Let’s get one thing out of the best way. I completely love Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Regardless of their a number of technical shortcomings, I’ve accomplished the gen 9 titles, I’m working in direction of ending the Pokédex, and I’m additionally taking breaks to participate in raids or do some shiny searching. Exploring Paldea is essentially the most enjoyable I’ve had with a mainline Pokémon sport since Black 2 and White 2, and it’s the shot within the arm the franchise wanted.
Cool, so characteristic over, proper? Nicely, not fairly. You see, one other Pokémon sport got here out this 12 months again in January referred to as Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Set within the area of Hisui and centuries earlier than the trendy Pokémon period, you find out how folks used early Poké balls, how folks first explored the world, and even how Hisui would turns into the area of Sinnoh.
PLA marks an enormous shift for the beforehand inflexible franchise, ditching a lot of its conventional options in favour of an action-packed title that focuses on freedom and fluidity. There’s a wide-open world to discover, and you need to use the ability of Pokémon to climb, glide, and sail to every nook. Fortunately, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet do convey over a variety of these options, most notably one giant open world to discover. However I simply can’t cease enthusiastic about Pokémon Legends: Arceus…
Essentially the most notable lacking characteristic is the power to easily throw a Poké ball at any Pokémon, with each the kind of ball you utilize and the extent of the Pokémon serving to to determine the seize fee. If you happen to hit a Pokémon from behind earlier than it spots you, that additionally helps to extend your possibilities of catching it. So, catching low-level Pokémon is a breeze, particularly with the helpful movement controls. Catching Pokémon has by no means, ever felt so good.
The fluidity of this catching mechanic helps to make the world of PLA really feel much more actual and ripe for exploration. It additionally makes catching a number of Pokémon of the identical kind a pleasure, as a cheery little jingle units off with every profitable seize. Importantly, once you do have too many of 1 kind of Pokémon, you may launch a few of the spares to be rewarded with an merchandise referred to as grit, which, when used, improves your Pokémon’s stats.
So, two vital issues there. Catching Pokémon feels completely improbable, and using movement controls to lob balls out into the world within the hopes of grabbing extra is incentivised. However there’s one other aspect to this, because the Pokédex in PLA has duties for every Pokémon. Typically these embrace catching ten or twenty of 1 breed, and finishing these duties will increase your possibilities of discovering a shiny Pokémon of that species.
Lastly, there’s one other mechanic referred to as outbreaks. A fast take a look at your map often exhibits a selected Pokémon icon, and if you happen to skedaddle on over there, yow will discover an enormous quantity of that species ready to be caught. PLA is aware of you need to catch a great deal of Pokémon so it throws crowds of the monsters at you, and whereas it’s enjoyable in and of itself, there’s additionally the tantalising prospect of a shiny ready to reward you.
If you happen to’ve performed Scarlet and Violet, it’s possible you’ll know a few of the variations right here. You may not simply throw a ball to catch a Pokémon. Each critter, regardless of how huge or small, calls for an precise battle. Whereas the battles make sense for greater Pokémon, it might be good to skip these for smaller creatures, proper? Nicely, nice information, PSV have a brand new characteristic referred to as Let’s Go. Urgent R at any level sends out the primary Pokémon in your celebration to battle, and they’ll lay waste to any Pokémon of a low sufficient degree, rewarding you with expertise and sources.
There’s a motive one mechanic has caught with me although. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Let’s Go characteristic is a shortcut, it is aware of one thing concerning the sport is tedious, so it units out to eradicate that for you. The place Pokémon Legends: Arceus separates itself is that it takes a beforehand tedious mechanic, and as a substitute of glossing over it, works onerous to make it extremely enjoyable. I like catching Pokémon in PLA, it makes use of a monotonous mechanic and as a substitute makes it thrilling, and it helps to make the world and the Pokémon really feel extra alive.
Legends Arceus is the primary time that gamers work together with the world as a part of catching Pokémon as properly. Out within the many various areas of PLA are powerful, aggressive Pokémon referred to as Alpha Pokémon. These brutes can wipe you out if you happen to’re not sturdy sufficient, and for the primary time, if you happen to’re struck by a Pokémon, then your coach can take harm and move out. Not simply the Pokémon are in danger. The participant themselves should be cautious when exploring the world.
Between sneaking up on Pokémon to land a crucial seize from behind, and dodging and diving round to keep away from the onslaught of Alpha Pokémon, Pokémon Legends: Arceus has you work together with the world. As you clamour over cliff edges, duck into the lengthy grass, disguise behind bushes, and even throw smoke bombs to keep away from being noticed by Pokémon. In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, it’s the identical previous story, the Pokémon pop up on this planet, and also you battle them to catch them.
I don’t need to make it sound like PSV aren’t enjoyable video games, I’m so grateful we lastly have one gigantic open world to wander, and there are causes to discover, because of TMs and gadgets dotted round. Plus, there are Pokémon completely in every single place, and PSV has a Pokédex a that’s a good bit bigger than PLA, so that you spend much more time catching and grabbing all of them. At any given level in Scarlet or Violet, you may spot a location on the map, and offering you’ve unlocked the mandatory traversal methodology, you may attain that spot and sure discover a Pokémon or merchandise as a reward.
