Pokémon Legends: Arceus - Nintendo Switch

God forgive me for what Im about to write - seriously - because I feel the intense need to warn what is probably a minority of people who might be like me so that they dont waste any more time or money looking forward to or purchasing this game. I need to. Again, I know Im probably in the minority, but the minority of 8 billion people is quite a few people, so Im going to speak up just in case. Ive played every Pokemon video game made. I love the laid-back feel of them, the safety and warmth of returning to an imaginary dimension filled with monsters who wont kill you, the joy of catching, training, and growing closer to particular monsters, and the turn-based battle tactics that allow an autistic person such as myself to stop and filter every single thing going on across the screen, then follow through when ready. I can breathe. I remain calm. No meltdown or panic attacks. I love the graphics - all of them, even from the early days - and the way theyve advanced, the Galar region being my favorite due to its vibrant contrasts and seemingly endless locations to wander. So naturally, for this game, I was expecting much of the same. I was expecting, at the very least, that I would be able to return to that wonderful, familiar world of turn-based, SAFE play where the professors and adults in general were nurturing (nice for kids who dont have that in real life, btw), the graphics were sharply colorful and contrasting, and the screen was free of the distracting dashes and marks and numbers that seemingly every other game on the market is plush with. But no. (Mild spoilers below, but necessary if you are sensitive or expecting the same as other Pokemon games) The first thing you do is come face to face with what basically amounts to an obnoxious drill sergeant (I guess I got drafted???) who insists you pull off what most think is an impossible task before they so much as give you protective gear - and if you fail? She informs you that you will be forced out of the village to die. Yeah, die. (Youre a kid still, btw) Dying is very possible in this Pokemon game. Not for the Pokemon, but for the player. In fact, as you walk into one of the buildings, you are greeted with the lovely sounds of a medical worker trying their darnedest to keep another person from dying due to a Pokemon attack. My daughter informs me that you just go back to heal up and start again, but as anyone with an anxiety disorder or PTSD or certain forms of autism can tell you, that single act of being attacked is enough to bring about the shakes and high blood pressure. So, yeah. Thats just not what I needed in this chaos-ridden, Pandemic-infused misery muck of a planet right now. The game is supposed to be open world, and everyone was so excited about this. But there are constant count-down numbers and guide marks on the screen messing up the view (distracting for ADHD, synesthesia, autism, etc. - again), and you have to worry about wild Pokemon jumping out at you, running after you, and trying to eat your face at any given moment. Whats more, the environment is boring. Its just too realistic. Its far too much like the actual real world - with muted colors that blend into one another, no bright beautiful candyland-like contrasts, no wondrous scenes to behold. Its basically Skyrim meets Pokemon. (But not as majestic.) Which will, I imagine, appeal to quite a few people. And thats probably why they made this game. Because, you know, the world needs yet another game exactly like this. Anyway. I wanted to play this with my daughter. She ran in with both preordered cartridges, her face flush, her eyes shining, and we spent the first thirty minutes or so getting acquainted with the game. And by then... it was hard for me not to show my disappointment. I am seriously hoping they return to the tried and true format for the next game. And of course that it happens soon.

It’s different than the usual Pokémon games. No gyms that need to be conquered. Craft item and pokeballs from items found around the environment. I like the game and hope to see more maybe DLC

The battles before the credits roll are mostly possible... the ones where you cant use your pokemon are super annoying, but it lets you start over from where you left off, so you can get through it with a few tries. Unfortunately, there are some after the credits that dont let you start over and it is you against the pokemon without being able to use your own again, where you just die. I found that part annoying, and outside of what a pokemon game should be ... you train your pokemon so that they can battle for you, and throwing in impossible boss battles where you have to fight as a puny human seems inane. I hate games that teach you how to do things one way and then switch the rules on you later. Overall the game is fun. The sneaking up on pokemon and throwing balls at them is awesome, but there are a few glitches, and I just stopped playing when I got to the point where I cant get past that part of the storyline because the battle is too hard. I also wish it connected to Pokemon Home so I could add to my living pokedex. Not sure why we pay for that if the games arent going to actually USE it.

This game us amazing

The open world is very empty, I can handle poor graphics because I like gameplay more. The intro and training at the start seems like it will never end. I love pokemon tho so I will always buy!

Wasn’t sure what to expect going into this game thought it would be similar to other Pokémon games but this one has a few changes which I really enjoyed. It’s nice to be able to see the Pokémon out in the wild instead of the random in counters you would get with previous game. Also I like the option to sneak up and catch Pokémon instead of having to battle them every time.

Truly recaptures the adventure of the original games.

Sunk maybe 70h into it so far

Ive been playing pokemon since the beginning. This game is not like the others, but the changes are almost all improvements. This game is totally worth it. I hope they make another with similar features.

Came in great condition and my sibling loves it!! :-)