Pokemon Legends: Arceus General Discussion

[Articfoxgamez]

Could you even speed run it without hacking in a way to teleport straight to the end though?

Like if it takes 20-something hours to do the main story without the sidequests...it will be hard to widdle that down even more due to how the game is structured.

It's plausable the game might have some sort of very complicated glitch that somehow makes the game think your further in the story than you are sense alot of story events happen in the same area.

 

[Alola]

I've only just started playing and haven't done much, but this open world aesthetic is amazing - I'm enjoying it much much more than I thought I would. I really hope Gen 9 onwards has the games executed as such.

 

[Boss1708]

Like I already said in another thread, Pokemon Legends: Arceus reaaally isnt my cup of tea. The moment I learned that the human trainers themselves could receive damage from wild Pokemon, and that the boss battles focus on the Trainer, I knew this game wasnt for me. As long as Legends remains its own sub-series, it doesnt really bother me. I just hope that these mechanics from Legends stay away from the main series games.

I am planning to skip Legends completely, but there is still a small chance I may buy the game if a DLC comes out for it, and IF said DLC is satisfying for me (aka if it improves on how content lacking the base game is, with extra features similar to a Battle Facility, Contests, new minigames, etc).

 

[pitchtheripoff]

As long as Legends remains its own sub-series, it doesnt really bother me. I just hope that these mechanics from Legends stay away from the main series games.

I wouldn't hold your breath. Legends is considered mainline and considering SwSh already experimented with stuff like the Wild Area, we're probably gonna gradually get mainline games that play similar to Legends.

 

[Cute Charm]

As long as Legends remains its own sub-series, it doesnt really bother me. I just hope that these mechanics from Legends stay away from the main series games.

The only things that will probably stay out of the next games (since this is considered a main series game by TPCi and Nintendo and feels like it was supposed to be in the gen 4 remake slot.) will be the proper video game boss battles, the ease of catching every single pokemon in one game, and catching pokemon in the overworld by stalking them. Also a few post game things that would probably break the meta game. Everything else seems like upgrades from the 25 year formula.

Pokemon can't stay the same forever. One of the reasons people are so salty is because Pokemon doesn't change. I think Serebii said it best, this is the Mario 64 of pokemon games. Everything's going to change after this. There's really no going back after this.

 

[Boss1708]

I wouldn't hold your breath. Legends is considered mainline and considering SwSh already experimented with stuff like the Wild Area, we're probably gonna gradually get mainline games that play similar to Legends.

Pokemon can't stay the same forever. One of the reasons people are so salty is because Pokemon doesn't change. I think Serebii said it best, this is the Mario 64 of pokemon games. Everything's going to change after this. There's really no going back after this.

I think (and hope) you're both wrong, we will know once Gen 9 is announced.

 

[pitchtheripoff]

I think (and hope) you're both wrong, we will know once Gen 9 is announced.

Unless Game Freak wants to cripple any sort of respect they gained after Legends, they cannot go back to the traditional formula, at least not without changing it somewhat. I know that it's not everyone's cup of tea but it's gonna happen sooner or later.

 

[Boss1708]

Unless Game Freak wants to cripple any sort of respect they gained after Legends, they cannot go back to the traditional formula, at least not without changing it somewhat.

You're acting like Legends: Arceus is an objective improvement over the traditional Pokemon formula, which is your personal bias, I think.

I know that it's not everyone's cup of tea but it's gonna happen sooner or later.

Oh, you KNOW it's going to happen sooner or later? Do you also know the lottery numbers?

Jokes aside, let's just wait and see. Gen 9 will be announced soon hopefully.

 

[pitchtheripoff]

You're acting like Legends: Arceus is an objective improvement over the traditional Pokemon formula, which is your personal bias, I think.

Oh I'm sure it's mostly personal bias but also from reviews and the general public thats actually played the game said it's an improvement that should carry over to the main games.

We'll have to wait and see but I have a feeling Game Freak will just continue on this, if not in Gen 9 then in Gen 10.

 

[Rocket Messiah]

This game is amazing.

 

[pitchtheripoff]

I mean I dunno if GF had much confidence in Legends: Arceus because of the way they marketed it.
IMO that was stupid but I do think it's great, so, it doesn't matter as long as people like it?????

GF doesnt do marketing, TPC and Nintendo do.

 

[Daren]

One thing that stands out so far is that the game's flow is amazingly fast compared to previous entries (and many other RPGs) because it doesn't stop you for things. When you catch a Pokémon it goes straight to the party/pasture and you give it a name later; you can throw several Pokéballs at once if there are several wild Pokémon nearby; you collect items from a decent distance and while your partner is downing the tree or whatever you can keep moving.

