Pokemon is one of Nintendo's most popular franchises that has seen major success since the first game debuted on the Game Boy in 1996.
Catching them all, completing the Pokédex and defeating the Elite Four to become a Pokémon master proved to be an addictively winning formula regardless of generation.
But developers Game Freak are breaking away from its twenty-five-year tradition with their latest entry Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Over the years each mainline entry in the Pokémon gaming series brought something new to help keep the franchise fresh and part of the conversation.
Little things from allowing your Pokémon to follow you in Yellow to being able to see Pokemon in the Wild Area in Sword & Shield.
However, the core gaming loop remained the same, where players will take the role of a trainer who has been tasked with catching all Pokémon while becoming the strongest trainer.
But Pokémon Legends: Arceus looks like it will be Game Freak's answer to fans’ pleas for a fully immersive Pokémon experience.
Pokémon games aren’t renowned for their great storytelling, but they didn’t have to be as the core gameplay made up for it.
Despite that, the plot in Pokémon Legends: Arceus is much more creative and puts a new spin on what has come before.
Waking up after an ominous encounter with a mysterious Pokémon, the protagonist finds themselves in the presence of Professor Laventon in the Hisui region.
After helping the bumbling professor with his Pokémon problem, the protagonist is invited back to Jubilife Village, an early version of Jubilife City.
Following a series of events and trials, our hero is allowed to join the Survey Corps in the Galaxy Expedition team.
This sets the protagonist on a whirlwind journey to complete the tasks set out to him by the Survey Corps and the mysterious Pokémon.
The overall plot may not be massively complex but it's a breath of fresh air that's filled with several twists and turns that the series needed.
I’ve only given the bare bones of what's to come, to keep everything spoiler-free, but fans can expect something really magical.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a nice looking game, each grand location is filled with vibrant hues oozing so much personality that will make players want to explore their glory.
Although it is lacking a lot of detailed textures, which has helped the previous cel-shaded games like Breath Of the WIld elevate its realism.
The Pokémon look marvellous and watching them live out their lives as naturally we have seen in a mainline entry game is a sheer joy.
Game Freak has done a great job at conveying each of Pokémon's characteristics through their great animations.
Even though the Pokémon aren’t as grand as they are in Pokémon Snap, Game Freak have taken a great step in the right direction in creating an eloquent experience.
Character models haven’t seen much advancement as their monster counterparts, as they still look graphically similar to Sword and Shield, which isn’t a bad thing as the anime aesthetic still works.
It would’ve been nice to have seen each character show off much more characteristics and emotion throughout their journey.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the first game in the series to feature action RPG mechanics, but there’s a lot more to it than just being able to catch Pokémon differently than before.
Firstly, Pokémon Legends: Arceus isn’t an open world, but it's made up of several different interconnecting biomes that players can travel between.
Each new area is locked behind a quest or story scenario. Players will be able to fast travel between each area by selecting a base camp from a map or other methods.
Even though the game isn’t an open world, each area is huge and filled with just the right amount of Pokémon and secrets for a thrilling experience.
There is a lot to explore in Hisui, where different Pokémon appear depending on different conditions. I loved the fact that players will be able to encounter Alpha Pokémon from the get-go.
Players will also be able to place markers on the map to remember areas where they encountered a powerful Pokémon or for directions to their next mission objective.
The new travel mechanics that allow players to ride Pokémon are simply fantastic, especially flying on the Hisui Braviary.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is by far the most thrilling Pokémon experience to date and a great step in the right direction for a fully open-world game.
The Alpha Pokémon that can be found roaming around are larger, more aggressive versions with red eyes. They carry a sense of dread but have amazing stats if caught.
Noble Pokémon are on the rampage and will need to be calmed down by using smoke bombs before you can engage in a battle.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus introduces a new exhilarating experience to catch Pokémon in the wild.
Players will be able to stalk them by hiding in tall grass and have the ability to check how easy they are to catch by using the Focus mechanic.
This will help in deciding whether to battle the Pokémon first to lower its health or just go for the catch.
If the Pokémon doesn’t notice you then the player can throw a Pokéball at them.
But catching them isn’t just a simple case of throwing and they automatically land, players will have to aim where they are throwing their Pokéballs.
Hitting them from behind will result in a Back Strike that in turn leads to a higher chance of catching them.
Some Pokémon are quick to notice players and will either run away, launch an attack, or pursue the player for a battle.
Luckily players are equipped with a dodge move to avoid attacks otherwise taking too much damage will result in the player blacking out and returning to the base camp.
Pokémon with a lower capture rate can be weakened by your companion Pokémon, who for the first time can release from their Pokéball at any time.
Players will be able to initiate a battle by simply throwing their companion’s Pokéball at them. There will be moments where players will be confronted by multiple Pokémon, which just adds to the already intense experience.
Game Freak have really created an experience like nothing before and players will be amazed at how it all flows together.
Pokémon battles remain turned-based but with a few differences. Each Pokémon will still be able to choose from four different attacks, but each attack will also come in two different styles - Strong and Agile.
Strong style attacks make each move stronger, but your Pokémon will attack less frequently.
Agile style attacks will raise the Pokémon’s action speed allowing them to attack more frequently at the expense of the move's power.
This introduction of different styles really improves the competitive element of the series, adding an extra layer of risk and reward.
It’s really refreshing to see the developers incorporate a different style of gameplay that's still accessible.
The game also introduces several quality-of-life improvements that fans will relish, such as players will be able to freely interchange their Pokémon’s moves with ones kept reserved.
This is great as players can now experiment with several different moves at a time and switch up their move set before facing a specific Pokémon.
The days of going to the move trainer are gone and players won’t have to lose their favourite moves at all.
The game allows players to change their Pokémon nickname at will, rather than being stuck with it or having to go to a Name rater.
Another great addition is having the ability to evolve your Pokémon at will, once they meet certain conditions.
The main objective in Pokémon Legends: Arceus is completing the Pokédex, but it’s not just a case of catching them all.
Each Pokémon will come with a list of survey objectives to complete which could be seeing them execute a certain move or defeating numerous amounts in battle.
Completing these survey reports will allow the player to gain money and research points which can allow you to move up through the ranks of the Survey Corps.
Moving up the ranks will open up new Pokéballs, items and access to new areas.
Another big change from the Pokémon series is that players will now be able to accept missions and requests.
A request will be a task from the residents in Jubilife Village and act as the game's side quest, whereas a mission will advance the plot of the game.
Thankfully the requests are more than just fetch quests and are well thought out compared to other RPGs.
One of the biggest changes and improvements is the ability to craft new items from materials found within the world. This is a great feature to have as it allows players to save money and create an endless supply of items.
Verdict
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a fantastic and immersive experience that preserves the core gameplay from past entries in the series.
Developers Game Freak has done an outstanding job at taking the series to new heights, setting a new standard for hopefully what's to come in the future.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a must-have for fans of the series as it’s an experience like no other.
The only downside is that the game could do with a graphical facelift, especially the character models who aren’t anywhere as detailed as they should be.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is out on 28th January on the Nintendo Switch
