Video game review: Pokemon Legends – Arceus
Routes will have more Pokemon in this open world, which makes them easier to catch.
January 27, 2022
With another year, Nintendo is yet again releasing another old generation Pokemon game on January 28th. This new game is similar to Pokemon Sword/Shield, released in 2019.
“I think with the failure that is Sword and Shield, people will expect the best, and this puts a lot of pressure on Game Freak [developer of Pokemon games],” said Case. “I think they may deviate from past games and make the game more interactive.”
Both are open world games, but Arceus’ new catching mechanics require players to sneak up on the Pokemon and hit it with a Poke ball before it runs away. Routes will have more Pokemon and this open world case can make it easier to catch Pokemon. If the mechanic works as it should, it would add an exciting new element to Pokemon gameplay.
“I think there are gonna be a lot more ideas at play, it should be alot more creative for the player to do whatever they want,” Case Bahl (‘24) said.
On the other hand, players like Brandon Ginn (‘24) think the new catching mechanic only complicates the process.
“I don’t think it’s going to be that good just cause I think Pokemon games don’t do as well if they are open world,” said Ginn. “It seems really confusing as it’s 3D and it’s an open world catching mechanic, meaning it’s not like the original games,so it’s just very different from what everyone’s used to.”
Avid Pokemon players are split on if the game will live up to the Pokemon name, or if it will fail like Pokemon Sword and Shield. So far online reviews of early copies of the game say the latter, as from that gameplay we have, Arceus looks similar to Sword and Shield.
What the Pokemon company and Game Freak release and what they have in mind for future games is bound to surprise players. When deciding on whether or not to pre-order, consider waiting about two weeks for buying. As for me, I’ve decided to borrow the game from Case once he beats it. Or I’ll see the reviews and see what graphics and the gameplay from other people. I don’t think the game will be all that it is hyped up to be, so I would wait before buying.
