Pokemon Legends: Arceus

 Switch
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3825 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,951 out of 3825
  2. Mixed: 388 out of 3825
  3. Negative: 486 out of 3825
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  1. Rockomon
    Jan 30, 2022
    0
    ... What a ugly and repetitive game. Sorry ...the worst game "open world" with graphics from n64 or mobil game.
  2. HellDiamond
    Jan 30, 2022
    8
    I love this game. This is what i hope for Sword and Shield. Grafics are bad but its Pokemon so what, i mean they made over 200 Pokemon whit new attack animation.
    I love the exploration (could be more Details to explore), and filling my pokedex :D
    I think its the right way Pokemon goes. Hope for other games like this one!
  3. Lordnaaar
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    Jogo fantástico. Experiência que toda pessoa quis desde que lançou pokemon. História boa. Gráficos do cenário meio ruins mas dos pokemons são fantásticos. Jogabilidade é experiência perfeitas. Tenho 29 anos e me apaixonei pelo jogo dos monstrinhos
  4. Lance22
    Jan 30, 2022
    8
    As a Pokémon fan in the late 1990s I can honestly say that Pokémon legends Arceus is well worth your time to play, and well yes some people might be turned away by the art style of the game that game freak chose to go with (I’m not gonna judge you for that) for me personally the art style looks pretty good, the Pokémon looks great and the world looks vast and open, But if I had to give itAs a Pokémon fan in the late 1990s I can honestly say that Pokémon legends Arceus is well worth your time to play, and well yes some people might be turned away by the art style of the game that game freak chose to go with (I’m not gonna judge you for that) for me personally the art style looks pretty good, the Pokémon looks great and the world looks vast and open, But if I had to give it criticism I do have to say that they should’ve brought over voice acting including Pikachu and Eevee’s voice actors but other than that I did really like the game that’s why I’m giving it an 8.5/10.
    Pokémon legends Arceus is everything I wanted in a Pokémon game and more, and yes it did surpassed my expectations but it is held back by no voice acting, hopefully game freak decides to fix that sometime in the future.    … Expand
  5. pikatsu
    Jan 30, 2022
    0
    the same disappointment as every year, very low quality and ugly graphics, repetitive gameplay the same as always
  6. jacksoncooper12
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    Fun new Pokémon experience. I think the graphics get entirely too much hate. Aside from one particularly ugly cloud, everything looks nice and has a watercolor sort of feel to it. Can easily sink over 50 hours into it, and the core gameplay loop is fun.
  7. Watson17k
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    I have played literally every Pokémon game over the last years. I still remember sitting in the car as my parents got me and my sister a Gameboy Color and a game for each of us, Pokemon Red for my sister, Pokemon Blue for me. I always had my rival growing up, trying to catch more, train harder, just over all be the better Pokémon trainer than my sister. She filled her Dex before me, but II have played literally every Pokémon game over the last years. I still remember sitting in the car as my parents got me and my sister a Gameboy Color and a game for each of us, Pokemon Red for my sister, Pokemon Blue for me. I always had my rival growing up, trying to catch more, train harder, just over all be the better Pokémon trainer than my sister. She filled her Dex before me, but I had the first lvl 100 Pokémon.

    I’m older now, internet has definitely impacted my personal connection to the Pokémon franchise because it made me feel less connected to individuals, but Pokémon Legends Arceus brought the personal connection to Pokémon I’ve missed for so long over the years. Yes, I love the old mechanics, but after 20 years of them I do think it is time for a fresh start, and Arceus did just that.

    I see this game as Gen 1 of a whole new Pokémon experience, and in so I feel like this game is to be more fairly compared to Pokémon Yellow.

    I’ll first touch on Multiplayer, since I see most complaining on the lack of multiplayer, but this game is not a game meant to have all the fancy online features that take away the truest soul and heart of Pokémon, the reason we all attached to the original games. It was the connection we had with our Pokémon and trading Pokémon. That feeling you get when a companion you worked hard on leaves your party, you feel it. Battles will be coming, but they need to build the world for us first.

    Arceus needs to be seen as a foundation for what can come, and I truly believe Gamefreak sees it the same way. Think about it, the game starts off with us being sent into the past, before Gyms, before Pokémon centers, before even people and Pokémon achieved harmony. The world isn’t empty, it’s just fertile and ready for a civilization to be established. Jublife City is just the start.