The enemies are thus far refreshingly strong. I think they may have changed up the damage formula somewhat, because much lower level enemies still do appreciable damage so far.

 

[pitchtheripoff]

Can we talk about the soundtrack in this game? The trainer battle and overworld theme are actually incredible.

 

[Greninjaman]

Here are a few ideas that I came up with for challenges in this game:
1) No buying things (meaning that you HAVE to go and gather materials to craft things)
2) No crafting items (meaning that you will HAVE to do those side quests that will expand the shop on completion)
3) Can only use the Pokémon you find in that area for that part of the story. As you progress and clear each area, you may take one Pokémon from the previous area to use on the final team.

 

[Oriden]

Unless Game Freak wants to cripple any sort of respect they gained after Legends, they cannot go back to the traditional formula, at least not without changing it somewhat. I know that it's not everyone's cup of tea but it's gonna happen sooner or later.

Legit, so many people drifted away from the franchise because the games have been so stagnant- fancy burst gimmicks didn't do anything to really refresh the gameplay. Meanwhile this is exciting, lively, and immersive... I'm really excited for when my copy finally gets here. I feel confident that I'll finally actually play a main series pokemon game all the way through for the first time since Gen 2. If they go back from this, or restrict the livelier gameplay to Legends only, then gawd the new gen games would just continue to be stagnant duds, and that'd be a hell of a shame for what should be the most exciting part of the franchise.

 

[silurica]

I'm certainly hoping the Classic formula and the Legends formula will co-exist.

The seamless battle and encounter is something that I hope will be carried into Gen9, or Gen10 if they aren't already working on including it, but it's difficult for me to see them discarding Classic's battle mechanics for Legends' style-based battle mechanics since Classic is something that has mostly worked well for the series. I'm also not the biggest fan of how we're supposed to catch a lot of Pokemon from the same species or evolution line; it feels like bloat in the storage for me. It works for Legends' pokedex-based progression, but I would rather not do this every time.

On the story side, I think a subset of mainline series focusing on the historical periods of the world is incredibly charming and I'd love more of this, but part of why it's working so well for me is because there's a modern counterpart of the setting to compare it to. It gets the brain wondering about how we get from here to there.

 

[Oriden]

I'm certainly hoping the Classic formula and the Legends formula will co-exist.

The seamless battle and encounter is something that I hope will be carried into Gen9, or Gen10 if they aren't already working on including it, but it's difficult for me to see them discarding Classic's battle mechanics for Legends' style-based battle mechanics since Classic is something that has mostly worked well for the series. I'm also not the biggest fan of how we're supposed to catch a lot of Pokemon from the same species or evolution line; it feels like bloat in the storage for me. It works for Legends' pokedex-based progression, but I would rather not do this every time.

On the story side, I think a subset of mainline series focusing on the historical periods of the world is incredibly charming and I'd love more of this, but part of why it's working so well for me is because there's a modern counterpart of the setting to compare it to. It gets the brain wondering about how we get from here to there.

Oh yeah, I can't see them carrying on with this 'complete the pokedex' goal, even for future Legends games. It's fine here for a change of pace and introducing new mechanics, such as the catching without initiating a battle, maybe completing the pokedex for bonuses... all of that can be implemented into a classic format without forcing you to do it. Say that you want a shiny for a specific pokemon? Grind the pokedex to completion for increased chances- it's basically like shiny chaining except you can't break your chain with it.

Not sure about the Styles, though. I think it's a mechanic that could be worked into the classic battle mechanics, along with re-adding Abilities, but I guess we'll see if it gets integrated in for Gen 9.

 

[WyndonCalling]

I beat the postgame boss about an hour ago, so here goes my immediate thought-dump on the game, beginning with critiques:

