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johnny

johnny

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, best3444 said:

I never once got into Pokémon and I'm not starting now. At 40, my age group was too old for Pokémon imo when they were introduced. It was for younger kids when it came out so I'm kinda confused how some of you on here like it?

i was a young kid when pokemon came out so it's always been a part of my gaming life. 

 

you might like pokemon legends arceus. it's very different from the regular games they put out. 

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TheLeon

TheLeon

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What’s kinda funny is that I can’t imagine Legends looks all that exciting to someone who doesn’t have a history with the franchise. I imagine a large part of the appeal is interacting with Pokémon in a whole new way, and if you don’t have the decades of experience with the old way…

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Keyser_Soze

Keyser_Soze

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4 hours ago, best3444 said:

I never once got into Pokémon and I'm not starting now. At 40, my age group was too old for Pokémon imo when they were introduced. It was for younger kids when it came out so I'm kinda confused how some of you on here like it?

 

As someone who played it for the first time when I was in my 20s there's always a good place to start. Since the game never changes the idea will be novel your first time. If you hop in now this is the most you will enjoy it.

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best3444

best3444

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

As someone who played it for the first time when I was in my 20s there's always a good place to start. Since the game never changes the idea will be novel your first time. If you hop in now this is the most you will enjoy it.

 

I just can't see myself playing it and I have 0 interest in it. It's cool you guys love it and I'm happy that you enjoy it. It's just not for me. 

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  • crispy4000 changed the title to Pokemon Legends, New Snap, Diamond & Pearl
stepee

stepee

Posted
Posted

Game Information

Game Title: Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Platforms:

  • Nintendo Switch (Jan 28, 2022)


Publisher: Nintendo

 

 

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 85 average - 88% recommended

Critic Reviews


Telegraph - Jack Rear - 5 / 5

Quote

By tearing up the rule book and breaking new ground, Game Freak has created the best Pokémon title in decades


VGC - Chris Scullion - 5 / 5

Quote

Pokémon Legends is the breath of fresh air the series has needed for so long. It may not have been apparent from the trailers, but this is one of the most entertaining, engaging and engrossing games in the entire history of the Pokémon series, and is highly recommended to both long-time fans and complete newcomers.


God is a Geek - Adam Cook - 9.5 / 10

Quote

If this is the future of the series, I'll be incredibly happy, because this just might be the best Pokemon game ever made.


Areajugones - Javier Reglero - Spanish - 9.2 / 10

Quote

‎"Pokémon Legends: Arceus" is a masterpiece made, not only for fans of the franchise's video games, but for lovers of the Pokémon World in general. That living ecosystem, full of mysterious creatures that are precious and magical in some cases, and terrifying in others. All this is perfectly reflected in the game, which allows us to explore with total freedom an open world composed of different areas while we advance in its interesting story.‎


GamePro - Eleen Reinke - German - 92 / 100

Quote

Pokémon Legends Arceus breathes a breath of fresh air into Pokémon thanks to great new ideas, making it one of the best games in the series.


CGMagazine - Preston Dozsa - 9 / 10

Quote

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an adventure that is charming, surprising, and above all else, wonderful to play.


Enternity.gr - Nikitas Kavouklis - Greek - 9 / 10

Quote

The best choice you can make on January 28th is to buy Pokémon Legends: Arceus.


GamesRadar+ - Sam Loveridge - 4.5 / 5

Quote

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a refreshing take on the Pokemon formula, stripping back the game to focus on the titular creatures with such great success. It's just let down by the graphics.


Geek Culture - Jake Su - 9 / 10

Quote

Great for newcomers, even better for fans, Pokémon Legends: Arceus represents a natural evolution for the series, and it is one hell of a ride from start to end.


Geeks & Com - Anthony Gravel - French - 9 / 10

Quote

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an excellent adventure that proves it can pay off to do things differently. The recipe has been reworked on several levels and all these changes enhance the player’s experience. In short, if the last titles bored you a little by their redundancy, this new title should definitely reignite your flame.


Nintendo Life - Jordan Middler - 9 / 10

Quote

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.


NintendoWorldReport - Neal Ronaghan - 9 / 10

Quote

It's not without its blemishes, largely in the dreadful visuals, but the foundation laid here is what I hope the Pokémon franchise pivots to more in the future. It twists the focus just enough to make the experience of filling out a Pokédex more engaging, all the while filling battling and catching with way more variety. Legends Arceus doesn't quite catch them all, but it's satisfying the whole way through and makes me thrilled for the future of Pokémon in a way I haven't been in years.


Screen Rant - Laura Gray - 4.5 / 5

Quote

The game does an excellent job of pushing boundaries while staying true to what has kept Pokémon popular for over two decades and is an eye-opening glimpse at what Game Freak could do in future games of the series.


