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. Silfing
    Feb 5, 2022
    10
    Amazing game, this is the way gamefreak should follow for the next pokemon games, just improving and polishing graphics.
  2. XabiXroSS
    Feb 5, 2022
    10
    Game is awesome, first 2-3 hours might feel a bit slow but after that it's really fun, also the history is the best of the Pokemon series, even better than B/W on my opinion.

    The music is fantastic too, and the graphics might feel a bit sharp at the beginning, but as you progress on the game it feels much more smooth (especially on handheld mode).
  3. cobes
    Feb 5, 2022
    9
    What a breath of fresh air for a franchise that felt like it was drowning. I hope GameFreak goes forward with a full head of steam with this new gameplay. The story itself is also a lot more competent and enjoyable than Sword & Shield’s. I really hope Gen 9 is similar to this with more emphasis on graphical fidelity and interacting with your Pokémon.
  4. TadaoKou
    Feb 7, 2022
    10
    Well, normally I wouldn't give this game a 10/10 but an 8/10 but because there are so many morrons here which give the game a 0 or 3/10, I will give it a 10.
    Giving this game just a 0 or a 3 or even a 5/10 is just objectivly not true, even if you dislike the game.
    Now, where to start with this game...I personally absolutly adore it. I have over 70 hours right now put into it and I    Well, normally I wouldn't give this game a 10/10 but an 8/10 but because there are so many morrons here which give the game a 0 or 3/10, I will give it a 10.
    Giving this game just a 0 or a 3 or even a 5/10 is just objectivly not true, even if you dislike the game.

    Now, where to start with this game...I personally absolutly adore it.
    I have over 70 hours right now put into it and I think it is the best Pokemon game since Black & White. Personally I was never a fan of the 3D Pokemon games until Legends Arceus came out.

    Now, I want to address the biggest issue people have first: The graphics.
    The graphics are a 2 sided coin in this game. If you look at the game in TV mode, it looks terrible. Simply terrible. The performance in TV mode is also terrible. It often feels like a 20 FPS game.
    But...if you look at this game in handheld mode, it can actually look really pretty in some parts. If you have the game already, just compare a run through Jubilife Village between the TV mode and the handheld mode.
    You will notice that the handheld mode runs extremly well and looks really good in some areas.
    But you will also notice that the TV mode is the opposite of that.
    I would advise anyone to play this game ONLY in handheld mode! Personally, I can only say that this game is an 8/10 because I only played in handheld mode.
    If I have to judge the game by it's TV mode, it would be a 4 or 5/10. That's how big the difference is.

    Even despite me acknowledging the bad graphics in TV mode, I still think a lot of reviews here are extremly unfair towards the game. Calling Gamefreak lazy or terrible in this case is not true.
    Pokemon Legends Arceus was clearly a passion project for Gamefreak. You can see it in a lot of details they put in the game. Especially Jubilife Village. That is probably the best Pokemon village or town we had since the games went 3D. There are so many small details put into Jubilife Village, it is insane.
    For spoiler reasons I will not mention any. I will just say, this game was clearly a passion project for Gamefreak and even with flaws like the terrible TV mode, you can clearly see that they tried this time with the game.

    I honestly want this to be the main take-away from anyone who reads this review:
    The game is awesome if you play it as a handheld game.
    But if you play it as a homeconsole game, it is mediocre at best.

    I honestly would wish that Gamefreak just disabled the TV mode for this game and made it handheld only. Yes, people would still be angry about that but I think we would have way less people complaining about the graphics, if Gamefreak was just honest with their terrible TV mode.

    It also sadly just shows me how the Switch in itself makes it hard to judge games.
    Like I said, I give this game a 10/10 because morrons put negative reviews out which are WAY to negative for such an wellpolished handheld game.
    On the other hand, I can understand those reviews if they only played in TV mode.
    Like I said, I would personally give this game an 8/10 as a handheld game.
    But as a homeconsole game, it's in the 3-5/10 area.

    It also shows the duality of the Switch itself. The console itself is great but there are always set-backs which drag it down. We can clearly see it with other Switch games too.
    For example: Breath of the Wild can sometimes have a bad performance if you play it in TV mode. But in handheld mode, it's completly fine.

