Finally forcing myself to play Legends: Arceus. It does have things I like about it, unlike a lot of the 3DS and beyond games it runs smoothly and quickly, and the art looks nice compared to other Pokemon switch games. I just beat Kleavor tho and had to constantly remind myself that this isn't a mainline game and I can't be mad that the game forces me to use my horrible eye-hand coordination stat. I suck at that part sooo bad.
I also don't love the fighting mechanic, although I can't fully blame that on the game when I refuse to read any description they say in there about how it works. By the same convention, I can't fully critique the story, esp when I don't remember anything before I started, but I mean, they literally use the same naming conventions as if in a history movie about the US, they called themselves Republican and Democrat factions in the colonial days lol. Or like making Star Wars sequels where they called the post-Emperor government the Rebel Alliance still...
that said, I may come around to those things because I think the game is enjoyable, but all those people complaining about how the games suck and L:A is a breath of fresh air - I'm not gonna defend all the recent games, but it's like, I don't think the battle mechanics are superior, and I don't think the problem is the formula, and if you're tired of that you can play something else. I don't think any of the new boss fight mechanics have been worth keeping for more than one generation. I would love more twists like this, but they don't all have to follow this specific pattern - A battle related one would be really cool.
The real problem is how the formula meshes with increased story emphasis. If you're gonna take away grinding and lots of trainer battles, you have to replace it with something. And if you want it to be a story, you can't write characters with the same level of details as before, they have to be more dynamic: it's one thing if your rival has one bit, like hating you the whole story, when you read their dialogue for all about three minutes. It's another thing when they have countless cutscenes reminding you of their bit.
Like with Nemona, we get it, she's nice and welcoming and loves battling (despite putting up an average fight at best). With Lillie, I don't need to be reminded she's pathetic and weak and can't keep track of her Pokemon that she loves about with cutscenes, it was already established in the first one. I saw a comment online about how it's cool the professor in Gen 7 doesn't just hand you your Pokemon and leave: but he has less personality than Gen 4's professor still!! He just has a "Superman puts on glasses" joke.
Like with Arven, he pushes you away at first, before gradually warming up to you through your support of his ambitions. But it doesn't really work because the writing isn't there.
What's important about fantasy stories is that you make the choice to be a hero. When you're told that you are a hero, and don't have any choice in the matter, the conflict has to come from other sources. So you're always gonna be some godlike entity who comes in and saves everyone else's problem by being unbeatable in a fight.