With the latest instalment of the legendary Pokémon franchise being met with resounding delight, is this finally the flawless game that fans have been waiting for?

Over the recent years, Nintendo have no doubt been attempting to make a Pokémon game that doesn’t send fans into a large debate over whether it is any good or not and failing majority of the time at this task. However, with the recent introduction of the fresh, new-look Pokémon game, it appears they may have finally made the game they’ve been dreaming of making.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes a brand-new spin on the traditional Pokémon style, with the iconic turn-based fights and movement being refreshed and remodelled to fit the current expectation of an RPG game.

In this game, you get to roam the ancient Sinnoh plains, seeking out Pokémon to add to your ‘pasture’ and team.  Your adventure is set in the expansive natural majesty of the Hisui region, in a historical era when it was rare for people and Pokémon to live in close harmony. In time, this land of Hisui will come to be called Sinnoh—the more recognizable location in the Pokémon franchise.

Mount Coronet rises from the centre of the Hisui region, surrounded by areas with distinct environments. Each area is rich in its own natural features and plays host to different Pokémon ecosystems. For example, take the Obsidian Fieldlands, which is resplendent with gorgeous flowers and verdant vegetation, whilst also appearing to be full of Pokémon that favour meadows and forests.

 

KEY CHANGES

The most notable change to the traditional gameplay from previous games is the 3D, third-person free roam angle in which they have adopted, one very similar to games such as Genshin Impact, Monster Hunter and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.  This new feature allows the player to roam the lands, whether it be across the sea, up a rock mountain or flying through the sky, the game has very little limitation to map travel and exploration.

CAPTURING POKEMON

You capture Pokémon by literally throwing balls at your target, very much like an FPS game, as if you are throwing a grenade. Keep in mind, not every Poke ball that you throw will instantly capture your desired Pokémon, with many Pokémon most likely getting enraged and chasing you down in order to fight you, or simply running away from you.

BATTLING TRAINERS

Another welcome change that I noticed when playing the game is that the fights against trainers were much more dramatic in the 3D form and when accompanied by the fitting music of your opponent, it gave the battles a whole fresh feel that in all honesty was needed.

Additionally, Nintendo must’ve upgraded the intelligence of the opponents for Trainer battles, as there is a clear rise in difficulty of the fights. The opposing trainer sends out Pokémon to strategize against your Pokémon, making it as if you were simply fighting your friend online, giving the battles a lot more substance and making you think much more than before when battling.

FRENZIED POKEMON

There are also ‘Frenzied Pokémon’ which you can battle, although these battles are very much different to your typical battle. The battles against the Frenzied are comparable to a classic RPG boss fight, where the boss has a select few power moves that occur at certain times through the fight. The boss has a big health bar at the top that you slowly chip away at, like a Dark Souls or Ghost of Tsushima boss battle.

As for any qualms or queries I have about this game, one standout element that could’ve been better is the graphical quality, as it is rather low for an RPG game in 2022. The free-roam landscape details could also be a bit more in-depth, although going from the classic 2D pixel style, we can’t expect too much in that department just yet.