Pokémon Legends: Arceus reviews roundup – a breath of fresh air

techradar.com:

Reviews for Pokémon Legends: Arceus are out in the wild, giving us an idea of whether Game Freak’s latest entry in the pocket monster series lives up to the hype – and from what we’ve read so far, it certainly sounds like it does.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is currently sitting at a respectable Metacritic score of 86, with a few critics giving the game full marks. The next mainline title in the Pokémon series, Arceus marks a major change in direction for the franchise. There are no Badges to collect, Gym Leaders to battle, or random encounters to work through. Instead, you’ll explore an open world in search of wild critters to add to your Pokedex.

Here’s a roundup of what the gaming press are making of the latest Pokémon release. 

In Polygon's review, Ryan Gilliam recommends the game, and says it finally gives Pokémon fans something new, even if it “stumbles often on its way to innovation… and brings equal parts brilliance and frustration in its updated systems”. 

Pokémon Legends: Arceus review: A messy, worthwhile experiment https://t.co/8IhHxSEzvC pic.twitter.com/dXgutZQF09January 26, 2022

Chris Scullion at VGC says the new game is “the series’ best game in years”, and refines nearly every element of the Pokémon formula for ”a smoother and more satisfying experience”. 

Review: Pokémon Legends Arceus is the series' best game in years.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐https://t.co/lFcx1I2pCV pic.twitter.com/o1BRZCR8pyJanuary 26, 2022

Eurogamer's Chris Tapsell also recommends Pokémon Legends: Arceus and describes it as “exhilaratingly new”, even if it clumsily cribs ideas from Pokémon Go and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. 

Budget bare-minimum, or the series distilled to its purest form? Our Pokémon Legends: Arceus review: