Pokémon Legends: Arceus header image
Want
Played
Favorite

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Nintendo, GAME FREAK Inc.
Jan 28, 2022 - Nintendo Switch
Mighty

OpenCritic Rating

84

Top Critic Average

86%

Critics Recommend

Eurogamer
Recommended
IGN
7 / 10
Game Rant
4.5 / 5
TheGamer
3.5 / 5
Easy Allies
8 / 10
GamesRadar+
4.5 / 5
Metro GameCentral
8 / 10
Game Informer
8.8 / 10

Pokémon Legends: Arceus Review Summary

MightyCritic Consensus

While Pokémon Legends: Arceus has its flaws - notably on the technical and graphical side - most critics agree that it's just the shakeup the franchise needed, resulting in one of the best Pokémon games in years.


Share This Game:

Amazon

Pokémon Legends: Arceus Trailers

Pokémon Legends: Arceus | Gameplay Preview thumbnail

Pokémon Legends: Arceus | Gameplay Preview

New faces from the Hisui Region | Pokémon Legends: Arceus thumbnail

New faces from the Hisui Region | Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Hisuian Voltorb’s shocking debut! ⚡ | Pokémon Legends: Arceus thumbnail

Hisuian Voltorb’s shocking debut! ⚡ | Pokémon Legends: Arceus


Pokémon Legends: Arceus Screenshots

Critic Reviews for Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Inspired as much by Pok'mon Go as it is Breath of the Wild, Pok'mon Legends: Arceus is flimsy and compulsive - and exhilaratingly new.

Read full review

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an ambitious revamp that successfully revolutionizes the defining Pokemon experiences of catching and battling, but is unfortunately set in a drab, empty, and at times tedious world.

Read full review

There's room for improvement in a potential Pokemon Legends: Arceus sequel, but what's here will still keep Pokemon fans busy for hours on end. Pokemon Legends: Arceus's gameplay is simple but incredibly rewarding, stripping away much of the tediousness that has plagued recent entries in the series to focus on what's fun. Those who grew up with Pokemon should like it especially, as while it makes dramatic changes to the core formula, it somehow feels truer to the spirit of Pokemon than the older releases.

Read full review

But Pokemon Legends: Arceus is proof that Pokemon can evolve. It's taken 25 years but this feels like the first true evolution of the series; a far bigger change than moving from 2D to 3D. It feels like the awkward middle evolution though, as graphics, voice acting, and boss fights all need serious work. If this is the path that the series is headed down, then I can’t wait for it to evolve again because let’s face it, nobody remembers Quilava.

Read full review

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a refreshing take on the Pokemon formula, stripping back the game to focus on the titular creatures with such great success. It's just let down by the graphics.

Read full review

Metro GameCentral

GameCentral
8 / 10
Metro GameCentral

There's still a lot of room for improvement but this is easily the best Pokémon game for several years and a positive new direction that the mainline games would be wise to follow.

Read full review

Pokémon Legends: Arceus charts an exciting new direction for the series, while still maintaining many of the core tenants that made Game Freak's franchise so beloved in the first place.

Read full review


Industry Coverage

Pokemon Legends: Arceus Review Embargo Details

Pokemon Legends: Arceus Review Embargo Details

Info on the Pokemon Legends: Arceus Embargo has finally dropped, find out more inside about when to expect reviews for the new game.

Read more