Pokémon Legends: Arceus Reviews
Long-time fans of the Pokémon franchise should be very excited about the future of the Pokémon games, even if not everything in Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a home run. Despite the flaws, I really enjoyed my time and can’t wait to see what comes next!
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is far from perfect. The visual issues and boring opening stretch make that clear. However, the title is still a majorly fun and exciting evolution of the franchise. Getting out there in the world and interacting with the Pokémon has never felt better. I'm excited to see where Game Freak goes from here, which is not something I would have necessarily said after prior entries.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the future for Pokémon games. The graphics are disappointing and the combat is very simple, yet it’s undeniably fun to play. Exploring areas with roaming Pokémon has been a distant dream for a long time and it’s finally here. With improvements and tweaks, this is how the mainline series should stay.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the perfect building block to where the series is headed. With Pokémon: Let’s Go and Pokémon Sword and Shield, the three games feel like the first steps towards something bigger. If you can get past its looks, Arceus is the best Pokémon game on the Switch. While it may never be as iconic as some of the previous Pokémon games, it has deep gameplay systems and a map that feels extensive. Arceus is full of small moments where you get to experience Pokémon from a new perspective.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a legitimately good game, but it could have been so much more. The franchise has the breath of fresh air it so desperately needs, resulting in enjoyable and addictive gameplay in the wild of the Hisui region. Sadly, the game loves to also hold itself back, with a poor presentation, average visuals, and the same tried and true combat.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is clearly flawed, yet courageous; it succeeds in the arduous mission of rejuvenating some of the clumsy axioms of one of the most conservative series around, laying the foundations for an eventual rebirth of the brand.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Pokemon Legends Arceus, while a really fun experience, feels like a very confused game. It tries to blend the traditional Pokemon style of gameplay together with aspects of Breath of the Wild and Monster Hunter, yet unfortunately fails to do anything as good or better than any of them.
If you’re someone who’s wanted Pokémon to take the next step as far as gameplay and being different, this one is it.
Criticized positively by other means as the most ambitious iteration of the franchise, Pokémon Legends: Arceus conveys the feeling of being a cake in the oven for quite some time. It is the adventure that all fans have dreamed of, a departure from all the "gum" already more than chewed by then, and the least tautological. Game Freak has risked every chip in hand, creating one of the most exciting video games on its menu, full of several points for and few against. Granted, the overall performance isn't the best, as well as moving the focus away from battles causes some general inconsistencies but Hisui, with everything associated with it, is so much fun and full of life. It may not be more than perfect, but it is definitely better than imagination.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Pokémon Legends: Arceus has not been afraid to introduce changes to the series as we know it, and it definitely felt fresh.
Review in Czech | Read full review
If you've read our entire analysis of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, you won't be surprised by the grade beside it. Game Freak's new production is, as we have repeatedly said, a "diamond in the rough". A very important title for the Pokémon franchise, entrusted with the thankless task of forever changing the canons of the series and guiding them towards a new, more modern direction. A task that, however, clashes with a series of inconsistencies, missed opportunities and not very brave choices, which fail to make Pokémon Legends: Arceus shine as it deserves. The grade we've given it represents exactly the nature of this production: a title that's still far from earning everlasting glory, but also far from that ruinous insufficiency that the indignant people wanted to give it ex officio in recent weeks. We are sure that Pokémon Legends: Arceus will be talked about for a long time, dividing the fan base into those who will adore it as a deity from another dimension and those who will consider it, simply, a good starting point for the franchise. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just an amateur of the creatures created by Game Freak, our advice is only one: don't be misled by that amount of content edited ad hoc to show you only the shortcomings of this production, finding yourself proudly waving the pitchfork for something you don't even know, and play it before taking sides... you might find everything you've always wanted from a Pokémon production.
Review in Italian | Read full review
After 20 years, Pokemon finally changes up the formula with great results... if you can forget about the graphics.
The changes to the setting and structure make for an RPG that's refreshing, even if aspects like the duels with frenzied nobles are more of a novelty than a meaningful step forward for the series. While there are definitely areas like the visuals and the variety of Pokémon and moves that could be improved, it all feels like far more than just a proof of concept.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus dares to make things different, and that is its main quality. The Pokémon formula has undergone changes for the best, and even though there is work to be done on matters like the visual environment in Arceus' wide and open world, this is a game that operates very welcome changes to the fighting system and to the way the player fulfills the main goals. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is without a doubt a shining example of how the Pokémon series can face the future.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a big step in the right direction for the series. It’s not that the tried and true formula of collecting eight badges and fighting against an elite league wasn’t working anymore, but Game Freak needed to inject a spark somehow, especially after the lukewarm reception of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Fans stated that the remakes were too safe and didn’t try to introduce new mechanics or expand the gameplay. Pokémon Legends: Arceus offers a Pokémon adventure that’s never before been experienced, something that can truly grow into something more. Even if we continue to see Pokémon games that are still styled off older titles of the series, there’s absolutely no way that we should do away with an open-world aspect. Seeing Pokémon interacting with the game world and not just appearing in random battles makes the experience feel more real and connected. Whether you’re a die hard Pokémon fan who’s never missed a game or someone who hasn’t played for a few generations (sorry, I didn’t have a DS), Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an adventure that shouldn’t be passed up.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus nails the core of what could easily become the core of the series moving forward. Its world doesn’t look great, but it’s a ton of fun to explore and play around in. There’s definitely room for improvement in a next installment. A core quest for players to really sink their teeth into, improved graphics at least around the edges, and slightly rebalanced battles would be a great start. Still, for players who have spent the last twenty six years waiting for Pokémon to try something new, you’ll definitely want to take a trip to Hisui.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus dares to be different and, while sometimes it can feel like a bit of work, is quite refreshing!
If this is the future of the franchise, it’s a very welcome change – and while the game is certainly in need of some visual improvements, there’s promise and excitement here that shines through every pore.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a massive step in the right direction for the Pokemon franchise which has started to feel a bit stale in recent years. An exciting new way to catch and battle Pokemon is a much welcome introduction and is a lot of fun. The open world experience of having wild Pokemon roaming free in the wild is what the franchise has been screaming out for and we finally got it. Despite getting the most important things right, the game falls a little short of the levels of quality you might expect from a Pokemon game. The visual quality is poor, the map feels like an AI could have designed it and the games menus for tracking progress and travelling are in need of a lot of quality of life improvements. Flaws and all, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a lot of fun and should be used as a stepping stone to help the Pokemon franchise evolve.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is best described as two steps forward, one step back. The new catching mechanics and open-world concept are perfect for the Pokémon franchise, and I never got tired of them. On the other hand, the game is pretty ugly, and has a few confusing issues when it comes to exploration and performance. If Game Freak can fix these issues while keeping the catching and open world ideas, we could get the best Pokémon game ever made. For now, though, it’s just a cool next step.