A 25-year legacy is quite a big deal, so it’s no surprise that The Pokémon Company has decided to celebrate its anniversary in style. Following the announcement of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the remakes for the original Diamond and Pearl games, another long-awaited project focusing on the Sinnoh region has reared its head: an open-world Pokémon adventure.
Titled Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the upcoming title is described to be a “pre-make” that ushers in “a new challenge and a new frontier for the Pokémon world.” It will be set in the Sinnoh region of the old, with the franchise’s signature RPG formula undergoing a major gameplay evolution along the lines of the Pokémon Let’s Go series.
As suggested by its name, the spin-off entry is set to explore the origin story and mystery of legendary Pokémon Arceus. Players will travel to the Sinnoh region in a time set long before the mainline games, pick their choice of Rowlet, Oshawott, or Cyndaquil as a starting companion, and embark on a journey to fill out the region’s very first Pokédex. Along the way, aspiring trainers can catch wild Pokémon by throwing balls at them or initiating battles.
A brief premise of the game reads, “As trainers explore the natural expanses in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, they’ll encounter Pokémon that call these grand vistas home. To catch wild Pokémon, players can study the Pokémon’s behaviors, sneak up to them, then throw poké balls. Players can also battle wild Pokémon with their ally Pokémon. By throwing the poké ball holding their ally Pokémon near a wild Pokémon, players will seamlessly enter battle. This new gameplay angle is intended to provide trainers with an immersive experience.”
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is being developed by GameFreak for the Nintendo Switch, and is expected to drop in early 2022. That’s still a bit of a wait, but fans won’t have to worry about that – the new version of Pokémon Snap, which is due in April this year, and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, will serve to tide over the anticipation in the meantime.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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