Pokemon Legends - Arceus - 28th Jan 2022 *Official Content Only*

[ScraftyIsTheBest]

While it's taking elements of the mainline games over to itself (the battle system, primarily) it is definitely structured more as a spin off.


I mean, again, they're releasing it like 2 months after BDSP. They clearly think these two titles aoccupy different niches; which, well...they do

The official website calls Legends as part of the core series so it's mainline on that notion in and of itself.

It's probably like Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee in that it's a mainline game, but also does its own thing at the same time and could very well be the beginning of a sub series within the core series. It also shares continuity with mainline canon being a prequel to DP which makes it a mainline game, plus it follows many of the traditional mainline elements. It's being called the "evolution of the franchise" which means it's clearly a core series title.

 

[R_N]

The official website calls Legends as part of the core series so it's mainline on that notion in and of itself.

It's probably like Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee in that it's a mainline game, but also does its own thing at the same time and could very well be the beginning of a sub series within the core series. It also shares continuity with mainline canon being a prequel to DP which makes it a mainline game, plus it follows many of the traditional mainline elements. It's being called the "evolution of the franchise" which means it's clearly a core series title.

WEll more specifically it "honors[...] core gameplay"

The Pokémon Legends: Arceus game honors past Pokémon games’ core gameplay while infusing new action and RPG elements.

I'd put it more in line with say...Super Mario Maker, if that makes sense.

but hey whatever, I'll leave the mainline/notmainline delineation aside; despite having typed all this out i can see gamefreak just going "yeah mainline series, whatever". It is still pretty different from the standard games. So Gamefreak likely doesn't see any issue with releasing the 2 games so close to one another.


Honestly if I wanted to put a conspiracy hat on I'd say the plan might've been to have both of them out in 2020 and possibly even closer to each other than they are now, but covid required a few months delay.

 

[Pikachu315111]

Not sure what can be discussed, except the Box Art looking like meh.
Perhaps it's because of the image quality that I get the feeling.

Could be because they're trying to do a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild but aren't doing that great of a job:

Take A Wild Breath

When you look at the BotW artwork, you get the feeling of how expansive this world is being presented. Breaking it down:

• Camera Position: The BotW cover has you backed a good distance away from Link but in a way you know, if you were close to him, you'd be looking up at him. You had to back up just enough for Link to be standing in the middle of the cover, this makes Link feel tall and, since his back is away from the light source, his back is completely in shadow which contrasts with the canyon he's looking down into having all sorts of lighting affects. Meanwhile, L:A has you looking down at the protags who backs having lighting on them, it makes them feel small and not in the way you want them to do.
  
  
• Proportion To Environment: Now it's the proportion to everything around the main character that's supposed to give you a sense of size and that the character, upon reflection, actually isn't that tall... which in return only makes the world feel BIG. Look at the rock Link is standing on, he's only a head taller than it but it's also much wider than him. In the background we see a canyon, mountain range, smoking volcano, castle, bridge, cloud formation... all things which we know are BIG yet from the viewpoint that Link is looking at them they're tiny! This, once again, effectively makes the world feel big & expansive, you know Link can go to those places and this view makes it look like it would take days of perilous trekking over long distances and dizzying heights. Meanwhile, L:A's best attempt to show expanse is a mostly empty field with trees for size comparison and Mt. Coronet big and in the center (with I think a visible shrine on top of it). Making Mt. Coronet big makes everything else feel small, and having a visible shrine on top of it makes Mt. Coroent small; going to Mt. Coronet on the cover feels like it'll just be a few hours through flat fields.
  
  
• Wonderment: A lone Link who's back bathed in shadow, a Hyrule Castle with a light shining from it, valleys obscured in mist... what's going on in this cover? What's that light from the castle, is that's where Link is going? And he's going all the way there all by himself? And he has his sword and shield drawn out, is he expecting danger that he'll have to fight? And those who know the Legend of Zelda franchise would note he's not wearing his typical green tunic and hat, rather he's in a blue shirt and beige pants, that's not right! This game cover makes you want to buy the game just to see what's going on in it. Now, how about L:A? Two kids are looking at this mountain with a whole batch of their elemental monster companions standing behind them. Guess they're going to that mountain, with all their Pokemon they should have a safe hike, probably be home before dinner. You see, no real wonderment to what's happening on the cover. Like, at the very least have the clouds above Mt. Coronet form the shape of Arceus or maybe include the Hall of Origin!
  
