Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the most ambitious Pokemon game in ages. It changes almost everything players know about the series. For example, Pokemon can still only use four Moves in battle. However, every Move a Pokemon learns is stored in the Pokemon’s memory. When outside of battle Pokemon can equip Moves at their leisure as if they were equipping armor in another RPG.
Pokemon no longer evolve randomly. Players can trigger it at any time once the Pokemon reaches the right level. The day and night cycle can be controlled. Status effects are different. There is stealth. The list goes on. However, for as much as Pokemon Legends: Arceus changes, there are still some fixes the game needs. This goes above graphical and glitch improvements too.
8 Skip Conversations
The story could use a lot of work. There is no voiceover which is not surprising for longtime fans of the series. It still would have been nice to see voices added in either for the whole cast or just the protagonist. Patching that in would presumably take a lot of work. The developer could at least add in the option to fast-forward through dialogue or skip it altogether. Voices or not, not every gamer cares about the story anyway. It’s a long game and the text can slow things down.
7 Track Multiple Quests
The quest system is more robust than ever in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. None of these side missions will tell deep stories, but they are worth it for the rewards. There is a major issue though. Only one quest can be tracked at a time. Multiple quests can be assigned to the player at once which is nice. The quest icons will only appear if that particular side mission is selected in the menu. It’s not a terrible flaw, but an adjustment would be nice.
6 Heighten Exploration
Pokemon Legends: Arceus offers players the biggest world this franchise has seen yet. However, exploration can be hindered due to mechanics being held back until the latter half. Players can dash and fast travel at the start which is huge. They cannot swim or climb though.
After a couple of hours, players will get their first mount which will give them a leg up while exploring on the ground. More mounts will unlock as the game progresses, but it is too slow. A climbing mechanic based on stamina, along with swimming, would be great to see patched in. Keep the mounts where they are. That’s not the issue. At the very least this game needs a jump button.
5 Add More Beginning Options For Customization
This series has never been good about giving players a wealth of customization options in the beginning. Players can choose to either be male or female and with four skin colors matched with accompanying hairstyles. There are only four options for each gender. More hairstyles and clothing options will unlock as the game progresses, but it is costly. As an open-world RPG, Pokemon Legends: Arceus needs more starter options to run with the big boys. Either that or paid customization options need to be lowered.
4 Add Auto-battle
Turn-based RPGs have almost faded away. Action gameplay seems to be the more popular choice. While it would have been cool to see active combat implemented into Pokemon Legends: Arceus, that is seemingly impossible now. Adding in auto-battles could improve combat alternatively. Furthermore, a fast-forward feature could accompany that. That is how the turn-based formula has evolved with the times. Pokemon, as a series, should follow suit too.
3 Needs More Multiplayer Options
The Pokemon series has been an innovator in the multiplayer realm. It dominated the Game Boy when it was released towards the system’s last days. That’s why it is weird to see Pokemon Legends: Arceus lacking in this department.
Players can retrieve bags for people online, thus earning Merit points, or they can trade. The trading options only work for friends and require passcodes. The game could be improved if people could randomly trade and if they could battle as well.
2 Have The Environment Effect Battle
Some weather conditions can affect the battlefield. For example, foggy areas will make it so moves will be harder to land. This goes for the player’s team along with the opponents. However, the game could implement even more environmental shifts to adhere more to the anime.
For example, if a Pokemon is in water and gets zapped by a lightning bolt or something, that attack should do more damage. Using ice could freeze water. That may be a lot to ask for as the graphics are seemingly already being pushed to the limit. The developers could at least remove battle animations as an option.
1 Add Phone Pictures
It’s easy to snap a photo in Pokemon Legends: Arceus with a tap of the Switch’s capture button. Turning off the HUD will make the photos look even better. There is no way to control the camera like with a real photo mode. This is odd because the protagonist gets a phone from Arceus. Shouldn’t they be able to use that on the go for photos? There is a photo studio in town, but the options for that are very limited. It would be great to get that phone option while exploring.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus was released on January 28, 2022 and is available on Switch.
