Pokémon Legends: Arceus review: Bidoof of the Wild
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
RRP $60.00
"Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a step in the right direction for the aging series, even if its technical limitations can't always support its ambitions."
benefits
-
Research is rewarding
-
Optimized catching
-
Charming side quests
-
Excellent combat optimizations
disadvantage
-
Tasks can be boring
-
Weak optics
-
Biomes lack variety
For the past seven years, every new Pokémon game has felt like a bright idea scrawled on a napkin. Each new release brings a really clever twist to the franchise, but none have felt like a complete painting. Pokémon Legends: Arceus isn't that definitive version either, more of a museum that collects the best doodles in one place.
In the franchise's biggest departure yet, developer Game Freak has thrown out some of the series' fundamentals. There are no gyms, no Elite Four, and no competitive component. While it takes inspiration from more modern RPG series like Monster Hunter, it's more focused on organizing disparate Pokémon innovations from the 2010s into one place.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus makes bold changes to the time-tested formula, successfully launching the long-needed reinvention of Pokémon. But the technical limitations of the series hang around her neck like an Everstone and prevent her from fully developing.
A professor's game
Bitten by the Breath of the Wild bug, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an open-world reimagining of the monster-collecting series. While it is about catching and fighting, the key verb is explore. Players are transported to an ancient version of the Sinnoh region (called Hisui) and tasked with creating the first Pokédex.
The emphasis on research leads to some ingenious gameplay hooks. Observing Pokémon behavior earns players Research Points, which help create a complete Pokédex entry for the creature. Players earn points by things like catching a Pokémon, using type-effective moves against it in battle, feeding it, etc. It applies the idea of mobile daily challenges to each creature and lets players progress to do virtually anything. It's satisfying to tick boxes, and there are literally thousands here.
Sometimes Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a dream come true. Creatures move freely and can be caught simply by throwing a ball at them without triggering combat, an improvement over Pokemon Let's Go's streamlined catching. Wild creatures can attack players, forcing them to move out of the way. Players can ride creatures like Wyrdeer, jump into the ocean, and switch seamlessly to sailing a Basculegion. Whenever I found myself in the gameplay loop, it truly felt like the seemingly impossible dream game I always envisioned as a kid.
At other times it can be a bit boring. Studying creatures became a torment when I had to do it to improve my star rank (a kind of world progress indicator) and advance the story. It's most reminiscent of Pokémon Go, which plays the replay unconvincingly. Arceus is much better at handling this idea, but it may subside once you've caught your eighth Shinx.
At its best, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a leisurely game where people learn to coexist with the unpredictable creatures around them.
In terms of its scripted content, the game is hit-and-miss. The main story never feels like it takes full advantage of its feudal setting; it just feels like your average Pokemon world minus the extravagant cities. However, side quests are more entertaining. These micro-stories explore the behavior of Pokémon in a fun way. In one mission, players capture a Zubat to help a woman figure out how they can fly in the dark so easily. Another has players on the hunt for a stray driftfloon that continues to play with the village children.
At its best, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a leisurely game where people learn to coexist with the unpredictable creatures around them. For those who have never been interested in the competitive side of the series, it's a warm, fuzzy experience that rewards players who identify more with professors than coaches.
Super effective
Although fighting isn't the main focus, it's still a core part of the game. While the series' turn-based combat is retained, they've been completely revamped here – and that's the best part. The biggest difference is that Pokémon now have initiative in battle, so a Pokémon's Speed stat is crucial. Instead of both creatures moving back and forth, a turn order determines when each acts. This means that a fast monster can make two attacks before their opponent gets one.
In line with this idea, Arceus introduces a new clutch for movements. When a Pokémon "masters" a move, it can choose to make it Strong or Agile, both of which consume more Power Points. A strong style hits harder, but usually means it gives the opponent an extra move. The agile style does the opposite, trading power for extra moves. These changes make battles even more strategic and exciting, as players have to balance their damage output and attack frequency.
A creature's move set can be toggled at any time. Each time a move is learned, either through leveling up or by purchasing new moves, it is added to a list. Players don't have to forget a move to set a new one, mercifully removing one of the series' most complicated features.
