Pokemon Legends: Arceus

By tearing up the rule book and breaking new ground, Game Freak has created the best Pokémon title in decades.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is easily the strongest Pokemon game made in recent memory and should provide unforgettable memories that rival the first time a player first encountered a favorite Pokemon or conquered their first Pokemon Champion fight. It's a must-buy Pokemon game destined to land on many "top games of the year" lists and should bring countless new and lapsed fans to the franchise.

Pokémon Legends is the breath of fresh air the series has needed for so long. It may not have been apparent from the trailers, but this is one of the most entertaining, engaging and engrossing games in the entire history of the Pokémon series, and is highly recommended to both long-time fans and complete newcomers.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the definition of what a "love letter to the fan" means, waiting for a drastic change in the franchise after so many years of using a well-established formula, but keeping the essence of what a true Pokémon experience can be by blending action, exploration and RPG. An invitation for newcomers and a real cherry on the cake for veterans eager for an alternative and unprecedented experience.

Despite some minor graphical issues, Game Freak has managed to build the kind of living world I’ve always wanted from a Pokemon game. The Pokemon feel alive and filled with personality, from the adorable Snorunts to the hyper Aipon to the playful antics of Gengar. And they all exist in a fully realized world with neighboring clans and memorable characters.

Arceus offers you a chance to play your childhood dream. It's not perfect but it offers something more engrossing and satisfying than anything else Pokémon has come up with.

If this is the future of the series, I’ll be incredibly happy, because this just might be the best Pokemon game ever made.

Pokémon Legends Arceus breathes new life into Pokémon with great new ideas, making it one of the best games in the series.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a masterpiece made for the lovers of the Pokémon World. The game lets us explore a huge world while we enjoy a wonderful story.

Despite there being room for improvement graphically and in some gameplay elements like the Pokédex entries, gameplay is really solid overall. But it wouldn’t be worth playing if the story was a bore, and I was pleasantly surprised by some of the themes.

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]

It is true that Pokémon's course was good, but static in a comfort zone and, ironically, without taking a step towards evolution. Pokémon Legends: Arceus appears to be the beginning of this transformation. It's not the classic, strictly linear format being discarded anytime soon, but the possibility of playing more titles like this numbs me with indescribable hope. Arceus gets it right by exploring more than one known area, Sinnoh specifically, and not introducing a new one. Pokémon Legends: Arceus delivered this content in abstinence: daring. Even with mistakes here and there, especially with the overall visual quality of the game, whether in terms of graphics or performance, this is the best game in the franchise for many, many years.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is one of the most innovative titles the series has seen in a long time, with the new game mechanics and features making me wonder how I’ve ever played another Pokémon game. Game Freak created a great story that puts you in a position you’ve never been in before, with more quirky characters and hours of fun, with over one hundred side quests to boot. The main thing that lets down Arceus are the graphics, which are overly simple and bland for a Pokémon game, and downright depressing when compared to any other Switch title.

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.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus wanders from the “traditional formula” that held the series a little too firmly in place. But all who wander aren’t necessarily lost—at least, not in a bad way. Players will find themselves delightfully astray within Hisui’s enthralling world, ambling with many worthwhile purposes and finding amazing new sights and Pokémon. Similarly, Pokémon Legends: Arceus finds a gameplay loop that keeps the franchise’s appeal intact while feeling impressively fresh and thoroughly engaging. It’s wonderful what you can discover when you stray off the beaten path—you just have to be daring enough to venture in that direction.

It’s easier to follow the notion of “gotta catch ’em all” in regards to the games when they release such engaging content and that’s just what we have here. A great fun way to step back in game time and contribute to the study of Pokemon that will be both familiar and new to players. A great addition to your Pokemon gaming collection.

It is a significant step forward in the whole series. Replacing the classic pilgrimage across the world on designated paths with your freedom and control over tasks is fresh.

Although the storyline is a little dry, and the graphics could use some work, Pokémon: Legends of Arceus is an extremely entertaining title. It hooks you, inviting you to research every inch of the game. It’s challenging, and the Pokémon are fun.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus still has some lingering flaws from the series' rough transition to 3D, but is still an incredibly fun time from start to finish. Catching and battling Pokémon hasn’t been this fun in over a decade, and despite the wealth of things to do in Hisui I’m still hungry for more.

