A brand-new Pokémon Legends: Arceus gameplay video shows off the title's in-depth resource collection and crafting systems. Taking place in the ancient Hisui region, the series' upcoming installment boasts a large open world for players to explore on their quest to construct the region's first Pokédex. Pokémon Legends: Arceus' customization and shop have previously been detailed, but crafting will also mark a major innovation for Nintendo's monster collection franchise.
While Pokémon Legends: Arceus will still revolve around a journey to catch adorable and powerful monsters, the title will also make major changes to the established formula. Played from a third-person perspective, the upcoming entry will let players explore a vast open-world environment and capture wild Pokémon in real time. Stealth will allow players to easily capture an unaware monster, and wild Pokémon can also be weakened through battle with the player's own companion creatures. The player's can customize their playable trainer with new clothing and accessories, and shops will also sell certain crafting materials. Pokémon Legends: Arceus includes ruins, mountains, forests, towns and more for players to explore, providing a wide variety of different environments to discover.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus' dynamic resource collection and crafting systems have been detailed in a recent gameplay video posted to the official Pokémon YouTube channel. Throughout the adventure players can collect raw materials around Hisui, which are used to craft useful items like healing items, lures and Poké Balls. The trainer's Pokémon companions can help collect resources by breaking rocks or shaking trees, and capturing wild Pokémon can also reward resources. These materials can then be used at a crafting table, which lists the ingredients needed to craft specific items.
Along with crafting and resource collection, Pokémon Legends: Arceus' open-world structure also enhances mechanics from the franchise's past. For example, previous installments in the series typically featured a bike, allowing players to ride it and more quickly traverse the game world. However, Pokémon Legends: Arceus' ride mechanic instead lets players explore Hisui from the back of a majestic Wyrdeer, giving the player a gorgeous mount. The Big Horn Pokémon is apparently capable of great speed and acrobatic jumps, while other Pokémon like Hisuian Braviary and Basculegion let players traverse the air and sea.
With a detailed and highly-interactive open world, Pokémon Legends: Arceus looks to be a dramatic evolution for the beloved franchise. While collecting items and resources is nothing new, the open-world entry will let players dynamically gather resources from the environment with the help of their Pokémon roster. Combining crafting with real-time combat and a unique open-world setup, Pokémon Legends: Arceus looks to deliver a truly original pocket monster collection experience.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus will release on January 28, 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
Source: Pokémon/YouTube