Game Freak has finally revealed that they are developing the first open-world Pokémon game in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Game Freak has developed such a strong base with Pokémon titles, but like most games with a longstanding series, it began to stagnate a bit through the years. Iterations began to develop less and less differentiation from its predecessors, and those big changes from game-to-game became less frequent. To their benefit, the “worst” game always had that typical Pokémon charm and was easy to look past their faults. That only works for so long, and I think Game Freak realized that the fanbase is ready for uncharted territories.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is certainly the first step to expanding the Pokémon IP in an old Sinnoh region. This can truly be the step that the series needs to take to freshen up the IP that is just waiting to expand even further. Pokémon Go is still trudging along with seasonal updates and events. Pokémon Snap is finally making its comeback after being dormant for over two decades with New Pokémon Snap. Pokémon Diamond & Pearl Remakes are on the horizon (Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl ). Lest we not forget that the TGC scene is absolutely blowing up with booster packs being sold out everywhere and bringing about a massive markup scene. Pokémon ’s popularity is exploding and I truly hope that Game Freak capitalizes on it with the biggest mix up to the formula in a long time.
As you’ll notice, the trailer is a tad rough around the edges with some shaky shadows and a fluctuating frame rate; although, the concern going around lands a bit unfounded to me since it is still at least a year out. It does, however, make me wonder whether rumors of a Switch Pro are real. Imagine an upgraded system being ushered in with Pokémon like we’ve never played before.
