Here’s what reviews are saying about Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Pokemon Legends: Arceus has officially arrived and the reviews are in for the game. The general consensus is a positive one.

Across multiple review aggregators, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is enjoying some of the highest composite ratings in the series’ history. On some sites, it’s enjoying the highest ratings of any Pokemon game ever. Different review aggregators handle Pokemon games in different ways. Some have separate scores for games within the same Pokemon generation, some have separate scores, and others mix and match. 

Regardless, as of this writing Pokemon Legends: Arceus is enjoying composite ratings around the 8.5/10 mark. That tally puts it on par with some of the transformative Pokemon releases, like the series’ debut on the Nintendo DS with Diamond and Pearl and its move from 2D to 3D with Pokemon X and Y. Other Pokemon installments typically hover around the 8.0/10 mark or lower, which has been the case with the likes of Sword and Shield.

What’s most notable about Pokemon Legends: Arceus is how its reviews fare against other Pokemon spin-off titles. On that, it’s the best by a comfortable margin.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the best-reviewed Pokemon spin-off, ever

As of this writing, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the best-reviewed Pokemon spin-off game in series history.

Though Pokemon Legends: Arceus has a lot in common with mainline games and is regarded by some fans as a gen-nine game, it’s officially more of a spin-off. The competition in this category is much softer than other mainline Pokemon titles.

Depending on the review aggregator, the top-rated Pokemon spin-off was either Pokemon Puzzle League for the Nintendo 64 or New Pokemon Snap. These games hover around the 8.0 mark. By comparison, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is hovering around the 8.5 mark.

While that may not sound like much, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is receiving much more positive reviews compared with other recent Pokemon spin-offs outside New Pokemon Snap. According to Open Critic, Pokemon Unite has a critic average of 6.8/10 while Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX averaged 6.9/10. Games like Pokemon Cafe Mix and Pokemon Quest are even lower.

Perhaps the best competition to put Pokemon Legends: Arceus against would be other Pokemon spin-offs that feature the core mechanics of collecting and battling Pokemon. Once again, Pokemon Legends: Arceus shines in that regard compared to the 7.9 average of Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, the 7.3-rated Pokemon Colosseum, and the 6.4 of Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness.