Pokemon Legends: Arceus – How Long to Beat?

Due to each mainline installment having typically followed the same tired formula, most series fans usually have a pretty good idea of what to expect from a new Pokemon game even before they’ve actually played it. Pokemon Legends: Arceus changes things up quite dramatically, however, which, in turn, has led to plenty of excitement and speculation in the build-up to the game’s highly anticipated release.

One of the biggest questions that a lot of fans have about Pokemon Legends: Arceus concerns the length of the game’s main story. The narratives found in previous Pokemon games usually clock in at around the 25-hour mark, but, with the rather drastic switch to open-world gameplay, some fans expected a much longer playtime this time around. As it happens though, those people were mistaken.

How Long Does it Take to Beat Pokemon Legends: Arceus?

A main story run of Pokemon Legends: Arceus will take most players somewhere between 20 and 25 hours. This variance is because a lot of the side content in the game blends into the main story pretty organically, meaning that players will at times need to go out of their way in order to avoid it. There’s also a bit of a learning curve involved, with some players picking the new mechanics up a lot sooner than others.

As with previous Pokemon games, Pokemon Legends: Arceus boasts plenty of side content and secrets for collectors and completionists to sink their teeth into once they’ve completed the main story. So much so, in fact, that players hoping to see and do everything that the game has to offer can expect to invest well over 60 hours into a single playthrough, making it one of the longest and most content-rich Pokemon games released to date.

Whether or not this total will be extended through DLC remains to be seen, though early signs do seem to point to Legends: Arceus getting some form of downloadable content in the not too distant future. This may well end up being something as simple as cosmetic items or special event Pokemon, but a more well-fleshed-out experience akin to the Sword & Shield expansions can’t be ruled out either. Whatever the case, history suggests that, like the game itself, any DLC released for it will probably end up selling remarkably well.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is available now for the Nintendo Switch.

MORE: Pokemon Legends: Arceus – Complete Guide & Walkthrough