    Mechanic wise, this game revolutionized how to play Pokémon. Being able to run and throwing out your Pokémon left and right to gather material, cycling through them as you get in a rhythm and collecting even faster because you have your Pokémon helping. Getting caught by a Pokémon and throwing out yours just so you can actually run away a good distance away from the Pokémon attacking you(no more hitting Run Away button for me!), throwing all six of your Pokémon out so they can interact with each other, or even running into the toward the enemy Pokémon as you tell your Pokémon to attack. The mechanics let you interact with your Pokémon in so many ways. My rating is technically 9.5 for this game. But it’s a damn good start for the next generation of Pokémon.    … Expand
  8. KrakenAttack
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    Excellent step in the right direction for Pokemon. Do not listen to the bad reviews. They are weak and shall be forgotten!
  9. Silaf
    Jan 30, 2022
    9
    The game we wanted for so long. The plot is more mature and the world interesting. Finally a story i'm interested in. Gameplay is fun and make sense in the story. You have to complete the pokedex and revive the village for a reason that make sense in the story.
    Grafic is the reason my score is not 10. Still is better than what i tought but inferior compared to other switch titles. A HUGE    The game we wanted for so long. The plot is more mature and the world interesting. Finally a story i'm interested in. Gameplay is fun and make sense in the story. You have to complete the pokedex and revive the village for a reason that make sense in the story.
    Grafic is the reason my score is not 10. Still is better than what i tought but inferior compared to other switch titles. A HUGE step in the right direction for gamefreak. I can even forgive them for selling me an incomplete/nerfed game with brilliant diamond/shiny pearl.    … Expand
  10. neomew
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    Best pokemon game of all time! New pokemon, new stuff to do, new ways to catch pokemon and better gameplay
  11. Sioandel
    Jan 30, 2022
    8
    The most fun pokemon experience I've ever had (or I always want). The encounter change feels fresh and fun, it's experimental and they get it so right.

    Yes. This game NEED polish, but it's definitely NOT a lazy game. You can easily tell that Game Freak put their love into the game but didn't have enough time to polish it.
  12. TomTheGoat
    Jan 29, 2022
    10
    This game is really cool. The mechanics are complex enough to make success feel rewarding, but not tedious at the same time. It has what you love about a Pokémon game reworked without all the repetitive stuff. The gameplay loop of going out and researching Pokémon and then coming back to the hub to manage your inventory, quests, etc.. is addicting. The performance is ok; it doesn’t ruinThis game is really cool. The mechanics are complex enough to make success feel rewarding, but not tedious at the same time. It has what you love about a Pokémon game reworked without all the repetitive stuff. The gameplay loop of going out and researching Pokémon and then coming back to the hub to manage your inventory, quests, etc.. is addicting. The performance is ok; it doesn’t ruin the immersion, but it could be better.

    This game has a lot of variation, it’s really an experience and gives the same feeling I felt when playing other famous switch titles. I’m looking forward to seeing the publisher build off this formula.    … Expand
  13. OnlyOneHere
    Jan 30, 2022
    0
    I'm shocked that the developers didn't continue the Pokemon tradition by cutting the game in half and selling it separately, in a pathetic attempt at making players pay more than $60. I am also surprised that even at their most generous moments, the developers still manage to be more greedy than some of the most greediest developers in the video game industry. The greedy developers areI'm shocked that the developers didn't continue the Pokemon tradition by cutting the game in half and selling it separately, in a pathetic attempt at making players pay more than $60. I am also surprised that even at their most generous moments, the developers still manage to be more greedy than some of the most greediest developers in the video game industry. The greedy developers are charging $60 for a game that looks like it was made for mobiles. It doesn't even have the AAA quality to justify the $60 price tag. The graphics are a joke. The textures are garbage. When I look at some of the rock textures, it literally looks like it was ported from a Game Cube game. That is embarrassing for a 2022 $60 game.

    The animations are garbage. The running animations are cringeworthy. The rain effects look laughable. There is nothing to do in the open world. Just an empty world full of plants, rocks and empty hills. That is so boring to explore. For goodness sake, why doesn't this video game series still have any voice acting? Unbelievable that there are still $60 games with no voice acting in 2022. The developers are too cheap to pay for voice actors. This outrageous greed makes EA and Rockstar look like saints in comparison. At least they put voice acting in their $60 games. Speaking of voice acting, the voice acting of the animals sound like they were done by the developers themselves, in a pathetic attempt at keeping the budget low for this game. The physics are beyond horrible, especially the water physics. The story is trash. The combat is boring and repetitive. When I pay $60, I expect a combat system with depth and detail. All the developers did in this game is put pretty lights during every move, to give players the illusion that the game is fun. None of that is fun for me. The soundtrack is terrible.

