A century before it became the land of Sinnoh, the Hisui region was a dangerous place where humans and Pokémon didn’t share the close bond they have today. In fact, Pokémon were treated like dangerous creatures to be avoided, and in Pokémon Legends: Arceus it’s up to you and the Galaxy Expedition Team to document and — yes — catch 'em all for the first-ever Pokédex.
This game offers the first real open-world experience in the Pokémon series. Technically a spin-off from the mainline games, Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes place in a 'Ye Olde' version of the Gen 4 region first visited in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl on Nintendo DS — and more recently in the Sinnoh remakes Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl on Switch. The land of Hisui is split up into regions, each of which is filled with Pokémon native to that habitat. In order to document them for your Pokédex, you’ll have to catch 'em (obviously), but instead of your sole option being simply weakening the Pokémon and then picking 'Poké Ball' from a menu, you have the chance to throw it yourself this time.
This is the best part of the game by far. The catching mechanics actually feel skill-based rather than luck-based, although luck does still play some factor. Certain Pokémon will require stealth when pursuing because, if they catch you looking at them the wrong way, they’ll either battle you or run away. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than slowly creeping up to a rare Pokémon only for it to spot you and sprint away as you launch Poké Balls over, under and to the side of it.
As a result, actually catching rare Pokémon feels like a great achievement and your team you build feels much more realised as you can remember exactly how you caught them. This also makes the experience of going into a new area and noticing all the different species you’ve yet to encounter feel so much more exciting than the equivalent in the mainline games.
The story in this spin-off delves into Pokémon lore in a compelling way that’s usually been reserved for books found in small corners around the world. There is, unfortunately, no voice acting, which feels like it would be the next logical step in the series, but the text dialogue is all well written, and the new shades added to the lore of Legendary Pokémon you’ve met before are welcome.
The overall roster of Pokémon is strong here, with no generation — with the exception of Gen 4, for obvious reasons — getting too much love. It feels balanced, but also as if all of these Pokémon could naturally live in these habitats. Some of the omissions from the Hisuian Pokédex are genuinely quite shocking, but we found that every type had an abundance of representation, and that there are plenty of ultra-rare creatures to go after once the credits have rolled.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus feels like the truest realisation of the fantasy of Pokémon — a wonderful surprise considering this is notionally a spin-off title. It’s a game about actually going out to catch them all and document the world, not just earning thousands of dollars as a 10-year-old destroying every professional Pokémon trainer in the world in quick succession.
Speaking of which, there are no Gyms in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Instead, early on you'll find your progress gated by the likes of Noble Pokémon Kleavor. This essentially serves as a boss fight for the region, and an introduction to the aforementioned never-before-seen Pokémon. Mechanically, the fight is somewhat clunky, especially when it becomes a bit of a third-person shooter for a few minutes, but Kleavor certainly looks great.
Jubilife Village serves as your home base and is also where you can change outfits, your hairstyle, or visit several shops. You need to go back here a bit too much for our liking, especially in the end game, but it’s handy having everything in one place and not randomly spread across the world. There are several rideable Pokémon that help you travel the world of Hisui. Wyrdeer, a new evolution of Generation 2’s Stantler, will essentially serve as your bike, allowing you to speed across terrain. Basculegion, a super-sized Basculin evolution, enables you to traverse the watery expanse, and more (which we won’t spoil here) make traversing Hisui a very easy, pleasurable experience.
There is a part of us that almost preferred the early game — when none of the rideable Pokémon are accessible — and we had to make sure we were outfitted with the right items and were properly prepared for the on-foot journey across the opening area. It felt like those episodes of the Pokémon anime where Ash and crew would just walk for hours on expeditions between towns. Having the rideable Pokémon is a great option, especially in later areas that are much larger than the initial zones, but we’d recommend taking it slowly through your first journey in Hisui. There’s a lot to discover and you'll want to savour the exploration.
Battling receives a refresh in this spin-off in the form of Agile Style and Strong Style moves. These options are unlocked once a move is 'mastered' by a Pokémon. In battle, this manifests as giving the player the option for the move to hit harder, at the expense of skipping a turn, or it may give the player the opportunity to attack twice before their opponent.
This is a refreshing change and gives you an extra layer of strategy to think about. Battles generally are much harder than the ultra-easy recent Pokémon games, with several late-game encounters reminding us of the Ultra-Necrozma fight from Pokémon Ultra Sun & Moon. This means building a team that covers all your bases is essential and encourages players to go after Alpha Pokémon, which are super-sized and much stronger variations of Pokémon, earlier in the game. It's thrilling stuff if you're a Pokémon veteran.
These Alpha Pokémon are fairly common, and they’ll often be 20 to 30 levels higher than your best Pokémon in the early stages. Blacking out is a genuine threat, and as you can lose extremely rare items when this happens, it’s something to watch out for. In a nice touch, you can either select to run away from battles or literally just run away. EXP is shared across your party, and you’ll also receive XP for catching Pokémon without battling. The game does a good job of scaling against this; by the time we reached the final battle, our levels were fairly similar to the last boss, although, players who triple down on catching them all will likely be higher.
While players can trade Pokémon, there are no multiplayer battles in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. We wonder if this is due to having to balance all of the moves in the game against the new Agile/Strong styles, but it will feel like a bit of a miss for hardcore players of the mainline series. Incidentally, Shiny Pokémon are in the game and appear in the overworld. We were even able to capture a few ourselves.
The only real downside to Pokémon Legends: Arceus are the technical stumbles that are hard to ignore. The frame rate is prone to stuttering when a character is too far away from you, and there’s a blurry fuzz around character models. Despite having a certain style, the series has never been a technical tour de force (at least beyond the phenomenal compression wizardry that squeezed Kanto into Pokémon Gold and Silver) and that hasn't changed here — textures, trees and other elements all look very dated by modern standards.
On the other hand, the Pokémon models themselves look great. There are new animations not only for some of the 'mon but for a lot of classic moves, too. The semi-accurate sizing of Pokémon and the new camera angles for battle also make you feel a lot more like you’re actually in the world rather than warping to and from segmented battle arenas every time you have an encounter.
A common joke when this game was first shown off was that it was going to be the “Breath Of The Wild of Pokémon games”. When people said that, they meant because it opens on a shot of an impressive mountain, punctuated with piano keys that sound like the prelude to an open, explorative adventure.
The reality? Well, Pokémon Legends Arceus is, in fact, the Breath of the Wild of Pokémon games, but not because of any of that. It’s because the developers have managed to take characters and mechanics that are exceptionally familiar to millions of players and rehouse them in a game that’s so much more than what has come before. It’s the most important release in the series since 1996 and fills us with hope for a franchise that we were worried was somehow drifting away from us. Sure, the game has technical problems here and there, but it’s telling how insignificant they feel when you finally catch that rare Pokémon you’ve been hunting for an hour.
Conclusion
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.
Comments 466
ROWLET MY BELOVED
Happy to see this review!
Was excited for the game, but this review just made me feel like I’m a kid waiting for Red and Blue to drop soon
Would this be a good first game for someone who has never played Pokemon before? I've always been interested in the creature collecting but the gameplay always looked slow
It's really, really, really good lads.
If you wonder "why didn't he mention this!!!" it's because of the embargo.
Love yas x
Wait wait wait. A…..good Pokémon game? Ok fine I’ll play it, only after I’m done with the BEST Pokémon game; shin megami tensei v
I preordered. Glad it has got a very good review. It will be the first Pokémon game I have ever played ha
I'm super excited for this game, will be preordering it later today.
I had low expectations but I’m glad the initial reviews are this positive- looking forward to giving it a go.
Hurry up, Friday.
So good to see this get a high score! Now if my pre-order would hurry up and arrive!
Sigh This only reinforces my commitment to waiting until mid-February to receive the physical version I sort-of preordered. This seems to be a real special game.
That's what I'm talking about. This'll make a great birthday present in the coming days after.
It was thanks to the leaks that I decided to buy The Legend of Arceus Breath of the Wild. Otherwise, the hd ps2 graphics would’ve made me not buy it 😂
Hate to be that guy, but Basculegion isn't the Pokemon you fly on. That would be
H-Braviary. Although, I'd much rather fly around on a giant fish made up of the souls of other fish if we're being honest
Just a few more days and I can finally play this game. The multiplayer aspect is not much of a con for me. As long as there is still trading, that's more than enough. Finally, a Pokémon game that is more focused on the single-player aspect.
I’m planning to get this. Only Pokémon game I’ve ever finished was Moon lol.
Yeaaaahhhh baaaaaybeeeeeee!
Bring on the haters. Tell me about the textures, go on tell me. As if I give a hoop-ti-hoo!
My ignore button is primed and ready, so come out with your guns blazing and **** off into obscurity!
@Crockin Yup, I'll only touch it after I'm done with SMT V, but the thing that I had to took some getting used to was not feeling attached to any one demon
A problem that Pokemon does not have - I'm usually finishing it with my favorites design-wise
Of course this has to be great.
Say wut?
I did not expect a 9 to be honest. Now I’m very intrigued.
Best Pokemon game on the Switch for sure.
Why does Metacritic list your 9/10 review as an 8/10?
Edit: Metacritic updated their end, but I'm still curious about the discrepancy.
https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/pokemon-legends-arceus/critic-reviews
The game is reviewing favourably though! I'm looking forward to this.
so this got good reviews actually. Nice
@BTB20 We found one of the leakers...
Seriously though, glad to see this reviewing well. I keep my expectations for all new Pokemon games squarely in check.
I am BEYOND excited for this game.
It take Game Freak way too long to shake up the Pokemon formula and actually do something new with it. But you know what? I'm just glad they did ❤️
Could this be my first ever Pokémon game?
It could ya know.
I know to take review scores for Pokemon games with a grain of salt based on past entries but at the very least they're finally doing something a bit interesting and different (even if it could have used a bit more polish) so I'll be giving it a chance and seeing for myself. I felt completely done with the series after Sword and Shield so this definitely feels like a step in the right direction finally.
I am so glad this rated highly. I've been disappointed (bored?) with all the switch entries so far, and I'm hoping this saves me from giving up on the series
YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Likely gonna get it in a few weeks / months
Wonder whether there will be DLC like for S/S
@Pineapple_Mohawk I like that I can churn through all the options. Also I like that most of them hate me lol
Crazy hype for this, seems like the Switch has its first truly great Pokemon game. Now I have 2 days to decide between Rowlet and Cyndaquil.
Let's Go, Eevee was my first Pokemon game, and this will be my second. Looks cool.
Okay, okay, this review has gotten my attention
Noice! Will pick up on friday. Happy to see the comments section so positive before the pitchfork brigade shows up...cuz they are coming.
It's nice to see the franchise finally back on track, now they only have to improve those ps2 graphics and horrible art direction for the next game.
Sadly, Now I will have to bear all those pokemon apologists that finally got a good game and will start to claim that the previus games were also good and I was just being a hater -_-
I'm happy to see it rated so highly! I knew this game had potential to be something really special and evolutionary for the Pokemon series (something it desperately needed, I'm sure many of us can attest).
I look forward to purchasing it once I get my first paycheck after I get my new job. (which is funny, because I bought Pokemon Black with my first paycheck in my very first job). It gives me something to look forward to.
Well, there it is. Have it coming from Amazon any day now. Glad it reviewed well.
Disappointed to see yet another switch exclusive with technical problems but overall it sounds positive and can't wait to get my copy after work on Friday
Removed - trolling
yesss.. waited for the positive review.. just did my preorder! good price, steelbook and an inutile cosmetic dlc.. eager to play, but as always the backlog is endless... just started hade.. have SMT V and so many others.. I hope it blast selling like water in the desert!
Way better than that Piece of s*** called crap diamond and lame pearl, the laziest work I have ever seen
@Crockin hahah im same wife got me it after suffering covid quarantine and covid. SMTV is amazing game just need the world to change days to 32 hours to play it more
This was just amazing to hear. Can't believe it turned out as well as it seems to have and so excited for Friday now more than ever! ☺️
Seeing a lot of Pokemon fans here having a totally normal one at the mere mention of this game having even the slightest of flaws.
Anyway. Looks interesting, good score.
Great review. Looks like I'm finally going to get a Pokemon game on launch since SoulSilver.
Sigh...

There is no Sawk in Legend of Arceus.
When the headline reads "One of the Greatest Pokemon Games Ever Made" but after having played it to completion, I can say it's clearly not. Into the trash bin for this review.
Breathe that life back into my lovely Pokemon franchise yesss. I haven't turned on my Switch in quite a while, but looks like that's changing this weekend
My brain can not compute a good Pokemon game. I will have to think about this for a few weeks.
@NinjaGuy69 Can you let us know how the review differs from your experience?
Just a technicality, but this isn’t a spin-off. It’s considered a mainline entry. But that’s splitting hairs at this point, and people will continue to refer to this game as a spin-off, so I won’t continue that losing fight.
Regardless, this review is about what I was hoping the game would be. I’ve never been one to throw a tizzy when graphics are bad (and they kind of are in this game), so ultimately, I think I’m really going to enjoy this game. Roll on Friday!
@JordanMiddler
Just wanted to talk about this;
“Technically a spin-off from the mainline games”
Arceus Legends is a mainline game confirmed by GameFreak themselves.
