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. ZombieNinja_217
    Feb 20, 2022
    0
    not open world and kinda boring. graphics are pretty bad. the beginning of the game has a ton of dialog.
  2. Elive7
    Feb 20, 2022
    8
    Soy fan de los juegos de pokemon y este juego me encanto, hermoso en todos sus aspectos, un nuevo diseño de niveles y de explorarcion que le da un nuevo aire a esta saga. Con algunos problemas gráficos pero la experiencia que tuve con él fue muy gratificante
  3. samuellsilva
    Feb 20, 2022
    10
    Sem sombra de dúvidas a melhor aventura de Pokémon desde a era Game Boy. Vale a pena curtir e jogar o jogo em todas as missões e sidequests. Vale umas 80h tranquilamente
  4. Pkm21
    Feb 20, 2022
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. El mejor juego de la franquicia, es cierto aún tiene muchas cosas por pulir, mayormente derivadas del poco tiempo de desarrollo que permite Pokémon company sin embargo es el camino por el que deben de seguir.… Expand
  5. gecko_9
    Feb 20, 2022
    10
    A delight to play this game, perfect evolution of the saga with a magnificent exploration, completing the pokedex is very satisfying unlike in traditional pokemon that was more of a nuisance than anything else, graphically it is not bad at all but that is the least important, it's fun, it's addictive. Enjoy!
  6. Gabizongo
    Feb 20, 2022
    9
    I’m 35 and the Pokémon series has been a disappointment to me since 2000. I looked at gameplay videos and decided that it doesn’t look good enough to try. My brother said it was a must play Pokémon game because it’s all we’ve been waiting for since 1997. I told him I would wait and get the next one. He actually bought it for me and I haven’t stopped playing. The first day I played I stayedI’m 35 and the Pokémon series has been a disappointment to me since 2000. I looked at gameplay videos and decided that it doesn’t look good enough to try. My brother said it was a must play Pokémon game because it’s all we’ve been waiting for since 1997. I told him I would wait and get the next one. He actually bought it for me and I haven’t stopped playing. The first day I played I stayed up till 4am I haven’t done that in years. This game is legit. It’s the real deal! Super fun. If you’re in your 30’s and you used to like Pokémon and you have been disappointed with the series, I recommend this game. POKÉMON IS BACK BABY!… Expand
  7. TheSquiddy92
    Jan 31, 2022
    9
    The most fun I've had playing a Pokemon game in a long time. The graphics could have used more polish with more detail but overall it isn't as bad as the outrage over it. The ways of encountering, catching, and battling is seamless and intuitive and provide massive positive steps forward for the series. Future mainline Pokemon games should look at this game as the bare minimum and baselineThe most fun I've had playing a Pokemon game in a long time. The graphics could have used more polish with more detail but overall it isn't as bad as the outrage over it. The ways of encountering, catching, and battling is seamless and intuitive and provide massive positive steps forward for the series. Future mainline Pokemon games should look at this game as the bare minimum and baseline of what it should be.… Expand
  8. Bananz06
    Feb 19, 2022
    7
    An extremely fun and enjoyable game! This game Is a pokemon game that I have been waiting for to be made! It takes elements of other open-world games and adds It into the pokemon universe! The combat Is extremely slick and seems almost fresh but old to some gamers. The one thing I wish was built upon more, was the visuals. Although Pokemon Legends Arceus Is a very fun and entertainingAn extremely fun and enjoyable game! This game Is a pokemon game that I have been waiting for to be made! It takes elements of other open-world games and adds It into the pokemon universe! The combat Is extremely slick and seems almost fresh but old to some gamers. The one thing I wish was built upon more, was the visuals. Although Pokemon Legends Arceus Is a very fun and entertaining game, It lacks In the visual department. But... That doesn't mean It's a good game. Overall: 7/10… Expand
  9. Nikodu
    Feb 19, 2022
    2
    How do you defend a game of this quality?
    The Pokémon franchise is one of the most profitable and people keep justifying Game Freak for this garbage. I'm glad they brought something new, but the quality is really poor, it's about time everyone let them know.
  10. WallCrouton
    Feb 18, 2022
    8
    As someone who's played Pokemon since gen 1 as a kid, I wanted to see how this new installment stood up to previous ones as well as my opinion as a lifelong Pokemon fan.

