Pokemon Legends Arceus looks to be the most ambitious Pokemon game to date, so here’s everything we know about the upcoming title.
The Pokemon Presents showcase finally gave fans a look at the eagerly-anticipated Diamond & Pearl remakes. However, the biggest surprise came in the announcement of a completely new game, Pokemon Legends Arceus. This open-world title is set in Feudal-era Sinnoh and tasks players with recording the region’s very first Pokedex.
While Game Freak’s latest game may not be released until early 2022, that hasn’t stopped the fan excitement from reach new levels of hype. For many, Legends of Arceus marks the biggest leap the franchise has had since its inception.
In order to sate your excitement, we’ve traveled across the net searching far and wide for the latest Pokemon Legends Arceus leaks and rumors.
Who’s that Pokemon?
While Pokemon Legends Arceus is set in a time long before Pokemon trainers and the League even existed, there are a few familiarities. Firstly, we can expect to see all the iconic Pokemon from the Sinnoh region present. From ever-popular Pokemon like Lucario to the Mythical Arceus, Trainers will be able to track down a variety of iconic monsters.
However, as Legends is set during Feudal Sinnoh, it’s likely that we may even encounter some long-forgotten Pokemon. For example, many fans have spotted that there appears to be a new deer Pokemon in the leaked image above.
While it could be either Stantler or Sawsbuck, the silhouette does look notably different. This is most apparent when looking at the mysterious creature’s face, which appears to be a little bulkier than that of the Pokemon series’ current deer Pokemon. For now, it looks like we’ll have to wait for further information to help shed the light on this mysterious ‘Mon.
Unique traversal mechanics
The Pokemon series has always enabled Trainers to fly on their Pokemon and even ride them when traveling around the game’s overworld. However, the switch to a fully open-world game will make these mechanics even more important. Unlike previous titles, it seems Pokemon Legends Arceus will give players complete control over their Pokemon.
The images above show a Pokemon Trainer using their Pokemon to glide through the air, climb a rocky mountain, and even ride their Pokemon when traversing the grassy plains. If these leaked images are to be believed, it certainly opens up plenty of exciting prospects when it comes to exploring the ancient Sinnoh scenery.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Surfing has yet to be shown in any of the early-game previews or images, but we’ll likely see this mechanic closer to the game’s release.
Revamped battle system
At a first glance, the footage does seem to indicate that the turn-based battle system will be making a return. However, rumors have stated that this isn’t quite the case. In fact, one of the leaked Pokemon Legends Arceus images states that the battle system will move to ATB (Active Time Battle), which tracks when Pokemon launch an attack or perform an action.
This system has been a mechanic used in games like Final Fantasy, so it will feel familiar to JRPG fans. Of course, it’s still early days and we won’t know for sure until Game Freak gives fans a closer look into Pokemon Legends Arceus’ battle system.
New Pokemon evolutions and forms
Despite being set in Sinnoh’s feudal era, Pokemon Legends Arceus could feature unique Pokemon evolutions or different forms for iconic Pokemon. After all, the game is said to take place in a “long-gone era, before ideas such as being a Pokémon Trainer or having a Pokémon League even existed.”
There could well be unique evolutions or Pokemon forms tied to this era that either perished or fled to other unseen regions during this time period. Feudal Sinnoh is also said to include “harsh environments that make for a Sinnoh unlike the region you may remember from the days of the Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl games.”
These brutal environments could well spawn unique evolutions and forms that we have yet to see. While this is merely just speculation, it’s certainly wouldn’t be the first time the Pokemon Company has given us different regional forms. Just look at how different Galarian and Alolan forms are from their original counterparts.
While Sinnoh may not be a new region, it is very different from the one seen in Diamond & Pearl. The thought is certainly a tantalizing one and we hope we’ll see some kind of ancient variants of our favorite Pokemon.
Make sure you check out our Pokemon hub for all the latest news and updates on Pokemon Legends Arceus and the upcoming Diamond & Pearl remakes.