Metacritic (83)
OpenCritic (84)
Eurogamer (recommended, video):
Unboxholics (worth your time, review in Greek):
Console Creatures (recommended):
LadiesGamers.com (two thumbs up):
3DJuegos (recommended, review in Spanish):
Polygon (no score):
The Verge (no score):
Telegraph (5/5):
Comicbook.com (5/5):
VGC (5/5, video):
God is a Geek (9.5/10, video):
Areajugones (9.2/10, review in Spanish):
GamePro Germany (92%, review in German):
GamesRadar (4.5/5, video):
Nintendo Life (9/10, video):
CGMagazine (9/10):
Nintendo World Report (9/10, video):
Geek Culture (9/10):
Screen Rant (4.5/5):
Dexerto (9/10):
GAMES.CH (90%, review in German):
TheSixthAxis (9/10):
Vooks (4.5/5):
IGN Portugal (9/10, review in Portuguese):
Nintenderos (9/10, review in Spanish):
Enternity.gr (9/10, review in Greek):
Geeks & Com (9/10, review in French):
Washington Post (9/10):
PPE.pl (9/10, review in Polish):
Spaziogames (8.8/10, review in Italian):
Gamersky (8.8/10, review in Chinese):
TierraGamer (8.8/10, review in Spanish):
Game Informer (8.75/10, video):
Hobby Consolas (87/100, review in Spanish):
COGconnected (86/100, video):
Millenium (85/100, review in French):
Meristation (8.5/10, review in Spanish):
Multiplayer.it (8.5/10. review in Italian):
Vandal (8.4/10, review in Spanish):
Everyeye.it (8.3/10, review in Italian):
Power Unlimited (82/100, review in Dutch):
Jeuxvideo.com (16/20, review in French):
Metro GameCentral (8/10):
GameSpot (8/10, video):
Shacknews (8/10):
Press Start (8/10):
XGN.nl (8/10, review in Dutch):
VG247 (4/5):
GAMINGbible (8/10):
Eurogamer Italy (8/10, review in Italian):
Inverse (8/10):
Glitched Africa (4/5):
Daily Mirror (4/5):
Video Chums (8/10):
But Why Tho? (7.5/10):
IGN (7/10, video):
Digital Trends (3.5/5):
PCMag (3.5/5):
IGN Italia (5/10, review in Italian):
OpenCritic (84)
Eurogamer (recommended, video):
Inspired as much by Pok'mon Go as it is Breath of the Wild, Pok'mon Legends: Arceus is flimsy and compulsive - and exhilaratingly new.
Unboxholics (worth your time, review in Greek):
Is Pokémon Legends: Arceus perfect? No, but nonetheless it evolves and moves the series forwards. Game Freak delivered a title that will entertain hardcore fans, but also those who just want to enter the beautiful world of Pokémon.
Console Creatures (recommended):
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the evolution the franchise has desperately needed and while there are some growing pains, visiting Hisui is nothing short of legendary.
LadiesGamers.com (two thumbs up):
Certain elements of Arceus remind me of action games such as Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Monster Hunter, but with the battle, trade, and collection of previous games still intact. Pokémon Legends: Arceus has undergone significant changes, ultimately making the game better for it. After having played all the previous Pokémon games in the series, I can say I love it, give it a go, and you might love it too!
3DJuegos (recommended, review in Spanish):
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is nowhere near a masterpiece, but it's definitely Game Freak's biggest and boldest statement to date. One that leans into the very roots of the franchise looking for a more interesting approach to the trainer-monster relationship, all wrapped up in a world that truly lives up to the mystery in its own name.
Polygon (no score):
Still, Pokémon Legends: Arceus made me care about battling, and I actually wish there were more trainer battles scattered throughout the world. But I missed some of the predictability found in the mainline series. Whenever I'd go to swap out one Pokémon for another mid-battle, I held my breath, never knowing if I'd have to take a hit from the enemy before I could attack. Hours in, I felt like the game didn't give me enough information to make some of the strategic decisions I wanted to. I love the direction in which the battles are going with Legends: Arceus, but a handful of "what the hell" moments killed some of my enthusiasm.