@NinjaGuy69
Sounds like the game wasn’t what you expected it to be. But wait….you pirated it so you can’t complain about wasting money. Shame…
Still wish they experiment with voice acting but the game itself looks pretty fun. Looking forward to playing it
Removed - current gen piracy/emulation
Being a bit too old to live through the original Pokemon craze, I've never played a Pokemon game in my life. But this is tempting me, is it possible just to dive in and enjoy this game with knowing nothing about the lore or game mechanics? I only got into Animal Crossing for the first time last year and I love it to death.
Pass. Doesn't really rock my boat, but I am happy for the fans that are finally getting open-world Pokemon. Only 25 more years and we should get MMORPG Pokemon.
Jesus christ if you care about the franchise you'll buy this game and not buy Brilliant and Shining.
I'm buying it for myself and 3 of my friends and preaching it to all my other friends to get it. This game needs to do well, we need to send a clear message to Gamefreak and Nintendo crap like shining and brilliant is not what the fans want.
I just pre-ordered yesterday and after reading this I am happy I did. Everything I’ve seen & read has been very positive (rare for a Pokemon release these days). Super excited to adventure through the Hisui region. I’m even more excited to think how these ideas & gameplay mechanics will impact & influence the future of the series. I have a feeling this will be at the top of my 2022 Year-in-Review summary.
Knew this would be awesome from the initial reveal.
Roll on Friday....
I thought I was done with Sword and Shield. I didn't hate them, but they were underwhelming, as were the previous games I played, for every step forward they took they lagged behind the competition by several more. However, I might just have to give this a go.
@MatoFilipovic
if you want an mmo, your best bet is to buy this game and show gamefreak that you support evolution, not devolution. You'd do more for the franchise to pick this game up than to skip it. Trust me. This game has to do well or you'll never get your mmo.
Because if Shining and Brilliant outsell this game, gamefreak is literally just gonna stick to that formula from now on.
@AugustusOxy,
Surely room for all types of Pokemon games, as long as we get games like legends too.
It's so ugly it could run on a gamecube
@Xellen No, it isn't that the game "wasn't what I expected it to be" or just "not for me". Those are lame excuses that apologists (like you) use to absolve the developers of criticism when they make a bad game. It was just a bland, soulless game like all of the other Pokemon releases on the Switch.
I thought I was done with pokemon after Sw/Sh but this game looks awesome and got me excited again for the franchise!
Removed - inappropriate; user is banned
Happy to see the reviews are out.
I haven't gotten a Pokémon game since Moon. I was not that impressed by the ones on the Switch so far, but this one seems to be worth it and it will likely be delivered on release day for me.
My Amazon preorder was just delayed until Tuesday… might just try to preorder somewhere else, I suppose.
@NinjaGuy69
Ah…there’s that word again that people like to pass around so much in the Pokemon fandom. “Apologists”.
You come across like a typical 4chan poster on the Pokemon board who has nothing better to do but whine and complain.
If, in your own words you thought it was “bland and soulless” then it means the game wasn’t for you and wasn’t what you set your expectations up to be. Which is what I said.
Can't believe it actually took them til the Switch to actually make an epic home console Pokemon RPG. We have come a long way from Pokemon Stadium, Colosseum, XD, and Battle Revolution.
It's about damn time you guys got your review copy. I wonder why Japan got their reviews in so early.
@fenlix @Savage_Joe Neither of you remember what a PS2 game looks like.
I'm thinking I'm going to pass on it myself. Might look into it if word of mouth is strong enough but as it is between the way it's structured, being an action RPG, the tiny Pokedex, and how obscenely grindy it is it's kind of a perfect storm of things I never wanted in this series.
While I generally respect NLife's reviews, I'd just like to point out they have strong bias with pokemon. Sun/Moon got a 10/10, Sword/Shield an 8/10. This game may be good, or it may be overhyped by initial reviews the same way previous games in the series were. I'll wait for people to finish the game and see user reviews before making a decision on this one.
Ok now I’ve gone from cautiously optimistic to excited to beyond hyped!! The fact that it seems to be legitimately epic, combined with the fact that he purposely left stuff out of the review because of the embargo, makes me need this game on my Switch now! It’s so great to see the reception of this game go from OhNo! TeRIBL GRAFIx to actually good is rather pleasing to me.
@EOTW I thought Sun/Moon were great?!
https://twitter.com/Stealth40k/status/1486339810151260161?t=pMJN2btimP5VBKjYPgVxlw&s=19
I am so glad I pre-ordered it today
@Skunkfish were they 10/10 great? I personally felt like they were a downgrade from X/Y. I'd give them a 7/10 maybe. Still fun but with lots of problems.
@Xellen I just call it like I see it. When people make generalized excuses about a game in order to justify it's flaws, then that's what makes you an apologist. Again, excuses like "it wasn't what you expected" or "maybe it's just not for you" are meaningless. They don't mean anything and they also insult the intelligence of the player.
Where you're also wrong is when it comes to expectations. I'm not someone who's naïve enough to get hyped over a game that I know little about before I play it. However, it's reasonable to expect that a multi-billion developer could create a worthwhile game would be enjoyable to more than just children and people with low standards. When those (extremely low) expectations don't line up with the end product, it clearly demonstrates that said developer isn't acting in good faith and is deserving of criticism so that they can improve their products in the future.
You can whine all you want about people being reasonably and justifiably disappointed but all that does is further reinforce the fact that you're an uninformed apologist and your actions don't help the franchise or the community, they hurt them.
@fenlix it’s already happening on this thread 😂
The reviewer for IGN Italy got so angry that they gave the game 5/10 because she said it was too difficult LOL
Here’s a translated portion of that review;
“First of all, in the game world it is possible to be attacked by several Pokémon together up to a maximum of four: no problem, it comes to mind, at least two I can use them in turn, right? But no, regardless of the amount of Pokémon in our possession, even if there were six, we will be able to field only one . Imagine a system like that of the CTB, "corrupted" by the two techniques mentioned above, in a 4vs1 fight; of course, nothing prevents us from escaping when it comes to wild encounters, and escape has always been possible for me. However, it is not an ideal or acceptable solution to apply every time.”
They literally angered four Pokemon in the field and then complained when the battle became stacked..
Its about time this series evolves! Lets gooooo
@Bret Have you seen these remasters of classic ps2 games, like Devil May Cry, Onimusha, heck, even the GTA Trilogy? Yeah, that’s what PLA looks like to me.
Knew it would be fantastic, so hyped for Friday.
Removed - flaming/arguing
I will wait to read other reviews before call a "victory". This site is not very partial in terms of votes on main Nintendo games.
@NinjaGuy69
It’s all well and good you writing a wall of text talking about justifying your thought process, but you stated Legends Arceus was “bland and soulless” just like all the other Pokemon games.
If you’ve overseen and played through that many games and still came out not liking them for whatever reason, then maybe that says something about this series not being for you.
A lot of this article praises the game for the same things that were criticized in SwSh even when done better.
Any reliable sources mention gameplay length? I want to assume 30+ hours.
@Ninjaguy69
Curiously, what do you consider good games?
@dr-gorgo
I saw your whole comments from previous articles just only complain and complain.
@Screen
This article sadly doesn’t even touch upon the sheer number of QoL features present in Legends Arceus in regards to the UI and interface as well as many of the established mechanics we know about Pokemon.
The seamlessness between traversing the field and catching Pokemon is supported by streamlined menus that pop-up and don’t feel clunky and in your face at all.
Pokemon no longer automatically evolve and instead you now have the option to manually choose when you want to evolve them (A but like in the Mystery Dungeon games). Once you hit the level requirement or evolution method you can select to evolve them from the Party screen.
EV’s and IV’s have been replaced with a simpler mechanic which will appeal to more casual players.
And that’s just two of the few impressive QoL features that impresses me in this game.
@Saf01
It amazes me too. So many people got filtered by Ultra Necrozma in USUM and it was a legitimate challenge (Especially if you were doing a Nuzlocke)
Arceus Legends has numerous difficult fights just by dangerously exploring places. And there’s even one fight which I won’t spoil, but it’s probably on par with Ultra Necrozma, if not harder.
@NinjaGuy69
I thought Legend of Arceus looked decent enough for me as casual gamer.
Didn't look bad, I still saw some potential.
I will definitely wait 5-6 months for user reviews. I will never forget how all the gaming sites gave Sword and Shield these great reviews just for us to get delivered the worst Pokémon games ever made. Seriously, it destroyed my enjoyment of the franchise after 30 years and I got away from Pokémon as far as I could.
Im glad this got a good score, but I’ll believe it when the hype of it being a “new game” settles down and the true user reviews start coming in.
Im still worried about Pokemon’s future after the Sw/Sh fiasco.
But what about the objective, purely fact-based user reviews?
A nine???? well NL you blew my gastly's off.
@marcel1_1
I don't think Pokemon BDSP look bad.
The Chibi style looks cute for me.
@fafonio
''Just for US to get the worst Pokémon game ever made''
Excuse you, I enjoyed the hell out of Sword and Shield. It's not the most perfect game out there, but it sure as hell was a lot more fun than Sun and Moon.. but again, my opinion. Some people enjoyed Su/Mo more than Sw/Sh and that's okay too.
Don't be that guy that assumes everybody hated a specific Pokémon game just because you didn't like it..
Phew. Now I can actually allow myself to be hyped about the game if it's actually really good.
LFGGGGGGGGGGGG
@NinjaGuy69 Shame you didn't like it, but believe me, nobody cares. Now watch and weep as it sells millions of copies.
@Yorumi Pokemon has technical problems, but some people blow some of the other problems out of proportion so much it comes off as them just ranting and raving.
That Galarian Weezing chimney thing that they have on top of the building is so far my favorite world detail
@Mauzuri You're asking the impossible.
@fenlix I'm not an apologist, but I actually really did like Sun/Moon. Though it seems I may be in the minority on that one
Update: Got the game pre-ordered, Friday can't come soon enough!
@fafonio Do you actually read the reviews though or just look at the scores? Cause I had to go back and check the Sw/Sh reviews after reading your comment and despite the high number, the review was filled with caveats. They absolutely continually harped on the fact that the game design was extremely dated.
@MegaVel91
That appears to be the case, unfortunately.
@KateGray I'd like to see the stats on starters, I bet it's going to be overwhelmingly favourable for Rowlet.
@Pineapple_Mohawk @Crockin
I settled into a team pretty early on and rocked the same 3 demons through the end game, the first pixie I met in the starting area and "evolved" into a High Pixie, an Azumi that was kicking too much ass that I then "evolved" into Rakshasa, and an Angel which I "evolved" into a Principality. I meticulously pumped up their stats and maxed out their potentials and curated their skills from the essence of other demons. It was truly a Pokémon fantasy!
@Mauzuri it’s quite a general sentiment for Sw/Sh though. Don’t get me wrong, glad you liked it… but theres tons of people who felt burnt with Pokémon after those games.
There are many great Pokémon games, but even if you liked them and had fun with them, it is good to admit that those are a pretty low point for the series.
Im glad this one is better, but I will wait to see honest reviews after the dust has settled and gamers start noting the low points and high points of the game.
What SW/SH did for me was open my eyes and never trust GameFreak and gaming websites in the first months of a Pokémon release.
@fafonio I'm sure it's a general sentiment for Sw/Sh, that is why it was voted as one of the top 20 games of all time in Japan, after all. I think you are confusing your little GameFreak hater bubble with the general public. Admittedly, it's easy to make it when you live on the internet and particularly on Twitter and fansites.
@Brydontk believe me… I read all the review, that’s why I’m one of the bottom posters in this article. However, as I said, I learned the hard way to never listen to a review for a fresh Pokémon game.
There’s this hyped view of them when it’s something new… but after months pass and you start seeing it for what it was, the feeling changes.
Guys, go buy it, enjoy it…. Just tell me how it is in a few months down the road. I’ll be happy if it’s actually a good game and that GameFreak learned all the right lessons.
@fafonio
Yeah, fair enough. I'm glad you eleborated on your opinion. I have the same kind of attitude with SEGA and the Sonic games currently. I'll not trust them with Frontiers for the same reason you are wary with Legends Arceus
@Yomogi truth I usually only trade personally not a big loss for me 🤷♂️
is multiplayer planned or is it completely omitted?
@NinjaGuy69 Let's start off with the fact that I find the mainline Pokemon games extremely boring, as turn based combat is not my preferred style of play. Just gonna take away your name calling ability for a second
Next, I'm very curious if you even played the game. Saying that you did and just calling it a bland soulless gane, while not going into detail when asked why you think that? It's not a good look. Because you refuse to add more, it just seems like a blind hater that just wants to spread their hate before they even touched the game. Anyone can do that!
I can claim that I pirated the game and it's the best thing since sliced bread! Look how easy that is to do. And if anyone asks for details, I'll just tell them to play it themselves, just like you have. So at the very least, give some more detail for those that want to know your position, as not all those who replied to you are "apologists and fanboys."
@fafonio I put 400+ hours into sword and shield spamming ycom chat made my shiny hunting addiction the easiest it’s ever been I’ve got boxes full. I didn’t really have any probs with it even compared to previous entries it’s a standard Pokémon experience and I enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to this release as well.
Given what I've read and heard, still don't think it's worth the expense. Still feels like a lot of issues I have with Pokemon in general haven't been addressed, and what's worse, this game doubles down on the "catch em all" aspect, which is actually my least favorite part of the series.
@Troll_Decimator ohh you mean that TV poll where most of the games were new and recent games? Yeah, I would not use that list as a good argument. And telling me that just because Japan liked it isn’t a good argument either.
