Compared with the Pokémon games in the past 26 years, Pokémon Legend Arceus has changed a lot. While it honors and draws from series history, it is also open to experimenting with new designs.
Some of the new stuff may not be easy to understand, though, and Nintendo hasn’t given a good introduction to just how different The Legend of Arceus is.
So in order to give you a better understanding of The Legend of Arceus, we have listed 12 main differences between it and the Pokémon orthodox series.
Explore
The biggest change in Pokémon Legends Arceus is the structure. In the past, players have to move between different cities, but this time there is only one city – the celebration village in the Xicui area (which later became the celebration city in “Diamond/Pearl”).
The rest is turbulent and there are only a few small camps, which means you can explore freely without running into too many people.
The game is not composed of a single open-world like “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” but is divided into 5 main areas: verdant fields, steep mountains, beautiful coasts (with volcanoes), toxic Swamps, and cold snowfields. Each area is home to different Pokémon, but some Pokémon appear in more than one area.
Players have to start from Zhuqing Village and choose a large area to go to, but they cannot go directly from one area to another, they must go back to Zhuqing Village first.
New World
Why is the world of “Pokémon Legend of Arceus” so desolate? Because not many people live here. This work is set in the ancient Japan of the Pokémon World version, people’s way of speaking is more restrained, far less casual than in the orthodox work, and people know very little about Pokémon, only some people have a better understanding.
In this ancient world, your main task is to capture Pokémon, fight them, and learn more about them to complete the first-ever Pokémon Book.
Capture Pokémon
When it comes to capturing Pokémon, this aspect is also different from traditional Pokémon games. Or should I say, it can be different?
In “Legend of Arceus”, the way to control the protagonist is similar to a third-person shooting game, you can walk in a 3D world (similar to “Sword/Shield”), players can crouch and sneak, or roll to dodge. You can also throw items at Pokémon, including various Poké Balls.
After switching to the Pokeball with L and R, you can press ZL (left trigger), aim with the right stick, and then press ZR (right trigger) to throw the Pokeball directly at Pokemon. If you sneak up on it from behind, or if the Pokémon is unaware of your presence, the capture success rate will increase. You can also throw food at them to reduce vigilance.
However, the Pokémon in The Legend of Arceus can also get mad at you—usually when you get too close to them. You can’t capture an angry Pokémon with a Poké Ball, you have to stun it with an item, or run away and go back when it doesn’t hold any grudges.
If neither method works, the Pokémon will attack you. If you are attacked too many times, you will be sent back to the base camp (the protagonist can automatically recover blood).
Fight with Pokémon
Another way to calm a Pokémon’s rage is to fight it.
Like props, you can also throw Pokeballs with Pokemon in them at any time. Press the X key to switch between props and Pokémon. They all use a circular switching menu. You can use L and R to switch between different props or Pokémon, and you can quickly select the most suitable treasure. can dream. Just throw your companion Pokémon at a wild Pokémon to start a turn-based battle.
The biggest change in the combat system is that the order of moves is determined by the speed, instead of you and me. A Pokémon that is fast enough can attack twice in a row, while a Pokémon that is slow can only take two hits first and then fight back. On the right side of the screen, there is a handy “order of actions” table to clearly see the next sequence.
However, the sequence of actions is not determined solely by the numbers. After a Pokémon reaches a certain level or has visited an NPC, it can “master” its moves and gain two attack styles: “Swift” and “Tough”.
The Swiftness move is faster and has a chance to hit you twice in a row, but it does less damage. “Toughness” increases power but at the cost of delaying the order of the next action. Mastering moves will cost double PP, so use them sparingly.
You can also capture Pokémon in battle, in much the same way as in past games – draining the Pokémon’s stamina and throwing Poké Balls on your turn.
Poke Ride
The ride system isn’t a new feature unique to The Legend of Arceus, but it has been greatly expanded in this game. Since the map is huge (and bikes haven’t been invented yet), players rely on Pokémon to traverse the world.
In the Xicui area, the horned deer can evolve into a strange horned deer, and it is the player’s ground mount. After riding it, it can be commanded to sprint and jump. The Blacktail (evolved from the Savage Bass) will become your water vehicle (before you get the Blacktail, it will sink into the river), and it can jump over water obstacles with ease. The Warrior Eagle (Xicui’s appearance) is a flying mount, but it does not have complete flight controls, and it is more like a glider.
