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'It's most reminiscent of Pokémon Go, which unconvincingly gamifies repetition. In his 3.5/5 review for Digital Trends, Giovanni Colantonio also recognised that Arceus sometimes feels like 'a dream come true' for any Pokémon fan, and praised the revamped approach. There's an extra layer of tactics at play.' You can spot something you've not added to your Pokédex and make your way over, allowing yourself time to pick the right ball, or the right Pokémon to attack it in advance.

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'The series has always excelled in the joy of discovery, but rather than lurking in the long grass, you'll find your next catch wandering around in the overworld. 'By stripping away the quest to 'beat the Elite Four' and focusing on the 'gotta catch 'em all' aspect of the tried-and-tested Pokémon formula, it forces the story to focus on the Pokémon themselves, truly making them the star of the show in a way that no other entry really has,' Loveridge added. But each Pokémon needs to be researched more thoroughly via a variety of tasks to be added as an entry, catching them won't just do the trick anymore. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the main objective is to complete the (first ever) Pokédex, for the Hisui region. What it is able to accomplish is impressive, particularly for a 25-year-old series that's always been a little rigid with its formula.'

'But that's not to say that it's perfect, as there are a couple of elements that hold this experimental Pokémon game back from being the very best the series has ever been. 'By shifting the Pokémon formula to focus on enhanced open-world exploration, and the quest to catch 'em all, Pokémon Legends: Arceus has truly revolutionised the series for a more modern audience,' she wrote. 'It forces the story to focus on the Pokémon themselves, truly making them the star of the show in a way that no other entry really has' Sam Loveridge This sentiment was echoed by Sam Loveridge in her 4.5/5 review for GamesRadar+, who said that Arceus comes very close to being the 'Pokémon game of childhood dreams.' Subtle changes to the systems and concepts of Pokémon weave through the game to make many traditions obsolete - and these tweaks and overhauls add up to create something incredibly fresh.' As such, it no longer makes sense to have a team of specific Pokémon you love and only use them (at least for much of the game). In this game, your best way to complete key objectives is to change your team up, often. 'Reading forums this last week, for instance, I've seen people talking about their planned team - but that's a moot point. He advised to leave any preconceptions players might have about the Pokémon series at the door before getting into this latest entry. Even the very concept of a 'Pokémon Trainer' doesn't exist in this game, as the world it's set in is one before any of those systems and concepts of the Pokémon lore came to exist.' Learning moves via TMs and deleting old moves forever to make room for new ones? Gone, gone, gone. Gym Battles? Gone they don't yet exist in this ancient version of the Poké-world. Random encounters? Gone, replaced with Pokémon out on the overworld. Pokémon automatically changing forms when they hit certain requirements? Gone it's now an opt-in process, where you evolve Pokémon through the menu once you're ready. 'Think of things you know about Pokémon,' he wrote. In his 4/5 stars review for VG247, Alex Donaldson praised the drastic change in formula that Arceus represents, labelling it 'one of the best Pokémon in years.' There is every chance it is gone' Alex Donaldson But it is also an experience that suffers technically. The overall impression from critics who were able to go hands-on with Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a positive one, with the series taking a welcome step out of its comfort zone. IGN's reporter Rebekah Valentine also mentioned that Nintendo restricted what could and could not be discussed at the time the review embargo lifted, which is worth keeping in mind when going through the reviews that have been published already. It's worth mentioning that not all major outlets currently have a review out, with prominent publications such as Edge and Kotaku not given a code.

As a comparison, 2019's Pokémon Sword and Shield stood quite high at 80, while the recently released remakes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl scored a little lower at 73. Game Freak's latest title currently has a 86 score on Metacritic based on 41 reviews. Pokémon Legends: Arceus comes out on Switch this Friday, the latest entry in a series that has seen highs and lows since its first outing in 1996.

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