  
• Logo Placement: BotW keeps their logo at the bottom as what they want you to focus on is the size of things. L:A has the logo smacked right in the middle of the box so it's what you're focusing on. Who cares about how big Mt. Coronet is, remember this is a POKEMON game and, oh look, at the bottom there are Pokemon!

Surprised how early this game is being released to BDSP, only roughly two months after the remakes. Most other games have at least a year apart before the official release. What could this mean?

I think that says more about BDSP than L:A...

Feels like the games being released closely is kinda of leaning towards bdsp being very 1:1 w the originals

Shedinja'd.

(except no background of Arceus in the distance but that's prob a secret)

Yeah, wouldn't want to spoil the Pokemon who's name is in the title is in the game.

 

[Yung Dramps]

I know it's now hip and cool to lambast Game Freak every time they breathe but what the actual fuck are you people on this cover art is sexy as hell! Yeah the composition isn't the most original but "character(s) looking out over a cliffside" isn't exactly a trope BoTW invented

 

[Codraroll]

I know it's now hip and cool to lambast Game Freak every time they breathe but what the actual fuck are you people on this cover art is sexy as hell! Yeah the composition isn't the most original but "character(s) looking out over a cliffside" isn't exactly a trope BoTW invented

It's not that it isn't original - I mean, 95% of video game cover art shows the logo and the main character in a pose facing the camera. It's just that it doesn't pull it off very well. There are no enticing background details, the view isn't that spectacular, and the characters aren't exactly posed dramatically. They appear to be enjoying the view, not facing the unknown dangers of a vast and exciting land.

When cover art shows the main character from behind, they are usually either facing an epic threat (that also faces the camera), or their pose suggests there will be action. Look again at the FFVII cover, prominently featuring the enormous sword slung across the character's back. Or how Link has his sword drawn and a bow at the ready in BotW.

It's not bad artwork, but it doesn't really scream "Excitement! Action! Lots to explore!" either. The artwork almost seems more appropriate for a cheap spin-off called "Hiking with Pikachu".

 

[DrPumpkinz]

It's not that it isn't original - I mean, 95% of video game cover art shows the logo and the main character in a pose facing the camera. It's just that it doesn't pull it off very well. There are no enticing background details, the view isn't that spectacular, and the characters aren't exactly posed dramatically. They appear to be enjoying the view, not facing the unknown dangers of a vast and exciting land.

When cover art shows the main character from behind, they are usually either facing an epic threat (that also faces the camera), or their pose suggests there will be action. Look again at the FFVII cover, prominently featuring the enormous sword slung across the character's back. Or how Link has his sword drawn and a bow at the ready in BotW.

It's not bad artwork, but it doesn't really scream "Excitement! Action! Lots to explore!" either. The artwork almost seems more appropriate for a cheap spin-off called "Hiking with Pikachu".

Wow it's almost as if the game isn't about slaying an evil that has ravaged the land for 100 years or whatever the plot of FF7 is (something about genetically-modified super soldiers, corporate dictatorships, and the exploitation of natural resources, I think) who woulda thunk it.

 

[Blanca Weiss]

Strangely enough the cover art reminds me of the one from PMD Sky for some reason.

 

[Pikachu315111]

Wow it's almost as if the game isn't about slaying an evil that has ravaged the land for 100 years

No, rather the game is supposed to be about exploring an untamed region cataloging all the interesting locations and Pokemon within it. I just realized this, the box art cover only shows Mt. Coronet, the additional empty fields & trees are only in the promotional full art. So if you're just going by the box art it only looks like the game is about the player's quest only involves the mountain, which it isn't (Mt. Coronet will likely play a special role, but it's still only one location for a game about exploring the entire pre-industrial Sinnoh region.

or whatever the plot of FF7 is

Mommy issues.

 

[Codraroll]

No, rather the game is supposed to be about exploring an untamed region cataloging all the interesting locations and Pokemon within it. I just realized this, the box art cover only shows Mt. Coronet, the additional empty fields & trees are only in the promotional full art. So if you're just going by the box art it only looks like the game is about the player's quest only involves the mountain, which it isn't (Mt. Coronet will likely play a special role, but it's still only one location for a game about exploring the entire pre-industrial Sinnoh region.