The fight will be tough, which is great news for gamers who have been begging for the series to challenge them. But it's also been streamlined in all the right ways. On-screen icons communicate better when changing a Pokemon's stats, there's an in-fight tab that explains each active buff or debuff, and players can change Pokemon on the fly without opening a menu. Every single quality of life improvement is outstanding and should make it into the main series.
I have no doubt that many of the mechanics here will make their way into the next mainline Pokémon game based on how fans get them here.
But I felt at times like playing around in a design proving ground. This is particularly evident in noble Pokémon battles, which are repeated in the Sun and Moon Totem Battles. Here, players face off against a powerful monster by repeatedly throwing balm at it, sending out Pokémon to weaken it, and dodging attacks.
While they're an excellent change of pace, there's only a handful of them throughout the adventure, and only the final fight or two really hold the concept. In the first noble fight against Kleavor, I didn't even send out a single Pokémon to defend myself. I just kept pressing a button to throw balm – not exactly a Monster Hunter-quality fight.
Few of the ideas here, both in and out of combat, feel like the final draft. Instead, Arceus is a safe place for game freaks to test new ideas without freaking out longtime gamers. I have no doubt that many of the mechanics here will make their way into the next mainline Pokémon game based on how fans get them here. It just makes this game feel like a solid opening storyline.
slow development
When it comes to the tech, I won't mince my words: Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an ugly game. I say this as someone who has openly poked fun at people who have complained about the visuals of Sword and Shield. While I felt the unassuming art style suited this game well enough, it less suited an open-world game built on being awe-inspiring.
Landscape textures shift and load jerkily as players move through the world. Sometimes distant Pokémon move in a two-frame animation. Character clothing is muddy when shown up close, with more jagged lines than a GameCube game. The "pop-in" edition of Sword and Shield is back too, and it's a lot more frustrating considering the fun of an open-world game is being able to see something in the distance and travel there.
I won't mince my words: Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an ugly game.
The open-world design itself isn't inspired either. Instead of throwing players into a massive world, it breaks them up into five different biomes. Each has a specific theme, meaning you don't get a lot of visual variety. When you are in the grass zone it is just fields and trees for miles with little variety. Some other areas honestly look the same but with slightly different textures or lighting. That's a shame from Sword and Shield's surprisingly well-designed Isle of Armor DLC, which features an intricate, varied island.
There aren't many environmental mysteries to uncover, which is what made Breath of the Wild's Hyrule so satisfying. Instead, it's a large empty room built to hold Pokémon – one that at times feels like a test prototype.
While I've really enjoyed my time with the game, it's also a little frustrating. It shows how icy the franchise is in implementing change. For the past seven years, every single Pokémon game (mainline and spinoff alike) has experimented with really neat ideas, but all come close to presenting the best version of it. I always look forward to a follow up that really pulls it together.
With Pokémon Legends: Arceus, I'm in exactly the same place. I'm already imagining how the next Pokémon game will incorporate all of these new mechanics and make the game of my dreams a reality. But that's a few years away, and the franchise already feels like it's consistently five years behind. Arceus is a step in the right direction, but still has a lot of catching up to do.
Our opinion
Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes many experimental turns – and many of them are successful. The switch to research-oriented gameplay does a better job of rewarding players for every little thing they do. The quality of life changes it brings to the table are excellent across the board and feel like they're going to become standard in the future series. It is only held back by some initial design ideas and weak visuals that fail to support the project's ambitions. Despite its issues, it still gives me hope that the series is finally ready to move on.
Is there a better alternative?
For more traditional fans, grab Pokemon Sword and Shield and its secretly good DLCs. These games feature some of the same open-world experimentation along with the normal series hooks.
How long it will take?
I can't reveal the length of the story per embargo guidelines, but it's an open world game with lots to do. Between researching, completing side quests, and finding collectibles, I imagine it will keep dedicated fans occupied for dozens of hours.
should you buy it
Yes. Though it has its warts, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an intriguing and much-needed reset for the aging series. It's a cozy experience that fits the Nintendo Switch perfectly.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus was tested on a Nintendo Switch OLED in handheld mode and on a docked TCL 6-Series R635.
Editor's Recommendations