Pokemon Sword and Shield reviews round-up, all the scores

News by Stephany Nunneley-Jackson Former News Editor

Published on Nov. 13, 2019

Pokemon Sword and Shield reviews have landed, and we've rounded them up for you.

Pokemon Sword and Shield reviews are live, and you can find out what critics think by looking over the scores below.

The game takes place in the Galar Region, a land based on the United Kingdom. It features various biomes in which specific Pokemon reside, and there are plenty of new creatures packed around the area.

You can look over the initial list of new Pokemon we've compiled. It's not an exhaustive list but it is enough to get you acquainted with known Pokemon.

One thing to note is there isn't a National Pokedex in Sword & Shield. You will only find the regional Galar Pokedex. In other words, any Pokemon that is not found in Galar won’t be able to be transferred to the game.

New features added with this iteration include Dynamax versions of Pokemon which causes them to grow large in battle. There's also the chance to Gigantmax a Pokemon. Speaking of battles, Sword and Shield will feature raid battles with other players. You’ll be able to link up to other systems for local co-op raids. You can also go online to fight Pokemon with other trainers online. Here, four players will battle Dynamaxed Pokemon - some which only appear via the Max Raid Battles.

There's plenty of new and returning features in the game, and you can look over just a few of those at the link.

The game isn't out until November 15, and while the review embargo has lifted, some reviews may come a bit later. We will add to the list as more scores drop.

As usual, all scores below are based on ten being the highest unless noted. You can also have a look at the VG247 review here.