Pokémon Legends: Arceus Reviews
Pokémon Legends: Arceus has finally ushered in the next stage of the franchise's development - even if we still firmly hope that many more will follow. The Pokémon spin-off feels more organic, motivating and coherent than ever thanks to the semi-open game world and the many modernized gameplay mechanics. The free-roaming areas in particular have a lot to offer, if you're into the iconic pocket monsters. Otherwise, you'll quickly be confronted with the harsh reality that Pokemon Legends is just a cheap copycat of the great 'Breath of the Wild', which doesn't reveal much more than empty and statistical worlds. However, those who have a soft spot for Pokémon will probably find their Eldorado with Arceus: Everything around you - be it the free-roaming Pokémon, the new Pokédex assignments, or the motivating progression system - pays off on the 'Gotta Catch Em All' principle and pushes your own collecting mania to the extreme. In contrast, however, the game looks absolutely out of time and shouldn't even bring a tired smile to the last console generation. Despite all the complaining about the graphics, Pokémon Legends knows how to motivate us, spur us on, and captivate us with its gameplay. What's a bit of 'mud' graphics, right? If Game Freak doesn't let so much time pass until the next update, exciting years could be ahead for Pokémon fans.
Review in German | Read full review
Back when Skyrim launched in 2011, a fake mock-up of a Blastoise emerging from behind some trees in glorious 3D did the rounds on the internet. Pokemon fans everywhere, myself included, salivated at the thought of such a game coming to fruition. Pokemon Legends Arceus is the closest thing we've had to that dream yet and while performance issues and lack of graphical fidelity do throw a spanner in the works, not to mention the often lonely open world with lack of meaningful landmarks, this shake-up of the formula is a return to form for Game Freak.
"The magic of Legends: Arceus stems from dozens of smaller quality-of-life improvements. Some are long-requested, others are simply revelatory — mechanics I’d never even considered in all my fantasies of the ideal Pokémon game. Whether it be Pokémon displaying unique character traits, cohesion between the different mechanical systems, or the crafting of items, developer Game Freak has the right ideas in place for the future of the series."
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the most ambitious Pokemon game to date and while it may be flawed, it offers a fun and exciting adventure that sets the bar for the future of the series.
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
Pokemon Legends: Arceus definitely provides a great experience with a novel take on the classic franchise but I still feel that grinding is not needed in a Pokemon game which I've always felt should primarily be about simply having fun in a laidback world.
Pokemon Legends Arceus is the most imaginative and absorbing Pokemon to date, though Hisui itself is disappointingly bare.
If they took the time to flesh out the graphics, Pokemon Legends: Arceus would be considered a must-have. Excluding the game’s lack of voice acting, the story is still an enjoyable tale that gives a deeper look at certain Pokemon’s legends.
It’s nice to play a Pokémon game that feels like it was made with love. Pokémon Legends: Arceus sure is not perfect, but it’s a loving attempt to take the series in a different direction, and it mostly nails it.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus reinvents the series' typical turn-based combat and blends it with satisfying, fresh features including crafting, exploration, and dodge rolls.
While it might not provide the visual fidelity and exploration we might wish for in an open-world-esque Pokémon game, it does provide a satisfying and addicting gameplay loop, alongside a surprisingly enjoyable narrative to boot.
For the first time since I was a child, I finally feel excited for the future of Pokemon. While it’s true that Pokemon Legends: Arceus has some problems that do feel inexcusable in this day and age, there’s no doubt that the game is a milestone for the franchise. I can only hope that Game Freak decides to build on the ideas that work well here and grow the concept into something even better.
Looks aren't everything in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, which does a great job in pushing the series forward while showing a willingness to take risks and step outside of the series’ comfort zone. It’s still rough around the edges and could use some more polish. That being said, it’s an exciting teaser for what’s to come and should have many fans looking forward to what Pokemon has in store next.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the most daring title for the franchise in a long time. With its wide-open zones full of creatures to encounter, as well as an engaging story, this could be the game that reinvigorates your love for the series.
It’s symbolic of the question that some PLA players will be left with. Did Game Freak’s reach extend its grasp? But for us, when it works its magic, it really works. It’s certainly the most exciting Pokémon game in years, and even if it’s a little overambitious – wouldn’t we rather have that experimentation over the same journey we’ve been on many, many times?
People, who love creature-collecting gameplay can easily spend tens of hours in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. And if you ever felt tired of "classic" Pokemon formula, don't sleep on Arceus too.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a must-have for fans of the series as it’s an experience like no other. The only downside is that the game could do with a graphical facelift, especially the character models who aren’t anywhere as detailed as they should be.
More than a quarter of a century since the cuddly critters were first sent in to battle, the magic of those early adventures has finally been recaptured
Pokemon Legends: Arceus proves that graphics are not the only factor in what makes a game great. Although it can look very rough around the edges, the package here is an extremely fun one that hopefully outsources the overdone formula from previous titles.