    There is no multiplayer. So once you beat the story, there is not a reason to touch this game again. Charging $60 for a game with no replay value is a cash grab. All you can do is trade Pokemon with your friends. The developers were too cheap and lazy to allow us to have Pokemon battles with our friends. I don't recommend this game at all, unless you want to support laziness. If you ever wondered what it would be like for a cheapskate to develop a game, here it is.    … Expand
  14. CapybaraGames
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    Pokemon Legends: Arceus is not only an incredibly fun game, it's an incredibly fun Pokemon game. That means something especially when, up until now, releases of new Pokemon games have gone more stale than old bread. It changes almost all the mechanics which made the Pokemon games monotonous and tedious, and changed them into really fun mechanics. It's story elements is very well mixed intoPokemon Legends: Arceus is not only an incredibly fun game, it's an incredibly fun Pokemon game. That means something especially when, up until now, releases of new Pokemon games have gone more stale than old bread. It changes almost all the mechanics which made the Pokemon games monotonous and tedious, and changed them into really fun mechanics. It's story elements is very well mixed into gameplay and while the game is not on par with the likes of Fable or Skyrim as RPGs, it is still a fun experience and a definitive step in the right direction. If you haven't tried Pokemon yet, this is the game to try. If you are a long-time fan of the series like myself, you'll feel a sense of astonishment that a Pokemon game can actually be enjoyable. Game Freak and the Pokemon Company have finally listened to fans woes. It must be noted that the game's graphics can be hit or miss at times with some animations looking like stop motion. This hasn't taken away from the experience though.… Expand
  15. Kman788
    Jan 30, 2022
    9
    Super fun makes me more hopeful for the future of pokemon, only wish they would put more time into the games and it could of easily been a 10/10.
  16. okamimiyazaki
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    A fun, challenging (at times), Pokemon game with an addictive gameplay loop and an interesting system of fighting and catching Pokemon. It's a huge step in the right direction! The graphics, performance, and multiplayer options need work, but those are the only major flaws. The story, pacing, battles, catching mechanics, exploration, and general gameplay are such an improvement overA fun, challenging (at times), Pokemon game with an addictive gameplay loop and an interesting system of fighting and catching Pokemon. It's a huge step in the right direction! The graphics, performance, and multiplayer options need work, but those are the only major flaws. The story, pacing, battles, catching mechanics, exploration, and general gameplay are such an improvement over Sword/Shield and Sun/Moon.

    There are major series changes that make big differences in quality of life, such as no limit to the number of moves a Pokemon can learn (they just have 4 memorized pre-battles) and not having to trade to evolve certain Pokemon anymore (using rare items on them instead). Exploration, crafting, gathering, and finding rare (and shiny) Pokemon have never been this fun. Gone is much of the tedium and boredom found in previous games.

    If you care only about graphics or online competitive battles, you will find reasons to not like this game. But if you're into the collecting aspect of Pokemon, you will love this. It's worth noting that the graphics and performance issues are much less noticeable when playing handheld.    … Expand
  17. TheGoomba
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    The Pokemon game I've been waiting for since I first watched the anime as a kid.
    Visuals are a little lacking but everything else is amazing.
    8/10 inflated to battle the trolls.
  18. steventohare
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    This is such a spectacular evolution for the Pokémon franchise. From the first few moments, you know you’re stepping into a new, fresh take on the series, and the game continues to surprise time and time again even into 40+ hours of gameplay.
  19. Robertinho123
    Jan 30, 2022
    9
    Haven't finished it yet, but played 26(!) hours in the first weekend, the last time I've done that with a game was probably Kingdom Hearts on the PS2...

    This game doesn't always look great, but damn it's fun to play. It's actually fun to catch Pokemon again, I'm having a blast! Alpha's are a fun mechanic, they actually feel dangerous. The game gets dark too, actually mentioning death a    Haven't finished it yet, but played 26(!) hours in the first weekend, the last time I've done that with a game was probably Kingdom Hearts on the PS2...

    This game doesn't always look great, but damn it's fun to play. It's actually fun to catch Pokemon again, I'm having a blast! Alpha's are a fun mechanic, they actually feel dangerous. The game gets dark too, actually mentioning death a few times. I just hope they make this a series, because this is so damn cool.

