Pokémon Go aside, the iconic Pokémon series has been in something of a rut for a long while now, many of its mainline titles failing to capture the collective imagination of an audience who were beginning to feel as though their beloved games were failing to bring anything new to the party.
What's clear with Pokémon Legends: Arceus, however, is that the magic has been recaptured as efficiently as a helpless Spearow ensnared by a shiny red Poké Ball. Critical reception to Arceus has been almost universally positive, the game credited for reinvigorating the games through reinvention, innovation and ambition. By remixing the original formula of previous titles to an open-world exploration game, Arceus has, to quote GamesRadar's Sam Loveridge, "truly revolutionized the series for a more modern audience."
Arceus Expansive Open World is a Game-Changer
Arceus' transition to an open-world RPG in which players are free to roam and explore in search of wild (and often hostile) Pokémon is being hailed as one of the game's greatest strengths. Players explore the Hisui region and utilize Jubilife Village as their main central hub. From Jubilife, novice Pokémon trainers can help residents with local tasks, access shops and gain sanctuary from the sprawling wilds of the Hyrule-esque setting around them.
Exploration is what makes Arceus pretty much unique among Pokémon titles. The environment is tied to the game's story and its catching mechanics as players work towards collecting and documenting the various inhabitants of the wilderness. "Hisui is positively teeming with life," writes The Telegraph's Jack Rear, making the region notably more dangerous than in previous installments. As Rear warns, "these Pokémon won't just knock you out, they will actually kill you. Your only defense is your own team of tame Poké-chums..if they fall in battle, you're in the firing line."
Arceus' open world may be beautiful, but it is also responsible for the game's most glaring faults. Nintendo Life cites the tendency for the game's frame rate to drop when Pokémon are a distance away from the player, which can "make movements appear choppy and inorganic," a pretty significant issue for a game focused on tracking and researching specimens from afar.
Revamped Mechanics Make Pokémon Collection a Joy, Not a Chore
Arceus' catching mechanics are integrally tied to the open world, and players will spend much of their time roaming the four main regions searching for Pokémon. Once in contact with these creatures, players are not simply dumped into an arbitrary encounter. Instead, Arceus transitions seamlessly and organically into either a turn-based battle or a real-time conflict. As Laura Gray of ScreenRant explains, "Arceus captures the best of both game styles by allowing players to fling Poké Balls without engaging in a separate battle screen, as well as jumping into battles."
Also praised have been Arceus' RPG-based crafting and foraging systems. According to ScreenRant, "The ability to craft both at Base Camps and from a crafting kit in the inventory offers seamless and imperative access to item crafting." Crafting, combat and exploration feed into one another effectively, and the lush abundance of supplies across Hisui "allows players to spend long periods of time exploring, negating the tedious need to stop by a merchant or return to town."
Arceus' Story and Missions Delve Into Pokémon Lore
Although Pokémon catching and battling remain essential to the core of Arceus' story and missions, the game's main thrust is research. Given that Hisui is an ancient version of the familiar Sinnoh region, players are tasked with compiling the first-ever Pokédex. This central conceit works well according to Digital Trends, who claim that "the emphasis on research leads to some ingenious gameplay hooks" whereby players gain points for observing, catching, battling and even feeding their Pokémon.
This refocusing of the traditional narrative formula of many Pokémon titles has been a welcome change. For GamesRadar's Sam Loveridge, "stripping away the quest to beat the Elite Four and focusing on the 'gotta catch 'em all' aspect...forces the story to focus on the Pokémon themselves, making them the star of the show." Side missions, meanwhile, such as the 'requests' of local residents, "are always full of personality." As Loveridge explains, these requests are engaging by "offering up insights into how the Hisui residents are learning to overcome their fears and work together with Pokémon. Some are more research-based, but others are touching little personal stories that help bring the world to life."
What Do Critics Think About Legends: Arceus Overall?
Throughout so many critical reviews is the sense that Arceus is finally giving longtime fans of the series what they have always dreamed of: a truly immersive and exploratory Pokémon RPG that finally brings to life the rich and textured world with which many are so familiar.
Technical issues aside, Arceus looks set to be a landmark entry in the storied history of Pokémon releases. Nintendo Life calls it "the most important release in the series since 1996" and "one of the greatest Pokémon games ever made," while The Telegraph readies players "who have loved the games since infancy" to "prepare to fall for it all over again." In refreshing the franchise formula and transposing familiar concepts into a new and immersive world, Game Freak has injected new life into the beloved series. In short, this might finally be the Pokémon game long-suffering fans have been dreaming of for so, so long.