My entrance into the world of Pokémon comes far too late for a franchise that attracts most of its fans when they are children and maintains this fanbase through nostalgic appeal. Pokémon Sword and Shield (2019) and New Pokémon Snap (2021) were my first tastes of the Pokémon games, and whether those games are good starting points is up for interpretation. Nonetheless, my gaming experience parallels my Pokémon experience: I have none. Given this, my attraction to the Pokémon games is mainly driven by the opportunity to interact with the extraordinary range of creatures. In a sense, Pokémon games provide an escape from our bleak world by allowing me to spend a few hours every day in one that is more refreshing.
When Pokémon Legends: Arceus was announced, I knew this game would have to be mine. Fast-forward to one year later: I am halfway done with the game and I feel mostly positive about my experience so far.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes you to a time long before the present Pokémon world, when “it was rare for people and Pokémon to live in close harmony,” says the game’s official website. The antiquity of the period is captured in the crafting of Pokéballs and the player’s mission to fill the Pokédex by discovering and researching ‘unknown’ species. In this game, players journey through the under-developed Hisui region that would later be called Sinnoh, a current setting in the series. Not including Jubilife Village, the town you start the game in, the Hisui region is comprised of five subregions characterized by individualistic landscapes and vegetation: the Obsidian Fieldlands, Crimson Mirelands, Cobalt Coastlands, Coronet Highlands and Alabaster Icelands. Countless Pokémon species fill each subregion to its edges; you can’t walk ten feet without encountering a Pokémon! While progressing through these areas, players can come across Alpha Pokémon which are high-level, large-sized Pokémon with evil red eyes.
By allowing players to lurk, battle and research Pokémon whilst venturing through the wild terrains of Hisui, the franchise has constructed an immersive 3D-world experience, making it different from previous games. Players have more authority in deciding their journey since they can delay completing the missions to wander off and collect as many Pokémon as they’d like.
The overall objective of the game is simple: as part of the Galaxy Team Survey Corps, players must quell the Noble Pokémon throughout the Hisui region that have become frenzied after being struck by peculiar lightning originating from a space-time rift in the sky. Each subregion that the Survey Corps directs the player to explore has one of these Noble Pokémon, and to advance to the next area, they must tranquilize these creatures. Players also have to climb the Survey Corps Star Rank to be eligible for each subregion.
Like the other games, players can choose their starter Pokémon from three Pokémon: Cyndaquil, Rowlet and Oshawott. While choosing a starter is often a difficult task, I came into the game with a pre-established fondness for Oshawott, making this decision a no-brainer. With Oshawott by my side, I entered the first subregion, the Obsidian Fieldlands.
Obsidian Fieldlands
This biome consists of green fields, forests and mountainous lands. Most sections are connected by land bridges, though others are inaccessible by foot. During the daytime, players can find starter-friendly Pokémon like Bidoof, Starly, Shinx, Buneary and Psyduck. When night falls, Zubats and Drifloons litter the area. This is where I recruited three of my current Pokémon team members: Starly, Shinx and Drifloon. Before going into the game, I knew I wanted Starly and Shinx on my team, but Drifloon was a placeholder for a potential Espeon or Haunter. I also added an Eevee and Pikachu that would be booted off sooner than I planned. Traversing through the Fieldlands with my unofficial team, I learned how to dodge the Alpha Pokémon, but that was not without my heart slamming against my chest every time I heard their blood-curdling shrieks. Before leaving this subregion, I evolved Oshawott into Dewott, Shinx into Luxio, and Starly into Staravia.
After beating a character in battle, I obtained a Celestia Flute, allowing me to summon Wyrdeer, a Rideable Pokémon, making the journeying through the Obsidian Fieldlands much smoother. This subregion’s mission was to pacify the Frenzied Noble Pokémon Kleavor, who glowed yellow from being struck by lightning. Despite my anxiousness, it was a straightforward battle: dodge Kleavor’s attacks by pressing Y and aim Forest Balms until you can engage it in battle. Each time Kleavor fainted from the fight, it enters a brief state of dizziness, providing a window to throw numerous balms until it picks itself back up. Once its health gauge reached zero, I won the battle and Kleavor lost its yellow glow. Afterward, I set my eyes on the next subregion and its Frenzied Noble Pokémon.
