With Pokémon Legends: Arceus taking the series away from its usual game mechanics the franchise is known for, some of the new changes appear to be influenced by Pokémon GO. Legends: Arceus takes risks such as creating an open-world experience mixed with action RPG factors. It’s clear that this newest release attempts to revitalize the stale and linear gameplay that the series was known for. With all these features in mind, the game is currently well-received among critics, earning praise for the new direction being taken.
When looking at titles that the game may have taken inspiration from during its development process, Pokémon Legends: Arceus tries to resemble BOTW. In Legends: Arceus, players are tasked with exploring the Hisui region and collecting all the Pokémon in order to complete the Pokédex. Doing so requires traversing large open-world areas and even completing side quests. While it doesn’t completely pull it off, the title tries its best to match the enjoyable experience that fans have when playing BOTW.
It’s also unmistakenly clear that Legends: Arceus feels more like Pokémon GO at times due to the new catching mechanics. In Pokémon GO, players have to traverse their surroundings in order to catch Pokémon and have no limit on how many can be caught during a play session.
The same can be said about Legends: Arceus as players are required to catch multiple Pokémon in order to complete their Pokédex. Even so, the catching system in Pokémon Legends: Arceus is much more than just throwing a ball and hoping a creature is caught.
Pokémon Legends Arceus' Loses Personal Relationships With Pokémon
Similar to Pokémon GO, players will have dozens of the same Pokémon stored, some having no idea what to do with them. On the mobile app, it would prove more useful as players can store them at multiple gyms, which then strengthens them. However, in Legends: Arceus that feature is non-existent. With each time the same type of Pokémon is captured, it essentially makes them invaluable as they are caught one after another.
A downside to this feature is that players may not feel as attached to a Pokémon as they did in past titles. While Pokémon Legends: Arceus respects players’ time by cutting back on texts such as the captured screen, it also doesn’t let players name their Pokémon right away, creating a non-personal experience. This creates the same feeling as when playing Pokémon GO. In a series that’s about a partnership, growing together, and bonds, that can be easily lost in Legends: Arceus. Pokémon Legends: Arceus creates an experience that is fresh for any veteran or new player to the series. Regardless of the inspiration it takes from, the features added can only be improved for future titles to come.
