Pokémon Legends: Arceus updates Pokémon’s battle mechanics

The Pokémon Company’s upcoming open-world game, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, was featured during the company’s Pokémon Presents showcase on Wednesday. The game, set in the Hisui region, is a totally new take on the franchise — going back to the early days of Pokémon trainers when Poké Balls were made of wood.

In the new footage shown during the livestream, developer Game Freak showed off the gorgeous open-world environments filled with Pokémon roaming free — largely separate from the lives of humans. Some other neat features include Pokémon that can be ridden: on land, in the sky, or by sea.

Game Freak showed off how Pokémon battles will work in Arceus, too — a definite variation on the battles we’re all familiar with. According to a video clip detailing Arceus after the trailer, Game Freak went into detail on how gameplay will work: Players will head out into the world from a base in search of new Pokémon to research.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus was originally announced during a Pokémon Presents stream in February, when The Pokémon Company called it a mix of action and role-playing elements.

Of course, Arceus, the most powerful Pokémon of all time — and, as the stories say, the creator of the Pokémon world — is probably going to be a key part of the game. We do know that Arceus will feature different starter Pokémon from a variety of regions: Rowlet from Alola, Cyndaquil from Johto, and Oshawott from Unova. There will also be Pokémon that are native to the Hisui region, including new forms for Growlithe and Stantler.

Arceus has the same setting as Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, albeit much further back in the location’s history. (Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will both be released on Nintendo Switch in November.)

Pokémon Legends: Arceus will be released on Nintendo Switch on Jan. 28, 2024.

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