Pokémon Legends: Arceus Reviews
Great for newcomers, even better for fans, Pokémon Legends: Arceus represents a natural evolution for the series, and it is one hell of a ride from start to end.
By tearing up the rule book and breaking new ground, Game Freak has created the best Pokémon title in decades
Pokémon Legends: Arceus feels like the result of Game Freak learning lessons for 25 years, refining the formula, and finally taking the franchise in a new, incredible, exciting direction. With its emphasis on extremely rewarding exploration, addictive catching mechanics, a fine roster of Pokémon and a genuine sense of scale that's unlike anything in the series, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is quite simply one of the greatest Pokémon games ever made.
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.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus may often look bad, but its gameplay is excellent. The mechanics of finding and catching Pokémon feel good and bring a sense of discovery to the game. Changes in the battle system make for more engaging and strategic fights. Some repetitive bosses and a fairly standard story can't drag down how fun it is to play this new kind of Pokémon game.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Is Pokémon Legends: Arceus perfect? No, but nonetheless it evolves and moves the series forwards. Game Freak delivered a title that will entertain hardcore fans, but also those who just want to enter the beautiful world of Pokémon.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Still, Pokémon Legends: Arceus made me care about battling, and I actually wish there were more trainer battles scattered throughout the world. But I missed some of the predictability found in the mainline series. Whenever I'd go to swap out one Pokémon for another mid-battle, I held my breath, never knowing if I'd have to take a hit from the enemy before I could attack. Hours in, I felt like the game didn't give me enough information to make some of the strategic decisions I wanted to. I love the direction in which the battles are going with Legends: Arceus, but a handful of "what the hell" moments killed some of my enthusiasm.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the evolution the franchise has desperately needed and while there are some growing pains, visiting Hisui is nothing short of legendary.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an adventure that is charming, surprising, and above all else, wonderful to play.
It's not without its blemishes, largely in the dreadful visuals, but the foundation laid here is what I hope the Pokémon franchise pivots to more in the future. It twists the focus just enough to make the experience of filling out a Pokédex more engaging, all the while filling battling and catching with way more variety. Legends Arceus doesn't quite catch them all, but it's satisfying the whole way through and makes me thrilled for the future of Pokémon in a way I haven't been in years.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a step in the right direction for the aging series, even if its technical limits can't always support its ambitions.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a significant reimagining of what makes a Pokemon game, with an exciting level of flexibility that's only slightly hampered by a slow early-game grind.
An experience that will appeal to longtime fans, as well as those who may have grown tired of the series’ reliance on the status quo.
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.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes a lot of risks but manages to be enjoyable and fun. It feels like something fresh and different from previous entries, and despite no one knows what the future will bring to the next Pokemon's games, we felt that Game Freak knows where to lead their franchise for the first time in a while.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The game does an excellent job of pushing boundaries while staying true to what has kept Pokémon popular for over two decades and is an eye-opening glimpse at what Game Freak could do in future games of the series.
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.
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.
Technical shortcomings and minor frustrations can’t take away what this game achieves elsewhere; it’s the best main-series Pokemon game in a long, long time.
The best choice you can make on January 28th is to buy Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Review in Greek | Read full review