    Had to take a point away for the graphics, especially in the water it doesn't look great, but the Pokemon themselves look great, so I really don't mind it. You kinda just forget about it.    … Expand
  20. Snoob_player
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    Un juego muy disfrutable a pesar de tener algunos fallos a nivel técnico, de lo mejor de pokemon en los últimos años.
  21. GhuttoAlt
    Jan 30, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As long the developer doesn't suffer a huge sales failure, they will continue to develop mediocre games. Do not support Game Freak. Pokémon fans deserve more.… Expand
  22. Shuradportgas
    Jan 30, 2022
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Un mundo abierto mal aprovechado no hay nada que hacer, mucho espacio vacio, graficamente muy por debajo incluso para los bajos estandares de nintendo, sin detallado los entornos que en todo el mapa solo hay 4 arboles clonados por todos lados, espero mejore pero de momento es un juego no terminado a mi gusto… Expand
  23. BakedWafflez
    Jan 30, 2022
    0
    Very disappointed in this game, this was the first game I bought on release day in over 5 years and was really excited about it for months ahead of time. After about 15 hours I’ve put the game away and have no real desire to pick it up again. It is super repetitive and doesn’t even feel like a Pokémon game. I’ve had a total of 10 battles against other trainers at most and they all had likeVery disappointed in this game, this was the first game I bought on release day in over 5 years and was really excited about it for months ahead of time. After about 15 hours I’ve put the game away and have no real desire to pick it up again. It is super repetitive and doesn’t even feel like a Pokémon game. I’ve had a total of 10 battles against other trainers at most and they all had like 1 Pokémon each. To me Pokémon has always been about creating a good team, leveling them up and battling against others. Without the battling aspect I feel like there is no point to the game. I don’t even remember what Pokémon I have in my party because im not even creating a battle team, I just hold on to them and complete various research tasks, level them up to evolve, complete more research tasks and then cycle through other Pokémon. It’s a shame to because this game introduced some wonderful battle mechanics like strong vs agile moves, the ability to switch out your move set outside of battles and then takes battles away and makes this a game all about catching Pokémon. Might as well be Pokémon snap, I’m very disappointed I spent money on this game, I was already getting nervous because of the time period it’s in and being told there are no gyms or Pokémon league but didn’t think they would eliminate the core of what is a Pokémon game and that’s creating a team and battling against other teams. I should have waited and passed on this, probably won’t even finish this, only reason I might is because I hate leaving games unfinished but frankly my time is way better spent with Sw/Sh or BDSP until gen 9 comes out.… Expand
  24. HyperCynder7
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    Nah boludo este juego está re piola boludo Che este juego está buenardo papu
  25. GnosticBean
    Jan 30, 2022
    9
    I was worried about the graphics and world being lifeless and empty but there is simply too much to do and an addictive gameplay loop to either notice much or care. +Pokedex completion is varied and engaging
    +Completionists will be happily busy
    +Pokemon themselves never looked better +Music is phenomenal +Seamless transition from open world to battles +Engaging story - Graphical artifacts    I was worried about the graphics and world being lifeless and empty but there is simply too much to do and an addictive gameplay loop to either notice much or care. +Pokedex completion is varied and engaging
    +Completionists will be happily busy
    +Pokemon themselves never looked better
    +Music is phenomenal
    +Seamless transition from open world to battles
    +Engaging story

    - Graphical artifacts are genuinely distracting at times ; flickering, pop ins, and glitching grass flat out ruin some moments    … Expand
  26. Brusky
    Jan 30, 2022
    8
    It's Breath of the Wild meets Pokemon, but with a bit of Monster Hunter mixed in.

    And I love it! This is the closest we've been to an open-world Pokemon game that I've daydreamed about since I was a kid. Arceus delivers Pokemon Snap- levels of environmental immersion as a mainline RPG -- you will encounter pokemon walking/swimming/flying around in their natural habitats instead of    It's Breath of the Wild meets Pokemon, but with a bit of Monster Hunter mixed in.

    And I love it! This is the closest we've been to an open-world Pokemon game that I've daydreamed about since I was a kid. Arceus delivers Pokemon Snap- levels of environmental immersion as a mainline RPG -- you will encounter pokemon walking/swimming/flying around in their natural habitats instead of randomly encountering something while blindly walking through tall grass. You can summon your own pokemon to gather berries, mine shards, and engage a wild pokemon all within a few steps without waiting for flow-stopping animations and transitions. It's truly like playing a simulation of the anime.

