Since its release on January 28th, Pokémon Legends: Arceus has become a global phenomenon. While Pokémon has been a beloved franchise for decades, the series has never produced anything so full of adventure, breathtaking views, and heart-pounding action. For many gamers, Arceus is finally allowing them to live out their wildest Pokémon dreams to the fullest.
Unfortunately, like all other Pokémon releases, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a Nintendo Switch exclusive. Aspiring trainers confined to their PlayStation, Xbox, or PC will never get to experience the brilliance and beauty found in this one-of-a-kind adventure. At the same time, those without a Switch who are desperate to scratch that Pokémon itch can turn to these excellent games to satisfy their cravings.
World Of Final Fantasy
Unlike typical mainline Final Fantasy entries, World of Final Fantasy was created with a younger audience in mind and features an art style that looks a lot closer to Pokémon than a standard Final Fantasy title. While this was off-putting to many series veterans, there's no debate that the adorable characters and atmosphere perfectly fit the game's setting.
While the game uses Final Fantasy's usual turn-based combat system, it adds in monsters called Mirages that are collected and used for battle. While it doesn't offer the same thrilling exploration that can be found in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, World of Final Fantasy's creatures collecting and battle mechanics should feel very familiar to those with Pokémon experience.
Immortals Fenyx Rising
A third-person action-adventure title created by Ubisoft, Immortals Fenyx Rising takes players into an epic journey built around the iconic characters of Greek mythology. As Fenyx, gamers are set loose to explore this vast fantastical world, defeat the evil Typhon, and save the Gods from destruction.
While the game does not have any cuddly creatures engaging in elemental warfare, Immortals' open world and beautiful landscapes are very comparable to elements found in Pokémon Legends. Those that have become bored of Pokémon's turn-based battle system may actually prefer Immortals more action-oriented gameplay.
Ni No Kuni: The Wrath Of The White Witch
Ni no Kuni: The Wrath of the White Witch follows the journey of a young boy named Oliver. After a tragic accident leaves him alone, Oliver crosses over into the magical land of Ni no Kuni. There he finds himself on a thrilling adventure to defeat the White Witch and save his mother from certain death. The world is packed with creatures known as familiars - all available to catch, train and unleash into battle much the same way as Pokémon Legends.
Ultimately, this RPG is an absolute work of art. While Level-5 developed the game, all the animated sequences were meticulously crafted by Studio Ghibli, the studio behind classic movies like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. Exploring this world on foot, by boat, and while riding on a dragon is a constant thrill that shouldn't be missed by any video game or anime aficionados.
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster
A recreation of the PS2 classic, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne drops players into a world reshaped by an apocalyptic event known as the Conception. This version of Tokyo becomes known as a Vortex World inhabited by demons that the player must recruit to fight alongside them as they venture across the post-apocalyptic hellscape.
While its tone is much darker than Pokémon, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne contains many key traits of signature Pokémon adventures. Along with its excellent story, the game is loaded with interesting environments to explore, confounding dungeons to conquer, and a variety of different demons to build the perfect crew. Shin Megami Tensei isn't as well known in the west as its spinoff series, Persona, but it is every bit as good.
Monster Hunter
Nearly all of the titles in the boss battles in Pokémon Legends took some inspiration from Monster Hunter.
In fact, the Monster Hunter series actually shares more similarities with Pokémon Legends: Arceus than any other title on this list. Specifically, Monster Hunter Stories 2 is probably the closest game to Arceus in existence, but thus far has only been released on Windows and Nintendo Switch. For PS4 and Xbox One gamers, Monster Hunter: World is another excellent option.
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age
Dragon Quest actually entered the gaming marketplace a full decade before Pokémon Red was introduced, with the original Dragon Quest hitting shelves in 1986 and Red not releasing until 1996. While the series is absolutely beloved in Japan, it hasn't experienced the same worldwide appeal, popularity, or success of the Pokémon series.
For some gamers, this is actually a positive. As Pokémon has been forced to evolve to make their games more approachable and appealing to wider audiences, Dragon Quest has stuck with a more traditional design. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age serves as the perfect entry point for new fans of the series. Xbox Game subscribers can even play this masterpiece of a modern JRPG for free with their hip.
Digimon World: Next Order
It's a shame that Digimon has produced several high-quality games in their own right that have largely gone overlooked.
Those on PlayStation looking for an Arceus alternative can turn to Digimon World: Next Order. Players begin their journey by selecting from one of 20 starter Digimon. They then set forth into the game's open world to explore, train, and bond with their monster. While the game boasts 230 obtainable Digimon, it asks gamers to focus on training one or two monsters, rather than go on a quest to catch them all, like in Pokémon.
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
While Digimon World offers an open-world Adventure focused mostly on training one or two companions, Digimon Story contains a more linear narrative with over 300 Digimon to collect and battle in a standard turn-based combat format.
Between battles, players are tasked with investigating cases that require them to scour the game's various districts for evidence. While this doesn't come close to Pokémon Legends in scope, exploring the digital landscape of Cyber Sleuth is plenty of fun with a thrilling storyline that makes it hard to put the controller down.
Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
Despite being a direct sequel to Wrath of the White Witch, Ni no Kuni II occurs hundreds of years after the events of the original. While it still takes place in the same fantastical world, gamers take control of brand new characters with gameplay mechanics that offer a different take from the series' first outing.
All in all, Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom plays much faster than White Witch. It actually ditches the turn-based combat mechanic in favor of a combat system very similar to the one utilized in Kingdom Hearts. The world is still packed with cute creatures and massive monsters, yet it's all presented in a much more approachable package.
Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is an open-world action RPG taking place in the magical realm of Teyvat. Players are free to explore and journey across the world's seven nations as they please, using any weapons they find along the way to defend themselves from the massive beasts that roam the land.
Much like Pokémon Legends, Genshin Impact shares gameplay mechanics with Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but has plenty of aspects that make it a unique experience all on its own. It is also endlessly replayable, with new missions, events, and loot constantly being added to the game to keep players coming back. Best of all, it's completely free-to-play on PlayStation and PC, as well as iOS and Android devices. It may not have Pokémon's signature creature collecting, but it's an amazing adventure at an unbeatable price.
