Metacritic: 88
Open Critic: 89
NintendoLife: 10/10
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.
Digital Spy: 5/5
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.
We can't wait to see where the series goes next, because with Pokémon Sun and Moon it's clearly the beginning of a new Pokémon era, not the closure of the last.
IGN: 9/10
After 20 years of slow but steady evolution, Pokemon gets a bit of a reinvention in Sun and Moon. An engrossing and rich new region makes the Alola journey — along with all the changes Sun and Moon make to the existing formula — enjoyable throughout the main adventure, and small interface and variety of upgrades along the way make a few of the things that stayed the same feel better than before.
God is a Geek: 9.5/10
Pokémon Sun and Moon are filled with so much you’ll be absorbed in every facet from the moment you begin;
DualShockers: 9/10
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.
Destructoid: 9/10
But for every issue I found with Pokemon Moon, whether it was an old problem that just caught up with the series or something new -- I found solace in the indomitable likability of a cast member, or the thrill of finding another party member that I would battle with for years to come. I'm already seeing myself playing for several hundred hours before the end of 2016, and I haven't even fully experienced all of the online features yet. Such is the power of Pokemon, and I hope we get to see Alola's influences linger as Game Freak gears up for its next adventure.
The Sixth Axis: 9/10
EGM: 9/10
A couple technical issues aside, Sun/Moon might be the best Pokémon game yet. It freshens up a formula some of us PokéManics might not have realized was growing stale until now. Trials and Grand Trials provide variations on familiar gameplay, and the removal of HMs and telling players how effective their moves are rejuvenates battling.
The Good The island trials will make you never want to battle in a gym again. Ride Pokémon doing away with Hidden Machines from previous games.
The Bad Some slowdown in battles involving three or more Pokémon.
The Ugly Why is my character always smiling? Even when things take a turn for the worst in the game, my character’s facial animation never changes.
Game Informer: 8.5/10
Sun & Moon feels significantly different from previous Pokémon games. X & Y may have marked the series’ biggest visual change, but Sun & Moon shows Game Freak is willing to re-examine Pokémon’s tenured mechanics in order to improve the game. Sun & Moon is still Pokémon, but it showcases some of the biggest changes the series has ever seen – and that’s a good thing.
GamesRadar: 4/5
Pokemon’s celestial pair occupy a unique position, belonging to a bestselling series played by kids and adults alike. Sun and Moon not only maintain its broad appeal, but boost it into the stratosphere. It’s familiar enough and different enough. It’s complex but well-communicated (if a little heavy handed in its tutelage). Learning about each of Sun and Moon’s new monsters - how they run, fly, swim, feed, dance, and co-exist with locals - gives the games a marvellous sense of rolling wonder for anyone, regardless of age. Game Freak’s latest welcomes old fans disillusioned by previously samey entries and entices a whole new generation to pick up a Pokedex.
Nintendo World Report: 8/10
Pros
Battle mechanics are as fun as ever
Characters and world are charming
Does experimental things with formula
Fun additional features
Ride Pokemon lift the move limitations
Cons
Double Battles chug rather harshly
More linear and easy going
Story less intriguing than expected
Eurogamer: Essential
With Pokémon Sun and Moon however, I have a new one: the world of Pokémon is finally, exactly that: a world, with charming, textured characters not just in the named friends and foes you meet, but the random people on your journey, the region you live in, the music, the Pokémon themselves and the very soul of the journey. At long last, Pokémon is not just back. With Sun and Moon, it feels fresh again.
GameXplain: Loved it