    The short version is this: I enjoyed it, even with a few criticisms. I had fun, and I actually did Catch 'em All this time. The long version is: It's a new and interesting direction for Pokemon to go, having done the    As someone who's played Pokemon since gen 1 as a kid, I wanted to see how this new installment stood up to previous ones as well as my opinion as a lifelong Pokemon fan.

    The short version is this: I enjoyed it, even with a few criticisms. I had fun, and I actually did Catch 'em All this time.

    The long version is: It's a new and interesting direction for Pokemon to go, having done the usual 8 badges + beat evil team for 25 years. Although the catchphrase implied you had to indeed catch them all, it was never the main goal. If you did, you rarely got anything good unless you were shiny hunting, and it was really just for the sake of doing it. So to make that the goal of getting the true final ending of this game was innovative and unique. They took away the pressure of the main path to follow and instead put a lot of focus on discovering all the Pokemon in the region. It also did a good job of making the wild Pokemon feel more dangerous and not just pests.

    Now for the downsides... I didn't encounter a lot, but the things I did see are the most commonly talked about. Mainly the graphics. I'm not a big whiner about it, but it was definitely a bit rough sometimes. Mostly when high up, as when you're on the ground catching or battling Pokemon it's harder to see. However, I didn't find that it ruined my experience of playing it. There were also some encounters that were frustrating, involving chasing really fast Pokemon that dashed away as soon as you were in their line of sight. As well, one battle in particular was a huge difficulty spike over any others and was really imbalanced in favor of the opponent. Kids are supposed to be able to play this, and it gave me a rough time, so I can't imagine how much one might struggle against it. Also, multibattles exist but you still only get to use one Pokemon, so you can easily find yourself getting wombo combo'd to death with nothing you can do but watch.

    Basically, it's definitely a good game at its core, but could use some polish. If they go this route again in the future, I hope they listen to criticism of this one to better balance the next one.

    If you weren't sure about getting this one, I'll say this: If you're a committed Pokemon fan, you won't want to miss it. If you're just looking to play the hot new game and really want pretty graphics, you may want to skip it if you just can't accept how it looks. It's not perfect, but it's good.    … Expand
  11. asamak55
    Feb 18, 2022
    9
    The breath of fresh air this franchise always needed! Cannot wait to see more pokemon games using this same formula! Good job Game Freak!
  12. Pexy99
    Feb 18, 2022
    8
    La via verso un nuovo pokemon è giusta ma serve più tempo per produrre un gioco appagante graficamente, a mio parere servirebbero più anni di sviluppo ma siamo sulla buona strada
  13. cooltacos
    Feb 18, 2022
    9
    The game is a breath of fresh air into the overdone Pokémon formula. The new way of completing the Pokédex make the process more interesting, compared to catching and forgetting about the Pokémon. The graphics are a down side and need a lot of improvement. In my opinion graphics are less important when compared to gameplay. The part I don't like is the overuse of voiceless dialogue. TheThe game is a breath of fresh air into the overdone Pokémon formula. The new way of completing the Pokédex make the process more interesting, compared to catching and forgetting about the Pokémon. The graphics are a down side and need a lot of improvement. In my opinion graphics are less important when compared to gameplay. The part I don't like is the overuse of voiceless dialogue. The story is interesting compared to previous entries but is over run with boring dialogue. Overall the game is an excellent step that Pokémon has needed for a long time.… Expand
  14. Onioncreature
    Feb 18, 2022
    6
    Pokemon Legends: Arceus had a great deal of potential leading up to release, but the end product is sadly lacking.

    It's nice to see a major attempt to revitalize the age-old formula that's remained largely unchanged since the Gameboy, but the execution is muddled. Catching Pokemon in real-time feels great, alongside the overhauled battle system, but the content of Arceus is simply too    Pokemon Legends: Arceus had a great deal of potential leading up to release, but the end product is sadly lacking.

