Pokémon Legends Arceus Might Not Be Open-World

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. Legends Arceus’ map has been shown in screenshots, which could indicate that it is not an open area. 

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). Moving from place to place may not be as easy as we originally 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. Surprisingly, many commenters agreed with Merrick, hoping this would result in fewer performance problems and greater backdrop detail. However, one commenter suggested that Braviary might lose its Fly ability in such confined environments. It will be interesting to see what Game Freak has in store. 

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]