In spite of its continued success, Pokémon RPG fans often remain unsatisfied. Pokémon Sword and Shield, for example, differ greatly from Red and Blue – but the underlying foundations remain the same. Pokémon has been a successful franchise because it has engaged and entertained new and long-term players. However, Pokémon Legends: Arceus shows that the critics have been heard. It’s the studio’s most radical departure for the series to date, but it retains familiar elements for anyone who has held a controller.
Its cloud-speckled skies and pastel landscapes echo Zelda: Breath of the Wild, while its Pokémon poaching evokes Red Dead Redemption 2’s trapper missions. Pokémon Snap players will not be surprised at the research tasks. Its spirit is felt throughout, especially in the action-oriented battles. Pokémon Legends: Arceus owes a lot of debt, but it all works. By setting the game in feudal times, Game Freak is able to experiment without upsetting purists, as the traditional Pokémon questline of clearing out gyms is absent. The template is taken from Capcom’s Monster Hunter series. From Jubilife Village, you embark on side quests and missions. Requests like fetching this and finding that aren’t new, but the way you explore the world is.
Unlike early impressions, the game’s Hisui region does not have an open world. However, it is large, but divided into distinct areas, much like Monster Hunter. Despite its evocative colour palette, Hisui does not rival Hyrule, either graphically or in terms of secrets. Apart from some occasional ruins, the world is largely empty and can look rather rough. Hisui does, however, have Pokémon. Lots of them. Here, a chance encounter with a rage-filled Parasect is the reward for exploring the undergrowth.
Besides the amusing story, one of the motivations to venture out into the crisp, aliased air is to complete the Pokédex. To complete an entry, you have to observe, capture, or battle Hisui’s wild Pokémon multiple times. A slightly unfortunate endorsement of colonialism is included in the emphasis on preparation and fieldwork in New Pokémon Snap. It is absent from here where humans and Pokémon co-dependently live. For residents of Jubilife Village, Pokémon are a threat, and so they should. Once again, they are monsters, wild animals that do not like being cataloged or snatched. They are outrageous towards being “pocket” monsters. In a neat role reversal, the player now has to hide in tall grass.
Many battles – particularly those against the violent Alpha Pokémon – are best approached with caution. Death may surely come at the paws of a disgruntled Lopunny. Using the knock-on effect, Pokémon battles are reworked with new Agile and Strong styles that affect turn order. In addition to throwing balms to calm frenetic Noble Pokémon, you can run away from skirmishes in real-time, but you’ll likely be pursued if events go south. It manages to make Zubat encounters enjoyable for the first time in 20 years thanks to the shakeup of these systems.
There are no complaints about the visual dynamics of battle in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Encounters are vibrant and immaculately animated, retaining their spectacle despite the player holding the camera. The score, classic sound effects, and some strident new battle theme arrangements compensate for poor environments. In just three months, Nintendo Switch owners have received remakes of Diamond and Pearl and this unusual attempt at reinvention of the Pokémon series. It’s hard to decide which I prefer. There’s no denying that this new approach has potential, but the classic formula still delivers. Pokémon Legends: Arceus and its predecessors will probably be combined in some future Pokémon game. Until then, this adventure is more than enough to earn its place among the franchise’s best. The studio should take even more risks in the future, even if it looks to other works for inspiration again.