No, the fields are on the cover while the full art only shows the mountain, but the point still stands. It's not like the fields have any defining features visible on the cover.

Wow it's almost as if the game isn't about slaying an evil that has ravaged the land for 100 years or whatever the plot of FF7 is (something about genetically-modified super soldiers, corporate dictatorships, and the exploitation of natural resources, I think) who woulda thunk it.

Exactly, the cover art isn't doing that good of a job conveying what the game is about. It doesn't have the action element to justify a "badass from behind" pose, and while it shares the concept of exploring a big open world with BotW, it fails to convey the scale of its world to the same degree. The Hyrule of BotW's cover seems to extend forever, and several distinct and exciting landmarks are recognizable in the far distance. And look at that sky too. In contrast, the singular form of Mt. Coronet is a little monotonous and featureless. It's as if scaling Mt. Coronet is what the game is all about.

PLA's cover feels like it's trying to do the same as BotW's, without quite understanding what made the original work and thus not pulling off the effect very well. Let us hope that is not indicative of the rest of the game too.

 

[Suspicious Derivative]

Some short thoughts here as well.

The release date. January 28th is considerably earlier than I had expected. It is also the day after my birthday! And it is another true worldwide release, really great. The last time we got a new Pokémon game within the first three months of the year was with B/W, which was 10 years ago. It is also worth noting that L:A will be released just 2 months after BD/SP. What does it mean? Does it even mean anything at all? I guess we’ll have to see. I also wonder if we will get another main series game later in 2022 or if L:A will be the only one. Guess we’ll have to see about that as well.

Then there’s the cover art. I have to say that this is IMO the best cover artwork the main series Pokémon games has ever had. Is it perfect? No. But it is really, really great. I love it. It reminds me of other more open games, notably BOTW and XC2. I really hope that the cover art for future games will follow in the footsteps of this one instead of just sticking to the boring old concept of having a starter/legend and nothing else on the cover.

Regarding the game itself, I am a little more interested in it than BD/SP, but I am still far from convinced about getting it. I really need to know more about how the gameplay works before deciding whether it is worth getting or not. I have some hopes for the game, but also lots of fears. Open World as a concept is not exactly something Game Freak has been good at in the past. Kanto could have been much better, Johto (and Kanto in the Johto games) was a mediocre mess, and the Wild Area was okay, but it really needs a better execution in order to truly shine. Both DLC packs improved upon it a bit though, so that’s great. I think an Open World Pokémon game can work if they just execute everything well, but the question remains whether they will actually do that. And like I said in the BD/SP thread, I feel mostly satisfied with Pokémon on the Switch after having played Sword. So I might skip this game as well, but I’ll wait for more pre-release info and see what is shown before making a decision.

 

[Bakugames]

maybe it's just because I have bad vision, but it took me over 4 months of owning the game to actually see Hyrule castle on the cover. I thought link was just staring at death mountain, for some reason. I also think that the cover is not that good at representing the actual game's aesthetics. It feels like it's trying to resemble a darker and somewhat gritty aesthetic, while botw is a pretty chill and bright game, even with the plot (lol botw plot).

while the Arceus cover isn't super exciting for me, for me it seems better than the botw na/jp cover because of that.

 

[DrPumpkinz]

Exactly, the cover art isn't doing that good of a job conveying what the game is about. It doesn't have the action element to justify a "badass from behind" pose,

So first you're saying that the art isn't good at emulating the look of Breath of the Wild, and now you're saying that it shouldn't be trying to emulate the look of Breath of the Wild? Have you considered that, I don't know, I'm just going out on a limb, that maybe it isn't trying to emulate Breath of the Wild 1-to-1?

Between the overhead angle of the characters and the plains being visible in the box art but not the full art, the piece gives me a sense of a dramatic pan up, like "camera" is airborne and flying up to reveal the world, and then the title fades into view (in fact, I would not be surprised if that just straight up is the title sequence). This isn't trying to be a badass shot. It's trying to be "enjoying the view in Hiking with Pikachu" and if you don't think that that's exciting then I seriously doubt you've ever enjoyed an actual view before. The land is uncharted, but it's not hostile. The characters are looking out, admiring the view of rolling hills and a towering mountain peak, and surveying the land that will soon be home.