TheSixthAxis - Nic Bunce - 9 / 10

Quote

Pokémon Legends Arceus is a must-play game for fans of the franchise. Not only is it the very best Pokémon game yet, but it elegantly takes the formula and flips it on its head, creating a unique new challenge that fans will love. With the nods to the anime and Pokémon games abound, Arceus feels very much like a love letter from Game Freak.


Spaziogames - Nicolò Bicego - Italian - 8.8 / 10

Quote

Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes a lot of risks but manages to be enjoyable and fun. It feels like something fresh and different from previous entries, and despite no one knows what the future will bring to the next Pokemon's games, we felt that Game Freak knows where to lead their franchise for the first time in a while.


Game Informer - Brian Shea - 8.8 / 10

Quote

Pokémon Legends: Arceus charts an exciting new direction for the series, while still maintaining many of the core tenants that made Game Freak's franchise so beloved in the first place.


Hobby Consolas - Álvaro Alonso - Spanish - 87 / 100

Quote

‎Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the first game since Red and Blue where we feel like the formula has really changed, and it's done it for the better. There is room for improvement (especially in relation to the graphic section), but we are convinced that this is the way forward in future installments.‎


COGconnected - James Paley - 86 / 100

Quote

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Arceus, but the surprise was a pleasant one. There aren’t any gyms or gym leaders, but I found plenty of tough battles. The graphics are pretty basic, but the character models all look terrific. Even the environments aren’t so bad, as long as you’re playing in portable mode. I was instantly hooked by the gameplay loop. Everything you do in the field feels so seamless, so smooth. This game makes Pokémon feel a bit dangerous, something I never thought was possible. If you were hoping for a traditional Pokémon experience, you’ll be thrown for a loop. Keep an open mind however, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus will be a fantastic time.


Everyeye.it - Francesco Cilurzo - Italian - 8.3 / 10

Quote

Legends Pokémon Arceus is exactly what it promised to be: a new frontier for the series. Like all experiments, however, the title has room for improvement and on a technical level shows more than one shortcoming.


Daily Mirror - Eugene Sowah - 4 / 5

Quote

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a must-have for fans of the series as it’s an experience like no other. The only downside is that the game could do with a graphical facelift, especially the character models who aren’t anywhere as detailed as they should be.


GameSpot - Steve Watts - 8 / 10

Quote

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a significant reimagining of what makes a Pokemon game, with an exciting level of flexibility that's only slightly hampered by a slow early-game grind.


Glitched Africa - Marco Cocomello - 4 / 5

Quote

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the most ambitious Pokemon game to date and while it may be flawed, it offers a fun and exciting adventure that sets the bar for the future of the series.


Inverse - Tom Caswell - 8 / 10

Quote

"‌The magic of Legends: Arceus stems from dozens of smaller quality-of-life improvements. Some are long-requested, others are simply revelatory — mechanics I’d never even considered in all my fantasies of the ideal Pokémon game. Whether it be Pokémon displaying unique character traits, cohesion between the different mechanical systems, or the crafting of items, developer Game Freak has the right ideas in place for the future of the series."


Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - 8 / 10

Quote

There's still a lot of room for improvement but this is easily the best Pokémon game for several years and a positive new direction that the mainline games would be wise to follow.


Press Start - Harry Kalogirou - 8 / 10

Quote

While it might not provide the visual fidelity and exploration we might wish for in an open-world-esque Pokémon game, it does provide a satisfying and addicting gameplay loop, alongside a surprisingly enjoyable narrative to boot.


Shacknews - Donovan Erskine - 8 / 10

Quote

An experience that will appeal to longtime fans, as well as those who may have grown tired of the series’ reliance on the status quo.


VG247 - Alex Donaldson - 4 / 5

Quote

Technical shortcomings and minor frustrations can’t take away what this game achieves elsewhere; it’s the best main-series Pokemon game in a long, long time.


XGN.nl - Marcus Talens - Dutch - 8 / 10

Quote

Pokémon Legends: Arceus may often look bad, but its gameplay is excellent. The mechanics of finding and catching Pokémon feel good and bring a sense of discovery to the game. Changes in the battle system make for more engaging and strategic fights. Some repetitive bosses and a fairly standard story can't drag down how fun it is to play this new kind of Pokémon game.


Digital Trends - Giovanni Colantonio - 3.5 / 5

Quote

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a step in the right direction for the aging series, even if its technical limits can't always support its ambitions.


PCMag - Will Greenwald - 3.5 / 5

Quote

Pokemon Legends: Arceus isn't the open-world Pokemon game fans have been waiting for, but it's still the most ambitious Pokemon experience yet, and a fun collect-a-thon in its own right.


IGN Italy - Alessandra Borgonovo - Italian - 5 / 10

Quote

Pokémon Legends: Arceus turns out to be a huge missed opportunity, arguably the biggest disappointment within the franchise.