When SoulSilver and HeartGold are like in 50th place and then SW/SH is on the top 20…. I can see that it is quite a biased poll.
SW/SH were really bad that GameFreak had to steer the ship into this game…. Which is a really good thing.
But great, call me a GameFreak hater…. I can assume I’ve been playing Pokémon games way longer than you since I was there, playing Pokémon Blue on release day when I was 8 years old and played all of them ever since.
But since I point out SW/SH as a bad game i must be a GameFreak hater… right?
I’m just really glad that for Pokémon purists, like me, they re-release older games like Brilliant Diamond in addition to these vastly different, un-Pokémon-like games so everyone is happy. I wish they’d do one for the HeartGold/SoulSilver on switch too with a pokéwalker included.
@Anti-Matter I never said it looks bad, I said it is lazy. It brings nothing new to the table. It's a copy paste from the original games with no novelties
@Alckemy I don’t think their planning on battles but trading is available at launch
For me, i think graphic of this game is not great, GF could make it better, but still suit for Switch. I hope they upgrade graphic if they make more Pokemon game like that in the future.
I played some Pokemon main game, and gameplay of Legend Arceus really blow me away. It's great to see GF find a new mechanic for Pokemon series.
Gameplay prevails, it seems! Very glad to hear this.
I have spoken against Game Freak for years. About how they are making the same game again and again and again. I am more than thrilled to see the direction they decided to go with Legends. At last, a next gen Pokemon game. I just preordered it and I can't wait to play it.
I haven't read the review just in case of spoilers. Could technical issues listed in the "cons" be fixed with an update, or are they more technical issues with the game itself?
@ninjaguy69 I actually want to know your opinion of the game since you say you’ve already played it. Don’t listen to the people here bashing you for criticizing the game. I really want to know your opinion about the high points and low points of it if you really played it. There must be both
Are the battles still all one on one?
@fafonio You think a list based on popular vote from a mainstream source is less representative of the general sentiment than what a few people on the internet that you choose to opt into think? Sorry to break your bubble, but the general sentiment towards the game is overwhelmingly positive. Thinking that your niche opinion is the general sentiment is called denial. Am I saying Sw/Sh were amazing? Of course not, I just played through them once and don't think I'll play them again, but they are two of the most popular entries in the franchise, that's a fact.
@NinjaGuy69 but you whining about how much it sucks, which is in fact just your opinion, will miraculously help the franchise 😂 ok good luck with that 🤦♂️ I’ll gladly just enjoy the game with the other uninformed apologists as you say.
@Mauzuri exactly! Even though you and I love Sonic… people are just wary of what Sega does with those games because… well because they tend to lose the way. If Frontiers is good, great for all of us… but I will wait to see what people actually think of it and, at this point, not just reviews who tend to give a few points higher because of the novelty factor.
I’ll be waiting to hear what you guys have to say about Arceus a few months down the line. It’s better for me if you guys actually enjoy it and have good things to say about it.
@Deepdoop I like to say any pokemon game is agood game to get stsrted. This game is admittedly more complex than older titles but if that's what you're looking for in a pokemon game now is the time.
@Xellen That’s a valid complaint. But I guess the way people try to look cool on this site is by making fun of IGN, of all things lol
@Troll_Decimator popular doesn’t equal good, and that’s a fact.
You’ll find lots of other polls where SW/SH doesn’t even figure in the top 100 games of all time.
Just because you remember the Japan TV poll being the most recent is not a good argument.
If you’re telling me SW/SH is better than SoulSilver and HeartGold… then yes… Im in denial. You can ask any longtime Pokémon fan comparing those two and you’ll see how that poll was biased. It’s nonsense having SS and HG on 50-75th place and Sw/SH on the 20th.
It was a list basing itself on the novelty factor of recent games.
Removed - current gen piracy/emulation
@Anti-Matter this is a joke right? please tell me this is a joke
@Draxa You’re honestly just being abrasive at this point. At least try to talk calmly about NinjaGuy’s points, instead of just being a fanboy and making fun of him.
I think I will get it soon. I never played a Pokemon game before, so hopefully I like it.
'Technical stumbles' have been given too much attention in this review.
@nmanifold i would think so. Lore has never been critical to enjoying pikemon and the mechanics are all new
@NinjaGuy69 but is it a bad game if so many people like it?
Calling people appologists for pointing out your opinion isn't the only one is hardly any better.
Removed - flaming/arguing
@EOTW go to metacritic *everyone*is goving LA an 8/10 or better
@NinjaGuy69 ok thanks, it seems there are thing I would be interested in. How does the size of the world compares to something like BotW for example? Is it a single-area kind of world? Or just small empty “open” areas like SW/SH?
@westman98 wait 'till the game is actually out then you'll know
@Troll_Decimator I care. I’m always cautious when a game is overwhelmingly positive by reviewers that do this for a job. If a general user plays the game and says something is up, it’s worth it to take pause and consider it may not be the gold we seek. Us ninjas gotta stick together.
@MegaVel91 this guy gets it
@NinjaGuy69 Thanks for fighting the good fight. Does the game still use one on one battles?
@xPH03N1Xx86 just wait. Joe Merrik calls it the two gen rule. Games are appreciated much more by the fandom 2 gens after they occcur
@Dilly-Mick As fafonio pointed out above, popular doesn't mean good. McDonald's is the most popular food chain in the world but that doesn't mean they offer good, high quality food. And if you're someone who criticizes those who criticize low quality products, then you are being an apologist. If you lash out at others because you can't handle the fact that the things you enjoy can't stand up to even basic criticism, then you're being an apologist. There's nothing wrong with calling it how it is and telling people that they're apologists - it's just the truth whether it feels good or not.
@Savage_Joe So now it's remasters of PS2 games, not PS2 games?
I’m not the type of gamer that is obsessed with how the trees or grass looks. If the game itself is good I buy simple as that and looks like this game brings a whole lot of good
@Dilly-Mick Calling a game bad or good only matters on an individual basis. If a group of people happen to like it, there are still going to be people who don’t. Artistic media exists in a place where it has the potential to be good and bad at the same time, because it’s all based around taste, preference, and opinion.
@Dilly-Mick
What do you mean by a joke?
I think it's extremely insincere to call it the most important release in the series since 1996 (I have been there from the start) but regardless, excited for the game.
@fafonio funny I've had the opposite experience my appreciation for pokemon game titles generally grows over time
@Alckemy trading exists not pvp
@fafonio The open areas are more restricted like Sw/Sh are. They're unfortunately fairly empty.
@BloodNinja Yes, but similar to how you can run around in the overworld while battling wild Pokemon, you can do the same in trainer battles.
@Draxa yeah two things SwSh did really well are upping acessability and competative options.
@NinjaGuy69 Gosh darn it. All I’ve ever wanted from a Pokémon game was a party system XD. Guess I’ll just be waiting again LOL Thanks for the reply!
@Kiyata agreed variety is good
@bimboliquido He made several posts where he stated specific things about the game, and made several good points about it that felt genuinely helpful. He’s also answering people who have questions about the game if they mention him in the comments, which is really helpful.
@SuperZeldaFun BoTW hasn't even hit 25M. I'll be surprised if it outsells SwSh. I'll be really happy if it does because maybe the Pokemon Company will continue taking risks if it does, but I expect somewhere around 15M.
@BloodNinja Well yes you can hold Pokemon in your party during the battles. I thought you were referring to if they were single or double battle.
@NinjaGuy69 right but my point is if I agreed with you I would be witty and clever wouldn’t I? I’ve seen posts from individuals such as yourself all over these gaming sites and it just comes off as pretentious and annoying. Just my opinion though, keep enjoying your pointless crusade and best of luck. 🤷♂️
@fafonio neither... Think more like monster hunter
Removed - flaming/arguing
@NinjaGuy69 and theres nothing wrong with saying what it is that what najes a "good" game is subjective and people lije it
@Dilly-Mick sorry but… to what post are you replying hehe… this board went nuts. You mean the areas?
@NinjaGuy69 Ah, I mean can you fight with 3-4 Pokémon at the same time, like the way parties in Final Fantasy work. If it’s the same one on one system with a cue of Pokémon waiting in line, then it’s just gonna bore me. Thanks for answering all these questions. You don’t have to, but it’s still appreciated.
@Bret what else is a remaster but upping the resolution and putting the textures a little prettier? I'm not saying that PLA is bad because of its graphics. I bought SwSh with all expansions, which look equal to PLA, and have more than 200hrs played on it. What I say is that GF sacrificed so much on the graphics because they wanted the Switch's 3.5gb of useable ram to render the entire world at the same time, that they have no choice but to go for that... style. And for me that is lazy design. Other open world games on Switch like Xenoblade 2 look way better and are more massive than PLA.
@BloodNinja maybe you should check out the rest of your boys posts he hasn’t brought anything of value to the conversation I simply called him out for talking down to someone else 😂 but you do you friend.
@BloodNinja we're saying the same thing here... Yes it's subjective. But most people seem to have positive opinions about this one
@SuperZeldaFun Don’t you have to be well off to have money? Peasants would be the ones pirating, I figured!
@Anti-Matter are you really that upset that sawk isn't in the game?
@Draxa I did. There’s nothing glaring that I feel needs calling out.
@Troll_Decimator
Roundness: 10
Little bowtie: 11
that's all the stats I need
@KateGray Admittedly, those stats look quite good.
@BloodNinja well you know what they say, opinions are like ***** everyone’s got one… enjoy your day!
@fafonio yes, areassorry for not elaborating
@Dilly-Mick
Well, I wasn't upset for the absence of Sawk in Legend of Arceus since I have Sawk on other Pokemon games.
@Dilly-Mick You're talking to the dude who refused to understand that the ability to choose whether the Exp. Share was on or off is better than making it permanent.
@Draxa I mean maybe if you're easily offended that someone is criticizing some random video game then it can come off as pretentious? Maybe if you take it personally that someone doesn't like the same things you like? But that's more of a "you" problem that I can't help with. Unlike you and many of the other salty Pokemon apologists on here, I don't do personal attacks but if someone wants to attack me personally instead of having a civil debate, then I'm happy to oblige.
@Draxa What’s with this passive aggressive nonsense bro? He doesn’t like the game, you like the game. The difference between you two is that you made it personal, and he didn’t. Why are you so attached to the outcome of a Pokémon game that you resort to such posts?
@BloodNinja
A valid complaint? Is this a joke..?
The reviewer PURPOSEFULLY attracted the attention or aggravated a number of Pokemon and they turned the situation around on her by making the battle a 1v4. That outcome happened purely based on the decisions she made.
People complain all the time that Pokemon is a kids game and that it’s so easy. Now reviewers are complaining a Pokemon game is too difficult and you label it as a “valid complaint”.
Really?
@Bret i've @mentioned so many people ar this point which one?
Removed - flaming/arguing; user is banned
@Savage_Joe I’m glad that someone brings out Xenoblade 2 comparison with Pokémon’s world.
I totally agree with you. Somehow the world, for me, looks a bit uninspired like in Sw/SH …. compared to great topography and world design like in XE2.
Hopefully PLA has a better world since I thought SW/SH were SO LAZY with its open “areas”
@BloodNinja My apologies for not being able to go into detail as much as I'd like. Also, thanks for opening up my eyes to how this fandom really is. I'll just block them and move on. No point in arguing with those people who can't think critically for themselves and prefer to lob personal attacks at people who criticize the games they enjoy. Have a good one!
@Savage_Joe Stop moving those goalposts. You started with PS2, then it was remasters of PS2, now it's not as good as other switch games. My original point - Legends Arceus looks much better than a PS2 game. Let's get back to that.
Seems like one thing to dislike a game and give reasons why it didn’t sit well with you. Seems like an entirely different thing to repeatedly question the intelligence and taste of anyone who shows any kind of enthusiasm for something you didn’t personally enjoy.
These threads are always fun. I’m looking forward to playing the game though, even if it makes me an unintelligent moron with terrible taste, lol
@Troll_Decimator smart human... Or troll killing lego dwarf as the case may be
@Xellen Sure it’s valid, because if the game is going to unleash 4 enemies on you at the same time, you should be able to release more than one Pokémon at a time. If they are using the same old battle system, that would feel unfair and overpowered. It would be nice if the gameplay evolved past one on one battles, wouldn’t it?
@citronaut thank you.
@Dilly-Mick lol sorry about that. Anti-Matter.
@Troll_Decimator sigh…. You’re still going with that poll I see. A topic you haven’t answered on is.. why is SS and HG so low on that list and SW/SH is on top?
Do you seriously think those are better games than those amazing classics?
If not, then your popular argument doesn’t apply here against the quality of the game. But the popularity of novelty.
There’s a real disgust from people towards SW/SH. Just because you can’t see both POVs from the community is not my problem.
This is one of the exact reasons why people are clamoring the changes in PLA…. Because the other recent Pokémon games were so bad that we all needed a breath of fresh air and a new formula. And THAT is a high point of PLA… the novelty and shake-up of the Pokémon quality and formula.
It’s the EXACT same situation as what happened with Skyward Sword which paved the way to Breath of the Wild.
@BloodNinja
Double battles
Tripple battles
Rotation battles
Bsttle royales
Raids
Catching competitions
@Bret dang, you're hopeless 😂😂😂
@Xellen That scenario sounds more cumbersome than difficult.
