Pokemon Legends Arceus
A game that makes big changes and takes the Pokemon games in a different direction, you are in a village from where you go on expeditions to 5 other places on the map, just like in Monster Hunter Rise.
Positives
Overworld
The game has a nice overworld that reminds me of Pokemon Let's Go. You can see the Pokemon walking in front of you, including the shiny ones. There are also areas where many Pokemon appear together, perfect for shiny hunting.
Quests
There are plenty of quests to do, which makes the game very interesting. It gives you something to do in the post-game.
Battles
Battles have changed due to the game. They are nice and short, which suits the type of game.
Difficult
It is more difficult than some Pokemon games. I didn't expect it to be so challenging, but I was impressed that they finally increased the difficulty level. The battles with characters and wild Pokemon, especially the alphas, are difficult.
Story
I won't say much to avoid any important spoilers. I can't say it's amazing, but it's not bad either. It was just okay for me. It had its interesting parts, mystery, and suspense to see where it would go.
Gameplay
Very interesting. Now you have more control over the character. You can roll to dodge attacks from other Pokemon, crouch to avoid being seen, hide in the grass. The game requires some stealth in general. The system of throwing the ball to catch Pokemon is really nice. They have added new types of balls, some can be thrown from a distance, while others require you to get close, but they have a higher chance of success. It's nice that you have to be careful because many Pokemon will chase you if they see you. It no longer has the safe and relaxed gameplay of Let's Go. Another great element is how you use Pokemon to get berries from trees, break rocks, etc. Another feature is that you can change the moveset of your Pokemon, which is really awesome. You can customize it according to the Pokemon on each map.
Bosses
The Noble Pokemon have taken the place of gym leaders in this game. To progress in the game, you have to defeat them. For me, this is the most enjoyable and impressive part of the game. It adds a level of difficulty and freshness. It requires tactics to defeat them. I really enjoyed all the battles with the Noble Pokemon.
Sound
Very good with nice music. The sound quality is quite clear.
Negatives
Graphics
This is an area that Game Freak has neglected. They don't pay much attention to it. I would say it's bad, in my opinion. They need to improve and focus on it. We are in 2022, not in 2003 when it didn't matter to us at all. I won't say it was terrible. There was an improvement compared to Sword and Shield, but as a first-party and one of the main titles of Nintendo and the biggest franchise in the world, I expected something better.
Animations
Okay, here the game needs work, especially on the characters. They look like they were made by Alice (a very old 3D program). We've been seeing the same thing for years, so they need to put some effort into it. They have done some work on the game's moves, but it's not enough. It seems like they have copy-pasted everything. For example, you will see a character's reaction or a certain move repeated 50 times in the game. It's really behind in this aspect and needs to provide more variety.
Map
And here is perhaps the biggest downside of the game, the map. Apart from the fact that there are only 242 Pokémon in the game, so we can't say they included 600+ like in Sword Shield, it feels very empty for something that is not even open world. I can't say that I feel the satisfaction that should come from having such a vibrant, lively world. It feels lifeless, like a desert, for a time when there was no technology and big cities and houses, etc. It should have been filled with grass, flowers, trees, materials to collect, and many other things.
Game Freak has given us something we have been asking for years, but it still needs improvement.