However for me, I discover that in Pokémon Legends: Arceus I’ve as a lot enjoyable getting from A to B, as discovering out what’s at B. It’s nice to discover in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, however battling and catching simply don’t really feel as fluid or as satisfying as what Pokémon Legends: Arceus affords. Importantly there’s one closing distinction, and it’s a giant one. As a result of whereas shiny Pokémon seem in each video games, they’ve wildly completely different approaches.
Now, that is going to sound pedantic, however hear me out. In PLA, when a shiny Pokémon seems within the overworld, it lets off a glistening sparkle, and a stunning sound impact additionally lets that one is within the wild. Nice, no one needs to overlook a shiny as they’re extremely uncommon, and when flying over the large map it may be straightforward to overlook one. They’re uncommon sufficient anyway, so having the flicker and the sound impact is a pleasant reassurance that you just received’t miss something.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet characteristic a good greater world than PLA, and with the identical flying/gliding mechanics that imply you’re usually hovering above a number of Pokémon directly. Sadly although, PSV determined to not embrace both a visible or audio cue for shiny Pokémon. You must spot them yourselves, which might be superb if it wasn’t for the sport’s terrible draw distance and the sheer variety of Pokémon with shiny equivalents that look similar to the common kind.
That is to talk nothing of the accessibility these visible and audio cues additionally provide, serving to colourblind, deaf, or in any other case visually impaired gamers to note a shiny Pokémon they could have missed. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, not solely is the world enjoyable to discover and catching an absolute delight, however discovering shiny Pokémon has by no means been extra enjoyable. Sure, it’s a bit simpler than earlier generations, however actually what do folks lose from making a Pokémon with a 1/4000 probability of showing barely simpler to seek out?
As soon as once more, in PLA, getting from A to B is a pleasure. Simply lobbing balls at Pokémon alongside the best way feels nice, and the sport encourages you to take action. Plus, if a shiny Pokémon seems, you’re not possible to overlook it. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet may need an even bigger world to discover, however it strips out the enjoyment of getting from A to B, as a substitute specializing in what’s at B.
It’s not that I’m lacking out on shiny Pokémon, as a result of the brand new sandwich mechanic means I can seize as many as I would like of a selected Pokémon. PSV reduces the prospect of that random encounter, the enjoyable thrill of stumbling throughout one thing alongside the best way. As a substitute, shiny searching now feels far more pushed by my intention, with the prospect of random encounters massively pulled again. It’s a small change, however it means lots to me, and it made PLA a extra enjoyable world to simply exist in.
There are a few different issues that separate the video games, as battles in PSV really feel slower than PLA, and Pokémon receiving expertise or eager to be taught strikes additionally slows down battles. Every thing in Pokémon Legends: Arceus feels stripped again and streamlined, designed to offer you far more time having fun with the motion. If I’m being actually pedantic, I might additionally point out that issues like climate results are lacking in Scarlet and Violet, one other characteristic that makes the sport really feel alive.
Lastly, whereas each video games characteristic battles with legendary Pokémon, PLA has so many extra legendary creatures tucked away within the corners of the world, an precise reward for exploring even essentially the most distant places. Plus I feel one in all my favorite parts is the action-packed battles with Alpha and legendary Pokémon like Giratina. These tense battles not solely have an effect on your Pokémon but in addition your coach, mixing up battling abilities and evasive motion as you dodge across the ‘mon whereas additionally battling. Pokémon themselves by no means really feel like extra of a risk, and that’s such a thrill.
By way of mainline and generational steps, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are the very best entries we’ve had in years. If it wasn’t for Pokémon Legends: Arceus, I’d don’t have anything else to say (properly, I in all probability would, however what I imply). Nonetheless, PLA had the liberty to be very completely different as a result of it wasn’t the following flagship title. The hopes of the following technology of merchandise weren’t weighing down PLA, so Recreation Freak may strip again Pokémon to its naked necessities and make drastic adjustments to each facet of the sport.
As a substitute, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet really feel like child steps once more. Whereas some good adjustments are carried out, it’s nowhere close to the drastic adjustments to PLA that, for as soon as, truly really feel like a generational shift. I can hope for a few of these adjustments to make their manner into future mainline Pokémon video games, strict adherence to the official guidelines of the skilled battling group lavatory down the flagship video games, in addition to the expectations of a Pokémon sport by the plenty.
I solely hope that Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the beginning of its personal collection. I dream of a sport so open, so free, and so enjoyable to simply discover once more. Plus, the historic setting offers long-time Pokémon followers some enjoyable lore revelations and nods to earlier generations. I can dream of Pokémon Legends: Lugia or Celebi, a motive to discover historic Johto, and maybe even discover the thriller of the legendary beasts and the burning tower tied into their story.
Scarlet and Violet aren’t unhealthy video games, I’m having a good time, and so they’re definitely the very best mainline Pokémon sport in years. However whereas certainly not an ideal sport, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is likely one of the greatest Pokémon titles within the historical past of the franchise. It’s a distinct beast altogether, and a real indictment of what Recreation Freak can do with sufficient time and sources. It made each facet of the sport enjoyable as a substitute of stripping away parts, and for the primary time, it actually felt just like the Pokémon world I’d imagined as a child had come to life.
