Pokémon Legends: Arceus has critics and fans alike raving, but does it really bring anything new to the game series that has stalled over the years? TAG24 had to catch 'em all to find out.

As gamers know, it's been quite a long time since Pokémon has really caught our attention.

Don't get me wrong – I was absolutely obsessed in the early days, when some of my best memories were playing blue and red with my sister and trading and battling with link cables. But as time went on, and I got older, the games started to lose their charm.

Most of the Pokémon games over the years have simply felt like rehashes of red and blue with slight variations – furthered only by the excitement of a new generation of Pokémon to capture or mildly better graphics. While similar RPGs seemed to grow in scope, the Pokémon games seemed to remain static.

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This is even more clear with the last Pokémon releases, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, which were not bad games, but didn't offer much newness to the series.

It is the departure from this rut that truly makes the new Pokémon Legends: Arceus really special – it has managed to revive my love for the RPG series while making things feel fresh once again.

This spinoff from the main games is a giant step in the right direction of what fans have come to expect from Pokémon. And this is the Pokémon experience that fans have been dreaming of.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus was released on January 28, and revamps everything we've grown weary of within the previous titles.

The game has traded in the traditional overhead third-person perspective for a more open world experience. It makes Legends: Arceus feel much more vast and immersive than previous titles – in the best way.

For starters, the act of catching and building your little army of Pokémon – the element that originally made the series such a cultural phenomenon – has been immensely improved upon. Players are now in control of crafting Poké balls and given far more options for how to use them. It forces players to actually implement strategy into how they go about capturing different Pokémon and using each item.

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The battle system has also notably been improved upon by tossing out the old "random battle when in tall grass" thing. Now, Pokémon roam free, and may or may not decide to attack you if you get too close. It's then up to you to either dodge and run like hell, or send in your favorite Pokémon to defend you.

Legends: Arceus succeeds in being the most skill-based game created for the series yet, and it actually makes you feel like you are on your way to becoming a Pokémon master.

When I first started playing Legends: Arceus, I was impressed with its improvements from past Pokémon games right away. My wife – who didn't grow up on video games like I did – weighed in: "I always thought that this is what Pokémon games were actually like."

After playing the game for some time and reflecting on her point, I came to the conclusion that Legends: Arceus is the game Nintendo and The Pokémon Company should have attempted to make a long time ago. And it fills a void that many didn't even know was missing.

While there are still some graphical issues – which don't really take away from the gameplay – the actual mechanics are welcomed additions to the game series and make this latest installment damn near flawless.

Legends: Arceus does an amazing job of building on everything that players and fans have come to love from the series, while implementing more modern aspects of many other popular RPG series.

The epicness of becoming a character that goes from a nobody to a master is still there with even more depth, and is better than ever. There's a collection of new, bubbly characters that help make your adventure even more memorable. And the actual act of studying Pokémon and completing your Pokédex is once again fun and worth investing effort into.

If you are looking for a new adventure to lose yourself in, look no further than Pokémon Legends: Arceus, only on Nintendo Switch.