    It's nice to see a major attempt to revitalize the age-old formula that's remained largely unchanged since the Gameboy, but the execution is muddled. Catching Pokemon in real-time feels great, alongside the overhauled battle system, but the content of Arceus is simply too repetitive to be enjoyed in the long term. The open world environments are only really fun to explore the first time around. The variety is really lacking, and the Pokedex system requiring multiple captures and interactions with the same creature makes the experience a bit of a slog.

    The style of the game is initially appealing, a game set in the distant past of the Sinnoh region is conceptually very compelling. Unfortunately, Arceus fails to live up to it's premise and it's world and environments tend to be totally without life and character. There's only a single proper town, and there's very little in the way of meaningful interaction here. The graphics are noticeably subpar for an official Nintendo release, with plenty of minor visual bugs to distract you from the experience.

    The story is another letdown, as throughout the game's considerable length nothing of note really happens. It's a very basic set of events, but the game can't help itself from including walls upon walls of text. The characters are really not at all memorable, and only serve basic story functions before being left to the wayside. This is a shame, as many of the characters are really well designed, and several represent the ancestors of characters from Diamond and Pearl, which is a pretty interesting concept; so it's a shame that they feel like such a throwaway element of the experience. Although I was initially quite excited to learn about the world Legends: Arceus takes place in, this enthusiasm quickly fizzled over the game's playtime and the story petered out in a disappointingly obvious and expected way.

    I wish that I could separate the disappointing parts of Arceus from it's promising new gameplay formula, but that's simply not possible. The new gameplay style could be a great new direction for the series, but it's simply too repetitive in this current iteration to be compelling past the first few times you experience it. It's also a major letdown to see how utterly lifeless the world, characters, and story are, as these elements had the potential to be legitimately compelling and explore the world of Sinnoh in exciting new ways. Legends: Arceus is probably worth checking out if you're a fan of the series and want to see a new take on the gameplay formula, but don't expect much more than that.    … Expand
  15. hecatombeZ
    Feb 18, 2022
    2
    Juego desfasado gráficamente en todos los sentidos el único punto bueno la nueva mecánica de atrapar y combate,en todo lo demás muy por debajo de todo lo de hay actualmente.
  16. Raksel_Airon
    Feb 18, 2022
    7
    Tras unas 40 horas jugadas en Leyendas Arceus, me veo en la obligación de comentar lo positivo y negativo de este nuevo título en la franquicia, una en la que llevo metido desde su primer juego hará ya más de 20 años. Leyendas Arceus ofrece una nueva forma de explorar y capturar a los Pokémon, renovando la forma en la que realizamos los combates y un poco acercándonos a la fórmula de mundoTras unas 40 horas jugadas en Leyendas Arceus, me veo en la obligación de comentar lo positivo y negativo de este nuevo título en la franquicia, una en la que llevo metido desde su primer juego hará ya más de 20 años. Leyendas Arceus ofrece una nueva forma de explorar y capturar a los Pokémon, renovando la forma en la que realizamos los combates y un poco acercándonos a la fórmula de mundo abierto, aunque con ciertas limitaciones. Si bien las primeras 15 horas las disfruté bastante, pronto me di cuenta de lo repetitivo que acababa siendo llegar a un nuevo lugar y que tras un par de horas explorando a fondo, sentía que muchos espacios estaban desaprovechados, y que podrían haberse aprovechado para meter más puntos de interés o que tuvieran alguna sorpresa inesperada. En la base, siento que es un juego que de aquí a un par de entregas va a ofrecer un resultado muy firme y sólido y que gradualmente se acercará más al gran juego soñado por muchos de la franquicia. Si mi nota no es la más alta no es porque no me guste, sino porque sé que a la larga, usando esta base obtendremos juegos cada vez mejores y más interesantes, con más variedad de situaciones, entornos, con una mayor inmersión, más actual a nivel artístico. Pokémon Leyendas Arceus es un juego muy entretenido, refrescante, y que sienta una base para juegos mucho mejores. Además, la narrativa ha sido más interesante que en otras entregas, y espero que siga así.

