Skepticism around Pokémon Legends: Arceus – Is it Warranted?

One week, two episodes of The Best and Worst of Nintendo! If you missed our first discussion, we looked at my favourite games to play on Nintendo Switch in 2021. We are going full circle today and discussing something else – do I have the right to be skeptical of Pokémon Legends: Arceus?

Look, this new dive into Pokemon is shaping up to be much different than ever before, and while I’m always excited for new things, Nintendo doesn’t always have a track record of doing new things well. Mario Party? Broken until recently. Paper Mario? Broken after Thousand Year Door and prior to The Origami King.

OK, I’m a bit harsh – Nintendo has done so many new things so well. Big open world Zelda? Massive hit. Still, I feel skeptical about Pokemon Legends: Arceus and I cannot quite put my finger on it, outside of the game looks…empty.

Here is what the game is promising:

Get ready for a new kind of grand, Pokémon adventure in Pokémon™ Legends: Arceus, a brand-new game from Game Freak that blends action and exploration with the RPG roots of the Pokémon series. Embark on survey missions in the ancient Hisui region. Explore natural expanses to catch wild Pokémon by learning their behavior, sneaking up, and throwing a well-aimed Poké Ball™. You can also toss the Poké Ball containing your ally Pokémon near a wild Pokémon to seamlessly enter battle.

My big complaints about Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield was how empty the open world areas really were. With only one major town that we know of, I’m concerned about the same happening in Arceus. One of my favourite things about a Pokémon adventure is going to new towns, exploring the secrets they hold, and more. What I love so much about this series is that. It’s amazing.

But I fear I’ll miss it all. Is it a valid fear?