When Nintendo first announced Pokemon Legends: Arceus back in early 2021 as part of the series' 25th Anniversary event, nobody knew quite what to expect. The idea of an open-world Pokemon game sounded intriguing enough on paper, but how exactly this would impact the series' tried and tested formula was anybody's guess. One year on from that announcement, however, and fans of the series now have a definitive answer to that question.
Though certainly familiar in places, Pokemon Legends: Arceus offers a very different experience from a traditional Pokemon game. As a result, there's quite a big learning curve for new players, even those who have experience with one or more of the game's predecessors. This guide will serve as a one-stop-shop for those players, providing tips and tricks, useful information about Pokemon and story missions, and any major news concerning Nintendo's latest Pokemon game.
Updated February 22, 2022, by Tom Bowen: Almost a full month on from the game's official release and the hype surrounding Pokemon Legends: Arceus is beginning to die down a little. Sales remain strong though, as too does the game's performance on review aggregator sites like Metacritic. In fact, its 83 Metascore makes it the most well-reviewed Pokemon game since Sun & Shield were released more than half a decade ago, while its 8.3 Userscore is around twice as good as those managed by Sword & Shield. Now, with Pokemon Day (February 27) just around the corner, news about DLC for the game or even an announcement regarding the next mainline installment in the Pokemon franchise could be with fans sooner rather than later.
Quick Links
Getting Started | Story Walkthrough |
Request Guides | Pokemon Locations |
Crafting & Items | News & Opinions |
Getting Started in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Pokemon Legends: Arceus brings with it some of the biggest changes to the series' formula in years. The most notable of these is perhaps the switch to a more open-world design, though there are also some pretty big differences when it comes to both the structure of the game's main story and the way that players interact with their Pokemon. As a result, even series veterans may need a while in order to acclimatize.
This section of the guide will help to ease both new players into the world of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, with How-to guides helping to explain some of the new and altered mechanics. This is also where players can expect to find general tips and tricks as well as answers to some of the more frequently asked questions about the game.
How-to Guides
- How to Save the Game
- How to Unlock Mystery Gift
- How to Farm Money
- How to Check Friendship Levels
- How to Craft Poke Balls and Healing Items
- How to Break Rocks and Crystals
- How to Change Clothes and Hairstyles
- How to Get Every Pokemon-Themed Kimono Set
- How to Get Massive Mass Outbreaks
- How to Increase Inventory Space
- How to Activate Space-Time Distortions
- How to Find Buried Treasure with Ursaluna
- How to Get More Pastures
- How to Farm Nature Mints
- How to Trade Pokemon Online
- How to Release Pokemon
- How to Heal Fainted Pokemon
- How to Switch Out Pokemon
- How to Nickname Pokemon
- How to Level Up Fast
- How to Max Friendship Fast
- How to Catch Alpha Pokemon
- How to Get Merit Points
- How to Transform Palkia & Dialga into Their Origin Formes
- How to Surf
- How to Fly
General Tips & Tricks
- Tips for Beginners
- Tips for Getting Research Points
- Mistakes to Avoid in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Moves That Behave Differently in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Easter Eggs in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- The Best Pokemon to Catch Early On
Frequently Asked Questions
- How Long Does it Take to Beat Pokemon Legends: Arceus?
- Which is the Best Starter Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus?
- What Are the Best Natures for the Starter Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus?
- How Many Pokemon Are There in Pokemon Legends: Arceus?
- How do Trade Evolutions Work in Pokemon Legends: Arceus?
- What Happens if You Pop All 30 Balloons in the Fieldlands Balloon Race?
- How do Space-Time Distortions Actually Work?
- What are Noble Pokemon?
- Who are the Most Important People in Jubilife Village?
- Who Exactly is Ingo?
Story Walkthrough
Unlike a more traditional Pokemon game in which players must defeat gym leaders to earn badges, Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes a somewhat different approach. It instead provides players with a series of exploration-based missions, although the goal of catching as many different types of Pokemon as possible remains largely the same. There are 28 story missions in total, with some being considerably longer than others.
This section of the guide will focus on some of the more difficult parts of the main story, with guides and walkthroughs to help players through any tough battles or confusing puzzles that may halt their progress. This will include all of the key interactions with Noble Pokemon as well as any parts of the story where the player's next steps aren't clearly laid out for them.
