Many gamers have had the childhood fantasy of exploring a world full of Pokemon, and while that’s not possible in real life, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is shaping up to be the most authentic way to live out that dream that gamers have received thus far. A new clip highlights one of the ways that players will be able to approach catching new Pokemon in the upcoming RPG.
Over on Twitter, Nintendo shared a brief Pokemon Legends: Arceus gameplay clip that highlights its stealth mechanics. While fans are used to looking for Pokemon hiding in tall grass, it seems that the opposite will be true this time around, as players crouch in foliage and sneak up on unsuspecting wildlife. Pokemon catch mechanics have stayed more or less the same in mainline entries, so this looks like quite the change.
All around, though, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a departure from series norms. It puts players in the shoes of a trainer far before what fans have seen in many of the past games, and even offers up primitive versions of the Poke Balls that have become the defining icon of the entire franchise. It’s not quite the open-world Pokemon game that fans were expecting based on the initial trailers, but it doesn’t seem that far off, either.
The reaction to the clip has been relatively positive, though there does seem to be some concern among fans over how Pokemon Legends: Arceus is shaping up. Despite its release being just a few weeks away, Nintendo hasn’t shown off that much of it, and its place in the timeline means that it won’t be a conventional experience. However, that might be a good thing.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus kicks off what could be a massive year for Nintendo. Launching on January 28, it marks one of the first major triple-a releases of the year, possibly scoring Nintendo big points early on, depending on how it shakes out. Nintendo’s releases don’t slow down after that, either, as there’s also the promise of a fully 3D Kirby game in 2022, as well as a possible Breath of the Wild 2 launch. That’s all to say that Nintendo fans have a lot to look forward to.
For now, fans will just have to wait and see how Pokemon Legends: Arceus fares when push comes to shove. It could well be a bold new style of Pokemon game, or it could land with a thud.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus releases January 28 for Switch.