Players can also quickly travel to base camps or some important locations, but this is certainly not as fun as riding a Pokémon.
Trainer vs.
While combat is an important part of Pokémon Arceus, NPC trainers are not common. On the road in the wild, no NPC will meet your eyes, and you will not start fighting as soon as you walk in front of them. Battles with trainers are basically story-triggered, usually with friends or villains.
Evolution
In Pokémon Legends Arceus, Pokémon can still evolve, but they don’t automatically evolve. After Pokémon reach a level where they can evolve, a prompt will appear on their experience bar. To evolve, just enter the Pokémon Easter egg, select the Pokémon you want to evolve, and then press X.
This change will make it easier for you to keep your Pokémon in an unevolved state, so you can learn moves more easily, and it also ensures that Eevee can evolve into the type you want.
Move Learning
The mechanics of learning moves in Pokémon Legends Arceus are not the same as in the past. New moves will automatically enter the list of learned moves, so you don’t need to choose after leveling up. Although you can only equip 4 moves at the same time, as long as you learn it, you can equip it at any time. Of course, it can’t be in battle. This is equivalent to carrying a move memory NPC with you.
In addition, the NPC who helps you master the moves can also teach the moves, but for a fee. These new moves will also enter the list of learned moves, which can be switched at any time. You can’t “forget” a move forever, as long as you enter the list of learned moves, you will stay in it forever.
Craft Production
“Crafting” is another highlight of “Pokémon Legend of Arceus”. You can still buy pokeballs and potions at the store, but you can also collect materials and make them yourself. Some materials can be picked up by hand, but there are also some, such as those on trees or rocks, that need to be handled by Pokémon.
Each base camp has a “Crafting Bench”, where items can be crafted using materials stored in storage chests. Players also have a “craft kit” that they can carry with them, but only with the materials in the backpack.
New Story
Over the years, the Pokémon series has followed the same story template: a small town kid goes on a trainer journey, travels to a gym, defeats an evil organization, and finally defeats the Four Heavenly Kings, challenges the final champion, and dominates the treasure. Dream League. Although “Legend of Arceus” does not apply the same formula, it still inherits many characteristics.
Plot-wise, the work takes a very different form from the past. We don’t want to spoil how the story unfolds, but there are no gyms and no four kings. In this ancient world, people don’t know much about Pokémon, so the story focuses more on teaching people around them how to live with Pokémon, rather than fighting them.
Since the work is set in ancient times, individual characters are obviously ancestors of the characters of “Diamond/Pearl”, which is a good easter egg for observant old fans.
Task
“Pokémon Legend of Arceus” provides players with a complete task list, including large and small main tasks and sub-tasks, instead of just a simple task box as before, telling you to go to the next city or Go to Dr. You’ll get clear directions on where to go next, and the to-do list provides a simple antecedent.
Side quests are very common in “Pokémon” games, but the details of the quests are often remembered by yourself, such as where an NPC who wants to pop is located. In “The Legend of Arceus”, there are still NPCs who ask you to find a specific Pokémon, but the quest log will directly tell you what the quest rewards are and provide some quest guidelines.
There are also many types of side quests. For example, there is a quest that allows you to bypass the air wall and chase the magic wall puppet in the celebration village.
No gyms, only boss battles
Because the gym is gone, “Legend of Arceus” found a new way to test your strength – “King” Pokémon. The locals adored these powerful Pokémon, but for some mysterious reason, they went into a frenzy. You need to throw the corresponding “Treasure” at them while avoiding the opponent’s attack to calm them down gradually.
It plays like a fancy third-person shooter where you aim at a Pokémon and throw a little scented bag of food at it before it attacks you. If you get hit too many times, you’ll have to start all over again, but if you’re quick enough, you can dodge damage with an invincibility frame.
Sometimes, the “King” will enter a state of exhaustion, revealing flaws, and at this time, he can throw a Pokeball with a Pokemon into it and enter the battle. As long as you win, you can throw a bunch of “Treasures” at it for a short period of time. Once the “King” is successfully neutralized (there is a large yellow health bar, and every time the “King” is hit with “Suppression”), it is considered a victory.