- Complete Mission List
- How to Complete The Galaxy Team's Entry Trial
- How to Find Arezu in the Crimson Mirelands
- How to Solve the Snowpoint Temple Puzzle
- Should You Choose Adaman or Irida? (Disaster Looming)
- How to Complete Mesprit's Trial (Lake Verity)
- How to Complete Uxie's Trial (Lake Acuity)
- How to Complete Azelf's Trial (Lake Valor)
- How to Beat Kleavor (Obsidian Fieldlands Boss)
- How to Beat Lilligant (Crimson Mirelands Boss)
- How to Beat Arcanine (Cobalt Coastlands Boss)
- How to Beat Electrode (Coronet Highlands Boss)
- How to Beat Avalugg (Alabaster Icelands Boss)
- How to Beat Origin Forme Dialga / Palkia (Final Main Story Boss)
- How to Beat Volo & Giratina (Post-Game Boss)
- How to Beat Arceus (True Final Boss)
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Post-Game Content Guide
Request Guides
As well as main story missions, players can also complete special requests for the Hisuian people. These range from collecting certain items to fully completing a particular Pokemon's Pokedex entry. There are 94 requests in total, though they won't all be available straight away. Some will require players to complete other requests first, while others are directly tied to main story progression. The good news, however, is that none of the requests are missable.
As one might expect from a Pokemon game, a lot of the requests in Legends: Arceus are relatively straightforward, though players will sometimes be tasked with finding items or Pokemon whose locations are not made clear. This section of the guide will help to point players in the right direction whenever this happens, while also providing information about some of the rewards that are on offer for completing each request.
- Request #1 - Where to Find Wurmple
- Request #4 - Where to Find a Big Buizel
- Request #6 - Where to Find Springy Mushrooms
- Request #7 - Where to Find Drifloon
- Request #8 - Where to Find the Missing Bidoof
- Request #10 - Where to Find a Silcoon
- Request #17 - Where to Find Cherrim
- Request #18 - Where to Find Wood
- Request #19 - How to Get a Guaranteed Shiny Ponyta
- Request #20 - Where to Find the Mysterious Will-o'-the-Wisp
- Request #21 - How to Solve the Mr. Mime Puzzles
- Request #22 - Every Jubilife Village Wisp
- Request #22 - Every Crimson Mirelands Wisp
- Request #22 - Every Cobalt Coastlands Wisp
- Request #22 - Every Alabaster Icelands Wisp
- Request #23 - Where to Find Hearty Grains
- Request #24 - Where to Find Male and Female Hippopotas
- Request #29 - Where to Find the Three-Leaved Pokemon
- Request #30 - Where to Find Roselina
- Request #35 - How to Battle with Pachirisu
- Request #38 - Where to Find Wanda
- Request #40 - Where to Find the Lost Charm
- Request #41 - Where to Find the Spring-Tailed Pokemon
- Request #45 - Where to Find Both Types of Shellos
- Request #46 - How to Set Up the Coastlands Camp
- Request #50 - Where to Find a Pokemon with Two Tail Fins
- Request #57 - Where to Find the Three Combee
- Request #59 - Where to Find Misdreavus
- Request #61 -Where to Find Crunchy Salt
- Request #66 - Where to Find Mantyke, Buizel, and Overqwil
- Request #70 - Where to Find Colored Shards
- Request #77 - Where to Find Wanda
- Request #78 - How to Set Up the Icepeak Camp
- Request #83 - Where to Find Alolan Vulpix
- Request #86 - Where to Find Zeke
Pokemon Locations
When compared with some of the other recent Pokemon games, Legends: Arceus is a little light in the total number of Pokemon department. That said, there are still 242 different Pokemon available in the game, meaning that those hoping to catch them all are going to have to put in quite a bit of work. Of these 242 Pokemon, seven are brand new, with an additional 17 of them being treated to a shiny new Hisuian form.
Anyone hoping to track down all of the new regional Pokemon should find this section of the guide useful, as too should those in the market for Mythical and Legendary Pokemon. There'll also be individual guides for fan-favorite Pokemon as well as collective guides discussing some of the best Pokemon for certain situations or of one particular type.
Individual Pokemon Guides
Collective Pokemon Guides
Best Pokemon by Type | ||
---|---|---|
Normal | Fire | Water |
Grass | Electric | Ice |
Fighting | Poison | Ground |
Flying | Psychic | Bug |
Rock | Ghost | Dark |
Dragon | Steel | Fairy |
- Every Pokemon in the Hisui Pokedex (& Where to Find Them)
- Every Pokemon in the Obsidian Fieldlands (& Where to Find Them)
- Every Pokemon in the Crimson Mirelands (& Where to Find Them)
- Every Pokemon in the Cobalt Coastlands (& Where to Find Them)
- Every Pokemon in the Coronet Highlands (& Where to Find Them)
- Every Pokemon in the Alabaster Icelands (& Where to Find Them)
- Every Hisuian Pokemon (& Where to Find Them)
- Every Pokemon with New Evolutions (& How to Evolve Them)
- Every Mythical and Legendary Pokemon (& Where to Find Them)
- Every Alpha Pseudo Legendary (& Where to Find Them)
Crafting & Items
Unlike most previous Pokemon games, in which players are expected to either find or buy the majority of their consumable items, Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes a somewhat different approach. Like many other open-world titles before it, the game employs a surprisingly detailed crafting system, which allows players to throw together just about any consumable item that they'd like.