Crimson Mirelands
Swamps, prairies, and drylands characterize this subregion. Like the Obsidian Fieldlands, Bidoofs and Zubats are here, but there are also other Pokémon like Gastly, Croagunk, Hippopotas, Teddiursa and Onix. After miserably failing to capture a Gastly, I replaced Pikachu with Roselia because of its Poison move–and because it was adorable. I eventually realized that Drifloon and Roselia were last-resort Pokémon compared to Dewott, Luxio and Staravia, who carried me through the subregions. To make matters worse, I accidentally evolved my Eevee without following the correct steps to attain an Espeon, leaving me with a Sylveon that was essentially useless in battle. Moral of the story: make smart decisions and pay attention to what you’re doing!
In this subregion, I first had to complete a side quest to calm down an unruly Ursaluna by defeating it in battle. This allowed me to obtain Ursaluna as a Rideable Pokémon who can sniff out valuable items buried underground. I then proceeded on my mission to quell Lilligant. The fight is similar to the one with Kleavor: timely dodge its attacks while throwing balms whenever possible. Then, engage it in battle with your Pokémon before throwing more balms when it falls dizzy.
Cobalt Coastlands
This area contains a series of coastlands bordered by a mixture of highlands and sandy beaches. It also includes Firespit Island, a volcanic island offshore where the third boss battle ensues. Pokémon that are commonly encountered in the coastlands include Aipom, Murkrow, Machop, Glameow and Spheal. Firespit Island includes Fire-type Pokémon like Magmar and the Rock/Ground type like Graveler. You can also cross the sea to access Firespit Island, allowing you to catch Pokémon such as Mantyke and Tentacool. In this subregion, I replaced Sylveon with Togepi, a Pokémon I planned to have on my team before starting the game. My other Pokémon also evolved: Dewott became Samurott, Staravia became Staraptor and Drifloon became Drifblim.
The mission for this subregion has a sentimental backstory that I enjoyed more than the last two areas. I met Palina, the warden of the coastlands, who refused to pressure the young heir to take the seat of Lord of the Isles after witnessing his father’s death. Her decision led others to deem Palina unfit for the role of warden. The late lord has two sons, both Growlithes, and the oldest one is the smallest of the two. While I was preparing to ride Basculegion, a Rideable Pokémon, across the sea and to Firepit Island, the younger Growlithe was snatched by a trio called the Miss Fortune sisters. Conveniently, they retreated to their camp in Firespit Island, so I headed to this area on the Basculegion. After I won against the three Miss Fortune sisters in a typical Pokémon battle, the oldest Growlithe attempted to challenge the sisters as well. At that moment, a faraway growl prompted the young heir Growlithe to evolve into Arcanine. Suddenly, a rift formed in the sky and lightning struck the Arcanine, making the Pokémon glow a bright yellow. He became a Frenzied Noble Pokémon right before my eyes. The battle against the frenzied Arcanine follows the same structure as the previous boss battles, but I found this one a bit harder because of the set-up of the battlefield and Arcanine’s swift attacks. The battle took me two tries to win with a powerful Samurott and Staraptor. I eased Arcanine’s frenzy and he became Lord of the Isles. Palina also revealed that his deceased father, who watched atop the volcano, was the other Arcanine that growled and influenced the young lord’s evolution.
My Final Thoughts
While I am only halfway through the game, my experience so far has been thrilling. Dedicating hours to fulfill missions and nurture my team of Pokémon is an impulse difficult to ignore; the game is just that entertaining. Pokemon Legends: Arceus has redefined the Pokémon gaming experience, breaking away from the usual formulaic structure. Of course, Arceus is not without its flaws. It has janky graphics and an overabundance of cutscenes, but I seem to be bothered the most by the limited space in players’ satchels to carry items! If you are expecting a masterpiece game complete with harmonious graphics, riveting dialogue and a complex storyline–you will be disappointed. The generally simplistic style of the previous games seems to communicate that the franchise only aimed to create casual simulations where fans can interact with their favorite Pokémon, but newer Pokémon games appear to be changing this idea. Perhaps we will see greater improvements in their upcoming installments, Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet!