Pokémon Legends Arceus is a brand spanking new RPG game in the Pokémon series. It is technically a spin-off game that takes place in the Sinnoh region we have seen previously in the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl games (and so subsequently the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl updates of 2021). Except this game is set back in time, before Pokémon and humans lived side by side, and the region is known by its former name, the Hisui region.
Just like Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, you will be able to pick from three well-loved Sinnoh starters as your beginner Pokémon: Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott. These friendly and familiar faces from the respective earth, fire, and water categories are a nostalgic reminder of the games we have played in this region throughout the years.
However, everything after that is a very different experience from any previous games we have seen throughout the franchise’s history, and that is the main pillar of its appeal.
Pokémon Legends Arceus was announced by Nintendo in collaboration with game creators GameFreak and The Pokémon Company during an unveiling event as part of the franchise’s 25th birthday celebrations in February of 2021. A small trailer was released, teasing the new-style RPG to come.
This trailer was really well-received by Pokémon fans across the world and there began an exciting buzz about the upcoming game in fan forums across the Internet, such as Reddit. The main aspects people seemed to love about it were:
- It featured game mechanics we haven’t seen in previous Pokémon games such as capturing Pokémon in the wild with Pokémon balls, without any previous battle to be done
- The open world aspect looked beautiful and unique, a cross somewhere between the open world part of Pokémon Sword and Shield and Zelda Breath of The Wild
- The possibility of new Pokémon and forms (which we know now are Noble Pokémon in different states)
This buzz around the game continued until the game was finally released on the 28th of January 2022. In its initial sale release window, the game is reported to have sold 6.5 million units worldwide, which is an increase from the initial sale figures from the hugely popular 2019 release, Pokémon Sword and Shield.
So what are people saying about the game now that has been officially released and is being played so widely across the world? Let’s have a look.
The Public Verdict on Pokémon Legends Arceus
The Positives
Now that the game is out and being played, the verdicts are in on whether it is any good and whether it is being well-received by established fans and newcomers to the franchise alike.
There seem to be two main sides of the argument so far. On the one hand, people seem to be loving the game and its new layout and mechanics. For a lot of people, the game is shaking up the franchise and they are really enjoying playing something different. Apart from Sword and Shield, a lot of the games we have had in the last couple of years have been remakes or remasters, Pokémon Snap for example. This is a layout and form we haven’t seen before and that feels really refreshing.
This game brings something really unique into the world of Pokémon and a lot of fans are saying that it is bringing the real meat and substance that they have felt is missing in the franchise for a long time. This NintendoLife review even states that the new game makes Pokémon scary again, and not in a bad way, in a way that subverts the cute and cuddly cartooned norm we have gotten used to seeing over the last few games.
Getting to see Pikachu, Shinx, and all your favourite characters (shiny forms included) really out in the wild, ready to be interacted with in new and organic ways is something really exciting for any player. It changes the game entirely and brings something to the table that I think we have all been waiting for.
Metacritic is giving it a score of 84/100 right now, providing the tagline, “a bold new direction”. I would agree with that sentiment.
The Less Than Positives…
There is one overwhelmingly common complaint about Pokémon Legends Arceus right now and it is to do with the graphics.
Lots and lots of reviews are discussing the seemingly poor and underwhelming graphics of the brand new game. As these reviews are pointing out, Pokémon is the highest-grossing video game franchise of all time, even higher than the Mario franchise, pulling in $90 billion over its legacy. So, why does it seem that the graphics are lesser than those made by companies with far less money and budget? And why are there such inconsistencies within the Pokémon games themselves?
Pokémon Snap was beautiful, Pokken Tournament DX looks good, yet Pokémon Legends Arceus has a lot of bland, lifeless, and low frame rate content. The complaints coming in are very similar to those surrounding the open area section of Sword and Shield, so why haven’t the company taken this feedback and improved on it going into a new release?
Beats me.
It’s not that the Nintendo Switch can’t handle high resolution either, with the brand new OLED model running high-resolution and visually-impressive games including Monster Hunter Rise and Mario Party Superstars. Even games released years ago including Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Super Mario Odyssey hold up better than brand new Pokémon Legends Arceus in terms of visuals.
That feels like a real letdown to a lot of customers, and I can totally see their point.
This game has so much potential on the Switch and a lot of users were expecting something more along the lines of Zelda Breath of the Wild in terms of visuals, rather than something that looks like it might have been originally released on the GameCube.
My Final Verdict
Overall, there are definite positives and negatives to be seen in the new addition to the Pokémon family on Nintendo Switch.
The graphics and the frame rate are something that we will, unfortunately, have to put up with and they really are less than ideal. It would have been amazing to see a game that could keep up with others in the market right now.
But, all of that aside, there is so much fun and excitement to be had in this brand new game. With new game mechanics, the exploration of a new time period in Pokémon history, and even brand new Pokémon themselves, there is nothing boring or repetitive about this new instalment.
It is a breath of fresh air to a franchise that really needed it and if you are asking me should you buy the game I would answer…
Absolutely.
(Hey, while you are here, why not check out our other gaming blogs on our site and get involved with even more of our discussions from everything from Doom to Animal Crossing?)