    Issues that I had: Most bothersome to me might be the fact that you have to fast travel back to the hub city in order to go to the next zone (like Monster Hunter). It makes the world feel a lot smaller since it's just a bunch of disconnected environments instead of a huge continent. Also, no mounts at the hub city makes traveling a drag. Now for my minor issues. Some of the sound effects are clearly ripped from BotW, such as the male character sounding exactly like Link when he tucks and rolls. Maybe it was meant to be a callback, but personally I wish they didn't recycle assets like that. The graphics are also a little rough around the edges here and there. Some things like rocks and trees disappear if you slightly turn the camera. And the game sometimes draws pokemon at its max spawn distance, but animates them at like 2 FPS which makes them look bizarre against the more smooth and lively world closer to you. If the hardware is struggling to do this, just don't draw the pokemon that far!

    Anyways, I'd give this a 8 out of 10. Rough around the edges in parts, but this is definitely a Pokemon formula I want them to polish and perfect. I don't think I'll be able to stomach the old style of pokemon games again. If Nintendo can somehow cram in a more modern setting with pokemon centers, cities, (etc) AND open world pokemon walking about onto the little Switch cartridge, it'd be absolutely perfect. It may be possible that the Switch may not have the horsepower to truly get to the next level, though.    … Expand
  27. Doug22
    Jan 30, 2022
    8
    As we all know is that pokemon has be at a complete standstill for the past 20 years, but now that legends arceus has come out I will admit that im pleased with the expirence and disapointed at the same time, with 20 hours under my belt i have to say, that this game is a good game. Iits not great but its not terrible but its just good. I highly reccomend not looking at the reviews becauseAs we all know is that pokemon has be at a complete standstill for the past 20 years, but now that legends arceus has come out I will admit that im pleased with the expirence and disapointed at the same time, with 20 hours under my belt i have to say, that this game is a good game. Iits not great but its not terrible but its just good. I highly reccomend not looking at the reviews because its filled with people giving the game 10s but also giving the game 2s or 0s so i reccomend just playing the game for yourself, i promise you will enjoy it.… Expand
  28. Pjromeo2
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    This is a step in the right direction. Hopefully they incorporate some of these mechanics into the next generation
  29. Mishal502
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    Well, i think it's the best Pokemon Game since Gen 3, Story is great for a pokemon game too.
  30. LemStar
    Jan 30, 2022
    8
    This is the game we’ve all been waiting for as day-one Pokémon fans. Back in the days of Red and Blue, this is what we imagined the world of Pokémon to be like. The open areas where you can joyously yeet pokeballs at all the mons in the overworld is oh so satisfying. To be able to have a linear path with the story, but still give you a lot of freedom in terms of how you want to buildThis is the game we’ve all been waiting for as day-one Pokémon fans. Back in the days of Red and Blue, this is what we imagined the world of Pokémon to be like. The open areas where you can joyously yeet pokeballs at all the mons in the overworld is oh so satisfying. To be able to have a linear path with the story, but still give you a lot of freedom in terms of how you want to build your team and gain experience with all of the research required to complete the first Pokédex is a true blend of what fans have desired. While I think this game proves to be the strongest game in the franchise, gameplay-wise, I will say the artistic direction could’ve used a lot more talent. To see BOTW on switch as a launch title and look way more robust in terms of the environment than Legends, says to me that Gamefreak is in dire need of fresh eyes to lead them into their next core titles, as well as a beefed-up switch to enhance the overall experience. With that being said, the game is still looking to be a GOTY contender.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

41
#41 Best Switch Game of 2022
2
#2 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 118 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 102 out of 118
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 118
  3. Negative: 0 out of 118
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 30, 2024
    80
    Definitely not a bad game. It handles its mechanics perfectly, and as long as it doesn't try to talk at you, you'll enjoy it. It's the first step on the road to new games with Pokémon on the cover, and the good sales could be the main reason to continue similar work and experimentation. [Issue#317]
  2. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Oct 19, 2022
    85
    Acreus came out just a few months after Diamond & Pearl remake. Isn’t that too soon? Actually, no. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the most innovative, revolutionary, and maybe simply the best Pokémon game of the last decade. [Issue#259, p.48]
  3. Nintendo Force Magazine
    May 13, 2022
    90
    This really does feel like a big step forward for a series that famously plays things safe, and I'm excited to see where the franchise will go next! [Issue #58 – March/April 2022, p. 72]
See all critic reviews »