    Now, I didn't really talk about gameplay or story or anything like that because...I think it is quite clear that I enjoyed the gameplay in itself if I would give this game an 8 or 10/10.
    About the story...I really liked some of the characters. They are not great, but entertaining enough.
    The story in itself is good, but not great. It more or less is just an excuse to send you running through the world.
    In general, this game is extremly gameplay focused and I really don't want to say anything about that because there are a lot of surprises here. It is not comparable to previous Pokemon games, that much is clear.
    But in my opinion, Gamefreak should continue going in the "Legends" direction.
    If the next Legends game is not on the Switch or on an more powerful Switch, we might even get a game with a working handheld AND TV-mode!

    Gonna add one thing here:
    People who give this game 0 or 3/10 are objectivly wrong. Even if the graphics were as terrible as everyone said (which they are only for TV mode and even than, it could be way worse), this game is objectivly not a Zero.
    Morrons like that should honestly stop playing Pokemon in general. Why? Because disencouraging Gamefreak now with bad review scores is REALLY not the thing we need now.
    I don't say just blindly applaud them but if people continue to hate on this game, we will just get the same old terrible Pokemon formula again.    … Expand
  5. Jorgeranio
    Feb 6, 2022
    8
    Un juego de 10, con muchas cosas buenas que debe de seguir la saga en futuros juegos... el gameplay, aún siendo repetitivo es muy adictivo, aunque tiene fallos grandes como los gráficos o mecánicas simples. Va haciendo falta doblaje en los juegos de pokémon para dar más inmersión en su historia, sobre todo en escenas importantes o cinemáticas que se puedan hacer pesadas.
    Si bien es cierto    Un juego de 10, con muchas cosas buenas que debe de seguir la saga en futuros juegos... el gameplay, aún siendo repetitivo es muy adictivo, aunque tiene fallos grandes como los gráficos o mecánicas simples. Va haciendo falta doblaje en los juegos de pokémon para dar más inmersión en su historia, sobre todo en escenas importantes o cinemáticas que se puedan hacer pesadas.
    Si bien es cierto que los modelos y animaciones están más trabajados, creo que el poco tiempo ha hecho que otras cosas queden sin pulir y generen problemas visuales bastantes importantes... En la historia no me voy a meter, no hace falta que sea buena o mala cuando queda en segundo plano, aunque en términos generales tienen diálogos más profundos, que como he dicho antes, mejorarían bastante con un doblaje acorde.
    En conclusión, el juego no tiene a Arctozolt así que le quito puntuación, vean Gintama    … Expand
  6. Bacon95
    Feb 6, 2022
    9
    I have been playing Pokemon since the gold and silver days. Even though I have always been a hardcore fan, i was slowly losing interest in the series due to the never changing nature of the games in the past 20 years. And behold, Gamefreak finally decides to step into unknown territories. I agree, the graphics are something that definitely look like they still belong to the previousI have been playing Pokemon since the gold and silver days. Even though I have always been a hardcore fan, i was slowly losing interest in the series due to the never changing nature of the games in the past 20 years. And behold, Gamefreak finally decides to step into unknown territories. I agree, the graphics are something that definitely look like they still belong to the previous decade, but i feel that they have more than made up for it with the gameplay. I hope this sets the milestone for all future pokemon games to come.… Expand
  7. nalragyo
    Feb 6, 2022
    10
    My best Pokemon game ever. Great interaction with Pokemon, nice game-play and decent story and sub-quests. I hope that Game freak keeps this direction to develop a new Pokemon game. I really enjoy it!
  8. carpelychee
    Feb 6, 2022
    9
    Unique and great approach to an old classic Pokémon. There’s a nice balance between fresh and new game mechanics combined with familiar themes.
    Great to see that there isn’t an strong emphasis on fighting but more on catching and exploring which feels more in tune with the theme of Pokémon.

