Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl review round-up

With mere days left before the release of the Generation IV remakes Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, many reviews have now been posted for the two games. We’ve compiled some of the best with excerpts and a link to the full review:

The Sixth Axis – 9/10

“Despite not having my rose-tinted glasses on for this era of Pokémon, I’m absolutely enamoured with the remakes. They’re full of all of the little excursions and distractions that make collecting monsters and saving the world so damn enjoyable” Read full review.

Game Informer – 8.5/10

“I’ve really enjoyed my time re-exploring Sinnoh, despite my qualms with the lack of critical path difficulty. They’re a welcome throwback to a simpler time when I felt completing a Pokédex was a somewhat realistic task to undertake.” Read full review.

VGC – 4/5

“Its new features may not be truly revolutionary, and it may still have its fair share of repetitive and time-consuming moments, but it’s a faithful take on a well-loved game, and should certainly keep players busy until Pokémon Legends: Arceus arrives in January.” Read full review.

Digital Trends – 3.5/5

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are careful not to change too much about the originals, which will come as a relief to those who just want a nostalgia trip that preserves their childhood in amber. But as someone with no real attachment, I often found myself playing on autopilot.” Read full review.

Nintendo Life – 6/10

“While some of the slower elements of the original games have been fixed, and The Grand Underground makes up for the comparatively weak Pokédex, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s new art style and a few other stumbles make this pair of games a somewhat disappointing retread of Generation 4.” Read full review.


Well, what do you think? Seems like critics are mostly positive about the games, with them netting a 77 currently on Metacritic, but there are some gripes with difficulty. Let us know if these reviews make you more excited or more hesitant in the comments below! Don’t forget to join our Discord server, we’ll undoubtedly have a lot of people looking to discuss the games, trade and battle on release!