Why did Gamefreak drop multi-battles in the first place? It really seemed like they nailed them in gen 5. I was really hopeful when they came up with rotation and triple battles and now, years later, the series is back to the same old 1v1.
@MegaVel91 I was only criticizing the game. He made some wise guy comment and attacked me personally FIRST saying how it was a shame I didn't waste my money. Go kick rocks, chump.
@NinjaGuy69 It was like this when I posted comments about disliking Metroid Dread. Some Nintendo fans become attached to the outcome of their favorite games, and take any criticism as personal attacks. You see the same phenomena when people talk about opposing sports teams. It’s infantile and somewhat tribal behavior, at best. You’re doing great Thanks again.
@Dilly-Mick Critics, certainly. But that is normal, they almost all love new pokemon games. Like I said, I'll wait for reviews from users a week or two from now when the hype has died down.
@Dilly-Mick Are these things that are in this new Pokémon game, are are you just listing things? Sorry I need more context lol
@EOTW a lot of people pirated the game and/or bypassed the encription of their preload. They can't post on metacritic but the game is popular
@BloodNinja you said pojemon needs to move beyond 1v1 technically they have
@Savage_Joe Well, this has been one hell of a pointless discussion. Come back when you want to argue in good faith.
@Dilly-Mick Oh, so are all the battles with multiple party members now, like JRPGs have done since the 1980’s?
@BloodNinja no... I was just pointing out a technicality
@Yorumi So not just kowtowing to negative opinions that sound like they may be overblown is justifying bad behavior?
Even if I were to give the overblown, minor issues the credit some think they deserve, with some of the people online it looks to me like a rabbit hole of "either you blindly agree or you're against me/ an apologist."
And speaking frankly, you often fall into that category along with others that occasionally show themselves.
FPS stuttering is an issue. Low quality textures, I can overlook if they aren't super horrendous to look at, at any distance... but I'm not going to knock a game down into the dirt while having no experience with it.
Hell, I skipped SwSh and BDSP precisely because of things I've heard. I don't necessarily regret it for either one, but not having played them myself, I'm not going to go out of my way to tear them down. Legends Arceus is no different.
And further, the bad behavior I see, seems more on the people who can't stand the fact that others aren't immediately falling in line to their negative takes or opinions on a game.
@BloodNinja
Horde Battles in XY had you fight 5 Pokemon at once and you were only allowed to use One Pokemon against them all. That was 10 years ago of course.
The battles in Arceus Legends play out differently and the varying situations you find yourself in require you to actually strategise and plan out what you’ll do. There are some seriously difficult battles if you’re not careful. Simply mashing the A button to get through some battle will cost you.
@Preposterous
I wouldn’t say cumbersome, just that battles require an extra layer of strategy than before.
As for the battle styles, Gen 5 introduced Triple and Rotational Battle styles but they were removed later. GameFreak loves introducing cool features and then removing them for worser versions or just not at all.
@BloodNinja I don’t have a problem, I wasn’t even initially talking to you bro 🤷♂️ don’t know how many times I gotta say enjoy your day.
Anyways, two things can be true:
People can expect more from the pokemon franchise and those same people can enjoy the current games for what they are.
Are there games some people would very much prefer over LA? Yes. Will some people not enjoy the game? Yes. Is there room for improvement? Yes. But it's both a huge step in the right direction and a game alot of people (myself included) will enjoy.
@Bret yes. I've feel like arguing with you is pointless. I've told you why the game looks bad for me (hd ps2, remastered ps2... whatever 🤷🏻♂️). But you're so hellbent focused on that technicality and have been missing my points.
@NinjaGuy69 no I don’t care that your critiquing a video game, what I had an issue with was the way you addressed Fennex or whatever their name is in a previous comment. I was simply pointing out your superiority complex. But all in all this conversation is essentially useless, I do hope you enjoy your day!
@MegaVel91 by the power vested in my by noone in particular i unofficially declare you the smartest person on this site.
Both sides have valid points. Why does everything have to be black and white?
Great game, terrible T99 theme.
@Xellen That "extra layer of strategy" was already present in Pokemon games, though. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is quite an old series at this point.
@BloodNinja You’re still using one Pokémon at a time, but multiple wild ones can gang up on you if you aren’t careful.
Edit: maybe someone already answered, I think my internet connection is delaying comment refreshes
@Dilly-Mick Obviously it's popular. But we can't use popularity to determine its quality. If we did, then that means Pokemon has only ever gotten better since each new generation sells better than the last. But I don't feel that that is true, so I'll wait for the hype to die down. Even with how positive reviews have been, I've seen nothing that makes this look like a good open world game. Samey fields, sparse trees, and the only gameplay is sneaking and catching pokemon. Even so it looks like it could be fun for a while, but not more than 10 hours. Pokemon has always enjoyed zealot level hype for new releases. If that holds out into mid February with minimal complaints, then I'll be more inclined to believe it.
@Preposterous sorry but that comparison is apples and oranges
@EOTW and that is your opinion "quality" is a largely subjective topic.
Sure popularity doesn't mean you think it's good. But it means a lot of people do.
@NinjaGuy69 Just because people here don't agree with you or buy what you're selling doesn't make them apologists or incapable of critical thinking, like a good many of you who act like this love to tout
And secondly, in case your memory is short: I just read through his post again. The closest he came to insulting you was calling you a pirate, which you've admitted to. So he wasn't even saying anything untrue. Further, as smarmy as his remark about you not even having the ground to stand on to complain about having wasted your money is, he's not wrong, nor is it necessarily insulting in the way you think it is.
You then proceeded to call him an apologist, purely for that.
So frankly, take your own advice, and kick rocks, you schmuck.
@Tandy255 hahaha I’m glad someone mentioned the Tetris theme…. IT IS the worst theme of the whole game. Virtually unplayable.
@fafonio Wait for user reviews? What difference will that make? Pokémon Sword has 11,000 reviews on Amazon UK with an average of 4.8/5 so the user reviews there rate the game better than the critics...
@Preposterous
In spin-off Pokemon games sure, strategy and difficulty is present. Especially in the Mystery Dungeon games.
But Arceus Legends is a mainline game, not a spin-off. And difficulty in the main series has been lacking in a lot of places. So I’m glad Arceus Legends has actually provided some sense of challenge.
@Dilly-Mick To their credit: while it is true quality is largely subjective, it does have some objective things that are expected in this day and age.
@StardusterEX That's a very clear answer, thank you! Guess I'll still be waiting.
@Draxa Yeah, it's pretty passive aggressive to insult other uses then say "have a great day!" lol
@MegaVel91 that is a very good point thank you.
@Xellen Right. I guess I'll still be waiting for a more traditional turn based system. Even the first Final Fantasy on NES had parties; you would think Pokemon would eventually implement it after being around for literal decades lol
@Dilly-Mick Gotcha! Guess I'll still be waiting for pokemon party battles, then.
@Skunkfish nah, not those reviews. The people who go and rate a game into those sites either love it to justify their purchase or hate it just to troll and bring the score down. It’s purely internet ego.
I mean user reviews or opinions just like yours or my friends who buy the game. I will wait to hear what people have to say on forums and sites like this. And after a while, just like I said before, when the dust of the novelty has settled.
I would trust your review way better than an Amazon UK user review if you gave me good objective arguments of what you liked and what you didn’t like.
@BloodNinja or maybe saying "have a great day" is them trying to show they are replying in good faith and are now walking away with no hard feelings?
@fafonio Well, I've just dropped some hints about it with the wife for my birthday next week - I'll let you know my thoughts if I receive it!
@Savage_Joe No, not "whatever". I'm sick and tired of people saying whatever Switch game "looks like a PS2 game". It's not true. Anyone saying this has forgotten what PS2 games looked like and it annoys the hell out of me. I'm not interested in your point if it's disingenuous to begin with.
@Dilly-Mick i've never been replied with "have a great day" in good faith 💀. On the internet, that phrase means "I'm done talking with you".
@BloodNinja
I don’t ever expect Pokemon to adopt the use of a full party battles unless GameFreak truly wanted to shake things up. The most we got was triple battles where it was 3v3. They were pretty fun in Gen 5.
@Savage_Joe 100%. If I'd said "have a great day" to you above, you'd know exactly what I meant by it hahaha
The bad those whom didn't play the other series won't get the bonus DLC. So fans or Poke gamers whom has the other saved data will have fun with the Bonus DLC as I heard from youtube site. But this is the first open world that probably what's to come for the next gen of Pokémon series releases. I myself will get started when I get the game. Spoilers will happen but each person will get their own experiences but some of the spoilers shows some of the game mechanics.
@Dilly-Mick When you say it like that, the message is clear and it's easier to see your intentions.
@NinjaGuy69 i've since moved on from pokemon but boy the high horsing in some of these comments is strong, you really dropping the "mindless sheeple" card over a goddang video game?
@fafonio I think you might have to get off your high horse a little bit. Just because you think Soul Silver is the end all be all Pokemon game doesn't mean it's a fact.
@Troll_Decimator ask any Pokémon fan or make a poll.
Sword/Shield vs Soulsilver/HeartGold
I DEFINITELY know which one will win.
And just like you said, it applies the same way… the Japanese TV poll is not the end all be all of popular opinion.
@somebread I mean, if the shoe fits. Again, there's nothing wrong with criticizing a video game or any form of media for that matter. That's all I was doing until that one wise guy decided to attack me personally with a sarcastic comment. At that point, I think it was fair to put him in his place.
To be honest, I generally don't like insulting other peoples' intelligence because they have the same ability to think critically and carefully too but they actively choose not to. Instead, they want to engage in these petty personal arguments if you so much as criticize a game that they're looking forward to playing. It's pretty disturbing and just plain weird how upset they become.
Is Squirtle in this game? That answer might be the difference between me buying it or not
@Dilly-Mick have you seen the AAA gaming space in the last year? There's a pretty clear disconnect between popularity and even the objective components of quality. I'd even go as far as saying that if a game is too popular then its quality drops drastically. See: Battlefield 2042, FIFA, Cyberpunk 2077, Starwars Battlefront 2.
This comment section is the best one in this site lol. On one side you have mega Chad ninja guy who thinks he has the brain capacity of a God, and thinks anybody who disagrees with him are idiots, and on the other side you have people hyped for a game. I'll be coming back to this article in the next couple of hours haha. What I actually wanted to say was this is the most excited I've been for a pokemon game.
Sword and Shield's DLC was excellent and really seemed like a preview for this game. I don't think there will ever be a pokemon game again where you can buy it and a bunch of rabid fans don't jump on you saying it's trash.
270 comments in 4 hours? This ought to be a good read.
Let's Go Pickachu together with my daughters was my first and only Pokemon experience to date. I wasn't planning on picking up Arceus, but one daughter seems pretty interested in it, and seems like it may be worth trying, with this positive review.
It looked like it had potential from the start, so I'm glad to see it turned out well!
How has "one of the best Pokemon games ever" got a 9/10? Something is quite wrong with this rating system.
@NinjaGuy69 you’re throwing insults around at people because they like or are excited about a game you didn’t like. Maybe evaluate why you feel the need to try and put other people down for no reason
@chapu2006 Being one of the best doesn't necessitate it being a 10/10.
@EOTW ... That's a generalization and there can be exceptions... All I know is that people enjoy the game, why is that so bad?
This game looks God awful graphically, but I did end up preordering it, so I guess that means something. Hopefully this game is as great as the critics says, they were pretty wrong the couple Pokémon games haha
@soupwoman Are you blind? My original post was just my opinion on the game. I never attacked anyone until that one wise guy made a sarcastic attack against me and then other rabid fanboys started attacking me too after I called him out on his nonsense. What a complete joke.
I'm okay with the textures being lower quality if the trade-off is the game running at a stable framerate (as in no noticeable stutters when exploring) though i can see how visual design in an open world can be important since exploring said world is a big part of the gameplay.
in terms of the whole arguments.
Its fine for people to enjoy it though when you see people calling others "haters" or "graphics snobs"(or things to that effect) or dismissing their issues as "whining" that's when discussion starts to become iffy, since as long as someone isn't insulting the character of those that enjoy it then said criticism shouldn't change the fact that they enjoy it in the same way its fine to enjoy something and be critical at the same time.
(there have been quite a few times where ive enjoyed a game while simultaneously agreeing with the criticism)
@NinjaGuy69
Your opinion on the game was “bland and soulless.”
Which is exactly what you said was the same for every other Pokemon game..
Hmmmmmmmmmmm
@Dilly-Mick I never said it was bad. I'm just saying I've been burned too many times by guarantees that the new flashy pokemon game will be good. Will it? Very possibly. But I'm not going to trust anyone's opinion until hype has died down. I'll make my decision in a few weeks.
just for giggles, frequent NL reviewer chris scullion did a review of this as well if anyone is looking for another (albeit positive) opinion from a familiar face https://www.videogameschronicle.com/review/pokemon-legends-arceus/
@bret “Anyone saying this has forgotten what PS2 games looked like and it annoys the hell out of me. I'm not interested in your point if it's disingenuous to begin with.“ You are not interested? Please!!! You made all of that meltdown because you were interested in my opinion 😂 Don’t hit and then run with that “not insterested” nonsense. Get real, dude. Have a veeeeeery great day
@MegaVel91 That is by all means true but I feel this game has got excessively penalised for its flaws. Yes, technical issues are hard to ignore but I haven't really seen many people ask for multiplayer. And despite this being the Pokemon game that finally shakes up the formula with new mechanics, gives a large Pokemon selection, adds an interesting chapter to Pokemon lore, is open-world and pleases the majority of fans, these virtues seem to have been taken more lightly than in other reviews.