Pokemon Legends Arceus delivers the kind of Pokemon game experience so many have been hoping and asking for such a long time and the potential to do more is huge. The satisfaction of the main story to the new style of battling and focus on exploring this world rather than just being in it gives it an amazing tone that is not about just “I wanna be the very best” and instead has a far richer “I want to learn everything to share that knowledge with everyone” goal that I thrive on. What an incredible way to kick off 2022 as a Nintendo Switch owner.

The Pokémon game that we have been waiting for for years is finally here! A large gaming world full of fun references, cool and addictive gameplay, good challenges, and we could go on and on. Graphically, it's not a very pretty game and certain small things could have been better, but believe us when we say that you can easily look past that. It is the almost sublime gameplay that really stands out here. For newcomers and fans alike, this is a must-have.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus sends the series in a new, bold direction, while also setting the groundwork for future games.

Although some of the visuals leave a bit to be desired, the core of everything else is fantastic and gives players many ways to play while also offering arguably the biggest challenge in the series to date. That’s not to mention the meaty post-game that offers hours more enjoyable content to complete, which is something that the other Switch titles can hardly claim without the inclusion of paid DLC. Not only is Pokémon Legends: Arceus the biggest leap in innovation the series has ever had, but it’s deserving of praise for being a wonderful and charming adventure the entire way through. Hopefully we see more in this vein in the future, as it’s sure to leave anyone who plays it craving to see what else could be done moving forward.

Despite its drab locations and weak visuals, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a breath of fresh air. It shifts focus away from gyms and the Pokémon League to focus solely on survival and the thrill of the hunt. Have fun gathering materials, crafting your own Poké Balls, and capturing or defeating Pokémon in ways we haven't seen before.

A surprisingly bold and ambitious step forward that pays off.

The Pokémon series has always been about more than its graphics, and this game exemplifies that.

This is one of the best Pokémon games ever. The feeling of exploration and discovery, along with a much improved gameplay, makes Pokémon Legends: Arceus a must-have game for any Nintendo Switch player.

I’ve dragged myself through Pokémon games in recent years, but not with this one. Pokémon Arceus Legends is the future of Pokémon games. It’s the game we’ve all been waiting for for years, with a new and fun way to catch Pokemon, a story that adds to and pulls from Pokemon lore and a region you can genuinely get lost in. Pokemon Legend Arceus is Pokémon, evolved.

I have many hours on my back, and will have many more to unearth all the secrets of Legends: Arceus. It’s remarkable the care that Game Freak had with all the key ingredients they seem to have found a future model for Pokémon. I am convinced that it will earn a place of success among the franchise main hits and, more importantly, will make even the most hardcore fans fall in love, for those have been waiting, for a long time, for the true modernization of Pokémon.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an adventure that is charming, surprising, and above all else, wonderful to play.

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.

An astoundingly smart improvement on the tried-and-true Pokémon formula. 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 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.

For years, fans have begged Game Freak for deeper storytelling and Pokemon Legends Arceus absolutely delivers that. Players who have stuck with the series from the beginning will be blown away by how many lore-specific elements are tackled…Unlike previous titles, the game is packed with side quests, exploration, and an emotionally rich narrative. While technically a Diamond & Pearl origin story, it is a love letter to the overall franchise that fans will not want to miss out on. This is the most exciting that the Nintendo RPG has been in years and a blueprint for how the series can move forward in the future.

If you wanted to know how the future of the Pokémon series could look, play and feel, you will find the answer in Pokémon Legends Arceus. It is a modern 3D action RPG with open and free deployment areas, immersive real-time catching, active stealth mechanic and seamless gameplay even between exploring and combat. Arceus feels fresh and great in nearly any aspect. And don't be afraid as a fan: Game Freak simultaneously succeeds in brilliantly retaining the core elements of Pokémon games.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the perfect entry point for those who have never played a Pokémon game, while also being a great way for long-time fans to embrace new challenges.

Pokémon Legends Arceus is a must-play game for fans of the franchise. Not only is it the very best Pokémon game yet, but it elegantly takes the formula and flips it on its head, creating a unique new challenge that fans will love. With the nods to the anime and Pokémon games abound, Arceus feels very much like a love letter from Game Freak.

The Pokémon revolution we've been waiting decades for comes in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, a title that while not a graphical benchmark on Nintendo Switch, is incredibly fun and addictive with its innovative gameplay mechanics.

