Pokemon Legends: Arceus is Game Freak’s dip into a world that seems to be a bit of Animal Crossing, a bit of The Legend of Zelda, and just a dash of Stardew Valley. It’s no surprise they wanted to jump on the bandwagon considering the popularity of the open-world style right now as well as the farming/real-life sim setting.
The simulation-style is all the rage at the moment because gaming itself is becoming less and less niche. Players joining the hobby who tend not to be all-the-time gamers enjoy these genres because they are a way to unwind. How will Game Freak stylize its version of this in Pokemon Legends Arceus?
10 The Pokemon Helping Out
Something introduced in the Pokemon Sword & Shield games was jobs for Pokemon. Basically, players could send their units off to help people with certain tasks based on their type; for instance, someone would ask for a grass Pokemon to help with gardening.
This is something that could definitely be extended and done as an actual mechanic in Legends of Arceus because of its seemingly Settlers of Catan theme. The known premise so far is that the protagonist lives in a village of people who have come from all over to explore the Sinnoh region. The Pokemon caught by players might be able to help with building settlements and infrastructures in the region.
9 The Return Of Apricorns
Apricorns will most likely be making a return in this game but this time there won’t be a Cram-O-Matic to make them with. Instead, players will most likely have to develop them into Poke Balls from scratch similar to how Kurt did in the Pokemon Gold & Silver games. They will also probably have to grow Apricorn trees from scratch.
Apricorns are likely to be a thing because one of the available starters is a Cyndaquil, meaning there are people in the village from Johto. Heck, the person who teaches the protagonist the ball-making trade might even be Kurt’s grandfather or great grandfather since he’s already pretty old in the Johto games.
8 Getting Creative With Catching Pokemon
Since it’s such a big component, catching Pokemon in Arceus is probably going to be trickier than it is in the core games. To an extent, wild Pokemon are “used” to being around people in the games set in “modern” time periods.
The ones encountered in a place where they have very little interaction with humans will be far frostier, meaning some might require using specific methods to catch, similar to Pokemon Snap. Pokemon will run away, fly away, use hypnosis or poison powder, etc.
7 The Night And Day Schedule From Johto
Games with open-world settings usually include a simulation of real-time passing. This was somewhat used in Sword & Shield with certain Pokemon appearing based on weather changes, but that wasn’t quite the same. The closest thing was probably the day and night setting used in the Gold & Silver games.
A real-time feature should be included as part of the catching theme because some Pokemon who emerge might only emerge at night or during the day, making players plan their time carefully.
6 Inclusion of Ride Pokemon
Before the release of Crown Tundra and Isle of Armor, players were worried that the ability to have Pokemon following them was only going to ever be in future Let’s Go games. Riding Pokemon could make a comeback in Pokemon Legends: Arceus because it makes sense in games with a limited Pokedex like the Let’s Go titles.
Yes, Arceus is likely going to have a limited Pokedex. Ride Pokemon have not featured in most of the main games, but they would make sense in Arceus, especially if it has a smaller Pokedex.
5 Early Forms Of Modern Pokemon
Leaked photos have been going around of a bizarre-looking creature that some are deducing could be an early form of a modern Pokemon. Not a new evolution or pre-evolution but instead a preadapted form, an ancestor of a modern Pokemon basically.
This could mean that there are other early-form Pokemon in the game too, and of course, possibly just new Pokemon in general. There are silhouette clips of some kind of unfamiliar deer Pokemon too but whether that is an early form or something new is yet to be confirmed.
4 Permanently Extinct Pokemon
Another category of Pokemon that could appear is ones that are completely extinct in modern-day settings. Maybe they didn’t necessarily die out directly because of people but because the land or the environment changed on its own and disrupted their way of life.
This is why Dragapult became a Ghost-type, the water it used to live in dried up. Perhaps they could be brought back to life in the modern-day like fossil Pokemon, but if they couldn’t, it would make Arceus feel more special.
3 Bonding Projects With Your Party Pokemon
Pokemon games have always needed to provide more opportunities for trainers to be more personal with their team. Players were given this opportunity through the camping mechanic in Sword & Shield. They could play with toys with the team and make delicious curry together.
Camping will most likely return since Pokemon Legends: Arceus is themed around the wilderness, but it will probably be modified since pack noodles don’t exist in this era. What Arceus’s camping could do instead is let trainers bond with their wild Pokemon who are not used to humans. This bond should be an important part of this game and contribute to the Pokemon’s growth as a battler as well.
2 Traveling Beyond Sinnoh
This one’s really reaching, but it’s too early yet to totally rule out the possibility of being allowed to go to other worlds. The beginning of the trailer shows a sketchbook with drawings of the game’s three starters.
Many believe this book is essentially going to be the story’s Pokedex and if one looks closely, they can see there are two other sketchbooks in different colors underneath the one that opens up. Does this mean there might be two other untamed lands for players to explore? The three starters from different lands might be an indication of that.
1 Return Of The Dive Mechanic
Even though HM moves are a thing of the past, players could see a version of the Dive mechanic return here. In the Hoenn games, players could go deep down into certain parts of the water with a Pokemon that knew Dive and look for treasures.
While Sinnoh does not nearly have as much water, there are still plenty of lakes that could be settings for underground treasure troves. In fact, Sinnoh actually has a trio of legendary lake guardians.
NEXT: 10 Things Players Loved From Pokemon Diamond & Pearl