In conclusion, I'm not asking for Pokemon Legends: Arceus to be 10/10, just to be rated and judged fairly alongside poth entries in its series and others.
@EOTW right...
Did I ever say that was a bad idea?
@fafonio I actually did end up playing it early as well if you’re interested. Played the first few hours or so. The beginning is super handholdy but after a bunch of dialogue, the game was pretty fun. Game looks and runs like garbage, but the catching of Pokémon and exploring is fun and rather satisfying. From what I experienced, it’s a very decent game
@BloodNinja looks like others are calling out your boy on his bs but strangely you aren’t saying something to them… 🤔 . Maybe I’ll put ninja in my name that way we can get along😂
Removed - inappropriate
@Sora181 great! Yeah the catching system is a high point in interest for me. How often do new Pokémon appear? I’m a bit tired of catching previous gen Pokémon for the 9th time. And also how’s the design of the world? What’s your opinion about it?
And yeah, I’ve never been a fan of the art style and graphics since SW/SH … that’s an important thing for me in an open world, even though I always put graphics last in my priority list.
I just can’t play in uninspired “open areas” like SW/SH after experiencing amazing areas and world design like Xenoblade games.
@fafonio
True, i'll defo let you know what my thoughts are on Arceus, once I have a chance to play it.
As for Sonic.. Frontiers is their very last chance - if SEGA somehow messes this one up too, then i'm done.
@Yorumi i just reread every post by megavell in this thread... How on earth did you get that idea?
I'm not looking--I'm not looking!! I'm so excited I can't handle it, I only hope it arrives in the mail in time! That and I hope the Split Pad Pro arrives quickly as well ;_;
@Dilly-Mick No? Did I imply that you did? Sorry if I came off that way. I don't have any ill-will towards people enjoying the game.
@Dilly-Mick that’s what I was trying to do 😂 thanks for getting it
@Draxa Now you're being abrasive again. If you don't have anything useful to say, don't say anything at all.
I hate the graphics, but I can get past those. However I just got monster hunter ride, xenoblade chronicles definitive edition, and SMTV and so I’m very busy atm
@bret As much as I am looking forward to play this game, some of the games from the PS2 library really are close to Legends of Arceus in the graphics department.
Games like Dragon Quest 8 and Okami certainly don't look far worse than Legends of Arceus, at some moments maybe even better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXft9do42KQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5HzApgt5Qw
Legends of Arceus looks like a very fun game, but that doesn't mean that you can't be critical about its graphics.
This comment section is the EPITOME of "petty brawl".
@EOTW ah, gotchya. Seems like we were just having a miscommunication this whole time. Thanks for clearing that up
@fafonio I would say new Pokémon appear at a decent rate. It does take a bit though. For awhile all I was running into was the Pokémon you’d find on the first few routes in DPP. Design of the world is okay as well. I would’ve liked a jump button, but that’s why they give you Pokémon to help with the exploration.
@chapu2006 LMAO… yeah, that’s an accurate description 😂
@Dilly-Mick I agree with @Yorumi. His comments have been equally or more condescending than NinjaGuy’s. Just because you put “honest” and “sarcastic” in your profile doesn’t give you the right to berate others for their opinions
@Sora181 thanks for the honest opinion and info. Also, about how many Pokémon do you think there are? I’d hate to buy the game just for 15 new Pokémon and 300 of the same ones I’ve been catching for around 3 decades now.
@BloodNinja lol ok bro. Take a seat, have a cookie and pat yourself on the back and don’t forget… enjoy the rest of your day! I’ll take my abrasive self elsewhere 😂
@Savage_Joe he's given credit where credit is due to both sides of the issue and said that he believes while the complaints are valid they feel overstated. That is his opinion based on observations... Not an attack
@Draxa That would be nice, honestly.
@Yorumi so he's a bad guy for pointing out not everything is as black and white as some people make it sound?
He's saying its ok to agree to disagree
At least that's what I think... If I'm going to assume someones intentions I prefer to assume the best
@Savage_Joe Hardly a meltdown. You're misreading me, but what else is new? I'm not saying I'm not interested in discussing this, I'm saying your point is disingenuous. But we're obviously not going to get anywhere with this, so want to just flip each other off, leave it at that and move on?
@BloodNinja good, do it and enjoy yourself my dude. I’m not trying to be a negative chooch here I just had my opinions on how that other dude was talking to people even if you don’t agree that’s fine with me 🤷♂️
@fafonio not counting alternative forms, there’s 242 Pokémon in the dex. Many of them are returning mons
@Yorumi,
The reviews say the game has some technical flaws, but overall offers a great experience, and people suggesting the games issues are not as bad as some are making out, get a rough deal from some of the other side too, so it works both ways.
@Mauzuri amen! I really enjoyed sword and shield, they were fun. Definitely not groundbreaking but I don’t need that from every game I play! Looking forward to Arceus though, will be good to try a different formula!
@Savage_Joe You and Yorumi are both wrong here: I berate him for his conduct far more than his opinions. Him having such a strong disdain for the game doesn't bother me nearly as much as the way he's reacting in response to people.
I find it far more irritating seeing someone immediately call somebody an apologist, based on checks notes... a smarmy comment about him being a pirate and that stating he found out the game "wasn't" for him. I don't think the smarmy comment by Xellen was either justified nor necessary.
The "you're an apologist" canard is one I've seen far too often used, and seems more often than not, rather than a valid observation, used to demonize people who disagree with someone's strongly felt, negative view point on something.
As a credit to the criticisms raised by both NintendoLife and others: the FPS stuttering and the low-res textures do bother me a bit, but I intend to play this game and see what other flaws it has for myself, rather than letting some guy I have never met dictate my decision this time around.
@Yorumi: I am not implying you are a bad person for not liking technical issues. You not liking technical issues isn't my problem with you on this. I take issue with the fact that in the past, you, like NinjaGuy, have engaged similarly in calling people apologists when they don't agree with your viewpoint. I've seen it more than several times throughout my time both participating and lurking on this site. You don't like the game's technical flaws. That's fine. They affect things including gameplay, more often than not.
Like I just told Savage Joe, I take issue with NinjaGuy and others conduct, more than their opinions on the game. Two separate issues only related by proximity.
@MajorTom I really can't agree. I'm looking at the videos you linked, at all the sharp corners on the trees and structures, low detail of textures, 2D particle effects... They honestly don't look close to me at all.
Well this comment section not failed to impress me, wonder how it would have gone if the reviews were bad.
@Yorumi hey uh... Could you scroll up and read the comment directly above your most recent one.
please refrain from, as you put it, "making assumptions, quite aggressively attacking people,"
@johnvboy Gotta Love NL.
@MegaVel91,
So true, this works both ways, and how would anyone have a discussion about something without challenging or attacking someones opinion, as surely you do not agree with one another.
And the same people having issues with the game and being challenged about it, are as you say the same ones who constantly attack people for not having issues, you seriously could not make any of this stuff up.
@Bret Comparing the overworld of DQ 8 with the 360 overview trailer of Legends of Arceus, I honestly can't see how Legends of Arceus looks better. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c044Fjcmzsw
Edit: the flying parts in particular.
Can always trust a PM game to get grown men/women arguing on the internet about it.
@johnvboy at this point, Damo should close the thread. It’s been a wild ride
@Snatcher,
i knew this would be fun once the reviews started to come in, and to be honest the leaks had suggested this all week, just going to get my popcorn.... I think we are in for a long night or day, depending where you are located.
I'm definitely curious about the bold new direction this is taking the series; this is long overdue IMO. That said, I feel like I should revisit one of the remakes first since it has been QUITE some time since I've played my copies of OG Diamond and Platinum. Seems fitting before I dive into a prequel spinoff.
(For those who haven't been around long enough, it's normal behavior for me to often be months, if not years behind the gaming curve lol; I just finished Shield before the holidays)
@Savage_Joe,
No he should keep it open, I only just got in from work, and have missed all the fun.
@johnvboy how? by being civil and agreeing to disagree. Trying to understand other perspectives rather than taking sides.
@johnvboy For me, its going to be a long day, haven't even reached PM yet.
@WallyWest if I'm being perfectly honest I'm taking part in this discussion out of my own enjoyment. I'm interested in what both sides of the issue have to say.
@Dilly-Mick,
Yes seems a simple solution, but people from either side are just so passionate about all this, so the positive and negative bingo cards will be filled out many times I feel.
@MajorTom I don't think DQ8 would even be able to handle flying like this because the game wouldn't be able to load fast enough. I can admit similarities in like, how the ground looks though, sure.
@Snatcher,
Bloody hell, sounds like a fun one for you then, and at the risk of causing even more flames, did you get Animal crossing yet.
@johnvboy so it's impossible to be both passionate and kind? To acknowlegde other peoples opinions while expressing your own?
Never felt more sorry for reading the comments. Anyway I hope it's as good as they say and I applaud the devs for trying something new. I'd like to see more gameplay before I decide to buy it or not, I want to see the character animation a bit more
@johnvboy Actually, I haven't, but I i'm going to get it some time this year I think since it got its final update and everything, I was also thinking of waiting for NSO to get GBA games in it, so I can them buy the upgrade, on top of AC's dlc.
At least its one hour til PM LOL.
@SonOfVon If you don't mind spoiler's, there is gameplay out there.
How nice to see a good review.
Of course, it’s only one teams opinion, but I’m probably gonna enjoy this.
@Bret True, DQ8 will likely not load fast enough, still seeing similarities in the overworld of a game that released in 2004 certainly does not favor Legends of Arceus.
I expect to have a lot of fun Friday when it will likely arrive with the mail, but the graphics certainly aren't what you would expect on a game for the Switch.
@fafonio,
Being popular is not automatically bad either, that's a fact too, see how these things work.
@johnvboy (Post #320) DON'T.
@Yorumi The same could be said for you. You've projected a whole cavalcade of thoughts and feelings toward me, when by and large my issue was his conduct and far less his opinions. My perception of his opinions however are affected by his conduct. Having an open mind is one, thing, but I feel less inclined to be as open when someone's first response to someone being critical of them is to call them an apologist.
As for what you've said in your last post. I have been using this site for several years now, and based on what you've said, my impression and view of you is far outdated.
I therefore retract the previous things I've said of you and then want to say:
I apologize for attacking you in that manner and making those claims.
@Yorumi,
Totally agree, and we ourselves have had some pretty heated exchanges with games in the past, but I think have moved on from that now, and to be honest I am glad because nothing I say on here is meant to be personal.
This game has technical flaws, and yes should be better, but overall I am excited for it just as I was on the reveal trailer, and personally can't wait until Friday.
@johnvboy lol yeah same. I knew from the leaks this game had a good chance at being recieved positively widely.
Though the fact it did review well is bound to rub a few people the wrong way.
@chapu2006,
Totally agree, there's plenty of millage left in this thread as yet.
@Diogmites,
Some will be like that, and hey if the technical side is not good enough..... don't buy.
@Yorumi,
Thanks for that, and nothing divides more than Pokemon and Animal crossing.
@johnvboy thanks for proving my point. A poll about its popularity doesn’t say anything, but claiming that SW/SH being reviled is not part of a general sentiment is delusional. We have seen the general public opinion about those entries as a low point in the franchise, so much that GameFreak had to re-evaluate how the Pokémon games would work forward…. This game is proof of that.
Im pretty sure there are people who defend those games and the ones who criticize them, both are valid… but calling them the best Pokémon ever just because of a random Japanese TV poll put them on the top 20 above all other entries is asinine.
As I already said, no wonder most of the top games in that poll are recent… it’s just a poll based on novelty and recency of games clouding the results.
I swear, The sheer ratio of arguments that were resolved maturely in this thread (compared to those that weren't) is an actual miricle.
@fafonio just a random side note, that you reminded ne about, I remember hearing about one poll that rated SwSh compared to other pokemon titles and it was a perfect bell curve with 8% calling it their least favorite and 8% calling it their most favorite.
@fafonio,
Not proved your point at all, merely suggested it could work both ways, and there is no definitive proof either way of the backlash against those games, it could be a huge percentage of the 22 million owners of the game are more than happy, it might not............. no evidence to suggest either way.
What's delusional is anybody suggesting their is a general feeling either way.
@Dilly-Mick,
Yes quite refreshing for a Pokemon thread.
@johnvboy exactly. Calling my argument saying that those games are not reviled isnt a fact. What is a fact is that they are not beloved entries. We will never know the true percentage. Only GameFreak knows…. And this game is proof that there was indeed an important backlash because of the last entries… and that evidence makes it a fact.
@fafonio You said it yourself. Pokemon fan. The vast majority of people buying Pokemon games are not "Pokemon fans", they are just people that happened to pick up the game. Imagine this scenario: A person picks up Sword and Shield. They have never played a Pokemon game before. Will they have a good time? Yes, they will.
@Dilly-Mick @Dilly-Mick that’s perfect… it makes both points of view valid… and Im ok with that poll. What I’m not okay with is saying that those are the best Pokémon games because of a random Japanese TV poll. That was my point with the guy I was arguing with. There’s a huge part of the community who despises those games, as well as people that love them.
