Article / News

Pokémon Legends: Arceus Showcases Battle and Adventure In New Gameplay Trailer

by on August 21, 2021
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Screenshot of the player character encountering a majestic Hisuian Braviary in a snowy mountain range.

A refreshing twist on Pokémon as a series seems imminent with Nintendo and Game Freak releasing new information on Pokémon Legends: Arceus, showcasing its setting, gameplay, and new Pokémon to catch in a colourful trailer unveiled during the latest Pokémon Presents presentation. Check it out below!

As seen in the trailer above, players will take on the role of a novice Trainer, known as Akari or Rei, within the Galaxy Expedition team—an organisation tasked with charting and creating the first Pokédex within the Hisui region before Pokémon and people were friends. The Hisui region itself is the ancient name of the Sinnoh region in the modern Pokémon canon which acts as the setting of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl and its upcoming remake.

Trainers will choose their first ‘partner’ Pokémon—Rowlett, Cyndaquil, or Oshawott—and set out from Jubilife Village, the central hub within Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Alongside their chosen Pokémon, players will survey and explore different regions of the Hisui region in an open-world adventure, gaining access to different biomes and the Pokémon they hold with every successful expedition.

But what is a new entry in the Pokémon franchise without new Pokémon? Pokémon Legends: Arceus looks to deliver on that front, revealing two new Pokémon and new region-specific variants, a conceit popularised in recent releases in the Pokémon series such as Sun & Moon and Sword & Shield. Check out a small gallery below, showcasing some of the new Pokémon that players will find exclusively within Pokémon Legends: Arceus, including a Growlithe with just all the fluff!

Oh, and can we talk about the first one below, the Basculegion? Because it’s official description is… something:

Basculin in the Hisui region evolve into Basculegion when they are possessed by the souls of other Basculin from their school that could not withstand the harsh journey upstream. Their propulsive power is bolstered by the souls possessing them, letting them swim without tiring.

  • Pokemon Legends Arceus Artwork 010 Basulegion
  • Pokemon Legends Arceus Artwork 015 Craft BaseCamp
  • Pokemon Legends Arceus Artwork 014 Pokedex
  • Pokemon Legends Arceus Artwork 013 Wyrdeer
  • Pokemon Legends Arceus Artwork 012 Hisuian Growlithe
  • Pokemon Legends Arceus Artwork 011 Hisuian Braviary

The series hallmark of turn-based battling will feature in Pokémon Legends: Arceus with a few key changes. Players will be able to see the turn order of battle, where they will be able to take advantage of two new battle modes: Agile Style and Strong Style. Agile Style lowers the power of any move a Pokémon does, but their turn comes sooner. Meanwhile, Strong Style does the exact opposite, increasing power and taking longer to execute. Success in battles within Pokémon Legends: Arceus seems based on finding a harmony between these two styles. This new twist will likely prove to be an interesting time in theorycrafting for the battle-savvy veterans of the franchise.

Battle is only one avenue within Pokémon Legends: Arceus, where players will have the opportunity to traverse their open-world environment with the help of their Pokémon, soaring and swimming in full 3D-rendered glory. Upon their travels, players will make use of base camps scattered throughout the Hisui region where they can replenish their Pokémon’s health and create new items from resources gathered on their travels such as the classic Poké Ball.

Pre-orders for Pokémon Legends: Arceus are available now and players who pre-purchase the title will receive an in-game outfit based on the Hisiuan Growlithe. Check out a swathe of new media for Pokémon Legends: Arceus below, and find even more on our Pokémon Legends: Arceus game page!

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  • Pokémon Legends Arceus Screenshot of the player character encountering a majestic Hisuian Braviary in a snowy mountain range.
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Pokémon Legends: Arceus is set to release on January 28th, 2022 exclusively for Nintendo Switch.

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Trent Argirov

Trent Argirov

Trent is a news editor for RPGFan. If not writing news or lending a voice to the odd podcast, he can be seen, in the Australian wild, drinking copious amounts of iced coffee, working on various manuscripts, and keeping the occasional wandering cat company. His video game backlog stretches far and wide, and sources swear he's slowly working on it, one day at a time.

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