Generally speaking, the Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a work with outstanding plot and depth, excellent open world design and interesting new battle mode. Although there are many deficiencies in explicit aspects, it still creates the most ideal form of Pokemon world in my mind, and thus becomes the best series of Pokemon works in five years, worthy of the suffix of "Arceus" in the name.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus refreshes the Pokemon formula, it's completely different setting and original quests hook you from the beginning. Nevertheless, it also shares the franchise's best and worst attributes. Yes, it isn't a perfect game, but it aspires to offer something more for the Pokemon fans out there.

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.

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 is the first game since Blue and Red where we feel like the formula has really changed, and for the better. There's room for improvement (specially graphics wise), but we're sure that this is the way future Pokémon games should follow.

Although Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a bit weak in terms of graphics and performance, it is a great Pokemon game that has managed to offer innovations and improvements that the series has needed for a long time.

I wasn't sure what to expect with Arceus, but the surprise was a pleasant one. There aren't any gyms or gym leaders, but I found plenty of tough battles. The graphics are pretty basic, but the character models all look terrific. Even the environments aren't so bad, as long as you're playing in portable mode. I was instantly hooked by the gameplay loop. Everything you do in the field feels so seamless, so smooth. This game makes Pokémon feel a bit dangerous, something I never thought was possible. If you were hoping for a traditional Pokémon experience, you'll be thrown for a loop. Keep an open mind however, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus will be a fantastic time.

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]

Arceus is the boldest revolution and the biggest leap in quality in the history of the main Pokémon game series. We’ve been waiting for some of the changes since the last couple years, while other are surprising – but all are welcome. I hope they remain in the series, because return to the old ways would be hard to bear.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is not a perfect game, but it certainly comes close. It’s a fantastical innovative RPG that’s suitable for both longtime Pokémon fans and those that are brand new to the series. While it doesn’t come without its faults, containing graphical issues, a predictable plot, and too low of a difficulty level for my taste, the positives abundantly outweigh the negatives. With polished and highly satisfying battling and catching mechanics alongside the childhood dream-come-true of being able to properly explore the world of Pokémon in a large open 3D space, Legends: Arceus is one of the best exclusive games available for Nintendo Switch, and I absolutely can’t recommend it enough. There’s so many more exciting things to discover in the world of Hisui that this review fails to even mention (mostly spoilery stuff), and I hope you take the chance to partake in them. Here’s hoping that the ‘Legends’ series doesn’t stop with Sinnoh. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a Pokédex to complete.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a small revolution that this famous series needed for a long time. I recommend this game to all Switch owners - not just Pokémon fans - because it really is entertaining. It doesn't look great, but it will keep you glued to the screen.

The Pokemon series has rarely been known for taking major risks over the years, but Pokemon Legends: Arceus definitely goes against that trend and gives us one of the most exciting games in the franchise.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus proves that the franchise can evolve and experiment for the better. It's a solid game that breaks the mold, and despite its visual simplicity, it doesn't detract from Game Freak's attempt to revamp a classic. Pokémon Legends: Arceus could have been better, but it is an important step towards the future of the franchise.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the step of innovation that the series needed. At the end of the day, though, that installment feels more like a grand experiment than the franchise's standard going forward.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a well-needed breath of fresh air into the Pokémon franchise. It's exciting and entirely brand new, and has introduced several elements players will want to see in future releases. There's enough content to see you through until the next big title, and a large enough world to find yourself not getting bored easily. It's a stunning game and stays true to everything gamers love about Pokémon.

The graphics are subpar for sure, but this doesn't detract from the fact that this is one of the best, but even bigger than that, one of the most important games the Pokemon franchise has ever seen. This is what you call a genre and series defining game. Gen 9 cannot go back to the old format after what we've seen with Legends Arceus.

Pokémon Legends Arceus is a must for fans of the franchise, a success in its reinterpretation of the gameplay formula, which introduces action in the capture and mobility without giving up the turns in combat. The loop is addictive and fun: it works wonders. Game Freak has nailed in practically everything mechanically, with huge, well-designed, hostile, vertical, open environments full of secrets to be solved. We have a long journey ahead of us. Its technical section, however, subtracts in the result despite its artistic preciosity. Fortunately, the series has found the way, one that can coexist with the classic and that should be fed back from now on. This title is a celebration after an era of ups and downs. Pokémon is more alive than ever: this work marks a new and exciting beginning on which to build, polish and improve. We are to be congratulated. Turning point.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a wonderful experiment but probably the old fans of the series will regret a bunch of features that Game Freak has sacrificed in the name of a new kind of exploration and single player approach.