This section of the guide will focus on how to unlock new crafting recipes and where to find the crafting ingredients that players will need for each one. This is also where players can find information about evolution stones and items and anything else that they can find, craft or buy as they make their way through the Hisui region.
Individual Items
Collective Guides
- How to Craft Every Type of Poke Ball
- How to Get Evolution Stones and Items
- How to Unlock Every Crafting Recipe
- How to Find Every Crafting Ingredient
News & Opinions
The release of a new Pokemon game is always a big deal, but the drastic changes found throughout Pokemon Legends: Arceus have amplified this excitement further still. On the day of its release, the game sat atop online retailer charts the world over and broke sales and pre-order records in several brick and mortar stores. If those opening 24 hours are anything to go by, Legends: Arceus may very well go on to become one of the best-selling Pokemon games of all time.
This final section of the guide will collate some of the biggest news stories surrounding the game, including any concerning sales figures, updates and patches, and any bugs and glitches. This is also where readers can expect to find opinions; not just about the quality of the game and the changes it brings with it, but also some themes and ideas it explores and the impact that these could have on the future of the franchise as a whole.
News
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Update 1.1.1 Fixes Shiny Charm Issue
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Daybreak Update Released, Here's What It Does
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Mystery Gift Code Gets Players Free Items
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Tops Sales Charts for January 2022
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Glitch Lets Players Farm Unlimited Shinies
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Glitch Makes Objects Bigger
- Hidden Room May Hint at Future DLC Plans
- Player Finds Genius Way to Cross Water Without Basculegion
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Trailer Features Live-Action Budew
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Fixes Cherrim Glitch
- Pokemon Legends Arceus Distribution Event Gives Players Hisuian Growlithe
- Player Runs Into Two Shiny Shinx at the Same Time
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Clip Shows Wild Blissey Protecting Trainer
- Player Combines All the Game's Areas Into a Single Open World Map
- Amazon Buy 3 for Price of 2 Deal Includes Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Clip Shows Just How Strong Trees Are in the Game
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus is Already a Massive Sales Success
- Pokemon Fan Creates Incredible Poke Ball Inspired by Legends: Arceus
- Pokemon Fan Recreates Jubilife Village in Game Boy Color Style
- Live-Action Trailer Shows What Hisuian Growlithe Would Look Like in Real Life
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Has One of the Strongest Opening Week Sales for Switch Games
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus is Breaking Sales Records
- First Pokemon TCG Cards Featuring Hisui Pokemon Officially Revealed
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus' User Score is Highest the Series Has Had in Years
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Glitch Shows Alpha Garchomp Losing Its Mind
- Player Forces Wyrdeer Up a Cliff In a Clip That Looks Like Something Out of Skyrim
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Glitch Makes It Look Like Player is Fighting a Tree
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Trick Lets Players Get to Top of Snowpoint Temple
- Player Gets Obliterated by Glitchy Gyarados
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Features New Status Conditions and Weather Effects
- Player Jump-Scared by Shiny Zubat
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Gets Update Before Launch
- Fan Creates Their Own Version of Hisuian Electrode
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Player Shows Off Collection of Baby Pokemon
- Subway Trains Get Pokemon Legends: Arceus Overhaul
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Pokemon 'Talk' to Each Other
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Glitch Shows Player Climbing Mountain Face
- Pokemon Legends Arceus Players Are Having Difficulty Catching Cherrim
- Hisuian Voltorb Will Start to Appear in Pokemon GO
- Pokemon Fan Shows Off Impressive Arceus Origami
- Player has an Awkward Encounter With Hippowdon
- Player Has an Adorable Interaction With Buizel
- Player Points Out Wholesome Detail About Legendaries
- Player Shows Off Rotom Collection
- Player Customizes Character to Look Like Naruto
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Confirms Incredible Detail About Pikachu Clones
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Clip Shows Terrifying Encounter with Alpha Clefable
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Edits Show What Game Would Look Like With Outlines
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons Player Shares Excellent Pokemon Legends: Arceus Akari Outfit Recreation
- Clip Reminds Players Why They Should Always Check the Trees
- Image Shows How Floara Garden Compares to Floaroma Town
- Fan Creates Incredible Real-Life Version of the Game's Pokedex
- Fan Makes Real-Life Version of Pokemon Legends: Arceus Poke Ball
- Player Recreates Scenes from The Lion King
- Funny Clip Shows Socially Awkward Spheal
- Alpha Pokemon May Help Explain Gary's Krabby from the Anime
