Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Japanese: Pokémon LEGENDS アルセウス, Hepburn: Pokémon LEGENDS Arceus) is an action role-playing game for the Nintendo Switch. It is a Generation VIII game part of the core series but is largely different in gameplay. The game released worldwide on January 28, 2022.
The game takes place in the Hisui region, several year prior to becoming the Sinnoh region in Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version, Pokémon Platinum Version, and their remakes Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl. It consists largely of untouched nature, few settlements, and a largely undeveloped bond between humans and Pokémon.
Blurb[]
Action meets RPG in a new kind of Pokémon Adventure!
Research Pokémon for the Hisui region's first Pokédex
Catch Pokémon using your battle skills—or stealth and wits!
Answer the call of Arceus, said to be the creator of this world!
Story[]
The player is brought to the Hisui region by Arceus. They are given the Arc Phone by Arceus. Upon awakening, he is found by Professor Laventon, a researcher for the Galaxy Team. Upon arriving at Jubilife Village, the player meets Akari (if the player is a boy) or Rei (if the player is a girl), who work as the professor's assistant.
The player is able to choose from three first partner Pokémon found by Professor Laventon during his travels throughout regions, each originating from a different previous installment in the core series: Rowlet from the Alola region, Cyndaquil from the Johto region, and Oshawott from the Unova region. These Pokémon's final evolutions each receive new regional forms.
During his stay, the player has to investigate the space-time distortions. They meet the Noble Pokémon, Pokémon protectors of Hisui, as well as the Diamond Clan and Pearl Clan, who worship Dialga and Palkia, respectively.
Gameplay[]
The entire region is divided into five fully large areas in invidual biomes within an open-world environment, with the ability to control the camera in the same way as the Wild Area in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. More areas become accessible as the player progresses through the story and ranks up in the Galaxy Team. Similar to Poké Rides, Pokémon can be ridden to travel around the region through different means, each having certain uses in exploration. The space-time distortions can occur randomly anywhere throughout the Hisui region, and exclusive Pokémon and items can be found within them. There are also all the Unown letters scattered throughout the region.
The player is tasked with filling in the Hisuian Pokédex. Filling Pokédex entries is not as straightforward as catching a Pokémon, unlike previous games of the core series, since the player now has to complete a variety of tasks that involve catching or battling that species to increase each Pokémon's research level. The full entry is filled out once the research level reaches 10. Some Pokémon interact differently to the player, as some may run away, some may approach the player, showing interest, and others may attack the player. As the player collects increasingly more data, their rank in the Galaxy Team increases.
Capturing a wild Pokémon involves observing and learning its behavior. The player has to sneak behind a Pokémon before aiming a Poké Ball and throwing it at the Pokémon to capture it. Tall grass allows the player to avoid being seen by wild Pokémon. The player can also throw food to distract the Pokémon, with each type having their own preferred foods. It is possible for the player to lose all of their energy from being attacked by a hostile wild Pokémon.
The player can gather a party consisting of their first-partner Pokémon and any Pokémon caught along their journey. The Pokémon can help them fight wild Pokémon and capture them in the traditional way of weakening them enough before throwing a Poké Ball or to avoid being attacked if spotted. Throwing a Poké Ball near a wild Pokémon starts the battle automatically. The catch rates of many Pokémon have been changed from earlier games in the core series.
Pokémon battles are now seamless, having no transition, and take place in real time. The player can activate this by throwing a Poké Ball containing one of their team members in front of a wild Pokémon. The turn system is reworked, with it now being possible for a player to have multiple turns in a row depending on the Pokémon's Speed stat.
The game introduces move mastery, allowing the player's Pokémon to master a move and use two variants of it: a strong style and an agile style. Strong style increases the move's power but decreases the Pokémon's move speed, whilst agile style decreases the move's power but increases the Pokémon's move speed. Either way, twice the amount PP is used than with the normal move.
Many elements added to Pokémon Legends: Arceus are similar to those in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Besides open world exploration, the player has more movement options, such as dodging, making them temporarily invulnerable to attacks. The player can take damage not just from wild Pokémon, but also falling or drowning. The player has a health meter, and if the player loses all of their health, they black out and lose several items, represented as a Lost Satchel. The day and night cycle is not based on the real-time clock and instead follows a pre-set amount of real time. Players can change the time of day by resting at any base camp. There is Crafting, which the player can use to make different items and help them on their journey. Besides the crafting system, the player can mine and scavenge for resources.
Trade Evolutions are now replaced by an item named the Linking Cord, which can be bought at the trading post in Jubilife Village for 1,000 MP. Merit Points are gained by collecting others' Lost Satchels, redeeming the Merit Points from the Lost & Found in the menu, or from the space-time distortions.
There are events known as "Mass Outbreaks," which are periods of time where many of one Pokémon spawn in a certain area. In the Daybreak update, a new phenomenon called "Massive Mass Outbreaks" was added where several Mass Outbreaks occur at once for a short time similar to Space-time Distortions.
