Hey everyone,
The 25th anniversary of Pokemon brought news of a title that would change the way I thought about and played Pokémon forever. When Pokemon Legends: Arceus was released, it was a groundbreaking, and in my mind, outright amazing game. With that being said, I believe it’s time GameFreak, Nintendo, and the Pokémon Company gave us more of what we want. A new Legends game to continue what they started with Arceus. Keep reading below for my thoughts on Arceus, and the potential directions and features a new Legends game could bring us.
Revolutionizing the Series: The Impact of Legends Arceus
Pokemon Legends:Arceus set a precedent for gameplay that I was disappointed to see was not included in the more recent Scarlet and Violet titles. The ability to gather and craft your own pokeballs in a “mostly” open world setting made the game feel that much more alive. The change in how you not only battled but also caught pokemon was a refreshing take on an old and proven formula. The battle styles introduced were a great mixup to the turn based battles we’ve all grown to love. The story felt earned as you continued to progress through the pokedex and move forward with what I believe was one of the better stories the series has had in quite some time. Overall the mix of open world maps, engaging battle and catching mechanics, plus a great story, led to a game that is in dire need of a successor.
From Gaps to Bridges: How a New Entry Can Connect Generations
I watched a fan made trailer for a Legends Celebi game that made me so excited for the future of the series. Although not an official project, using Celebi as the titular Pokémon that uses it’s time traveling abilities to bring you into Johto and witness events explained, but never shown in the history of the region.
Maybe a Kanto Legends title with Mew as the lead would lead to the creation of Mewtwo. Legends does not have to be so far into the past that it’s an entirely different world. It can be a means of giving us fans entirely new stories using the lore that is present.
I personally would love to see the region from Gen V’s Black & White, Unova, get the legends treatment! Introducing the original Kyurem before his separation, creating Reshiram and Zekrom, and introducing the brothers who would claim these two beasts as their partners.
But for the audience who wish for something….Darker. I say Kalos, before, during and after the war that claimed so much, with AZ, the former King from that time, getting more screen time leading up to these events that changed the region forever.
A Sneak Peek into Legends: Innovating Game Play Features
Of course with Legends Arceus offering regional variants, a new title should do the same. I’d love to see, as mentioned above, Kyurem before the split, and what Reshiram and Zekrom looked like before taking on their orb like appearance. Can we also get a variant for Zygarde? Maybe a new Gengar? The possibilities are endless with over 1000 Pokemon (1025 to be exact as of writing this) to choose from.
I would love the agile and strong styles to make a return to the next title, but with more opportunities to battle trainers in the open world. With that being said, a truly open world is my biggest want in my dream next title.
Gameplay features and elements are used to mix up the norm and bring fans back for a new adventure. But maybe less terrastal or dynamaxing, and more Mega Evolution! (Looking at Kalos, yet again!) I want to see DLC this time around. A lack of DLC for an amazing title really left me disappointed and wanting more. Give me the opportunity to explore Giratina’s realm under some grave threat!
My favorite feature that needs to make a comeback…let me complete the pokedex without trading. I cannot express enough how satisfying it is to catch everything available on your own with no need for trades!
Now I for one, enjoyed the art style for Arceus, but I do feel that with both current and emerging technologies, Gamefreak can do SO much better next time around as far as graphics and design. With titles like the now infamous palworld showing what a Pokemon game can be, I believe it’s time to step up to the plate!
Last but not least, my suggestions for new features would include allowing us to choose which Pokemon we use for climbing, flying, swimming, etc, while also adding in a dive mechanic akin to Gen III, for underwater exploration would make me a very happy fan!
With rumor of a switch successor and a potential Pokemon direct coming soon, I am praying for some good news, but not holding my breath! They may be waiting for the console announcement before showing off the future of Pokemon. Heres to some great news coming soon!
If you made it this far, I really appreciate your time!!
Thanks for reading!
Chris