Before the official release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, fans speculated how the open-world setting and new mechanics could impact its overall time to finish the game. Some early birds have even gone as far as to leak total playtimes online, but as the first reviews of the game began to surface, the initial speculations and leaks turned out to be more or less on point.
Although Pokémon Legends: Arceus offers an entirely different experience not seen before in the history of the Pokémon franchise, the time it takes to beat and complete the game depends on the preferred playstyle and how much exploration players are willing to conduct. That said, the newly introduced content will undoubtedly have many players steering off course to enjoy the benefits of the updated free-roam approach. Even so, Arceus‘ average playtimes do not differ much from previous installments in the series and stay within the expected playtime range of most RPG titles released in recent years.
How Long Does It Take To Beat Pokémon Legends: Arceus?
To unravel the mysteries of the Hisui region by completing the primary campaign, players will have to watch for quests that will advance the story. While there are only 28 main story missions, all have multiple objectives, and trainers may have to invest additional time into leveling up their Pokémon or catching new ones if they hope to progress with the game’s events. On average, it takes approximately 21 hours and 23 minutes to complete the main story without getting sidetracked. If played at a leisurely pace, trainers can expect to see the end credits in 27 hours and 52 minutes, while speedrunners are likely to complete the main story after some odd 16 hours and 44 minutes.
With a brand new take on learning more about the Pokémon species and their unique spawning mechanics, however, some players will find it hard to resist the temptation of indulging in Arceus‘ metagame. In such an instance, completing the main story while tending to Requests and some Research Tasks for the Pokédex entries will result in an average playtime of 31 hours and 51 minutes. Those who prefer to do it in their own time can expect to beat the game within 46 hours, while speedrunners should be able to breeze through extra challenges in 22 hours and 27 minutes.
How Long Does It Take To Complete Pokémon Legends: Arceus?
As opposed to previous entries in the franchise, completionists are looking at a slightly different game completion formula in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, including the post-game content. The first notable difference is the number of Pokémon species roaming the Hisui region, which is currently on the lower end. Although trainers will have to catch “only” 242 Pokémon to complete the Hisui Pokédex, the game makes up for the lack of available Pokémon species through Research Tasks, which conveniently increase the players’ Star Rank while unlocking other perks as well. Aside from this addition, a total of 94 Requests will keep the completionists busy for perhaps a bit longer than usual.
It will take about 69 hours and 44 minutes on average to explore every nook and cranny in the game and catch all the Shiny and Legendary Pokémon native to the Hisui region. A rushed approach will have the completionists reach the end line in 57 hours and 4 minutes, while a leisurely approach will yield a full game completion in 84 hours and 56 minutes. Since Pokémon Legends: Arceus was released about a week ago, the overall playtimes are still fluctuating and continue to change on a daily basis.
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