    A mix between breath of wild, monster hunter and Pokémon.
  9. aaronmbarnes03
    Feb 6, 2022
    10
    This was an exciting new leap and formula for Pokemon! I have played every game from since red and blue from the the very beginning. This game took so much fan base complaints and molded this game into something fresh and exhilarating. The graphics are something that can always be improved upon but we are dealing with the 5 year old console switch graphical capabilities. There areThis was an exciting new leap and formula for Pokemon! I have played every game from since red and blue from the the very beginning. This game took so much fan base complaints and molded this game into something fresh and exhilarating. The graphics are something that can always be improved upon but we are dealing with the 5 year old console switch graphical capabilities. There are occasional glitches but they are few far in between and doesn’t affect the playability. Can this series improve of course, but the game is so addicting I’ve spent almost 30+ hours just in the first section exploring catching this game is beautiful and makes me want to complete everything something the other previous games made boring.… Expand
  10. HugeSnorlax
    Feb 6, 2022
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have not played the entirety of this game, but so far, I've really enjoyed this new Pokémon game. Sure, the graphics could be a little better, but with the open world experience and that you can catch pokemon without having to engage into battle, it's really awesome.… Expand
  11. MrXJinGleS
    Feb 6, 2022
    9
    It wouldn't be a fair review if i just gave this game a perfect 10/10 because it does have it's faults but in all honesty even with those faults this is still a pretty amazing game in its own right and I hope for the future of this series they keep this style of gameplay. This is the first game since BW2 where I've actually enjoyed playing it all the way through despite its issues soIt wouldn't be a fair review if i just gave this game a perfect 10/10 because it does have it's faults but in all honesty even with those faults this is still a pretty amazing game in its own right and I hope for the future of this series they keep this style of gameplay. This is the first game since BW2 where I've actually enjoyed playing it all the way through despite its issues so that's why I gave it a 9/10.… Expand
  12. Mossus
    Feb 6, 2022
    10
    The game is a masterpiece in terms of evolving the now-previous Pokemon formula, the first in chance and Game Freak has nailed it in every manner.

    The Game-play is immersive, fun and addictive, fully-fledged into an open-world format that feels very refined and fresh, and can be taken as very close to what fans have always wanted. The Soundtrack is one of the best OSTs Pokemon has ever    The game is a masterpiece in terms of evolving the now-previous Pokemon formula, the first in chance and Game Freak has nailed it in every manner.

    The Game-play is immersive, fun and addictive, fully-fledged into an open-world format that feels very refined and fresh, and can be taken as very close to what fans have always wanted.
    The Soundtrack is one of the best OSTs Pokemon has ever received. The Graphics lack, but by no means bad, even grand in many places.

    The game nails in every manner put forth and I've been completely blown away by the quality. It may very well so be the Pokemon fan's Dream Game, as well as the best Pokemon videogame to date.    … Expand
  13. AyZix6
    Feb 6, 2022
    9
    FINALLY A FUN POKÉMON GAME! After years of stale games, Pokémon finally changed their formula, and for the better. The concept may not sound too interesting at first, but building your own team has never been this fun. I’d even go as far as saying that the game gets better and better as you progress. Zones get bigger, Pokémon get smarter, and you can finally assemble the team with theFINALLY A FUN POKÉMON GAME! After years of stale games, Pokémon finally changed their formula, and for the better. The concept may not sound too interesting at first, but building your own team has never been this fun. I’d even go as far as saying that the game gets better and better as you progress. Zones get bigger, Pokémon get smarter, and you can finally assemble the team with the Pokémon you want. I’ve always wanted an alakazam in my team and was limited by the outdated trade mechanic, but now I can finally use one! How refreshing. This game would be a 10/10 if it wasn’t for the graphics. I am especially disspointed by a certain aquatic zone that looks completely hideous and that I rushed through to get to the next zone. Luckily, the zone following was way better looking and fun. I also don’t like the water mechanic very much. I think it’s way less fun to go catch Pokémon in the water than on land. The story is ok, nothing special but it’s not necessarily bad. No voice acting also kinda makes you cringe along the weird animations during the cutscenes. Some lag here and there but nothing that will alter the gameplay. The difficulty of the game is quite easy, (if sword and shield were a 1 and dark souls were a 10 this would be a 2 or 3) but you can also choose to fight Pokémon that are much stronger than your team and try to catch them, which adds optional difficulty. Overall, amazing game, mediocre graphics considering BOTW had a similar style and looked miles better despite coming out 5 years prior. This is a game where gameplay is everything and the rest is pretty much just there to be functional.… Expand
  14. JScott07
    Feb 6, 2022
    9
    Great game! Was really into pokemon during the Gameboy and GB advanced but grew out of the franchise until sword and shield which was ok ish but left me thinking I was done with these games. Decided to take a chance on this new one anyways and I'm having a blast and it's complete rejuvenated my interestes in the series going forward
  15. Requiem666
    Feb 7, 2022
    9
    Best Pokemon game ever made. Game does a lot of things well, however there are a few small problems, The graphics and not enough sex.
  16. Kast2
    Feb 7, 2022
    8
    In summary it is a classic game of Pokèmon, I would have preferred open world than open map and graphics maybe better (here we are at the level of Unity crap). However, the leveling system is strange, throughout the story you can also go to equal level but towards the end, you are required to have a team leveled well, this I call it unbalancing and not good at all.