@Troll_Decimator exactly… that’s recency. Is it a good game for newcomers? Yes it is. Are they the best games in the view of the general public and fans? Certainly not.
You don’t keep a 30 year old franchise alive just by pandering to newcomers…. IPs survive by keeping the fans who follow, new or old.
@fafonio,
Sorry was not trying to cause an argument, and you do raise some interesting points, but as we both seem to be saying, a definitive position either way is pretty much impossible, the internet is full of very passionate and vocal core fans, who have very high standards, but as to what percentage of the overall 22 million they make is tough to call.
On the other hand there will be many who just bought the game and their overall satisfaction with it is equally tough to judge, as they are not vocal about it and do not frequent online forums.
I quite liked the games and the DLC, they were far from perfect but I had a lot of fun with them.
@johnvboy I can agree with your point of view with that last post. Not all fans go into the internet. It’s a pretty vocal place, but one cannot dismiss or say that dissatisfaction isn’t real with those games, as well as the other side.
The only proof I have that SW/SH broke the franchise is the existence of this very same game and GameFreak not sure to consider this as a spin-off or main entry.
@Dilly-Mick,
to be honest if you look at this on the whole, it's not been too bad, of course you will get the more extreme views, but making some progress over previous Pokemon comment sections.
@fafonio But my point was never that they are the best games in the series. Just that they are fine and certainly not loathed by the majority of people as you were insinuating. You should pay more attention.
@fafonio,
So do you, and to be honest a lot of the time I just want people to enjoy these games because a lot are just fans at the end of the day, of course we get a few trolls, but we just try to ignore them.
1st best thing: It's open world
2nd best thing: There's no voice acting
@fafonio,
This new game seems like a new direction, which to be honest I am pretty excited about.
@Cia I honestly think voice acting would push it to 10/10 territory. It's my one gripe about it.
Pokemon diamond was my first videogame ever and I had never been more disappointed with a game release the brilliant diamond I have high hopes for this game and cant wait to see if the pokemon company can redeem themselves
@Troll_Decimator having such an important backlash enough to completely change the next games formula is proof that there’s a general hard viewpoint against those games. As I said, it’s the same exact situation with Skyward Sword and BotW.
I love Skyward Sword, but I would never say that the majority of fans don’t hate the game.
Anyway, there’s no end to this conversation. My point was that I don’t trust GameFreak anymore or gaming sites with Pokémon reviews. I’d rather wait for your opinion about the game 3-4 months down the line. Maybe it’s good, maybe it’s not. As a fan I obviously prefer the former
@fafonio Considering these days trolls jump on anything and even review 💣 the likes of BOTW.
How much of the consensus of Sw/Sh "revile" are just the same trolls with no interest in Pokemon but joining in the crowd? I'd question specifically how as of Sw/Sh there was a dramatic jump in people attacking Pokemon for its visuals when for it'd entire history it's been behind the curve of the platform.
The same way how Animal Crossing got review bombed for a single save slot....just like every Animal Crossing game which never had the same controversy.
Then as the trolls moved onto the next target these games suddenly stopped being so controversial that as mentioned by someone earlier, Sw/Sh ranked in the top 100 favourite games in Japan. Almost like most of the people who were actually interested in playing it, actually enjoyed it and weren't disappointed.
@Cia I would be fine if they at least put voiced grunts, and dialogue gibberish like in the 3d zeldas. That would make those battles against alpha pokemon more lively
@fafonio Again, why do you confuse fans with the majority of people that played the games? Fans is a small subset of any given thing. Once you understand this concept, you might get it. Skyward Sword is a good example though, it's another fine game that gets too much hate because the other games in its series are too good. It's impossible to have a home run every time. Mario Sunshine is another example.
@Dr_Lugae that’s why I don’t trust reviews with controversial franchises anymore. It’s either a 10 or a 0 end of the scales. Id rather wait and see what you guys have to say about the game 3-4 months down the line.
For me, GameFreak lost their benefit of a first-day purchase.
@ThomastheDankEngine yeah… hotcakes are also better than cars I guess 🤣
@ThomastheDankEngine Well yes, GameFreak was never quite on the same level as Nintendo's own internal studios.
@ThomastheDankEngine the point flew over your head…. How can you compare hotcakes with cars? How can you compare Mario and Zelda with Pokémon? There’s no relation WHATSOVER to say one is better than the other. LMAO.
@ThomastheDankEngine oh god…. You totally missed the point… COMPLETELY. I don’t have any interest in arguing or wasting my time with you. Go reread the conversation and analyze it.
@ThomastheDankEngine and what does Mario and Zelda have to do with anything? LMAO.
@ThomastheDankEngine the thing is, how can you possibly compare Mario Sunshine with HeartGold for example. There’s no relation at all. Not even the same genre. Just like comparing oranges and apples, just like hot cakes and cars. It’s… it’s nonsense.
@EOTW Sun and Moon were definitely better than X/Y. Gen 6 was an awkward transitional phase from 2D to 3D. All of the assets were rendered in 3D but it still played like the 2D games, making for pretty awkward traversal.
Sun and Moon on the other hand had omnidirectional movement as opposed to being rigid and grid based like X/Y. And the improvements go beyond just the controls Sun/Moon also removed HMs, replacing them with Pokemon ride, it had a deeper and more involved story as well. Really just about anyway you look at it gen 7 was a huge improvement over gen 6
@ThomastheDankEngine go argue with those people then. You won’t pull me into a discussion about comparing seagulls with shoes.
Wait... Is Kleavor the ONLY boss? I was hoping for more fights like that, but since you worded it that way and because he's the only one in the trailers I had my doubts.
Woah there, so much negativity!
It really breaks my heart but I'll be skipping the comments for a while. People get so toxic sometimes...
The overall good sentiment from people that pirated it and now the positive reviews seal the deal for me.
I was waiting (10 years) for GF to spice up the games and it seems they finally delivered.
How could you write this review and fail the obvious "The greatest that ever was" subtitle? NintendoLife, you have failed us.
Good to see it review so well. It's not a day 1 for me, I've lost my faith in blindly trusting anything GameFreak does, and the graphics look like it's a PC game from the late 90's. But this is promising. We'll see if the honeymoon lasts a while longer. I'll use @Yorumi as a barometer for how much it's worth hating it. If it scores less than 6 out of 10 middle fingers, on the Yormi scale I'll have to buy it.
@NEStalgia exactly my feelings.
@fafonio By the way, an important bit that I forgot to reply to on your previous post. GameFreak did not release this game as a reaction to the feedback from their previous games. Pokemon Sword and Shield released a little over 2 years ago. This game was planned to be like this before those titles even launched. If anything, Sw/Sh with their decent reviews and massive sales could have led them astray, but they were already internally planning to do something different. 2 years is very little time in game development terms nowadays.
Look, I know the hate brigade would love to think that they are the reason this game turned out great, but they are not, they literally played no part in this at all. Any feedback that we as users have provided has been part of their internal QA/dev feedback/concerns long before Sword and Shield came out. This isn't a tiny studio with 10 people that can easily miss stuff that a simple gamer will point out, they have more than 150 people. Between themselves, there is pretty much nothing that goes unnoticed.
Game studios simply can't implement absolutely everything before releasing in a timely manner. Tough decisions need to be made. That's what it takes for any given game to come out. There isn't a single game without content and features that didn't make the cut. In the case of Pokemon, they simply had too much baggage. They needed to set this precedent that they don't include all the Pokemon. Now that that was done, they have a lot more flexibility.
Gonna give this a miss, and wait for a normal version
@sunny63 what? Whomsaid there weren't more bosses?
@NEStalgia "the very best like no one ever was" is overused imo. I think they wanted to get across this one actually is that.. or close to it. so rehasing a cliche would sound less serious.
@NEStalgia,
I will be getting this day one, looks pretty good to me, and I am a sucker for this art style, but if you buy it physical you can't really go wrong, as getting your money back should be pretty easy, if you don't like it of course.
@Dilly-Mick This is Nintendo Life. The subtitles are supposed to thrive on dank memes. Ask Kate! Or the whole Push Square staff! Excluding it on this is just wrong, and I blame the outside contributing author instead of the full-time staff that knows better
@Dilly-Mick Kleavor was literally the only one ever shown in the trailers, and in the review they are literally one word away from implying he was all.
@johnvboy I was hyped from the first trailer, but the more they showed, mixed with my own experiences with modern Game Freak, the more unsure I became, and I'm definitely taking a wait and see approach. Not only do all Pokemon games get a positive review bias when they launch because of the brand power, but it's more or less the first game Nintendo has even released of any real influence since ACNH (err....yeah..... ), so It's bound to get a positive review bias simply from being something worth reviewing from Nintendo for the first time in years. There tends to be a pattern with such Nintendo games that when they release everyone thinks they 're the best thing ever, then 6 months later they're the worst thing ever, then 6 months after that you know what people actually think about it.
Hopefully it holds up on gameplay over time (rather than the horrifically boring and empty Sw/Sh that burned me out on the series) because it sure doesn't have looks....
@Yorumi That's high praise so far! You're probably the most critical Pokemon fan I can think of (excluding the deranged trolls/haters.) and I don't have quite as high demands for the series that you do, so that bodes well.
great, hope it's true. gonna wait more cause i'm not sure what reviews to trust when it comes to big ip.
@DarkTone You will wait for the next remake then? Because there might never be a true sequel to Sword and Shield.
@Yorumi,
Same here to be honest, even though I like the art style there will be some rough edges, but far more interested in the game itself and a nice level of challenge, as some were suggesting it would be pretty easy a while back.
@NEStalgia,
You leave Animal crossing out of this.... I know you really want to like it.
A game to powerful to run properly on dated hardware. Maybe this Pokémon game was built to be play initially on an upgraded Switch. But this hasn't happened for what ever reason and unless the console is released soon future game releases will not look their best.
@johnvboy we need a crossover so I can use Bite in AC. IDK how effective it is but I know It's Super Therapeutic
@fafonio Comment #390. While you're on the topic, I would like to add that I quite enjoy seagulls as a slippers replacement, but would never wear them outside
@zool,
It's a possibility, however not that convinced that a super Switch or Pro has ever existed, could be wrong though, let's see if something is announced this year.
@Deepdoop It's probably good for beginners, but this is nothing like mainline Pokémon, whether that's good or bad is up to you, but this looks like good fun for anyone not into rpgs who has an interest in the mon's
No Staryu no buy
@Tchunga agree to disagree on that one. Gen 7 also introduced significantly more linear level design which was a big deal to me. I felt the story (like in any pokemon game) was nothing to write home about. And I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I don't think HMs are that big of a deal. It's just a move slot. In general, the cons outweighed the pros for me. First pokemon game i played that slightly disappointed me.
@Edwirichuu that sounds like it's for me then lol, I might wait a little bit longer to think it over but I'm leaning towards going in.
@zool You could say the same about Zelda Breath of the Wild which also doesn't run too well and clearly wasn't made for an upgraded Switch.
@johnvboy once the original Switch production stops and the Oled becomes the base model, that will leave room for a new Switch.
@shinesprites Good God Almighty! They've Killed Him!!!! - JR
@shinesprites At least Hitler hasn't been brought up yet. Surely that counts for something.
@shinesprites
@EOTW I mean sure, the story was no Christopher Nolan masterpiece but it was at least something, most Pokemon games don't even try. I enjoyed the story in Sun/Moon for what it was. But you definitely have me at a loss for words on HMs. I don't know how anyone could possibly miss them, that is quite baffling to me. But oh well, fair enough I suppose. No sense in arguing about it. We don't all have to like the same things after all
@Crockin who wants to tell him
@nowthisisepic go for it slugger
Reckon I can wait for the Johto prequel.
@zool,
I know the theories, but all rumor and speculation aside it's just something Nintendo have never done before, where as a mid generation revision like the OLED is pretty much par for the course for them, can totally see the OLED becoming the regular Switch model alongside the lite for the duration of this generation.
It just seemed off to me when all the rumors of a pro model came to nothing when the OLED was announced, then days later it was that Nintendo could not get enough new chips to produce the pro, but had enough OLED screens etc, etc, just sounds like people not wanting to believe there was no pro, and clutching at any straw they can think of, the YouTubers latched onto this because they needed clicks and things to still talk about after the Switch pro rumors had been pretty much proved false.
@NEStalgia,
Sounds like an idea, not sure which of my villagers I would bite first, not Bones, he's far too cute.
@johnvboy it wouldn't be a new console, it would be what the Oled was, just another Switch, but with more power.
@Troll_Decimator yes you are right, BotW 2, it will have issues as well.
@zool,
My feelings are Nintendo were planning to run with the existing hardware as long as it was selling, with the obvious revision and lite versions, then we will see a next generation Switch 2 announced sometime in 2024 for late 2024/2025 release date, which should be on par power wise with a base PS4.
@zool,
I think the initial Breath of the wild issues, which most of got sorted by a patch after launch, were more down to the fact the game was built for the Wii U, and it's not always a given that games designed for weaker hardware will always run perfectly on more powerful systems.
@Deepdoop You probably won’t get a couple of references about past games or characters but google is your friend and can clarify your doubts if you don’t understand some stuff but everything else is new and its a good starting point especially if they are planning to keep the new game mechanics for future games.
Great review and will be getting a copy today/tomorrow depending on delivery.
2022 is looking like a good year for Nintendo!
