Pokemon Legends: Arceus was well-received by fans due to the way it re-imagined the typical Pokemon formula. The new take on the franchise was refreshing, and it left many wondering whether it was the beginning of a new spin-off series. If there are plans to make follow-up games to Pokemon Legends: Arceus, it would be a good idea for developers to leave behind the battle styles.
At first glance, battle styles seem like a creative way to inject a bit of cost-benefit analysis which has players picking between speed and strength. However, its implementation is quite wonky, and there are often situations where it is clearly detrimental to use any battle styles. Future Pokemon Legends games should scrap the gimmick and replace it with something more interesting.
The Problem With Battle Styles in Pokemon Arceus: Legends
Pokemon Legends: Arceus does a few things to set itself apart from the typical Pokemon game. The inhabitants of Hisui are still figuring out their relationship with Pokemon, so many of the tools that players are used to aren’t present any longer. Furthermore, catching critters usually doesn’t require players to weaken them first, which makes completing the Pokedex a tad easier.
The biggest change comes with the inclusion of battle styles. Once a Pokemon has leveled up enough, it gains the ability to perform either an Agile Style or Strong Style move. An Agile Style move increases the odds of a Pokemon attacking twice, but this comes at the cost of a weaker attack. In comparison, a Strong Style move hits with greater power, but this lowers the Pokemon’s speed. Using these battle styles moves costs two PP.
Although battle styles add a new element to Pokemon battles, they do have several drawbacks. Arguably, it brings more negatives than positives. The biggest issue that arises is that Agile Style moves don’t guarantee that players will get an extra turn immediately. Sometimes, the extra turn comes much later, and the Pokemon may not be awake to reap the benefits, as battles are quite fast-paced and it's easy to faint.
Other times, there are no benefits at all, making Agile Style useless. The system could be tweaked, but Game Freak would be better off scrapping it altogether, as the benefits it brings aren’t worth the accompanying complications. Furthermore, there are other minor tweaks that developers would be better off focusing on.
Pokemon Legends Sequels Could Use Other Minor Tweaks
Oftentimes, series veterans have complained that newer games feature Exp Share that cannot be turned off. This makes the games much easier, as leveling up Pokemon doesn’t require as much forethought. Pokemon Legends: Arceus seems to offer up a middle ground that isn’t much better. All team members gain Exp at the end of a battle unless they have fainted.
This differs from mainline games where Exp is distributed each time a team member knocks out an opponent. The change makes it difficult to level up Pokemon unless players carry a bunch of Revives with them to ensure their team is awake to reap Exp at the end of a battle, which can be a pain. In an attempt to solve one problem, it seems a bigger problem has been introduced.
None of these criticisms make Pokemon Legends: Arceus a bad game, and it is definitely a spin-off series Game Freak should pursue further. Future games could have players exploring past versions of regions such as Johto and Kanto to discover more about the lore of Pokemon’s universe. With a few tweaks and fixes, a sequel could be another highlight in the franchise’s long lifespan.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is available on Nintendo Switch.
