Although it's still over six months away from releasing, Pokémon Legends: Arceus has already given fans plenty to be excited about. A vast, open-world and seamless transitions between battles and exploration are just two of the reasons this Pokémon game will set itself apart from other entries. However, it could also benefit from introducing a town-building mechanic - which actually seems pretty likely.
The reveal trailer for Pokémon Legends: Arceus only showed one village, which presumably serves as the main hub for players to heal their Pokémon, buy necessary items, and even trade with other Trainers. While it may seem strange for the game to only feature one village, this could be because Legends: Arceus will introduce a town-building mechanic that allows players to customize their own village and ultimately turn it into one of the more recognizable towns from the Sinnoh region.
Because Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes place in the past, this Sinnoh isn't the one many fans are familiar with. A town-building feature would be a cool and interesting way for players to slowly transition their more primitive village into a more modern hub of civilization. Perhaps players even become the founder of one of Sinnoh's cities, like Twinleaf Town or Pastoria City. It would certainly add some layers to the game's story (and the series' mythos), but it would also be a fun mechanic that would change the way people play Pokémon games.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Needs Customizable Towns & Housing
While the primary focus of the game will still likely be catching Pokémon in Sinnoh and getting to explore in an open world, a town-building mechanic will give players a big reason to keep coming back to their village. Being able to place new buildings and seeing the town grow could be really interesting, especially if the game lets players pick which kinds of buildings they want to place. For instance, perhaps a small Pokémon sanctuary is placed along the edge of town while a new Pokémon hospital is constructed nearby.
These kinds of mechanics are popular in games like Animal Crossing, but they've also been featured in other RPGs like Ni No Kuni II and Dark Cloud. Recently, Genshin Impact. Allowing players to customize their towns and home in Pokémon Legends: Arceus would definitely make the game feel even more unique from the rest of the series.
While nothing has been confirmed (or even mentioned) by Nintendo, Game Freak, or The Pokémon Company in regards to a town-building feature, it's a pretty cool idea. This level of customizability and life simulator-like mechanics are increasingly popular in RPGs, so it would be nice to see them implemented into Pokémon Legends: Arceus in some way.
