Pokémon Legends Arceus (Switch) Early Impressions [Spoiler-Free]

Hello everyone- I just got Pokémon Legends Arceus on Nintendo Switch; and I have been enjoying it so far. Here are my first impressions from my first few hours of playing it; and there will not be any spoilers for the story so far. That can wait for now, so let’s get started.

I started with an Oshawott, and while I had some concerns over how the experiment in gameplay would work; I can say so far that it’s passed the litmus test in terms of both fun and challenge. I won’t get into all the minute details; but the progression works similar to the island trials in Generation VII; especially in the case of the noble Pokémon. As a hub, Jubilife Village makes a great base to reside as you get tasks from the Survey Corps. I named my avatar Hiroshi; and though I won’t say how, your presence in Hisui will throw you for a loop whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer to the franchise. 

The approach to catching and battles is also surprisingly refreshing as a longtime fan, providing engaging twists on the mechanics while also respecting what made them work to begin with. Though there is an admitted learning curve; once you get the hang of it, it’s honestly quite intuitive. One bit of advice I can give is that the dodge roll is a skill that’s good to get used to; since you’re going to need to use it early, and often. Visually, the title looks great; building on what’s come before to build another graphically-impressive adventure that is bursting with style, color and personality.

I was wondering how the game would be received as well; especially in regards to how it shook up the conventions of the series, and it has easily lived up to its hype. As of this writing, the game has an 86 score on Metacritic, and even with the commercial success of the Sinnoh remakes helping boost sales to their highest levels since Generation II; there is every indicator that this game is going to sell like Cake Lures.

I can also verify that the title does indeed take the best elements of games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Rockstar’s open-world titles (Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead being key examples) and uses them as a template to create an impressive title on its own merit. Likewise, I can also dispute the Monster Hunter comparisons as well; as the few elements of those titles that are a part of this one are streamlined and completely reworked to be far more accessible. Specifically, crafting is much easier in terms of collecting resources and putting them together; and you actually can’t get 100% completion the same way as previous installments. Some objectives do require you to defeat monsters a certain way or amount of times; others need you to catch them a specific way. There are even missions that rely more on exploration and puzzle-solving; such as tracking Bidoof getting into the village’s food stores. I look forward to finding out more of this game’s secrets; intentional and otherwise.

I will give a full review of this game after I complete the main story and the Pokédex; as well as the Sinnoh remakes. Before I go, don’t forget what happened to the man who got everything he ever wanted: He lived happily ever after.