    I sincerely hope that    In summary it is a classic game of Pokèmon, I would have preferred open world than open map and graphics maybe better (here we are at the level of Unity crap). However, the leveling system is strange, throughout the story you can also go to equal level but towards the end, you are required to have a team leveled well, this I call it unbalancing and not good at all.

    I sincerely hope that for other games in the series, they improve starting from their negative points but knowing Gamefreak......    … Expand
  17. Lluisgol15
    Feb 21, 2022
    6
    Este juego de Pokémon me a dejado con sabor agridulce sin duda es el juego más innovador de la franquicia pero el juego técnicamente deja mucho que desear además se nota que el juego le faltaba medio año de desarrollo ami en un juego nunca me An importado en un videojuego peroaqueaimportante
  18. Dangusse
    Nov 14, 2022
    2
    completely rushed. it has some cool aspects to it, especially if you want to use it for shiny hunting, but the boss battles are all terrible, the ride pokemon function worse than 20+ year old games, and the graphics are become laughably bad, down to 1fps 2d sprites at like 30 yards away. the game is extremely imbalanced and has extremely clunky mechanics and slow/boring quests that againcompletely rushed. it has some cool aspects to it, especially if you want to use it for shiny hunting, but the boss battles are all terrible, the ride pokemon function worse than 20+ year old games, and the graphics are become laughably bad, down to 1fps 2d sprites at like 30 yards away. the game is extremely imbalanced and has extremely clunky mechanics and slow/boring quests that again are worse than games from when i was a sperm cell. this is not pokemon botw, it's a cash grab. it's shameful how small and empty the settlements are, as well as general move speed while walking being weird and uncomfortable - i have to click the left stick at all times in order to move faster than a snail? i have to constantly switch ride pokemon every 2 seconds, and if you use the braviary you are more than likely to instantly die on your first try because of how unacceptably bad the controls and it's movement are.

    i can't stress enough that this game has potential, but it barely feels like pokemon. i dont even look at what pokemon im using because the battles are all 1hkos that last 2 seconds, and this plus the extremely broken jet balls made it far too easy to get to max level very fast. critics are lying, fans who say it's good are either highly impressionable or have not made it far enough into the game to see how much of a leaky bucket the mid to late game experience is. also, almost all of the new pokemon variants appear to be trash in combat and many of them have very underwhelming design and backstory.    … Expand
  19. Zetav
    Apr 6, 2022
    0
    This game is so ugly words aren't enough to describe. The fact you have to get specific lord pokemon through story to help you and can only use them to fly and swim is annoying. Climbing is completely out if left field, it feels like a cheap version of breath of the wild, i want to play pokemon why is this feature there? It makes no sense and it just forces me look at the ugly graphicsThis game is so ugly words aren't enough to describe. The fact you have to get specific lord pokemon through story to help you and can only use them to fly and swim is annoying. Climbing is completely out if left field, it feels like a cheap version of breath of the wild, i want to play pokemon why is this feature there? It makes no sense and it just forces me look at the ugly graphics even more. I have very few good things to say, the alphas are the only enjoyable thing, like hunting for them and catching them is satisfying. The most important downside for me is the world is so visually ugly, i didn't expect that because previous games like let's go eevee were so beautiful visually, it was definitely a downgrade in that regard, a very glaringly obvious downgrade.… Expand
  20. Estifanos
    May 18, 2022
    0
    It's unnecessary for the heavy (pointless) dialogue and the throw away story. Barely able to play the game without offer of side missions or unskippable cutscenes.
  21. gamgam
    Jul 29, 2022
    0
    Can Scarlet and Violet please be a game where I don't have to run all over the map 50 times to finds little purple lights and die 50 times trying to chase down a pokemon that shoots confusion inducing tornadoes at me before I get a shot at the primary legendary in the game? It's just not fun. It's not.
  22. teafan011
    Feb 4, 2022
    10
    So, so good. Gamefreak really outdid themselves this time, and it's about time they did. I can't recommend this game enough if you've gotten tired of burned out on the usual Pokemon formula.
  23. Top27-
    Feb 9, 2022
    0
    Uno scandaloso gioco tecnicamente di inizio 2000, gameplay semplice ma non noioso, trovo scandaloso però che un azienda che fattura miliardi e con questi numeri di vendite un prodotto del genere lo trovo inaccetabile.
  24. Premier991
    Feb 12, 2022
    0
    This game has inexcusable graphics. It looks like they pulled the blocky graphics from the original Roller Coaster Tycoon game. I have seen better graphics on GameCube. It looks soooooo bad! I have concluded the devolpers have no graphical talent.
  25. Dirtycasual10
    Feb 2, 2022
    5
    While many of the latest Pokemon games will introduce a few new features or tweaks, but retain the same gameplay and story, this takes it in a whole new direction. The gameplay is wildly different and makes it feel not like a game you play but a world you are part of. Less of a step in the right direction and more of a sprint, I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the series andWhile many of the latest Pokemon games will introduce a few new features or tweaks, but retain the same gameplay and story, this takes it in a whole new direction. The gameplay is wildly different and makes it feel not like a game you play but a world you are part of. Less of a step in the right direction and more of a sprint, I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the series and look forward to any future installments.… Expand
  26. aot93
    Feb 4, 2022
    9
    This game is not a 10, maybe not even a 9 but I feel the need to overrate it because all the hate I'm seeing. It's a great game and most important, it's a great Pokemon game which honestly I haven't seen in a long while. It's definitely worth my time and I'm enjoying every second of it. I'm even completing the Pokedex without following the main story because I don't want it to end.

