2022's Pokémon Legends: Arceus is set to usher in a new era of Pokémon games. Fans have been begging for an open world Pokémon title for years and Game Freak has finally delivered. The game looks drastically different from any other title that has previously appeared in the series in terms of gameplay, setting, and time period. Pokémon Legends: Arceus looks like such a change of pace compared to other Pokémon titles that it might seem like the beginning of the series' ninth generation, but it's actually a continuation of the eighth.
Timeline wise, Pokémon Legends: Arceus will predate the very first games in the series from Gen 1, but in actuality, the title serves as the fifth game in the Pokémon series' eighth generation. It joins the last main entries in the series, Pokémon Sword and Shield, as well as the recently announced Brilliant Diamond and Shinning Pearl. Pokémon Gen 8 is now the second in a row to include at least five games and the fourth generation in the franchise's history to include five or more games. This comes after two consecutive generations that saw only four games released over their timespans, so the extra games are a welcomed return to pace.
While Pokémon's eighth generation may not include the most games of any Pokémon generation, it might include the most content of any generation. Although Sword and Shield weren't lengthy games, they were the first to include DLC content. Neither The Isle of Armor or The Crown Tundra were all that long or in-depth, but each helped expand Sword and Shield to a respectable length. Those two games and their DLCs will now be joined by the Diamond and Pearl remakes as well as Pokémon Legends.
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl should both be sizable like their original versions, but the jury is still out on Pokémon Legends. Considering the game's open-world nature, it should offer a good deal of content, but based on how little was shown in the trailer, it's difficult to tell for sure. Hopefully the game has a lot to offer, as it will likely set up the next generation of Pokémon games.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Likely Marks The End Of Gen 8
It's more than likely that Pokémon Legends will serve as the climax to the series' eighth generation. Based on all of the games and content that have already been released and announced, the sun seems to be beginning to set on Gen eight. Most Pokémon generations include a main entry in the series, a remake of a past game, and some type of offshoot or continuation of the main entries, like Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Seeing as all of those boxes have now been checked for Gen eight, there likely won't be anymore games coming out in this generation. Expecting another game to release in Gen eight after something as big as Pokémon Legends just sounds like a stretch.
What comes after Pokémon Legends, though, is anyone's guess. The game will mark an end to Gen eight in a major way and will help bring in what could be the new style of main entries in the Pokémon series. There are sure to be more games in the traditional Pokémon format, but having Gen 8 end with a game like Pokémon Legends feels a little purposeful. There's a good chance Pokémon Legends will become its own side series to go along with the main entries in the franchise, but what those game would look like is impossible to tell right now. It'll be quite sometime until fans have any idea of what to expect in the future, as Pokémon Legends: Arceus won't be releasing until early 2022. Hopefully its release will help shed some light as to what the future of the Pokémon franchise might look like.