Pokémon Legends Arceus is clearly not the title we were hoping for but it is worth the detour. It is important to talk about the aging graphics that too often spoil the pleasure of exploration or the battles against the Monarchs that are not very interesting. And yet, this is a revolution in the franchise. We can only congratulate the addictive gameplay and the new mechanics available. The new, fluid way of capturing Pokémon and moving around is quite simply the best addition. All in all, it's a huge Pokémon adventure that you shouldn't miss for its intriguing storyline, its fun progression system, its tons of side activities and its superb OST.

Legends focuses on capturing and exploring, and it just works. It’s the big Pokémon adventure we’ve been waiting for, although the technical issues are hard to ignore.

Arceus is one of the big games of the year. Perhaps not the best or the most polished, but one of the most fun and relevant to the industry, which is no small thing. The philosophical and mechanical change that it can trigger in the saga is one of its letters of introduction, despite the more than improvable technical section.

Pokémon Legends Arceus is exactly what it promised to be: a new frontier for the series. Like all experiments, however, the title has room for improvement and on a technical level it shows more than one lack. With "Legends", Pokémon tries to get out of its comfort zone and if the result is sometimes edgy and in some ways less stable than the other main works, the many targets hit - combined with the many wishes of the fans finally fulfilled - can only lead to a promotion of Game Freak's work. On the march towards Monte Corona!

Pokémon Legends: Arceus feels like Game Freak's big, successful experiment. The gameplay cycle, new combat system, and sense of discovery make it the freshest Pokémon experience in years. Unfortunately, the technical aspect keeps Legends: Arceus from being a really great game.

As a new entry in the Pokémon series, Pokémon Legends Arceus might deserve a 9, but if you were to think of it as a new RPG, a 7 might sound more fair. Roaming around in a large world and catching Pokémon in real-time itself is a blast, but the battle system is a bit too old-school for its own good, and the story never reaches its full potential. That said, it cannot be denied that Game Freak has finally created a new type of experience for this long running series.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus reinvents the formula of the Pokémon series and delivers one of the finest chapters ever made in the monster-catching universe. Its wide, open world may not look the most impressive but the exploration is very motivating, the game pace is very well executed, and the changes made to the formula with regards to the fighting system and ways of completing the quest all contribute to make this a groundbreaking game in the Pokémon series and a marvelous starting point towards a new direction.

With bold decisions and a focus on freedom of movement, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a much-needed new direction in a mostly stagnant series. It’s a fresh new type of Pokémon adventure where the seamless gameplay loop totally makes up for some technical drawbacks.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a thrilling step for the Pokemon franchise, and introduces a new style of gameplay that I hope to see further expanded in sequels. Though it shows a lot of promise, the game fails to compete with other open world titles in presentation and variety. I’m stoked about the future of the series, but wish this particular entry aimed higher. Despite that lack of ambition, the game’s charm is undeniable and kept me engaged throughout. For the first time in a while, I’m excited to see what comes next for Pokemon.

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?

Sounds like escaping the Matrix, but Game Freak finally jumped out of the three decades old formula and gave it a new groove. An open world, a more dynamic catching mechanic and a more involved trainer are just some of the new flavours. Drawbacks this time around come in the shape of empty and pretty lifeless environments as well as lower graphical quality and glitches, but they don’t take away much of the overall enjoyment. Yet they surely remain something that needs more work once this amazing turn in the franchise settles in. The roots have been planted. Now, all it needs is to grow. Pardon me – evolve!

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 gives us the open-world Pokemon adventure that we’ve asked for, but on the terms of the developer. We had to trade memorable moments with our Pokemon party for an isekai adventure about completing a Pokedex, which is something I haven’t achieved since Pokemon Crystal. As such, this entire experience was enjoyable and exceeded my expectations about what a Pokemon adventure could be. This is something I would like to see more of and something worth playing now.

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.