    100%    This game is not a 10, maybe not even a 9 but I feel the need to overrate it because all the hate I'm seeing. It's a great game and most important, it's a great Pokemon game which honestly I haven't seen in a long while. It's definitely worth my time and I'm enjoying every second of it. I'm even completing the Pokedex without following the main story because I don't want it to end.

    100% recommend    … Expand
  27. Lukej142
    Feb 8, 2022
    5
    I quite like the game! It's fun, I sunk 24 hours into it in a few weeks! It just seems under baked. I know I'm going to complete the game because I enjoy it but it's flawed. The environment is stale, AI is poor, pop in is horrible for a game about exploring. My biggest complaint is the map. There's no map in the corner and so I find myself constantly opening the map up and on top of that,I quite like the game! It's fun, I sunk 24 hours into it in a few weeks! It just seems under baked. I know I'm going to complete the game because I enjoy it but it's flawed. The environment is stale, AI is poor, pop in is horrible for a game about exploring. My biggest complaint is the map. There's no map in the corner and so I find myself constantly opening the map up and on top of that, you can only place one guided marker at a time. It's a refreshing game! It's not hard at all if that's what you want, but I would recommend it. 5 just because it's good but it could have been so much more. I just see a decent base idea with a flawed execution.… Expand
  28. luchieh
    Feb 13, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Final boss is too cheap, that is not fail at all. It’s not beyond type, it insulting.… Expand
  29. iliaszopfi
    Feb 25, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Schwaches Spiel... (Meiner Meinung nach)
    Grafik
    Gameplay
    Modelle in Dörfern
    Unabwechslungsreiche modelle    … Expand
  30. Clleavage
    Feb 8, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Things start off fun and exciting but quickly become redundant and monotone. Completing the pokedex is overkill and after completing the game you wonder why you actually even bothered trying to complete any of the side quests giving you nothing but a few additional resources.

    The store is a joke, you'll never actually have to buy a pokeball or potion for the entirety of the game

    The lack of other villages or towns in the game is pretty horrendous. Only another village and yet nothing worthwhile to the storyline to do there.

    As other critics have mentioned, the NPCs are also blatantly empty.

    To me the only worthwhile point to this game is the storyline and even there they could've cut to the chase at the end instead of adding double and triple plot twists!

    Completed the game and tossed it in my completed game section. May or may not take it out for DLCs if any in the future but it really feels like DLCs should have been part of the game in the first place.

    Overall verdict:
    Borrow it from a friend, complete the story and don't bother complete the pokedex, buying stuff or doing side quests. They give little to no addition to the game    … 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]
See all critic reviews »