Could Pokémon Legends: Arceus Be The Game Fans Have Been Waiting For?

James Warrell

Pokémon Legends: Arceus has just been announced and will be released on the Nintendo Switch on the 28th of January 2022. This new addition to the Pokémon franchise has led James to ask: is this the Pokémon game fans have been waiting for?

Pokémon Legends: Arceus, for those who don’t know, is the latest instalment in the Pokémon series. It is based in the ancient Sinnoh region called Hisui. The game focuses on the collection of Pokémon and calming of certain Pokémon. As the main character, you are part of the galaxy exploration team whose job is to explore the region you live in.

There are many reasons this game looks like the Pokémon game all fans have been waiting for. The biggest is its open-world setting which includes a rotatable camera. The open-world setting has not disappointed, with it looking vast and filled with intrigue, from the Mt. Cornet to the lakes. So far, this world looks beautiful.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus introduces some new mysteries with a creepy found-footage video: https://t.co/VBm1adX7SF pic.twitter.com/VUAuOqKkd9

— IGN (@IGN) October 20, 2021

Unfortunately, to damper expectations slightly, the game looks a bit rough around the edges. The trees and the grass look poor in comparison to some elements of the game. But, this is still early footage of the game, so hopefully, this will improve.

Overall, the world looks like an improvement from Sword and Shield (which is enough for me). Another exciting element is the ability to ride Pokémon in the sea (on Basculegion), land, and air (flying/ gliding on a Hisuian Braviary). For the first time, transport has its own distinct feel.

As always, the new Pokémon look exceptional, with my favourites so far being Basculegion and Hisuian Zoroark. However, this has always been the strong point of Pokémon. On the topic of Pokémon, they can finally attack you in the field, sending you back to your base camp if enough damage is done. This is a welcome addition that adds more risk to the game.

It seems your Pokémon can also interact with the environment.

There has been plenty of new additions to the Pokémon formula. The ability to roll (allowing for dodging) and throw pokeballs outside of battle (both your own Pokémon and just pokeballs) is a great new feature. It seems your Pokémon can also interact with the environment, as seen when Lucario kicks a tree and berries fall out.

Moving onto the next distinct change- combat. In combat, there are now two new options in battle, including a strong and agile style. This means that moves can either be performed more powerfully or in succession, and the fastest Pokémon can now move multiple moves in a row. This gives a whole new dimension to the battle system.

Finally, I want to talk about the crafting system that allows for the creation of pokeballs and other items. The ability to gather items from within the world into the crafting system is an intriguing addition, giving the game more variety.

For the first time in years, I am ecstatic to be a Pokémon Fan! 

Overall, for the first time since the jump to 3D, it feels like Game Freak isn’t playing safe and taking two steps forward and one back by trying to create what Breath of The Wild was to Zelda, with this new game. Yet I cannot help but worry that trying to implement all these elements at once may lead to them not being fully fleshed out. However, compared to previous games, there is so much to be excited about. Even if everything isn’t brilliant, any new twist to the franchise is great. Thus, for the first time in years, I am ecstatic to be a Pokémon Fan! 

92 days until the release of Pokemon Legends: Arceus! pic.twitter.com/oxNKbnhkAC

— Pokemon Countdown Bot (@Poke_Countdown) October 28, 2021

James Warrell