Despite these flaws, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the best Pokemon game in years. It’s highly possible to breeze through the story in 15-20 hours before rolling credits. Instead, I chose to spend nearly 30 hours meandering about the different areas catching Pokemon before deciding to "finish" the game. Big emphasis on finish, considering the postgame content. Even at the 30-hour mark, it still feels like hours of content can be spent on grinding for evolution items, completing sidequests, and wrapping up your research notes.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is rightfully one of the best Pokémon adventures to pass down in history. Introducing a more fluid battle system, it sets new standards in the franchise, which will be hopefully established in future games.

While Arceus may be a sight that leads to sore eyes, this ambitious reboot sets Pokémon on an exciting new trajectory, finally recapturing a lost sense of adventure. What made those initial Pokémon games special was the way that they embodied a childlike spirit of discovery. The problem was that its creators struck gold on the first attempt – and spent decades repeating the same trick. Now, 26 years after I caught my very first Pokémon, the franchise is new again, and that gleeful sense of excitement is back.

I might have wanted more from Pokemon Legends Arceus, and it definitely deserves more, but I’m so happy with what I got. At last, Game Freak took the imaginative, fascinating world it built all those years ago and decided to build on what makes it special — the sense of wonder and, more importantly, the Pokemon themselves. There absolutely should be a second Pokemon Legends to take these concepts and newfound worldbuilding to the next level, but until then, Pokemon Legends Arceus is one of the most satisfying and memorable Pokemon experiences to date.

This isn’t just a good foundation for what I hope will be a regular branch of the Pokemon tree from here on out. Pokemon Legends: Arceus is also a very fun RPG adventure. No, it’s not the Pokemon: Breath of the Wild that some may have been hoping for, but if you love the world of Pokemon it’s hard to imagine not being at least a little awed by this interesting new spin on the series. It’s still a very accessible game that aims to be enjoyed by young kids, so don’t expect anything fancy in terms of writing or a high level of challenge. Rather, this is a new, exciting way to have a Pokemon experience that makes me thrilled for what we might see in the future.

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.

Pokemon Legends Arceus outshines the open-world concept of Sword and Shield and revisits the natural elements of the series and their environment first introduced in Pokemon Snap. Not everyone will appreciate the departure from the main series, however, and the lack of battles, missing multiplayer, and small number of Pokemon make for a very different experience that leaves you wanting more. The ideas and potential are definitely there, and if this is just a small sampling of what Game Freak can do with the series — we can’t wait for more.

While it isn’t perfect, it shows a lot of promise! It’s a fantastic first step for what future Pokemon spin-offs could look like. It’s certainly more refreshing than some recent mainline games, and I felt more excited each session playing than I did with Pokemon Shield or Pokemon Brilliant Diamond. I wouldn’t say it’s the most essential installment or should be someone’s first experience with the series, but people who love Pokemon should really play it.

It's remarkable how much a game series that largely revolves around creatures evolving has little concern for change. For 25 years, the concept of Pokémon games has been virtually unchanged. But then there's Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which breaks with tradition. Hopefully, in doing so, it lays the foundation for the next generation of Pokémon titles. Because after playing Pokémon Legends: Arceus, we don’t want to go back.

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.

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.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a must-play for any Pokémon fan. Not only does it offer a huge world full of gorgeous landscapes and great creatures, but it also features a fantastic origin story for Sinnoh. It feels great to be a part of history, even if there are some graphical hiccups.

You need to buy into the theme to an extent to deal with some of the shortcomings.

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 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.

By sometimes clumsily reconciling a new formula and heritage, Pokémon Legends Arceus misses the mark from time to time. But certainly remains a pleasant and successful title.

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.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus threads the needle and somehow finds a brilliant balance between old and new, between tradition and upheaval. It’s the 3D Pokemon adventure that I imagined back in the 90s that never came. It’s fresh. It feels new, exciting, and like a powerful new beginning for the series. 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.

Having played Pokémon Legends: Arceus for over 25 hours at time of writing, I can safely say I love this game. Its open areas filled with Pokémon are a joy to delve into, and will eat up hours of your time in what feels like mere minutes. The heavy borrowing of Zelda elements doesn’t detract from its identity as a Pokémon game, proving that change doesn’t hurt the beloved franchise one bit. Then you’ve got the visual style, the gorgeous music, and the joy of filling up a Pokédex in a world that truly suits exploration.

