A few months after the 4G Diamond and Pearl remake opuses release, the Pokémon saga is back in force with a new episode that aims to break the series’ well-established codes. Titled Pokémon Legends: Arceus, this new opus promises to immerse the player in ancient lands at a time when Pokémon was still very wild and unknown to humans. But beyond that, Pokémon Legends: Arceus made a lot of noise with its choice of gameplay that was radically different from the historical gameplay of the main episodes, which had varied very little until then. So, what is this brand new episode worth, and is it the announced revolution?

Loads of exciting activities

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is all about capturing and exploring, that’s obvious, and the best proof of that is surely the importance of the Pokédex. Here, you evolve during a period when people know very little about Pokémon (we’ll return to this point in the following section), and your mission is to spread the word about these animals. Thus, it appears critical to complete the Pokédex, which is now more than ever a compendium of Pokémon information. Game Freak has enlarged the Pokédex in the most elegant way possible on this occasion.

For the first time, I really wanted to complete the Pokédex. The variety of tasks to perform will make you feel like a real Hisui explorer, using various means to acquire Pokémon knowledge. Beyond the Pokédex, which pretty occupied me most of the time in addition to the main missions, Pokémon Legends: Arceus offered me a plethora of secondary missions which appeared as I advanced in my adventure. On the menu are many rather varied activities: capturing specific Pokémon, of course, but also “riddle” type missions, with vague descriptions that forced me to dig a little.

Finally, I would like to end this non-exhaustive list of activities with the hunt for hidden objects with Ursaking, which I found very entertaining. In this game, you will be able to obtain Pokémon mounts (a bit like Poké Mounts in Alola) that allow you to explore Hisui from a new angle. This is the case of the Ursaking mount, which detects hidden objects in large areas of Hisui. Beyond the rather playful side of these hunts, it is also a way to obtain evolution stones, for example, which can be very complicated to acquire otherwise.

Completely redesigned Pokémon battle and capture modes

Compared to the earlier Pokémon saga sequels, Pokémon Legends: Arceus distinguishes out for its novel capture mechanism, which totally alters the gameplay. As is customary, each meeting with a Pokémon initiates turn-based combat, allowing me to weaken and catch the attacking Pokémon. The method is much different here: you may interact with Pokémon in the same way you would in an action-RPG (Zelda type). As I slowly approached a Pokémon, all I had to do was to aim for it and hurl my Poké Ball with the hope of capturing it. The game offered a real hunting experience, as I could use bait (which attracts Pokémon of a specific type) or objects allowing me to hide, such as bombs blinding. If you run out of items, don’t panic, as you can always play it stealthily by crouching in the tall grass to get as close as possible to the target Pokémon.

Interestingly, if you throw your Ball while the Pokémon is back, you increase the chances of capture. The capture techniques are numerous, and for the first time, you are not required to start a fight. That said, in some cases, it will still be necessary to go through confrontation. Also, apart from a fairly dynamic screen transition, there is no drastic game phase change at the start of a fight. Regarding the heart of the fights, several major adjustments have been made.

Finally, another notable difference: the statuses seem to have increased importance on Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Paralysis, for example, is triggered much more easily, while sleep will not be systematic. All these adjustments are, in fact, the components of a whole new combat system, which is intended to be more dynamic, more punitive, more balanced. If you don’t hang on, don’t worry, the fights have never been so anecdotal in a Pokémon game when you see the importance of capturing and the number of additional activities to be carried out.

The technical aspect of the game

Many gamers (including myself) were first shocked by the visual quality presented in the game’s early pictures. Finally, once the controller is in hand and the game is going, the entire experience is fairly lovely and does not have to be embarrassed in the face of a Breath of the Wild. To be honest, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is not a visually stunning game, and you will notice a lot of aliasing in particular, but it performs admirably on an older device. The game plays in 1080p with dynamic resolution (i.e., the resolution changes according to the passages), and the entire thing runs at a reasonably consistent 30 frames per second. In portable mode, the resolution lowers to 720p, as it does most of the time.

It is also dynamic, allowing performance to be regulated in areas with a high number of components to show. The frame rate occasionally dips but not dramatically, and the resolution is never alarmingly low. The loading times between regions are significantly faster, contributing to a pleasant experience, whether visually or via the controller. In summation, worry not; Pokémon Legends: Arceus performs superbly and is one of the most entertaining semi-open world games on the Switch.

Conclusion

Pokémon Legends: Arceus defies the saga’s established rules by giving an entirely revamped experience: ultra-dynamic fights, redeveloped gameplay, and large areas to explore. This masterpiece willfully shatters the DNA of previous Pokémon games to develop a fresh formula that will certainly influence future instalments. Whether Pokémon Legends: Arceus will be an outlier or serve as a springboard for something new remains to be seen. In any case, let’s make the most of this experience, which is a breath of new air for any Pokémon enthusiast.