The Verge (no score):
The most important thing I can say about Arceus is that it’s a place I want to be in. As much as I loved previous Pokémon games, the worlds were very static and linear. I never really felt like I was exploring a vibrant world while walking back and forth in tall grass trying to level up my squad. Here, though — while it’s not exactly a realistic simulation of nature — it at least gives off the feeling of a real place full of danger and secrets, and all of the joy and excitement those things can bring. And it does all of that while retaining most of the best qualities of its predecessors. It’s still a Pokémon game. But with a changed perspective, it’s also something new.
Telegraph (5/5):
By tearing up the rule book and breaking new ground, Game Freak has created the best Pokémon title in decades
Comicbook.com (5/5):
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.
VGC (5/5, video):
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.
God is a Geek (9.5/10, video):
If this is the future of the series, I’ll be incredibly happy, because this just might be the best Pokemon game ever made.
Areajugones (9.2/10, review in Spanish):
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.
GamePro Germany (92%, review in German):
Pokémon Legends Arceus breathes new life into Pokémon with great new ideas, making it one of the best games in the series.
GamesRadar (4.5/5, video):
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.
Nintendo Life (9/10, video):
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.
CGMagazine (9/10):
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an adventure that is charming, surprising, and above all else, wonderful to play.
Nintendo World Report (9/10, video):
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.
Geek Culture (9/10):
Great for newcomers, even better for fans, Pokémon Legends: Arceus represents a natural evolution for the series, and it is one hell of a ride from start to end.
Screen Rant (4.5/5):
Pokémon Legends: Arceus reimagines the franchise.
Dexerto (9/10):
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.
GAMES.CH (90%, review in German):
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.
TheSixthAxis (9/10):
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.
Vooks (4.5/5):
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.
IGN Portugal (9/10, review in Portuguese):
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.
Nintenderos (9/10, review in Spanish):
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.
Enternity.gr (9/10, review in Greek):
The best choice you can make on January 28th is to buy Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Geeks & Com (9/10, review in French):
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an excellent adventure that proves it can pay off to do things differently. The recipe has been reworked on several levels and all these changes enhance the player’s experience. In short, if the last titles bored you a little by their redundancy, this new title should definitely reignite your flame.
Washington Post (9/10):
Don’t discount “Pokémon Legends: Arceus” for its looks. It’s an experience unlike any other in the series.
PPE.pl (9/10, review in Polish):
Pokemon Legends: Arceus refreshes the gameplay by offering players a lot of satisfying fun. The developers were not afraid of changes and gameplay can surprise even the biggest IP fans.
Spaziogames (8.8/10, review in Italian):
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.
Gamersky (8.8/10, review in Chinese):
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.
TierraGamer (8.8/10, review in Spanish):
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.
Game Informer (8.75/10, video):
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.
Hobby Consolas (87/100, review in Spanish):
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.
COGconnected (86/100, video):
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.
Millenium (85/100, review in French):
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.
Meristation (8.5/10, review in Spanish):
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.
Multiplayer.it (8.5/10. review in Italian):
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.
Vandal (8.4/10, review in Spanish):
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.
Everyeye.it (8.3/10, review in Italian):
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!
Power Unlimited (82/100, review in Dutch):
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.
Jeuxvideo.com (16/20, review in French):
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.
Metro GameCentral (8/10):
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.
GameSpot (8/10, video):
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a significant reimagining of what makes a Pokemon game, with an exciting level of flexibility that's only slightly hampered by a slow early-game grind.
Shacknews (8/10):
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.
Press Start (8/10):
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.
XGN.nl (8/10, review in Dutch):
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.
VG247 (4/5):
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.
GAMINGbible (8/10):
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.
Eurogamer Italy (8/10, review in Italian):
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.
Inverse (8/10):
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.
Glitched Africa (4/5):
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.
Daily Mirror (4/5):
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.
Video Chums (8/10):
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.
But Why Tho? (7.5/10):
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.
IGN (7/10, video):
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.
Digital Trends (3.5/5):
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.
PCMag (3.5/5):
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.
IGN Italia (5/10, review in Italian):
Pokémon Legends Arceus should have been the next new step for the franchise but it turned out to be a disappointing experience.
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