Pokemon gaming titles are going to be a big talking point over the next few months. Next month will be the arrival of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the Gen 4 remakes, and then in January we’re going to get a very different “main” Pokemon title via Pokemon Legends Arceus. This title will be very different from the other games due to its gameplay structure and how the region itself will be explored.
Upon first look, many people felt that it would be very much like Breath of the Wild in how it has a very open-world aesthetic. But after Kotaku made a comment like that, Nintendo made it clear what the gameplay flow would be like:
“In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Jubilife Village will serve as the base for surveying missions,” The Pokemon Company told Kotaku in a statement. “After receiving an assignment or a request and preparing for their next excursion, players will set out from the village to study one of the various open areas of the Hisui region. After they finish the survey work, players will need to return once more to prepare for their next task. We look forward to sharing more information about exploring the Hisui region soon.”
Many have likened this to something like Monster Hunter Rise, where you do have a large world to explore, but it’s not open immediately to you, not at first anyway. And if you think about it, that’s how the main Pokemon titles work as well.
Pokemon Legends Arceus arrives this January.