Console Creatures - Bobby Pashalidis - Recommended

Quote

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the evolution the franchise has desperately needed and while there are some growing pains, visiting Hisui is nothing short of legendary.


Eurogamer - Chris Tapsell - Recommended

Quote

Inspired as much by Pok'mon Go as it is Breath of the Wild, Pok'mon Legends: Arceus is flimsy and compulsive - and exhilaratingly new.


Polygon - Ryan Gilliam - Unscored

Quote

Still, Pokémon Legends: Arceus made me care about battling, and I actually wish there were more trainer battles scattered throughout the world. But I missed some of the predictability found in the mainline series. Whenever I'd go to swap out one Pokémon for another mid-battle, I held my breath, never knowing if I'd have to take a hit from the enemy before I could attack. Hours in, I felt like the game didn't give me enough information to make some of the strategic decisions I wanted to. I love the direction in which the battles are going with Legends: Arceus, but a handful of "what the hell" moments killed some of my enthusiasm.


Unboxholics - Στράτος Χατζηνικολάου - Greek - Worth your time

Quote

Is Pokémon Legends: Arceus perfect? No, but nonetheless it evolves and moves the series forwards. Game Freak delivered a title that will entertain hardcore fans, but also those who just want to enter the beautiful world of Pokémon.


Washington Post - Jhaan Elker - Unscored

Quote

Don’t discount “Pokémon Legends: Arceus” for its looks. It’s an experience unlike any other in the series.


 

 

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  • crispy4000 changed the title to Pokemon Legends (Opencritic Reviews posted), New Snap, Diamond & Pearl
stepee

stepee

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, GameDadGrant said:

Looking forward to playing Legends. I've been enjoying this series since the Game Boy days, and pretty much every time the devs try something different, I've enjoyed what they've put out. I'm not typically an "open world" kind of player, so hopefully I can jive with this one. 

 

What about Monster Hunter style hub with zones? That’s what this is like more so than say BoTW apparently.

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GameDadGrant

GameDadGrant

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, best3444 said:

 

I was curious in what the appeal was for pokemon games.

 

Oh, well that's easy. It's a fun, traditional JRPG. And the community around it keeps it top of mind for fans. There are equal parts cooperative play (training, trading, etc) as well as competitive play (versus battles). 

 

The series also does a great job of balancing the appeal between younger players and older, more mature players. Like many of Nintendo's first party games, Pokémon looks all colorful and candy-coated on the surface. But there are some ridiculously dark undertones within as well. 

 

Game Theory did a pretty decent write-up of the "Ghost Girl" a couple of years ago, for example.

 

 

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Xbob42

Xbob42

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Posted

I would argue that the actual core gameplay loop of combat is abysmal bordering on unbearable at this point. Catching Pokemon, exploring a breezy, light world full of generally happy people (with a bit of mild darkness underneath) and all that still manages to keep me entertained, but battling Pokemon is so fucking boring and always has been. It's the main reason I tend to skip multiple Pokemon games before buying another.

 

The problem stems from that fact that a 1v1 turn-based combat system where each combatant can know at-most 4 moves is ludicrously slow, boring and tedious. Battles, outside of really challenging yourself with a Nuzlocke, are basically determined on the first turn.

 

2v2 and 3v3 battles attempt to alleviate this, but they always feel a little janky and weird. Switching Pokemon in and out likewise, while being a core mechanic, just isn't very exciting or hard to predict.

 

I think that's the main thing that interests me about Legends; something different! Pokemon has stagnated so hard over the years that I remember legit thinking it was exciting that they changed up the style of the health bars in Sun and Moon, because to me it indicated that maybe we'd see some bigger changes. Alas, it never happened.

 

If Pokemon is the only turn-based game you play and you play it super casually, I'm sure it's perfectly serviceable, but if you've experienced far better stuff like Bravely Default or Octopath, where innovation makes battles both fun and exciting, well, going back to "I do my move, you do your move, this is the entire combat loop" is just bad. Now that's not to say that I think they should rip off these other combat systems that would not at all fit or make sense in the Pokemon world, but after multiple decades literally anything that shakes up the combat is welcome to me. No, making one Pokemon really big doesn't change anything. It's just spectacle. Even the 4v1 wild Gigantamax battles in Sword and Shield were terrible in every sense of the word, despite being the part I was most excited for. Know how slow a normal battle is? Well, give everyone like a 30 second turn timer, add latency, add time staring at a small lobby screen waiting for it to fill where you can't do anything, and then make the enemy Pokemon either completely braindead or something that will one-shot everyone and you've got a new recipe for concentrated tedium and frustration.

 

Man the game's not even out yet and I've already got paragraphs of tangential bitching, I can't wait!

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GameDadGrant

GameDadGrant

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Posted

@Xbob42

 

The single-player campaign is simple by design and shouldn't be judged as the game as a whole. Like fighting games, the real challenge isn't beating the CPU. It's about challenging other human players. 

 

Trust me, the "you do your turn, then I'll do mine" battle system against a human opponent (especially at high level) is practically an entirely different game. 

 

Your paragraphs of "tangential bitching" clearly demonstrate you've not done meaningful versus multiplayer Pokémon.

 

You think games like Call of Duty and Halo have lasted as long as they have because of their single player campaigns? Nah, dude. It's all about the multiplayer. It's the same for Pokémon. 

 

....or never mind me. Continue with your paragraphs because - no snarkiness or implications here - I do truly enjoy your rants! They are very entertaining. Have you ever been on a podcast? Because 100% I'd listen to you. 

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Keyser_Soze

Keyser_Soze

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Posted
26 minutes ago, GameDadGrant said:

You think games like Call of Duty and Halo have lasted as long as they have because of their single player campaigns? Nah, dude. It's all about the multiplayer. It's the same for Pokémon.

 

Halo generally has a well received single player games. Call of Duty, a bit mixed.

People were excited for Halo Infinite for the single player game not the multiplayer.

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GameDadGrant

GameDadGrant

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

Halo generally has a well received single player games. Call of Duty, a bit mixed.

People were excited for Halo Infinite for the single player game not the multiplayer.

 

Sure. Generally speaking, even the Pokémon games are well received as single-player games. But what keeps the games relevant is the multiplayer aspect. Not the single player. 

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Xbob42

Xbob42

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Posted
48 minutes ago, GameDadGrant said:

@Xbob42

 

The single-player campaign is simple by design and shouldn't be judged as the game as a whole. Like fighting games, the real challenge isn't beating the CPU. It's about challenging other human players. 

 

Trust me, the "you do your turn, then I'll do mine" battle system against a human opponent (especially at high level) is practically an entirely different game. 

 

Your paragraphs of "tangential bitching" clearly demonstrate you've not done meaningful versus multiplayer Pokémon.

I gave up on "competitive" Pokemon when I found out 95% of it was a bunch of boring ass breeding for perfect IVs/EVs and how competitive play seems to revolve around being the first to use your one-shot KO move.

 

Not that I haven't seen interesting plays or anything and obviously there's lots more to it than that, people seem to get way into it, but it's just so much work to still be playing a 1v1 turn-based JRPG. When I learned one of the guys who won several tournaments memorized several pages of damage from certain attacks and how that would instantly tell him the opposing Pokemon's EVs I was like fuck this I'm out. That's not at all what I'm looking for.


Also, 99% of people just play the single-player content and then some casual online battling, so I think it's perfectly valid to be upset that it's so braindead. It doesn't have to be. You get to the championship in Sword/Shield and the opposing trainers still don't use a full team of six! It's so stupid! The game doesn't train or prepare you for any higher level play at all.

 

I think the fighting game analogy is pretty apt, because to me beating a fighting game campaign makes me want to see how people really play. The core mechanics are very fun and beating up a CPU becomes boring. It functions as a gateway to online play as you get familiar with everything. Pokemon starts out braindead and ends braindead, making me question my decades-long love for turn-based combat. It fails to make me want to do more.

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GameDadGrant

GameDadGrant

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Posted
5 minutes ago, Xbob42 said:

It fails to make me want to do more.

 

You don't want to do the deeper, more intensive work to become a better trainer. And then call out the series as being "brain dead." 

 

Okay, no problem. The rest of us will continue to enjoy the franchise. You don't have to feel compelled to be a part of it. 

 

Have fun playing your...whatever games you actually do enjoy. Shockingly, (and a bit embarrassingly, since I've "talked" with you on message boards for so many years) I don't know what games you actually like. 

 

I apologize for that. 

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stepee

stepee

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Posted
3 minutes ago, GameDadGrant said:

 

You don't want to do the deeper, more intensive work to become a better trainer. And then call out the series as being "brain dead." 

 

Okay, no problem. The rest of us will continue to enjoy the franchise. You don't have to feel compelled to be a part of it. 

 

Have fun playing your...whatever games you actually do enjoy. Shockingly, (and a bit embarrassingly, since I've "talked" with you on message boards for so many years) I don't know what games you actually like. 

 

I apologize for that. 

 

Well, he likes playing Pokémon, for one example.

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Xbob42

Xbob42

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I know I've wounded you on a deeply personal level for not investing hundreds of hours into competitive Pokemon, as you seem to think "the rest of us" do, but the reality is that the competitive scene is tiny (given how enormous the franchise is) for a reason. I want the baseline series to be better. If it's only meant to be a competitive game, then sell it as that and get rid of the campaign.

 

On the other hand, people are saying this is the best game in the franchise for years and somehow I doubt they're doing many competitive battles... Hm. I wonder why?

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