Wild Pokémon behaviors[]
Wild Pokémon can have four different behaviors depending on species.
- Timid - Will actively run away from the player
- Friendly - Will get close to a player, and act playful.
- Neutral - Has the Friendly behavior when approaching it, but will change to Hostile when provoked. In Mass Outbreaks, Pokémon of this personality that spawn while the player is in sight will automatically enter Hostile mode.
- Hostile - Will actively attack the player when it spots them.
Alpha Pokémon and Pokémon that appeared in Space-Time Distortions are Hostile regardless of its species.
| Pokémon | Behavior | |
|---|---|---|
| Rowlet | Timid | |
| Dartrix | Neutral | |
| Decidueye | Hostile | |
| Dewott | Hostile | |
| Samurott | Hostile | |
|
Scyther | Hostile |
|
Eevee | Timid |
|
Wurmple | Timid |
|
Silcoon | Neutral |
|
Beautifly | Hostile |
|
Cascoon | Neutral |
|
Dustox | Hostile |
|
Bidoof | Friendly |
|
Bibarel | Hostile |
|
Starly | Timid |
|
Staravia | Hostile |
|
Staraptor | Hostile |
|
Drifloon | Hostile |
|
Drifblim | Hostile |
| Mothim | Hostile | |
| Burmy | Hostile | |
| Landorus | Hostile | |
Pokémon[]
The game features every Pokémon introduced in Generation IV, as well as a handful introduced after. However, a few Pokémon in the Sinnoh Pokédex from Generations I through III are absent. There are Alpha Pokémon, which are similar to regular Pokémon, but larger, have glowing red eyes, and are stronger overall. After catching these Alphas, they will remain large and powerful, but their eyes no longer glow.
New Pokémon[]
Several new Pokémon are introduced; all except one are new evolutions for either existing Pokémon (such as Ursaluna and Wyrdeer) or for Hisuian forms (such as Sneasler and Overqwil). Both Dialga and Palkia also gain new Origin forms.
- Wyrdeer Normal/Psychic
- Kleavor Bug/Rock
- Ursaluna Ground/Normal
- Basculegion Water/Ghost
- Sneasler Poison/Fighting
- Overqwil Dark/Poison
- Enamorus Fairy/
Hisuian Forms[]
Analogous to the Alolan forms and Galarian forms, there are Regional variants in the Hisui Region known as Hisuian forms.
List of Hisuian forms[]
- Growlithe Fire/Rock
- Arcanine Fire/Rock
- Avalugg Ice/Rock
- Decidueye Grass/Fighting
- Typhlosion Fire/Ghost
- Samurott Water/Dark
- Qwilfish Dark/Poison
- Sneasel Poison/Fighting
- Braviary Psychic/
- Zorua Normal/Ghost
- Zoroark Normal/Ghost
- Voltorb Electric/Grass
- Electrode Electric/Grass
- Lilligant Grass/Fighting
- Sliggoo Steel/Dragon
- Goodra Steel/Dragon
Patches[]
Info below is retrieved from Serebii.
| Version | Release date | Size (Blocks/Bytes) | Fixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0.1 | January 26, 2022 | Unknown |
|
| 1.0.2 | February 8, 2022 | Unknown |
|
| 1.1.0 | February 27, 2022 | Unknown |
|
| 1.1.1 | March 18, 2022 | Unknown |
|
Trivia[]
- It was announced on February 26, 2021 on Pokémon's 25th Anniversary.
- "Hisui" translates to "jade"; keeping the mineral naming of the era.
- This is the first mainline installment:
- To have real-time battles and seamless transitions.
- To not have any new Starter Pokémon while also not being a remake of a previous installment.
- It is also the first mainline game to have each Starter Pokémon from a different region rather than all of them originating in the same region.
- It is also the first mainline installment since Pokémon Gold Version and Pokémon Silver Version to return to a region from a previous generation without being a remake.
- To have human characters on their box art.
- To have wild Pokémon catchable straight from the overworld.
- To have playable characters being attacked and damaged by different means.
- Since Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 to have Pikachu use its in-game cry (Generation II through V version) rather than its cry from the anime.
- This will be the first main series game since Platinum to not be released in a pair with another game.
- The player characters, Rei and Akari, closely bear resemblance to Lucas and Dawn, which could possibly mean that they are their ancestors. There are also many characters bearing resemblance to characters from the Generation IV games.
- During the reveal, much of the art shown is in a traditional Japanese shodō style, including the art of the Starter Pokémon. The "Arceus" in the title is also written in this distinctive style.
- The game's logo has the same colors as the logo for Pokémon 4Ever.
.jpg "Pokémon Legends Arceus Concept Art - Base Camp (Exterior).jpg (1.16 MB)")
.jpg "Pokémon Legends Arceus Concept Art - Base Camp (Interior).jpg (1.26 MB)")
