The Pokemon Company recently announced not only one game set in the Sinnoh region, but two. While fans wereanticipating theDiamondandPearlremakeannouncement, a new open-world RPG titledPokemon Legends: Arceusthrew players a curveball. An open-worldPokemongame is something fans have been requesting for quite some time, butPokemon Legends: Arceuswill handle that expectation a bit differently by rewinding the clock back before the Sinnoh region became a populated area. In the same way thatBreath of the Wildchanged the tried-and-true formula ofZeldagames,Pokemon Legendswill twist the normal format of thePokemonseries.
What also surprised fans aboutThe Pokemon Company’s sudden announcementwas the stunning graphics seen in the trailer. This is a large departure from the graphics seen in past games, for example,SwordandShield, which many fans were disappointed with. While the most recent new generation ofPokemonattempted to take bits from open-world games, it doesn’t quite hit the mark in the wayBreath of the Wildhas become the standard for exploration games. Pulling from the action-exploration category,Breath of the Wildseems to have spawned its own genre of gaming, resulting in “copycats” such asGenshin Impact, and now,Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
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Breath of the Wild’s Gameplay
Breath of the Wildwas highly acclaimed for its change in gameplay from pastZeldatitles, moving away from linear storytelling and giving the player full control over their adventure. Players can decide when they want to fight theDivine Beasts and Ganon, if at all, but it’s not necessary to get the whole experience behindBreath of the Wild. The Divine Beasts can be conquered in any order, but most likely, the player will become lost in exploration around Hyrule, discovering its many nooks and crannies before even getting started with the main story, which appears in the form of bread crumbs.
Nintendo took a bold risk withBreath of the Wild, and now the gaming community considers it one of the best games of all time. Nintendo is seemingly emulating that same adventure, but in the world ofPokemon. While the announcement trailer shows an only early build of the game, this is a game about exploration and creating the first Pokedex. It evenmimics a shot seen inBreath of the Wild’s original trailer, meaning Nintendo is likely replicating that experience withPokemon Legends: Arceus.
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There Are Still Many Questions to be Answered
Of course, that doesn’t mean the upcomingPokemongame will be exactly likeBreath of the Wild, and fans shouldn’t expect it to be the exact same experience, if not for the fact thatBreath of the Wildis a one-of-a-kind game.
ButPokemonhas just as much of its own lore to play with, andPokemon Legendswill likely add much more lorein itself. By turning back time to before the Sinnoh region was founded, filled with only empty wilderness and a rural village, a lot of room is left forPokemon Legends: Arceusto grow. For example, while it’s currently unclear what shape the story will take other than creating the first Pokedex, the mythical Pokemon known as Arceus will have a significant influence on the game. Known as the “Original One,” Arceus is known to have created the Sinnoh region, which means this lore will likely have some involvement inPokemon Legends' plot, and may also mean that the creation trio, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, will make an appearance as well.
So while the art style may be similar, the gameplay is largely inspired by the 2017 hitZeldatitle, and it walks and talks likeBreath of the Wild,Pokemon Legends: Arceuswill likely be its own beastsimply inspired by the groundbreaking trending style of gameplay.
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