Pokemon games first delved into 3D graphics on the Nintendo 3DS handheld systems, giving fans an experience similar never before. At present, with the Nintendo Switch, the Pokemon serial has embraced even more 3D games, including its newest improver, Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

This game from the main Pokemon series has completely changed the typical Pokemon gameplay and allows players to acquire more about the history of the fictional world surrounding the series. Information technology also features the legendary Pokemon Arceus, the namesake of the game. Information technology was starting time introduced in the Diamond and Pearl Pokemon games, which are at present getting a remake.

So what is this new game all well-nigh? Below yous'll find data on the game's story, gameplay, and more than.

What Is the Pokemon Legends: Arceus Story?

This Pokemon game takes place in Hisui, the quaternary region in the Pokemon history timeline, known as Sinnoh. The game allows y'all to explore this area in a fourth dimension earlier humans and Pokemon worked together.

In Pokemon Legends: Arceus, yous play as part of Squad Galaxy, a research team focused on surveying and cataloging Pokemon. Y'all will be trying to consummate the first-ever Pokedex as y'all explore Hisui and discover its Pokemon inhabitants.

Team Galaxy is based in Jubilife Village, which yous volition spend much of your time preparing for new tasks, shopping, or visiting the Trading Mail service to trade Pokemon with others.

What Is Gameplay Like in Pokemon Legends: Arceus?

Nintendo confirmed during a Pokemon Presents livestream that this new Pokemon game would be open-world, pregnant you tin more often than not explore the area in any way you like. The tasks from Squad Galaxy will guide you through the game's story, simply yous can explore the Hisui region on your own.

If this isn't different plenty from the older Pokemon games, the way you lot encounter Pokemon has also inverse. If y'all want to battle a Pokemon, y'all can throw a Pokemon in a Pokeball, and a battle will ensue. There will be no split boxing-screen either, such equally in previous games. Instead, you'll go straight into battle within the surrounding environment.

The battling organisation is still very similar, though. You'll choose what movement you want your Pokemon to perform, or y'all can use an item, flee, or switch Pokemon. Ane departure in battling is that y'all tin can now perform Strong or Agile versions of any move. Using a Strong version of a move will increment its power while decreasing speed, and using a move as Agile volition exercise the opposite. This adds a whole new layer to strategizing during battles.

The boxing sequence likewise won't exist the same. In previous games, each Pokemon took turns making one move at a time. In Pokemon Legends: Arceus, each Pokemon'due south stats volition determine how many moves they tin make at a time.

Yous will be able to grab whatsoever Pokemon in the game you lot encounter, and this volition be how yous make full-up the game's Pokedex. To catch Pokemon, you can weaken it in boxing and then throw a Pokeball at it, similar to previous games.

Are There Whatever New Pokemon?

Every bit with any new Pokemon game, players will want to know what new Pokemon they can expect. Since Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes place in a region already covered in previous games, in that location aren't too many new Pokemon. Nevertheless, there are a few new faces you can wait to run across.

The kickoff is Wyrdeer, a standard/psychic type that resembles a deer. It evolves from the Pokemon Stantler, a Pokemon already previously introduced in generation two Pokemon games, but this is an all-new evolution.

The side by side new Pokemon is Basculegion, a water/ghost blazon. It'south a large fish-looking Pokemon that evolves from another already established Pokemon, Basculin, originally from generation five.

At that place are likewise a couple of new regional-specific forms of the Pokemon Growlithe and Braviary. These are slightly dissimilar from the previously-known forms. The Hisuian Braviary is psychic/flying type, whereas the past form is normal/flying type. Hisuian Growlithe is similar, as its form is fire/rock type, and the original Growlithe was only fire type.

If you're wondering nigh starter Pokemon, the developers did something never-before-seen past including starter Pokemon from three dissimilar generations. So you can choose from Rowlet, from generation vii, Cyndaquil, from generation two, or Oshawott, from generation five.

Other than this, you can expect to run into Pokemon you may already know that were previously introduced in the Sinnoh-region-based games, Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.

A Brand-New Pokemon Journey

Pokemon Legends: Arceus provides both long-time Pokemon fans and newcomers with a 1-of-a-kind experience within the game's series. With so many new gameplay elements, it'll be interesting to meet how they work within the game.

Many have compared this new Pokemon look to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is pretty apt, with the open-world style, graphic design, and exploration-driven story. However, it is still certainly a Pokemon game, as the developers stayed true to some of the about critical aspects of the series that proceed fans coming back for every new generation.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is set to release for the Nintendo Switch organization on January 28th, 2022.