I was planning to buy it anyway somewhere down the line but I just went ahead and placed an order today to get it on launch day. Pretty surprised it's reviewing this good considering the first few reveals had a lot of us worried. Also perfect timing as my 9yo just finished her Sword playthrough. I'm a latecomer to the series as Sword is currently my first game (not counting New Pokemon Snap) with only 1 gym badge to my name. Will be juggling my time with this, Sword and Xenoblade DE which should keep me very busy for the next couple months.
The only real downside for me, is that there is really no multiplayer battles in this. Or even NPC battles. It's literally the opposite of the Let's Go games (which didn't really have wild battles)
I do hope the next gen will be a combination, with NPC battles in the overworld (against people who are in the big open area) and maybe even like MMOs: with visible other players in the overworld.
My wishlist for this games future:
now we talkin
@shinesprites @Savage_Joe
“As God is my witness “fan” reception is broken in half!!”
I actually feel it's mainline and not a spin-off. Just more of a pre-qul story wise maybe, and a evolution in design
FINALLY. Took them long enough.
I'm getting it. The last Pokemon game I enjoyed you could rollerskate in. It's been awhile.
If I love it, great. If I don't I'll trade it in toward Kirby.
@johnvboy yes that sounds about right, if the new console, is a completely different type of console, in other words not a Switch as such. Maybe a digital only machine.
But a more powerful Switch that plays physical games, only requires an upgrade and a slightly new look. That I'm sure will be here by October.
Y'know, the name "Pokemon Legends: Arceus" implies that there could be another "Pokemon Legends" Games.
Who's up for "Pokemon Legends: Necrozma", or even better: "Pokemon Legends: Bidoof"
@Crockin lmao
@zool,
They will stay with the Switch hybrid design and name, too much invested into it and the brand has power, they tried it with the Wii U and failed, with the 3DS had some success............the Switch 2 should be stellar.
A Switch Pro by October is not my thinking, but there are rumors I suppose, guess if it does not hit or is announced by then the Switch Pro will be dead at that point, or perhaps there will be another excuse/theory why it did not come out or get revealed.
@johnvboy Of course the crossover would then preset a new problem of having Animal Crossing breeding. I'm not sure if the internet would collapse or rejoice though....
For "Switch Pro", obviously the 4k PS4Pro in a slate rumors were always pure insanity. But I'm positive Nintendo intended to release a model with a chipset upgrade that could at least run the eShop in such a way it doesn't feel like online shopping in 1999 and hit stable framerates in so many games that currently lag, etc, and that it got scrubbed due to the chip shortage after which there's no future upgrade for Switch (other than probably Lite OLED.)
Nintendo hasn't made a handheld that they haven't upgraded chipset performance in an update (DSi, N3Ds, GBA SP), so a slight performance boost to cover the failings of the launch model is a Nintendo refresh staple that was missing this time, just using the original (or more power efficient Lite model version of it) stock. It's a shame, it was never going to be the "Pro" the internet fueled, but I think the Switch really deserved a "proper" final model to flesh out the rickety 2017 hardware. It'll never be what it could have been, now. For generations Nintendo games felt smoother and more fluid than other consoles because they were all doing 20-30fps cinematic games and Nintendo focused on 60fps. This gen it's now Nintendo games that feel creaky and choppy and the other consoles feel smooth and fluid. It feels wrong.
As someone whom never really was a fan of Pokemon games of the past (I tried several times but it never resonated with me) I am really looking forward to playing this one. I pre-ordered it a couple of days ago and it really looks fun and new for this franchise. Fingers crossed.
@zool Digital only is not happening, Nintendo has the biggest physical market in the entire industry. I don't see a scenario where the successor is not a hybrid console. With technology constantly improving, the hybrid model only makes more sense.
Hi Guys, for the ones on the UK who ordered with the Nintendo Store, did anyone receive the dispatch notification today??? I haven't yet and contacted them by chat about an hour ago and they had no clue about when it would be dispatched. I did get a "normally today", which doesn't sounds good at all for a delivery that's supposed to happen tomorrow... Should have went with Currys after all.
Nice review and nice score. Ordered it, although I think the graphics are hugely outdated. But graphics aren't everything of course.
@NEStalgia,
Still thinking Switch 2 announcement 2024 ish, with release date of late 2024/ early 2025... with PS4 performance that does not run you batter flat in 10 minutes and heat your house like a wood burner.
As for always upgrading the handheld chip sets, there was only the new 3DS that had anything more than the most modest of changes, and this even had software that would only run on that model, I think the others were more down to what was available at the time, as Nintendo tend to keep those handheld generations a little on the long side.
@zool It's pretty unlikely Nintendo would release the OLED and then a replacement for the OLED within a year of each other before they've even satisfied demand for the OLED model. That's just not smart business, and Nintendo isn't known for sloppy business. I do think an OLED Lite will be out by October or sooner, though, which is probably where the hardware rumors are coming from. It's unthinkable they wouldn't have an improved Lite model to match the regular model before a lot of big games release.
But at this stage of the game the improved performance hardware ship sailed, regardless of their initial intentions. They only way they'd upgrade it now is if they were planning on selling current Switch for many more years, and I expect the next console will be released between March and December 2023. That would give OLED 1.5-2 years which is really too short a span for new hardware, but seems likely. And that prediction assumes Lite OLED is this year.
@johnvboy I'd love it if it were 2024/2025, though I'm still thinking 2023 for new hardware if they update the Lite this year to OLED, and assumes the Switch "Pro" was originally planned. 6 years would be quite long for mobile hardware (while providing years of still supporting Switch 1 as legacy hardware, though that didn't work out for 3DS, it died abruptly), Switch is showing weakness even for first party, which is probably costing them dev money/time, is almost as long a gen as 3DS/Wii (the latter of which overstayed its welcome), and longer than WiiU and GCN (which underperformed). I think it would have been 2024/2025 originally if they had released a "pro" model last year, but I'm putting my bet in that the original hardware upgrade idea was shelved with the idea of moving the successor date up in time to compensate the longer term dev plans.
Current Switch is in sort of an awkward place even for 1st party Nintendo games, that it's not weak enough to give them the ability to produce lower end more technically basic games like on 3DS, but is weak enough to hold back console game plans from using more modern dev tools/processes. No doubt that's been leading to a lot of the extreme delays in first party games. They're probably stuck between wanting to move on from that bottleneck and also maximize the current product's sales. Consumers may not care en-masse about 720p graphics, but devs, even first party, are probably not thrilled about being stuck with X360 era toolkits in 2022.
Then again it's the same Nintendo that let Wii float for years with literally nothing....though that hurt them big....they're hard to predict.
@NEStalgia,
Mark my words 2024/25 for the new Switch, and still more convinced the modest chip upgrades were more down to what was on the shelf more than anything else.
All this other stuff is just concerns for the core, we notice the lag on the e-Shop which will be down to server issues as well, and frame rates/ graphical issues, the wider mass market simply does not care or even notice any of this, to them the Switch is still a cool piece of kit that now has a new OLED model.
As for the developers they will find a way to make things work, and the more modern games from third parties were never coming anyway, of course you still get the miracle work from Panic button etc, but the main thing is Nintendo and GameFreak keep them games coming, the console is still in demand and can sell a lot more.
Still not convinced it was ever in Nintendo's plans to release a Switch Pro chip shortage or not, as they would have had decent stocks of the Tegra chip this time round, although even that has been affected with Nintendo having to cut production back and revise their estimates.
For the ones who ordered from the Nintendo Store in the UK who haven't received a dispatch notification yet, I have just been told during my chat with them that some dispatch will be done late tonight with tomorrow delivery still. Also, they said that the game might be delivered before receiving the dispatch notification as there is a huge volume of orders to deliver. Quite reinsuring.
@johnvboy With luck, you're right. I really, really don't want to sit through the preorder mess for a good long while. Though PSVR2 is this year.....sigh
I don't think the masses notice graphical issue, though Nintendo was sure convinced that the masses did care about fluid motion for many years, so I'm not unconvinced on that entirely, but the eShop, even the most casual player has internet shopped on a modern phone.....there's no way anyone can't notice the eShop is almost unusable horrid on the console. The slow eShop and OS performance with background apps/downloads was the main reason Iwata gave for the upgraded SoC on the N3DS, so that's one that at least in the past, that Nintendo has prioritized as mattering. Furukawa isn't Iwata, but you can't convince me they aren't aware that's not as it ought to be and probably would rather have improved that if it didn't present bigger challenges.
Modern big publisher games were always off the table, but I think the old gen port well is drying up now since it's limited mostly to 360 games, not PS4 games. Which is fine, if Nintendo can keep the exclusives going (honestly I'd prefer a Nintendo-driven lineup like 3DS, which I still hold had a better library pacing than Switch), but they've been pretty absentee for the past 2 years. It's really been up to random indies keeping the release schedule filled plus Capcom and Sega here and there.
I really don't think the OLED upgrade would not have included a modest performance improvement without a chip shortage. For a variety of reasons, not including newer hardware in a new release like that, and just throwing a new chassis onto an existing SKUs SoC just doesn't happen. Especially where a product price increase exists. Often it happens that the newer chips become cheaper to source than the older ones due to cheaper production lines/better yields/lower power draw or better TDP. If there was no OLED model with a new chassis at all, I would have agreed and said there probably never was a "pro" on the cards, but since they did produce the OLED with a whole new chassis and internals, I can guarantee you it was intended to have a new SoC that got scrapped. It wasn't going to be a "Pro" of course, just an updated SoC with improved clocks that wouldn't have even been in the marketing materials but would have enhanced the "feel" of the system. Even simple "Slim" cost-cutting models usually get an "accidentally" improved performance SoC, just by virtue of being a newer design with better thermals. OLED is a weird horizontal upgrade, and, while Nintendo definitely does weird as the norm, I don't think it would be the product it is in a normal manufacturing environment.
@NEStalgia,
What surprises me more than anything is the fact third party publishers have not pushed more exclusive game with the Switch hardware in mind, the console must be past 100 million by now, and even though it's tough to keep up with Nintendo's offerings sales wise, there still must have been some money to be made.
Gamefreak have done some amazing work getting games out, their Switch output has been very impressive both time and sales wise.
Can't wait! Even though I just spent all my money on shining pearl, I'm definitely gonna be saving up, but I'm not sure what to think, some say it's a buggy mess some say it's not, guess I will just have to decide that myself
Edit: oh my goodness, so many comments (just read them ALL 😅)
Can't wait to buy this in a year or two when some patches are on the cart! Seriously though, happy it seems to have turned out well. If only I could drag myself to the end of DQ XI, then I could prepare for another lengthy game.
@NEStalgia I guess it depends on where you see the Oled fitting in. Nintendo has three handheld devices and that probably enough. The Oled will become the entry level Switch and production on the original Switch will stop this year. That's when the new upgraded Switch will be seen.
Both Xbox and PS have digital only consoles, I can see Nintendo following this trend.
Just like smartphones get updated each year, so will the Switch.
Yes next year the Lite will get a facelift.
@johnvboy "the Switch is still a cool piece of kit that now has a new OLED model"
I agree, I'm playing Legend of Mana. Then Project Triangle Strategy, Advance Wars and Kirby. By then maybe Mario v Rabbids. All ideal to play on the Oled.
If Zelda BotW 2 was released next week, it would go to the back of my playlist. I have used Oled mostly in handheld, something I never did with the original Switch.
I my mid 40s. I may just have to try my first Pokemon game ever.
@zool,
The OLED is awesome, I got the white joycon version, the whoe thing feels such good quality and the new screen is great, the old switch with the larger bezel looks so dated now.
@johnvboy Game Freak and "impressive" are words I'd never use in the same paragraph. They've become their own FIFA factory for Pokemon games, but their games are 2 generations behind technologically, of course they can crank out games quickly. One can mock Switch's hardware prowess, but Game Freak's games are well behind what the main Nintendo studios are doing....honestly they're behind what Bamco does.... they're just a glorified indie studio with GTA level bank accounts
I do miss the days of more third party exclusives though. I think it's fair the publishers just don't want to make something they can't sell on every platform unless one platform pays them to do it. From a business sense it makes some sense (We all know Triangle Strategy will be on Steam and GamePass eventually, for example.) But that's what made DS and 3DS, especially, so special and is missing now. Honestly though I think the biggest part of it is the devs themselves. The publishers that don't suck want to let the studios create whatever they want to create and most game devs like to play with cutting edge technology and push the most dynamic and detailed art they can possibly push, and Switch just isn't the system that's going to do that. It was a fun curio and challenge for some at first, but it's just not what they want to do, partly because they want to play with the latest toys, and partly because they want to keep their resumes showcasing they're ahead of the curve and Switch isn't that. I'm not sure it's as much to do with companies not trusting the ability to sell on switch so much as creatives just not wanting to spend years working on it when they could be working with things that let them showcase more. I kinda miss the days when Japanese software companies did kind of design what was going to be made rather than letting the creatives decide. It sounds grand, but creatives are great at spending other people's money to satisfy their own amusement more than making a product everyone wants. Short of indies of course. Nintendo seems fine letting indies fill in for that kind of third party, but to me it falls short.
@zool Seriously, there's no new upgraded switch coming. It's just not going to happen. I do agree it WAS going to happen, but not any longer. The time window to make it viable has passed. Lite facelift first, agreed, but the next hardware after that will be the total system replacement, not just an incremental upgrade. Obviously I could be wrong, but realistically I think that's all but certainty at this point, just for commercial and market reasons. Nintendo at this point isn't going to do an annual new Switch, not after selling Switch for 5 years before an update. Maybe for Switch 2 they'll move to an annual pattern, but not for Switch 1.