    Cosas que me gustaría que volvieran o estuvieran en el futuro:

    - Más combates contra entrenadores. Por la temática, es lógico que en Arceus no hayan muchos, pero espero muchos combates contra otros entrenadores en futuras entregas, como en los juegos anteriores. La dificultad la han llevado bien en Arceus, y me molaría verlo reflejado en combates contra líderes de gimnasio y una liga Pokémon.

    - Modo PVP. El competitivo me es indiferente, pero molaría que hubiera una forma para combatir contra otros jugadores.

    - Más Pokémon. Por temática, "entiendo" que no hayan más, pero espero ver de vuelta a muchas criaturas en futuras entregas de temática más moderna.

    - Una mejor banda sonora. Muchos temas de Arceus eran remixes de Diamante y Perla, y tampoco es que fueran mejores que los originales. Es el juego con peor banda sonora que recuerdo de la saga o que sea más olvidable.

    - Zonas más variadas en temática y que tengan una mayor inmersión y interés a la hora de ser exploradas.

    Y eso es todo. Si Game Freak acaba actualizando el juego, que sé yo, sacando modo PVP o más criaturas, alguna zona extra más única a modo de expansión, etc, quizás la nota suba. Al final, lo que le ha faltado en parte son cosas que ya teníamos y que aquí se han visto sustituidas por la temática del propio juego.    … Expand
  17. Rioness
    Feb 17, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I should have given it 9 points. Even if it is not perfect, I am still willing to give it an encouraging 1 point. It's very close to the Pokemon world I imagined when I was a child, but it's ten years late. Unfortunately, I can only take time to play this game occasionally at this busy age. If it can maintain this level in the future, I will like to buy Pokemon games for my children.… Expand
  18. Lucas359
    Feb 17, 2022
    9
    Siendo alguien que abandono la franquicia en la 5ta generación (una de las mejores de todas) decir que poder volver a disfrutar un pokemon no es poca cosa para mi.
    Este es el camino que tal vez pokemon tuvo que haber seguido hace tiempo, un mundo abierto donde realmente podes sentirte en conexión con los pokemon e interactuar mas directamente con ellos mas allá de solo los combates, con    Siendo alguien que abandono la franquicia en la 5ta generación (una de las mejores de todas) decir que poder volver a disfrutar un pokemon no es poca cosa para mi.
    Este es el camino que tal vez pokemon tuvo que haber seguido hace tiempo, un mundo abierto donde realmente podes sentirte en conexión con los pokemon e interactuar mas directamente con ellos mas allá de solo los combates, con una mecánicas muy simples pero bien implementadas que van de maravilla con lo que es la franquicia, aun siendo un spin off y no de la saga principal.
    Tiene fallas obviamente, el motor grafico es un insulto para los estándares actuales y a lo que la (comprobado con juegos como Zelda BOTW o Luigi Mansion 3) consola puede ofrecer, lo que lo hubiera vuelto mucho mas envolvente en lo visual en la experiencia, pero que tampoco interrumpe la fluidez del juego. La historia es otro punto que flaquea ,mas que todo hacia el final terminando de manera un poco abrupta sin darle casi nada de relevancia al pokemon con el nombre en el juego enfocándose mas al postgame, aunque sin dejar de ser lo suficientemente interesante como para seguir queriendo avanzar.
    Un titulo que falla bastante pero que tiene muchísimo para mejorar y ofrecer si se lo trabaja como se debe, el cual Company puede explotar sin que afecte a la saga principal siendo Arceus un spin off que puede derivar en muchas entregas mas de este tipo, volviéndolo una saga. Yo espero que lo sea.
    Se da un punto de confianza para que se siga por este camino y cambio que la franquicia necesitaba.    … Expand
  19. BipBipBoom
    Feb 17, 2022
    9
    Più vicino al 9 che all’8, perché la grafica è ben lontana da qualsiasi sufficienza, ma da appassionato sempre più distaccato questo gioco davvero mi ha lasciato immergere, desiderare di finire il pokedex e le quest secondarie, in maniera sincera. Gameplay davvero coinvolgente che riesce a scavalcare gli enormi e ovvi problemi tecnici. Speriamo in un futuro per questa serie e unaPiù vicino al 9 che all’8, perché la grafica è ben lontana da qualsiasi sufficienza, ma da appassionato sempre più distaccato questo gioco davvero mi ha lasciato immergere, desiderare di finire il pokedex e le quest secondarie, in maniera sincera. Gameplay davvero coinvolgente che riesce a scavalcare gli enormi e ovvi problemi tecnici. Speriamo in un futuro per questa serie e una collaborazione con studi esterni per colmare queste lacune… Expand
  20. Sandawi
    Feb 17, 2022
    5
    It would be nice to put the budget to use from time to time. Actually it would be the first time ever game freak actually utilized the budget.

