Pokémon Sun and Moon Reviews

Pokémon Sun and Moon is ranked in the 96th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8.5 / 10.0
Nov 27, 2016

Despite my grumbles, I have to admit Sun and Moon gets its hooks in even if it’s tough to get into at first. Once it clicks, it can instill obsession as well as any prior game, and that’s before getting to the new minigames and features that only serve to make the adventure more rewarding.

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90 / 100
Nov 22, 2016

Pokémon Sun and Moon are the most refreshing and exciting updates to the Pokémon franchise to date. Having found an impressive balance between old and new, providing both nostalgia and innovation, Pokémon Sun and Moon are a must-play for any Pokémon fan. With depth which is surprising and not obvious early on, a new path to becoming the best, and entirely new ways of getting around, there are plenty of reasons to explore the Alola Region.

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Nov 15, 2016

Hoping to change things up, Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon offer one of the most radical departures from the series' longstanding formula. Fortunately, the gamble has paid off.

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Telegraph
Top Critic
Nov 16, 2016

It’s clear how much the team behind Sun and Moon care about their players and their experiences, and it really makes a difference.

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Nov 18, 2016

A show of further things to come for the franchise, and an enjoyable game, though perhaps not the blow-away title of 2016

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Drew Leachman
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Nov 23, 2016

Any RPG fan and Pokémon player will have a pretty fun time exploring the Aloha Region, and the improvements to the quality of life make it a fun, simple, and pretty enjoyable Pokémon experience that can easily last players a good 30 hours

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Oct 8, 2016

Pokémon Sun and Moon is the ultimate Poké adventure. It manages to introduce a lot of new features that greatly enhance the gameplay experience, but retain enough of the original DNA to make sure it doesn't feel totally alien to players who have been Pokémon trainers since 1996.

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GameMAG
Zellel
Top Critic
7 / 10
Mar 9, 2017

Pokémon Sun & Moon feels like a few steps back for the series. The game presents many irregular, but largely disappointing decisions, which replaced the convenient functionality of past releases.

Review in Russian | Read full review

9 / 10
Nov 30, 2016

Pokémon Sun and Moon are the best Pokémon games since Gold and Silver. Game Freak has built a solid ground for the future.

Review in Swedish | Read full review

Dave Aubrey
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Dec 6, 2016

Whether you're an old Pokémon fan or a brand new one, there's loads to love about Sun and Moon. These might just be the very best mainline Pokémon games ever.

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Nov 28, 2016

Sun and Moon may just be another iteration of the Pokemon formula, but it's the best we've seen so far. So many subtle quality-of-life changes, as well as tweaks to old features and helpful new features add up to make Pokemon's final hurrah on the 3DS one to remember. Just don't go expecting anything fantastic out of the story...

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9 / 10.0
Nov 21, 2016

Pokemon Sun and Moon are solid entries into the Pokemon series.  While there are a couple of things to nitpick here and there, as any Pokemon game will have, the difficulty is easy enough for new players to get into the series, while more experienced players might find things a bit too easy at times.  The trials are also a nice change from the standard gyms and no longer needing specific Pokemon for HMs was a welcome addition.  Pokemon fans should definitely enjoy the seventh generation.

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90 / 100
Nov 15, 2016

Pokémon Moon is a wonderful experience and will satisfy both new and old players alike.

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Buy
Nov 15, 2016

Pokémon Sun and Moon hosts welcome changes and annoying tweaks, though it's an adventure I loved having.

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9 / 10.0
Nov 15, 2016

Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon are both fantastic additions to the series’ 20th anniversary. With an inspired new generation of Pokémon and a ton of variation, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon are the freshest take on a tried-and-true series. However, just like a vacation, most changes are ones I hope are temporary — I’ll be happy to return to the formula again next year.

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Loved
Nov 15, 2016
Pokémon Sun & Moon - REVIEW (3DS) video thumbnail
10 / 10
Nov 15, 2016

Simply put, Sun and Moon are best Pokémon games that Game Freak has ever produced. Poké Pelago, the side quests, the absolutely stunning nature of the presentation, it's all a sheer joy from start to finish. Game Freak hasn't missed a beat and has managed to carefully balance the inclusion of new mechanics without totally ruining things for the most hardcore fans. It's got content coming out of its ears, a much more interesting story, and rewards exploration in a way no other title in the series has. Whether you're a Pokémon fan new or old, this is an absolutely essential purchase.

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8 / 10
Nov 15, 2016

Pokémon Sun & Moon are among the best entries in the series and while it doesn't break any significant new grounds, Game Freak's latest opus adds an additional layer of strategic planning to the gameplay and features a beautiful audiovisual environment topped with the series' best plot so far. It's not very clear where Poké Finder fits in and the performance is less on par in the original 3DS but the Pokémon series is definitely showing that it's still alive and kicking...and worthy of the players' attention.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Nov 15, 2016

Although the design of the new creatures does not shine, and the 3DS starts to show some limitations, Sun and Moon can be seen as the ultimate experience for any Pokemon fan.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Dec 1, 2016

Pokémon Sun and Moon may take its sweet time getting you hooked on its battle monster formula, but once they’re in they’re never coming back out again. Even after twenty years of Pokémon games, Game Freak still has a few surprises and tricks up their sleeve with their most vibrant Pokémon game to date.

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