 

[Coronis]

Never seen so many arguments (for and against) about cover art for a Pokemon game before. Explains why they just stuck with the cover Pokemon for so long, must’ve known it would start such a shitstorm.

For me, its still iconically Pokemon art and recognisable at first glance, which is all that matters to me. I’d rather they continue to work hard on the actual game and its important features than waste a month designing the perfect cover to try and please everyone.

 

[Blanca Weiss]

Never seen so many arguments (for and against) about cover art for a Pokemon game before. Explains why they just stuck with the cover Pokemon for so long, must’ve known it would start such a shitstorm.

For me, its still iconically Pokemon art and recognisable at first glance, which is all that matters to me. I’d rather they continue to work hard on the actual game and its important features than waste a month designing the perfect cover to try and please everyone.

Well with very little info known about the games in the first place you have to take what you can.

 

[Worldie]

Well with very little info known about the games in the first place you have to trashtalk on what you can.

fixed*

I'm being antagonizing for once (never happened before woweee) but honestly, as much as I myself am skeptical on both Arceus and the Remakes, I think that specifically with so little known about them, trashtalking the cover for the sake of trashtalking everything GF does is just dumb.

(Also, I actually like the box art, but I'm weird and we know it )

 

[Codraroll]

So first you're saying that the art isn't good at emulating the look of Breath of the Wild, and now you're saying that it shouldn't be trying to emulate the look of Breath of the Wild? Have you considered that, I don't know, I'm just going out on a limb, that maybe it isn't trying to emulate Breath of the Wild 1-to-1?

Nope, I'm saying that it tries to do something similar, but it doesn't pull it off very well. The characters are not looking very exciting (cover art that doesn't show the main characters' faces tend to justify it with a pose that looks more interesting from behind - not really the case here), and the view is not looking very exciting - it's some fairly featureless plains and a fairly featureless mountain. It's missing the two elements that made the same concept work for Breath of the Wild's cover - intriguing characters and an intriguing view.

 

[Coronis]

Well with very little info known about the games in the first place you have to take what you can.

Oh 100% I get that, iirc boxarts are usually revealed alongside some kind of other info. Its just interesting to me how serious and aggressive some of the posts have been (both here and in the BDSP thread) when its in reality something that will have almost zero impact on the game and its success in the end. But as you say, not much else to talk about at the moment.

 

[mertyville]

Oh 100% I get that, iirc boxarts are usually revealed alongside some kind of other info. Its just interesting to me how serious and aggressive some of the posts have been (both here and in the BDSP thread) when its in reality something that will have almost zero impact on the game and its success in the end. But as you say, not much else to talk about at the moment.

I don't know about aggressive.

I saw a lot of people on Twitter going on each other over the release date like Joe Merrick. That could be something we could argue.
Honestly, how likely is it that GF showed a bad stage of the game on purpose or manage to fix what we have seen in that Pokemon "Direct" in such a short time?

I feel the game will be rushed. Didn't intend to mention this considering it's nothing groundbreaking to have this point of view.

 

[Worldie]

Honestly, how likely is it that GF showed a bad stage of the game on purpose or manage to fix what we have seen in that Pokemon "Direct" in such a short time?

Honestly that's something you'd expect off predatory companies like Activision, not from one that's simply incompetent at PR like GameFreaks.

GF might be a lot of things, but sure as heck they arent predatory

 

[Bakugames]

Feels like yall are slowly start to make wild theories about gamefreak nowadays

Theyre just not good at coding and have bad schedules, I don't think its that deep

 

[Yung Dramps]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1399708610192674823

 

[TMan87]

(If anyone's wondering, it says something like "a promotional trailer was posted by Nintendo, you can hear a new soundtrack")

I like that track, it feels very Sinnoh-ish but at the same time with a bit more kick, kinda reminiscent of Unova's percussions.

 

[ScraftyIsTheBest]

Ooh that music sounds cool, wonder where it'll play in the game proper.

Just the usual we've seen in the first reveal trailer but the music is nice. No matter what you think of each individual Pokemon game, the music in Pokemon games is always, always a treat. Can't wait to hear all of Legends' soundtrack when it comes out!!!

 

[DHR-107]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1426166956911218690

More info coming next week!

 

[DHR-107]

We are under 2 hours away from new information, so I'll open the threads now (try not to go mad).