    I’m just speechless. The only way I could start to enjoy this game was to imagine myself as a kid again, being affirmative of anything pokemon related. You’d have to be practically stuck in the 2000s to appreciate this game. I just… I don’t know    It would be nice to put the budget to use from time to time. Actually it would be the first time ever game freak actually utilized the budget.

    I’m just speechless. The only way I could start to enjoy this game was to imagine myself as a kid again, being affirmative of anything pokemon related. You’d have to be practically stuck in the 2000s to appreciate this game. I just… I don’t know what to say.

    It’s a garbage game.    … Expand
  21. Ludera
    Feb 17, 2022
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game design is brilliant. It's probably the most fun I ever had playing through the game. The fast pace batlle and catch mechanics are the things the hold the idea together. If they were slow, it would be incredibly boring to complete the pokedex, but is quite enjoyable when you can't catch and battle in a matter of seconds, with no intro or unnecessary dialogue.

    For me, the fact that the game is not truly open world is not a negative. It would be nice to fly over all the regions? Yes. But it did't seem necessary.

    Completing the pokedex being the main goal of the game its great. I tried to play the game without looking for tips and managed to catch every regular mon -- minus Spiritomb and evolving some of them (more on this later). The thrill when I found Cleffa, Grotle and Munchlax -- 3 of the last 4 needed -- was one of the best in 30 years of playing videogames. I think 237 (or 242) is a decent number of pokemon to have in the game. The max they could have gone, I believe, is 300. More than that, would be a slog to get to Arceus.

    The last one I need was Cherubi, which I imagined that would be in one of the trees where you can find Cherrim (which I found two while going through the first part), but I delayed because it's kind boring going back to the village over and over again.

    The one negative thing I have to say about the pokedex/arceus mechanic is that is stupid to lock Arceus behind some mechanics that are almost impossible to find on your own. I killed the Overkqwil the game gives, so that's on me, but I would never find that you need to use the same mechanic 20x times. The same goes do Wyrdeer -- I'm not sure if you cand find it on the wild.

    But Ursaluna is the worst one. I tried every item, so by discarding the ones you use on other pokemon, I imagined you needed the peat block. But, for me, is insane you need to evolve during a full moon, which is quite rare. It's insane because 99% of players will need to check guides for it, which is bad. It's also impossible to find Manaphy if you don't have Diamond and Pearl, which I don't, but as it is not necessary to get to Arceus, it's ok.

    The Spiritomb mechanic, for me, it's ok. There is not a particular impossible wisp to find and, while doing the other stuff, I managed to find 93 out of 108. As I had done everything else and was clocking 70 hours, I decided to check a guide to get to Arceus. But, if you dedicate time to seach for them while doing other stuff, as I said, it's not bad.

    The research mechanic is good. While it gets boring by the end, the game makes you cycle your team and train almost every pokemon, which is a first for me in the franchise (usually plan my team ahead and use 6 to 9 max). And you can get to a 10 research level really fast with almost all of them. The few you don't, it's actually a nice challenge, because they are rarer pokemon and you need to make the most of every encounter you have.

    I'm not going through the mass outbreaks and distortions, but they are a nice change of pace and are very helpful to completing your dex.