Some of the new ideas in Arceus have rough edges, and it's slow to start before you get access to many environments and mounts. This is an awkward first step, and it was a big adjustment for me, a longtime fan of the series, to make. Once Pokemon Legends: Arceus finds its stride, though, it's the most daring and inventive the series has been in years, breaking apart the staid core and creating something new and exciting from its pieces.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a new beginning for the hit Nintendo series. It is not a perfect game and it suffers particularly from a technical point of view but it is certainly the most exciting Pokémon adventure for a few years now.

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.

Pokémon has been in dire need of a reinvention for some time now, and while Sword and Shield brought some new ideas to the table, Legends: Arceus serves as a solid jumping off point for future entries in the franchise. 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.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a departure from the prototypical Pokemon formula, abandoning or reinventing old features in order to offer something new and unique. While it leaves a bit to be desired from a technical standpoint, there’s just so much to enjoy. A clever overhaul to the battle system, improvements to exploration, and a story that dives deep into franchise lore makes Pokemon Legends: Arceus 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.

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.

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.

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.

With Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Game Freak is betting on innovation, not improvement. Although the game drops a few stitches and asks the player to put aside their skepticism, setting up the first Pokédex remains fun for tens of hours. Legends: Arceus is much more dynamic than many games in the franchise and keeps players enthralled for a long time with different ways of discovering, collecting and fighting.

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.

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 a successful attempt at making something new and fresh with the same concepts and ideas that have driven the franchise for thepast nigh on three decades. It is addictive, has charming characters and scenes, and has plenty of content to savour for fans of collectathons. It is a cohesive package on every front. This game is, however, embarrassingly clumsily put together from a graphical standpoint. This does not make it less enjoyable on a pure gameplay level, but during quiet times when little action is happening and players will want to take in what is presented on screen at face value, it is especially jarring. We loved the gameplay loop of Pokémon Legends Arceus, it has been one of the most engaging experiences to come out of Nintendo or Game Freak of the past few years, but it is well past time for either of those actors to finally take the right steps to solve this recurring lack of technical finesse from the series.

If you've found yourself thinking Pokemon has been showing its age of late, Pokemon Legends: Arceus proves, like members of its playbase, it's more than capable of maturing, too. [Issue#369, p.114]

The refreshing gameplay of Pokémon Legends: Arceus reinvigorates a series that's become somewhat stale. Therefore it's a shame that the story, graphics and environments don't meet the same standard.

Ultimately, Arceus is a fun title that does an excellent job rewarding all facets of the Pokémon experience, which will undoubtedly end up flying past a lot of RPGamers who would enjoy it because of embarrassingly poor graphics. For those willing to tolerate the mediocre presentation, an entertaining experience is here for the taking. Hopefully, further experiences in the Legends style will be quickly forthcoming.

Not your usual Pokémon game, a step in a slightly different direction. Arceus isn’t without its faults, but it is fun – and that might be the most important quality of this experiment.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a huge step in the right direction, delivering on parts of the dream of being a pokémon trainer like never before. It's unfortunately also marred by a bland story, lackluster visuals and tons of small frustrations spread throughout.

For 2022, Nintendo has some new ambition for the Pokémon license! Pokémon Legends Arceus gives us a great semi open-world, which adapts well to the Pokémon formula. On the other hand, graphically, it's poor, simplistic and it feels like a game that is 15 years behind.

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.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus successfully refreshes the very old formula of these classic games, bringing players back to the past of the Pokemon universe but at the same time moving game mechanics into the future.

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.

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 isn't the open-world Pokemon game fans have been waiting for, but it's still the most ambitious Pokemon experience yet, and a fun collect-a-thon in its own right.

A brave and interesting take on the Pokémon universe, but terribly flawed technically. If you can overcome this production's shortcomings, you'll be able to answer the usual call for adventure, still here for players old and new.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the game that many have wanted Pokémon to be for the last ten years. It also looks about that old and runs about that well too. It’s absolutely wonderful to finally have something genuinely new in this amazing series, but I’m also really hoping this is just the first step towards more experimentation with the formula, because now we’ve all been given a taste of what Pokémon could become.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is close to being the Pokémon game I’ve always wanted, but falls short of perfection in ways that other games in the franchise have gotten right in the past. The sequel could very well be the best Pokémon game released so far.