- Players Aren't Happy About Lack of Rewards for Completing Every Quest
Opinions
- Game Rant's Review of Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Review Roundup
- The Biggest Fixes Pokemon Legends: Arceus Needs
- The Best & Worst Things About Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Things That Make No Sense in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Ancestor References Get Better the Further They Stray
- Why Cyrus Names Team Galactic After the Galaxy Team
- New Features That Should Become Franchise Staples
- Player Points Out Helpful Detail About Wisps
- Weird Additions To The Pokemon Lore
- The Story Behind the Old Verses
- Potential Settings For the Next Pokemon Legends Game
- Shiny Spiritomb is One of Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Most Captivating Creatures
- Players Want to Go to the Johto Region Next
- Players Point Out Detail on Alpha Zubat
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Might be Hinting at Bigger Team Size in the Future
- The Hisuian Starters' Final Evolutions May Reference Certain NPCs
- Fan Challenges To Make Pokemon Legends: Arceus Harder
- The Case For Pokemon Difficulty Settings
- What the Kanto and Johto Regions Could Look Like in a Pokemon Legends Game
- What The Hoenn Region Could Look Like in a New Pokemon Legends Game
- What the Unova Region Could Look Like in a Pokemon Legends Game
- What the Kalos Region Could Look Like in a Pokemon Legends Game
- Character Ancestors We Want to See in Future Pokemon Legends Games
- Player Makes Helpful Flowchart for Shiny Hunting
- Hisuian Zoroark Could be a Nightmare in Competitive Battles
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus’ Shiny Rates Should Be Kept in Future Titles
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Ancestors Have Some Familiar Faces
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Shows Why the National Dex Needed to Go
- Awesome Side Quests Hidden In Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- How Pokemon Legends: Arceus' New Moves Could Fare in Competitive Battles
- All of the New Moves, Ranked
- What Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Rumored DLC Could Include
- Comparing Hisuian Starters to Fan Designs
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the First Game to Fully Embrace the Franchise Motto
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Shows the Potential of a New Video Game Trend
- How Pokemon Legends: Arceus Makes Completing the Pokedex Worthwhile
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Way to Evolve Trade-Exclusive Pokemon Should Become a Staple of the Franchise
- Players Criticize Lack of Accessibility Options
- Comparing Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Pokedex to Previous Titles
- Players Aren't Impressed with the Protagonist's Swimming Abilities
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Has a Space-Time Distortion Problem
- Unresolved Mysteries & Plot Holes Left Hanging In Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus - Landmarks That Diamond and Pearl Fans Should Recognize
- How Pokemon Legends: Arceus Might Be Teasing Future Game Settings
- Players Praise New Moves Feature
- Some Players Really Seem to Hate Bagin
- What Happened To Ingo Is Both Fascinating And Unsettling
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Proves 'Remakes' Don't Need 1-to-1 Maps
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Makes Competitive Changes to Ice-Types, But They're Not Enough
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus - The Biggest Changes Made to the Core Pokemon Formula
- How Pokemon Legends: Arceus Hints at Generation 9's Region
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Graphics Controversy Explained
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Backtracks on Pikachu's Development
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Lays the Groundwork for Something Spectacular on the Next Nintendo Console
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Solves One Major Franchise Problem With a Wholesome Solution
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Emphasis on Sound is a Blessing and a Curse
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Makes Controversial Poke Ball Lore Retcon
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Poke Ball Retcon Doesn't Make Much Sense
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Pokemon Emotes Are a Great Touch
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Completely Contradicts a Big Pokemon Rule
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Time Travel Explained
- Path of Solitude Versus Tenacity Explained
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus - New Pokemon Tier List
- Future Monster Hunter Projects Should Learn From Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Requests
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Sequels Should Have More Unown, Less Spiritomb Hunts
- The Alola Region Would Be the Perfect Setting For the Next 'Legends' Game
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus Should Stick to Free Updates With Gen 9 Incoming
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus References Old Kricketune Meme
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus - Eternal Battle Reverie Explained
- Eternal Battle Reverie Feels Similar to Platinum's Battle Castle
- Massive Mass Outbreaks Pave the Way For DLC Monsters
- What to Expect From the Pokemon: Legends Arceus Anime Adaptation
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is available now for the Nintendo Switch.