    The bosses are major win. Simply battling a high level pokemon it's ok -- the Alpha mechanic makes some battles really tough --, but introducing a different approach made the game really fresh for me, and the battles were really tough and satisfying after I managed to get through. Palkia was a great boss battle and the one traditional trainer vs trainer you get in the end game was really nice. I understand that some people may wanted more trainer battles, but It didn't seem necessary for me.

    But, the best new thing is, easily, the riding mechanic. Switching Wyrdeer, basculegion and braviary is great. It's a very smooth experience and may very well be the best movement mechanic in video game history, not exaggerating. Being that good, the game never feels empty (I played almost all the praised triple A open world games and, even though there is much more on the screen, they usually have more boring parts). You never need to spend more than 10 seconds to get from pokemon A to B, which is great.    … Expand
  22. Kenmei
    Feb 17, 2022
    9
    This is probably the most unique entry into the Pokemon series since its inception. Being able to run around the world, catching and running away from wild Pokemon is a real treat and really gave the series a fresh new spin. It can be a little weird at times due to the controls not being that fluid and can be very clunky if you're trying to switch to a specific item or Pokemon to fight atThis is probably the most unique entry into the Pokemon series since its inception. Being able to run around the world, catching and running away from wild Pokemon is a real treat and really gave the series a fresh new spin. It can be a little weird at times due to the controls not being that fluid and can be very clunky if you're trying to switch to a specific item or Pokemon to fight at times but it works very well. The battle system is similar but has its own quirks that separate it from previous entries. The lack of abilities and held items now give type immunities, such as ground being immune to electric and so on, more importance as these wild Pokemon can have very high stats for their levels. Especially Alpha Pokemon who can overcome a massive level advantage to deal significant damage to alot of Pokemon. I had to unlearn alot of standard Pokemon battling tips that I was not prepared for. It's not bad per say, but you might find yourself in a tough spot very quickly if that 20+ level advantage you thought would make up the difference for a neutral Pokemon, who has a special move that your Pokemon is weak too.
    I'd almost say this game would be a better experience for people not experienced with Pokemon, but I'd recommend it to basically anyone who might interested. The clunky controls and the usual poor framerate that comes with playing on the Switch aren't too much of a hassle at the end of the day. The game is just fun and I really hope they continue to do games like this in the future.    … Expand
  23. ScoresAreBad
    Feb 17, 2022
    6
    This game is definitely a step in the right direction.
    However, GameFreak now needs to build on this foundation.
    We need: - More settlements & interesting locations - A better told story (with voice acting maybe?) - More interactions with the world (especially by the pokemon) Pros: - Finally a step forward for the pokemon franchise - Fun action centric boss battles - Catching    This game is definitely a step in the right direction.
    However, GameFreak now needs to build on this foundation.
    We need:
    - More settlements & interesting locations
    - A better told story (with voice acting maybe?)
    - More interactions with the world (especially by the pokemon)

    Pros:
    - Finally a step forward for the pokemon franchise
    - Fun action centric boss battles
    - Catching pokemon feels great
    - Way better difficulty spike than older games

