Pokémon Company Confirms Monster-Hunter-Like Style of Exploration For Legends: Arceus

Last Update: 10/11/21

The Pokémon Company has confirmed to Kotaku that Pokémon Legends: Arceus will feature Monster Hunter-like exploration. This news comes after fans noticed that the in-game map features segmented open areas like those seen in Pokémon Sword and Shield, rather than a wide-open map that indicates the game will be fully open-world as previously believed. 

 Pokémon Legends: ArceusJubilife Village will be the home base of surveying mission. Once they have received an assignment or a request, and are ready to go on their next adventure, the players will depart the village to investigate one of many open areas within the Hisui Region. Players will return to the village to finish their survey and prepare for the next assignment. We hope to share more information soon about the Hisui region. -A statement from The Pokémon Company to Kotaku

As you can see from the statement above, players will be visiting “one” of the various “open areas” of the Hisui region when completing specific quests and catching Pokémon. This type of exploration and quest completion is reminiscent of Nintendo’s Monster Hunter series. Players are often required to complete quests at central villages hubs while also exploring wild sections.

If you’ve not played a Monster Hunter game and have played Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield, think of the Wild Area. The Wild Area was not open to the public, but it required that you first enter it and then load your Pokemon Sword or Shield into it. The area was separated from the rest of the Galar region map. 

What do you make of this style of exploration for Pokémon Legends: Arceus? Comment below to let us know your thoughts!


Original Story, 10/06/21…

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the next original chapter in the series, touting new Pokémon, exciting boss battles, and lots of customization for the player character. Based on the game’s trailers, fans have posited that the Hisui region is a sprawling open world filled with wintry forests, vast prairies, shimmering coasts, and more. Screenshots from Legends Arceus’ map surfaced and could suggest that it is not an open land to explore. 

Pokémon expert Joe Merrick took to Twitter and posted two images of Legends Arceus’ in-game map. Obsidian Flatlands’ one-location segment is marked by a blue outline, which highlights the limits of the exploration zone. It seems like we can zoom in to the areas of particular interest once we have selected a location. Obsidian Flatlands looks like an enormous play area – it contains five points of interest – but this could be a sign that each area in the game will serve as a semi-expansive hub (like in Dragon Age or Monster Hunter). It might be more difficult to travel from one place to another than we thought. 

Merrick seemed to be okay with the possibility. He noted that these locations were similar to the Wild Area/Crown Tundra entries in Sword and Shield. Unsurprisingly, the majority of commenters were in agreement, hoping this would reduce performance and provide more background detail. However, one commenter suggested that Braviary might lose its Fly ability in such confined environments. Game Freak’s plans will have to be seen. 

Pokémon Legends: Arceus, like the other titles that preceded it, places the player at the forefront of the story. As a new member of Hisui’s Survey Corps, an organization of Pokémon researchers and protectors, you’ll be tasked with exploring every nook and cranny of the region. When you’re not battling your rival or surviving “noble” encounters, you’ll be trekking across Hisui, stopping at the sight of wild pocket monsters to fill your Pokédex. 

Pokémon Legends: Arceus launches for Nintendo Switch on January 28. 

For more about Pokémon Legends: Arceus, be sure to check out the latest trailer, which includes a new Scyther evolution, and then check out Game Informer’s shot-for-shot breakdown of a trailer released back in August. This trailer will show you a Growlithe version. 


Would you prefer an open-world Pokémon game or a segmented one with large-scale hubs? Leave us a comment below to let us know your thoughts! 

[Source: IGN, Kotaku]

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