• Too many Pokémon are immediately hostile, with too few good hiding places in certain areas. The net result is that many of the late-game areas are a little exhausting to explore and devolve into conservative crouch-a-thons for want of a patch of grass.
• The 'Dex roster might just be on the side of too small, though it's nothing 30 more species wouldn't fix. I like repeat appearances for establishing a sense of environmental continuity, but I've now seen enough Parasect and Mothim to last a lifetime.
• There are too many niche crafting items, which creates confusion when satchel space is at a premium. The satchel itself wouldn't be an issue if I was confident I'd find good use for everything I pick up, rather than being bamboozled by 15 different root varieties.
• The story never really actually reaches that reconciliation with Pokémon that's teased throughout; the wild remains overwhelmingly hostile to you and the sceptical members of the cast don't actually have much of a relationship with the 'Mons themselves. You're awarded a big, angry space dragon to beat up the other big, angry space dragon - at no point does Shaymin give Kamado a heart-warming cuddle to melt his bitter heart, for example.
• The battle system is understandably hugely streamlined, but it's a little too streamlined. Wild battles are very short and that's fine, but Trainer battles do tend to devolve into one-for-one trade-offs where the type advantage wins and you can rarely switch effectively. Given how wide-ranging every 'Mon's type coverage is, victory often simply boils down to whoever has the larger team (usually the player).
• The lack of true fast travel is a right kicker, especially in the postgame. Having to travel back to Jubilife to access other areas is a pain in the arse.

Having said all that, would it surprise you to learn that this is the most unqualified fun I've had with a full-fat Pokémon game in perhaps a decade?

• The very core of the gameplay is almost perfect. Catching is satisfying, battling is seamless, and there's often a hum of trepidation to give it a frisson of challenge. The very kernel of what this game wants you to be doing matches very well with the progression system and exploration - Breath of the Wild is a good comparator here, because while that outshines Arceus in many respects, the Hylian wilderness is largely just a place infested with goblins that stands in the way of shrines, quests and plot elements. By contrast, Hisui is the place where the player wants to be.
• Similarly, the cycle of catching, earning and spending is very well-balanced. I always felt like I had just enough cash for what I needed, and just enough balls for catching what I wanted, but never felt comfortable. While there are too many items, the ones that really matter are easy enough to farm if you're so minded... or you could just keep buying! Play it your way.
• Almost all the characters and their designs are great. There's perhaps a few too many for the story to do justice with, but the core cast all have plenty of depth... and that means that when twists and turns start occurring, it's legitimately surprising. The postgame boss is terrifying, and Adaman and Irida need to found a clan of their own, if you get my meaning.
• Coming back to that first point, it's all just so damn immersive. Your Pokémon are no longer a hobby but your vital bodyguards, and they don't just politely segue into the 'battle dimension' - it's happening in real time because the threat is similarly immediate. This feels like the closest rendition yet of that original vision of the Pokémon world, similarly reflected in the early arcs of the Adventures manga. Imagine how awesome it might eventually be to have a full team of NatDex favourites accompanying you in this way.
• The graphics are pretty ropey... but they genuinely don't bother me. Most of the immediate surroundings are packed with enough visual detail to distract from the polygonal mountain in the distance, and even that's if you're paying attention to the flowers and not the target five feet away from you.

Anyone who's seen my pre-release posts on the game will know that I had some significant reservations about how it was going to play out, and I couldn't be happier - because a) I think it'll deliver a booster shot into a franchise that has frankly been coasting for a while when it comes to the core game series, and b) because I know my standards are still in a good place. I'm still the chap who hasn't completed BDSP... and yet I love this. I haven't just devolved into cynicism, nor am I praising Arceus mindlessly. This game has a long laundry list of things to improve and tweak next time around, but these aren't the roped-off power plants of SwSh or the Sir Not Appearing In This Battle Frontier of the Sinnoh remakes; they're tweaks to build on a foundation that's clearly had a lot of time and effort put into it, not gaps to fill where time or budget ran out.

I think I'm falling in love again.

 

[Alola]

Not sure about the Styles, though. I think it's a mechanic that could be worked into the classic battle mechanics, along with re-adding Abilities, but I guess we'll see if it gets integrated in for Gen 9.

I'm assuming Styles were largely introduced as compensation for the lack of moves available (ex. why put in Bubble and Bubble Beam when Strong Style Bubble yields the same power, if not more, as Bubble Beam; strong style Aura Sphere> Aura Sphere & Focus Blast), so I don't see them coming back in the next mainline classical/traditional entry provided we get our moves back. If the Legends series continues, I think it would be native to those games.

But if they did incorporate it though, that would certainly add a new dimension to battling.

 

[Daren]

This game has a long laundry list of things to improve and tweak next time around, but these aren't the roped-off power plants of SwSh or the Sir Not Appearing In This Battle Frontier of the Sinnoh remakes; they're tweaks to build on a foundation that's clearly had a lot of time and effort put into it, not gaps to fill where time or budget ran out.

I admit my major concern is that rather than synthesizing the strong elements of Legend Arceus with the mainline games' strengths they'll either be kept as two separate series' on opposite sides of a barbed wire fence or Legends will be a one-off.