    Cons:
    - Horribly bad storytelling
    - Even more handholding than in a monster hunter game
    - The world feels liveless and the Pokemon do not interact with it or eachother
    - Boring environments. There are no secrets other than the ones you have to discover for the story    … Expand
  24. ValiIgnat
    Feb 17, 2022
    10
    Is perfect!!! Is the game that I wanted since I play "my first pokemon game", pokemon ruby.
  25. anakoz
    Feb 17, 2022
    9
    As a lover of Pokémon but also someone who has grown tired of the normal game format, I wasn't even too excited when Arceus was going to be released but as usual, I got it anyway because I hoped it would finally give me the pokemon game I was asking for. And I'm so happy to say, it really delivered. Having sunk 50 hours into the game so far, I am still enjoying it and for the first timeAs a lover of Pokémon but also someone who has grown tired of the normal game format, I wasn't even too excited when Arceus was going to be released but as usual, I got it anyway because I hoped it would finally give me the pokemon game I was asking for. And I'm so happy to say, it really delivered. Having sunk 50 hours into the game so far, I am still enjoying it and for the first time since Pokémon Red I actually want to 'Catch em all'. Is this game perfect? No. But the steps that Game Freak have taken to bring Pokémon into the current generation of RPG's are promising but saying that, there's still a long way to go.… Expand
  26. iMustang
    Feb 16, 2022
    9
    Pokemon Legends Arceus is without a doubt the boldest and most ambitious entry in the history of the franchise. Setting out in the beautiful region of Hisui, this game caputres the same "open air" feeling Nintendo was able to achieve with Breath of the Wild. With an emphasis on capturing as opposed to battling, this game takes all of the best concepts of Let's Go and combined them withPokemon Legends Arceus is without a doubt the boldest and most ambitious entry in the history of the franchise. Setting out in the beautiful region of Hisui, this game caputres the same "open air" feeling Nintendo was able to achieve with Breath of the Wild. With an emphasis on capturing as opposed to battling, this game takes all of the best concepts of Let's Go and combined them with their core franchise to create a truly unique experience all it's own. The best element of this bold new venture is it's absolutely fantastic story. While a bit text heavy at times, this is the first Pokemon game Gamefreak has made since Black/White with a strong focus on story and they without a doubt knocked it out of the park with strong characters and emotional moments that moved me unlike any Pokemon game ever had before. In addition to a great story with fantastic characters, the game is absolutely beautiful and stunning to explore. Sure the Switch can only push graphics so far and some of the renders are far from perfect, but in the early hours of playing I found myself amazed and constantly thinking "I can't believe this is a Pokemon game." The gameplay loop is insanely addictive too; explore, capture, explore more, capture again, and before you know it you've lost hours of your life having a blast. With charming environments, soothing music, addictive gameplay, and the exciting feeling of encountering a new Pokemon it's very difficult not to find yourself smiling every time you play.

    I could go on about the specific joys of this game like the thrilling boss battles, cutscenes, increased shiny encounters, crafting, the thrill of the hunt, wonderful new Hisuian forms and so much more, but I'll keep it as brief as possible. This game feels like both the true return to Diamond/Pearl as well as the next big Pokemon game we've all been waiting for. I have no doubt this will serve as the foundation for a whole Legends sub-series and when I think about this only being the beginning, I tremble with excitement to think of what can come next. Voice acting? 4K? I dare to dream, but for now I go back to the wonderful addiction that is Pokemon Legends Arecus. It's not perfect, but it's a beautiful start.    … Expand
  27. andrewluo
    Feb 16, 2022
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Honestly, I was really skeptical when I saw the leaks about "catching multiple Pokémon to complete Pokédex pages" but when I actually played the game it was very natural. I truly enjoyed playing this title like I haven't with the franchise for years. This is super fun.

    The graphics are still wonky but in my opinion it doesn't significantly hinder my experience and it's even meme-able at some point. It's a refreshing game!    … Expand
  28. B4R4T4
    Feb 16, 2022
    10
    Perfect. Even both graphics and world blurry or bad textures, I approve the experience to play pokémon as breath of the wild Zelda
  29. GuardianFrosty9
    Feb 16, 2022
    7
    New Pokémon Game!
    You're not buying this game because of the graphics but because you can fill the first ever Pokédex and find various types of Pokémon.
  30. fbmbat
    Feb 15, 2022
    7
    I really enjoy playing this game and it's cool because this is what all pokemon players ever wanted.

    BUT! 1. Why no one have voice in this game? 2. Needs more anti aliasing when playing docked 3. Need more character animations for some choices in game, like pressing a stone button instead of chat selections. 4. Need a better way to track side quests and track pokemon progression    I really enjoy playing this game and it's cool because this is what all pokemon players ever wanted.

    BUT!

    1. Why no one have voice in this game?
    2. Needs more anti aliasing when playing docked
    3. Need more character animations for some choices in game, like pressing a stone button instead of chat selections.
    4. Need a better way to track side quests and track pokemon progression

    Sometimes I feel the dev team had some lazy decisions about some aspects of the game.

    But in the end it's a good refresh for the pokemon game franchise and I expect more on the next games like online coop, battle arenas and more    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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]
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