@NEStalgia,
I have enjoyed all the Pokemon games on the Switch, yes they have all had their flaws, but all have been fun to play, the latest one looks the best yet.
The graphics on these games have never caused me any concern, although I do like the art style on the new one, I have my Series X for serious graphical fests, and have no issues switching (pardon the pun) back and fourth between the two.
A upgraded pro Switch was never going to happen, and will not happen, and I do not call a minor chip change an upgrade, more a what was available on the shelf, just like the original Switch longer battery life model, Nintendo just got too good of a deal with the Tegra X1 chip.
And why do anything to kill the golden goose.
@Deepdoop It´s super fine to enter the world of Pokémon with this game, although it IS a bit harder than the main ones, but that's part of the fun. You have to take in account, though, that this game's setting takes place hundreds of years before its main Pokémon game (Diamon/Pearl, which you can play on Switch as well).
@Marianne It's really not buggy at all, I'm 15 hours in and I haven't found a single bug. Technical issues are mostly graphical (veeeery little frame drops, some textures looking bad, etc). Maybe those are fixed on a day one patch.
@NEStalgia there is a select (a large select) number of gamers that would update their hardware every year, if updated were available, and cost isn't a first priority for them.
Nintendo only have to release a limited Switch BotW unit and they will make money. 😄
Just like the Apple, Google, Sony and Samsung owners do, I'm one of them.
I don't think there will be a new Nintendo console any time soon, if ever. From now on Nintendo's consoles are called Switch.(like xbox/ps). Maybe Switch 1,2,3,4 etc or Switch Lite, Oled and Ultra.
A digital Console may be the exception, but Switch Digital sounds ok.
@johnvboy Switch has it's issues in terms of graphics, but Game Freak in particular is just.....not very good at graphics. They managed to abuse the 3DS badly, as well. X/Y was a slideshow at times. And they never fixed it. How the best funded studio on earth can be the worst at optimizing graphically simplistic games, I will never know. These guys have cash that makes CoD money look like a budget indie.
A relatively minor chip upgrade is all it was ever going to be (again, DSi, N3DS, etc.) Nothing really promoted as a "faster" system with a different level of graphics (even though N3DS actually was that), but I do believe it was supposed to have happened. Though you're right, they got a good deal from nvidia and the beancounters were going to use that for all its worth.
To be clear, I don't think OLED would have been officially marketed any different than it's currently being marketed, but I do expect it would quietly have been better on the inside by the original design. And that's consistent with how Japanese companies generally operate.
@zool Perhaps, so, but that's not necessarily the mainstream market, and whether or not that business model would work for Nintendo isn't going to make them change their business model on the current platform half-way through. They may very well do that with the next platform. But not the current one. Plus the moving target for software creates some problems in the pipeline for testing and the like that Nintendo (which owns two testing companies) may not find cost effective for their processes.) If they could make lots of money on hardware as Apple and Samsung does, that would make more sense. If they're not making much profit on hardware, that model wouldn't benefit them at all.
I'm positive there will be Switch 2 or Switch Go, or Switch something. But like Game Boy, they won't stick with that brand or lineup forever. Otherwise Switch would be called Game Boy HD. Stagnancy would easily kill a company like Nintendo, so they have to keep reinventing. But I think we've got another 10 years of the "Switch" brand at least.
Comments: 10/10
@KateGray YES! There was no other choice lol!
@commentlife,
Must admit to being shocked at how well this comment section has gone, thought it would be a right mess.
@NEStalgia,
I suppose a bit like the original Switch with it's improved battery life, as this did run a little better as well, but Nintendo only shouted about the battery.
Pokemon is a tough one visuals wise, it has to appeal to the older players who have grown up with the franchise, as well as keeping the younger audience happy, who watch the cartoons and collect the cards, to me they have struck the perfect balance, but can see people not liking it.
the 500000 hours of unnecessary cutscenes not being mentioned?
@johnvboy IDK about that visually. It's not simply about appealing to kids that watch the anime. Compare what Game Freak created here to what Level 5 did 4 years ago with not even a fraction of the available budget, for Switch with Yoaki Watch 4, ostensibly the same target demographic as Pokemon, literally. Level 5 just has better artists and designers, though not the better game designers or business managers....
IGN gave it a 7. Must be some cultural issues going on over there. Did the person that reviewed it even like video games?
@NEStalgia,
Not too keen on that style, but get what you are saying, guess Ganefreak will just do their own thing, but will reserve final judgement until later today.
Just placed order for Legends for pick up after I finish work today, only £39.99.... result in my book, I could play it and still pretty much get my money back.
I will be buying this, could be a while before I get anyway near to playing it though, like many others on here, my back log is huuuuuge
@NEStalgia,
I still think it's tough to compare different studios outputs, and style choices can be very subjective, I do admit Gamefreak could push harder, but it's up to them and what they want the game to look like, and I bet they do research into such things, target demographics and all that, can't be just down to them thinking the brand will sell the game alone, although it will and has done in the past.
And I always maintain that hobby core gamers will look into these things much more, you show Legends to most casual customers and they will not even bat an eyelid, they will feel it looks fine, as I feel I will when I actually see it running and am playing the game.
I had a few people over at Christmas and was keen to show off my Series X and new Telly, and of course they were impressed, but we had the Switch on playing the 52 world games etc, then showed them my island on Animal crossing and they were still impressed by the consoles visuals, and the handheld options, pretty sure I would have put legends on and they would have been just as impressed.
@Deepdoop I was also wondering if this would be a good jumping-on point for someone who's never played a Pookiemoon game before, and after reading the replies to your comment... I'm still kinda not sure. It sounds good, but then again, they all sound good, but I'm just not sure if I'm ready for the time commitment or the billions of things that I won't get because I haven't been playing Pecomorph games all these years.
Lol, I swear this site is afraid of being critical of Nintendo and Gamefreak.
At this point Gamefreak or Nintendo could release the most boring, bland, repetitive game with technical issues and zero effort and NL would give it a 9.
@johnvboy With GF it's not about choice of art style. The fact that they always have underlying technical issues, even though they also always have significantly outdated graphics on each system, implies it's not an art style by choice, it's an art style based on that's the best they could get barely acceptable performance out of with their technical limitations.
I'm not too moved by what the mass market of casual players thinks is "fine" - the casual mass market things Candy Crush is "fine." One would hope the biggest gaming franchise in existence would strive to be the "greatest that ever was" rather than finding the minimum the casual mass market will find passable enough to pay for....which is kind of the central complaint around GameFreak...
If you have relatives impressed by Switch's visuals while sitting next to a series X, have you considered a new career as an ophthalmologist? Or considered the possibility that you are, in fact, genetically part bat?
@NEStalgia,
It's different visuals, and just because people have no issue does not automatically make them bad, or the person easily pleased etc, and as I say I will give legends a good look over later, and report back.
As I say I enjoy the photo realistic visuals as much as I enjoy the more simple visuals of Animal crossing etc.
As for part Bat, not too sure, but I do like to sleep upside down from time to time, although I was told if I did this it would add ten years to my life.
@johnvboy I don't think Pokemon should look like one of those "If God of War artists made Pokemon for Series X in UE5" articles NL loves posting. But I think it should live up to its own anime. Or basically any other Nintendo first party title. Metroid Dread, visually is on another level, and that's an indie studio compared to the wealthiest studio there is. Or it should at least look like an X360 game..... PLGP/E had ok visuals for what it was, so did X/Y and Su/Mo (but the technical performance was horrible) but it was clear with Sw/Sh that GF simply doesn't know what they're doing with 3D, and didn't seek people that did. It was pretty basic in the open world parts, and this seems to follow suit. This game looks like they tried to copy BotW, but forgot to ask Monolith for the engine... It may not look "bad" but it looks "primitive", and not like what you'd expect from the flagship series of gaming. Much as I hate what happened to AC, visually, look at ACNH, then look at the screens of Arceus.
If the gameplay holds up it can be overlooked, but it definitely deserves to be called out. And I don't disagree that the mass market of kids won't even notice the visuals, but I'm not sure it's ok to hold one of gaming's premier series to a low technical bar because we acknowledge focus testing revealed higher quality wouldn't affect sales.
I am now going to read every post you make in a gravelly narrative voice......
@NEStalgia,
I still like the look of it. but yes it could look better, and just be careful. my Bat like powers hold no bounds, could be drifting past your window later tonight, Switch in claws playing Legends.
To all the Ninjas with superiority complex: while pointlessly trying to disguise your cheap name-calling as it was objective criticism, it seems you cannot grasp the very difficult concept of "a game not being for you" Let me explain. The Division: I thought the game was sheer f**** brilliance and it got generally good reviews. I wouldn't touch it with a stick. See?
Another thing I'd like to point out is how laughable the sheer amount of people who still "don't get" what the Switch is about and every time they open their mouths, only some jibberish about a new model and a release date comes out. It's so disappointing.
@johnvboy "Excuse me, sir, but there appears to be a man in Spandex playing with furries outside your window..."
@NEStalgia ,
That's what you think, what appears to be tight fitting spandex is actually paint, as for the furries.........I decline to comment, although if you want to place a restraining order on me, I doubt you will make it stand up in court.
@johnvboy At least I now know what nightmares to look forward to!
@NEStalgia,
Well had a good go of Legends this evening and got quite caught up in it, there is an initial download update which is pretty quick.
The game looks great and is very sharp, the colors are nice as is the art style, there are a few rough textures here and there but you hardly notice when playing, the Pokemon themselves are awesome, and overall is just like playing a cartoon, that while similar to Breath of the wild is also very different at the same time, so far from what I have seen very impressed.
I'm pretty stoked about Legends of Arceus because it delves into the prehistory of Sinnoh. Some details have been hinted at in previous games, which are getting explored finally. I love getting those explanations from exploring this game and its story. So far, the Pokémon variety is solid, and I'm working on catching them all gradually. I think the building of the Pokedex system with Research Levels is fantastic. I'm completing all the goals associated with each Pokémon to raise my Star Rank, so I qualify for more Missions and Requests.
10 hours in, I cannot put down this game, and I might have to agree that it may just be the best Pokemon game ever made. Super addicting, and I'm gonna give it a pass for graphics since I think they look pretty solid. It's like GameFreak actually did everything I wanted with the series and it truly feels like Pokemon's "Breath of the Wild" revolution. Just please add voice acting to the next installment!
I've been playing it damn near nonstop for the past 3 days and it honestly feels like a fan game in how much amazing stuff that people have been begging for has been put in and so much more. I still can't believe it's good, I've been saying that time and time again as I'm playing and having a blast like wow, the game's good. Who could've seen that coming. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRADE TO EVOLVE TRADE EVOS ANYMORE, I CAN FINALLY USE A PORYGON Z.
After playing the game myself extensively during the weekend, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is the best Pokemon game ever made. "One of the best" is not giving it enough credit. This sets a new standard for the series, and subsequent Pokemon games should build on this foundation.
Would this be a good starting point for someone who has never played any Pokemon-games (apart from Pokemon Go)? I'm a big fan of open world RPGs and have always had kind of curiosity towards Pokemon, but never got around to trying one and at some point started thinking that the lore is just too wide to hop in as a newbie.
@Hatsurikat I haven't played since the OG Gameboy versions Blue / Red. Just get it, remember this is basically the beginning of the lore.
@marcel1_1 It's for people who didn't get to play Diamond and Pearl back on the DS, general newcomers, or for veterans nostalgia. While it certainly isn't my favorite entry in the Pokémon world, i enjoyed it, it did a good job of updating the visuals, and keeping the game true to the original as much as possible.
@Hatsurikat Just do it! 🥷
@HXLXIII I understand what you mean. But the previous remakes brought content for both newcomers and veterans. Fire Red and Leaf Green were wildly different and with more content.
Now with the new remakes, they could've at least adapted Platinum which is better than Diamond and Pearl in every way and with MANY changes in the story, content and gameplay.
Fire Red and Leaf Green are the definitive way to play Kanto. They made it pointless to go back to the originals when you have the superior versions.
Can the same be said about the remakes? It left out Platinum content. Even if you don't think Platinum is better than the remakes, one should at least be comprehensive if someone disagrees. To say the remakes are better than Platinum is open to dispute. But it shouldn't....
Yeah, I played it.
One of the best Pokémon games ever made... that leaves a lot to be included. A new era for Pokémon that hopefully gets DLC in some way and/or another!
I enjoy this game so much that I want it to be a bit bigger (and deeper on mechanics). I'm hoping Game Freak is now focusing all their resources on the next (big) Pokémon game, so they could expand this title on the big meanwhile as a way to gradually add new mechanics to the open-world formula. I hope for free updates (New Game+ please...) or even an Expansion Pass soon.
Pokémon was made for exploration ever since the first game, just like Zelda. Open world is the way to go for the franchise definitely!
I don't want them to abandon the old formula though. It honestly worked better when they used sprites for some reasons. Just like Zelda, 2D games should still exist, even if that means Game Freak will need extra help from other developers like ILCA.
On the other hand, 3D competitive battling is still important. That's where an idea I had about a Pokémon Home/Battle Revolution hybrid comes in, but that's something else.
Removed - current gen piracy/emulation
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