legendary Pokemon if you buy the $30 DLC.Conclusion:It's not bad. It's pretty par for the course with a few things that are different from the normal formula - the issue is that for every good thing they bring, there is a catch somewhere, or there is something else that brings the experience down.If you like Pokemon, it's worth a play.If you don't like Pokemon, this isn't likely to change your mind.If you've never played Pokemon, this is as good a place as any to give it a try.I would rather rate it 3.5 stars, but half stars aren't possible, and I didn't think it deserved to be rounded up, to be honest.
I've been a Pokémon fan since I was a kid, so I was really excited to get Pokémon Sword and Shield when they came out in 2019. I ended up getting the Pokémon Shield edition, and I've been playing it off and on for the past four years.Overall, I think Pokémon Shield is a great game. It's a lot of fun to explore the Galar region, catch new Pokémon, and battle other trainers. The Wild Area is a really cool new feature, and I love the way the game's graphics have improved since the previous generation.Here's a more in-depth review of Pokémon Shield:**Graphics**The graphics in Pokémon Shield are a significant improvement over the previous generation. The characters and Pokémon look much more detailed, and the environments are more vibrant. The Wild Area is ... MoreI've been a Pokémon fan since I was a kid, so I was really excited to get Pokémon Sword and Shield when they came out in 2019. I ended up getting the Pokémon Shield edition, and I've been playing it off and on for the past four years.Overall, I think Pokémon Shield is a great game. It's a lot of fun to explore the Galar region, catch new Pokémon, and battle other trainers. The Wild Area is a really cool new feature, and I love the way the game's graphics have improved since the previous generation.Here's a more in-depth review of Pokémon Shield:**Graphics**The graphics in Pokémon Shield are a significant improvement over the previous generation. The characters and Pokémon look much more detailed, and the environments are more vibrant. The Wild Area is especially impressive, with its large open spaces and dynamic weather effects.**Gameplay**The gameplay in Pokémon Shield is classic Pokémon. You explore the world, catch Pokémon, battle other trainers, and level up your Pokémon. The Wild Area adds a new layer of complexity to the gameplay, with its large open spaces and random encounters with other trainers.**Story**The story in Pokémon Shield is pretty straightforward, but it's still enjoyable. You follow the story of a young trainer who is trying to become the Champion of the Galar region. Along the way, you'll meet new characters, battle new Pokémon, and explore new areas.**Overall**I think Pokémon Shield is a great game. It's a lot of fun to play, and it's a great way to experience the Pokémon world. If you're a fan of the Pokémon franchise, then I highly recommend Pokémon Shield.Here are some pros and cons of Pokémon Shield:**Pros:*** Great graphics* Fun gameplay* Immersive Wild Area* Diverse Pokémon roster* Engaging story**Cons:*** Some frame rate issues in the Wild Area* Lack of the National Pokédex* Some repetitive dialogueOverall, I think Pokémon Shield is a great game that is sure to please fans of the Pokémon franchise. It's got great graphics, fun gameplay, and an immersive world to explore. If you're looking for a new Pokémon game to play, then I highly recommend Pokémon Shield.
I will start off by saying I have not played a Pokémon game since the Diamond/Pearl era. A bit of an adjustment to get used to all these new Pokémon, but there are definitely some cool features on this game! I wish they would get rid of the slow starts to all Pokémon games but it is what it is. Put about 30 hours into this game now and I can say I enjoy it. Not my favorite but I think that is because of the Pokémon selection. The new features with dynamaxing, gym challenges, the poke mart and healing center in the same place, cosmetic changes, etc are all welcome additions. Wish they would remake the classic Pokémon games in this way!
It’s pokemon: never be like x & y but a decent pokemon game! (Don’t get my wrong it is a good game)It makes it easy for new players to follow and it gives a decent challenge for both new and old players.Story is entertaining but not their best, but the gameplay is certainly interesting: simple and easy to manoeuvre, characters are entertaining and likeable, new pokemon are cute, music is meh (there is alot of whistles in the background; pet hate), it’s very football orientated so if you like that then this is definitely the pokemon game for you!
There are nice little extra editions you will come to love and never get tired of. I've gotten every game since the first generation as a 7yr old and while I'm heavily critical of any Pokemon game from Gen 4 onwards, this game took a step in the right direction away from where it was headed (away from Sun and Moon) by bringing back the good ol' Gym Leaders and challenges, although with a nice twist. It's like a good mix of the Alola trials with traditional Pokemon gyms.The Wild Area has an open-world-esque presentation, and seeing Pokemon roaming in the overworld is a dream come true which we have always wanted. Being able to pan the camera around in (only) the Wild Area is surprisingly liberating.I seriously love being able to see Pokemon in the overworld. This ... MoreThere are nice little extra editions you will come to love and never get tired of. I've gotten every game since the first generation as a 7yr old and while I'm heavily critical of any Pokemon game from Gen 4 onwards, this game took a step in the right direction away from where it was headed (away from Sun and Moon) by bringing back the good ol' Gym Leaders and challenges, although with a nice twist. It's like a good mix of the Alola trials with traditional Pokemon gyms.The Wild Area has an open-world-esque presentation, and seeing Pokemon roaming in the overworld is a dream come true which we have always wanted. Being able to pan the camera around in (only) the Wild Area is surprisingly liberating.I seriously love being able to see Pokemon in the overworld. This is the case in every route, including water bodies. It makes it much easier to pursue particular Pokemon,The only things I don't like is the crazy amount of Pokemon not included in the game, and the lack of the GTS (Global Trading System). Seriously, I have no clue how I'm going to complete the National Pokedex without the GTS. Even with Pokemon X and Y, the most recent games in which I completed the dex, it took darn near forever by using the GTS. Without it though... I haven't a clue how to do it without finding people on Reddit or something, which is a much more laborous process.That aside, I still give it five stars, because I enjoyed this game far more than X/Y and Sun/Moon, because I thought that the games were heading in a cringey direction.Oh, and I can't stand the starters. They are all humanoid, and cheap in design. But it's no issue once I get my good ol' Gen 1 - 3 team back together. Beautiful game all the while, and this will probably be my next report card destroyer.
Pokémon hasn't changed very much over the past 2.5 decades, but Pokémon Sword and Shield have definitely mixed some things up with the classic formula we have come to expect. It's much easier to directly compare with a pro-con list, so I'm going to express my thoughts in that format.Pros:- Improved support for competitive battlers such as nature changing berries.- Season-based approach to incorporating new gigantimax Pokémon to competitive battles.- Dynamax and Gigantimax are surprisingly good "gimmicks" that allow for some unexpected plays in competitive.- Graphics within routes and towns are pleasant, in contrast to the wild area.- The wild area is an excellent idea and may be my new favorite way to catch Pokémon.- The Pokémon added in this generation may ... MorePokémon hasn't changed very much over the past 2.5 decades, but Pokémon Sword and Shield have definitely mixed some things up with the classic formula we have come to expect. It's much easier to directly compare with a pro-con list, so I'm going to express my thoughts in that format.Pros:- Improved support for competitive battlers such as nature changing berries.- Season-based approach to incorporating new gigantimax Pokémon to competitive battles.- Dynamax and Gigantimax are surprisingly good "gimmicks" that allow for some unexpected plays in competitive.- Graphics within routes and towns are pleasant, in contrast to the wild area.- The wild area is an excellent idea and may be my new favorite way to catch Pokémon.- The Pokémon added in this generation may be some of the best design-wise and competitively that we have seen since generation 5. Galarian forms are a great twist on classic favorites.- The difficulty scaling is actually on par with most Pokémon games if you avoid grinding the wild area until post-game.Cons:- Not all Pokémon are available, even after the DLC was added.- Graphics do not look great in the wild area and there's a lot of pop-in when playing online.- Animations in cutscenes and in-battle look dated.- Story is relatively short, and the DLC doesn't add much story content (so far). It also follows some similar plot tropes to prior Pokémon games.- The wild area is gated by how many badges you have. You can't catch Pokémon above the level cap of your current gym badge.- Gym challenges are less difficult than almost any other generation and puts less of an emphasis on battling.- The game becomes too easy if you grind the wild area as soon as new sections unlock and the level cap is increased.- Post-game story is extremely short.Clearly, their emphasis this generation was to drastically re-work the competitive scene and make it easier for competitive battlers to get started. The casual experience has not changed much, continuing to be a relatively easy RPG with plenty of new Pokémon to capture. Where this game falls short is its story, difficulty scaling for experienced players, and the volume of content to experience. By removing a significant amount of Pokémon upon release, making it extremely easy to over-level via the wild area, and just making a short story, it's not ideal for players who want a lot of content or a challenge.Overall, it's just Pokemon and more of it. It isn't the best in the series, but it's worth playing if you have the money to drop.
| Release date | 15 November 2019 |
