diff --git a/blog/pokemon-legends-arceus-review-2022-03-07.markdown b/blog/pokemon-legends-arceus-review-2022-03-07.markdown new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f0e8650 --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/pokemon-legends-arceus-review-2022-03-07.markdown @@ -0,0 +1,296 @@ +--- +title: "Pokémon Legends Arceus Review" +date: 2022-03-07 +tags: + - pokemonlegendsarceus +--- + +[tl;dr: this game is easily the best Pokémon game in years. It has flaws that +are apparent, but overall it doesn't rely too much on them in order for its core +gameplay loop to function. If you've been on the fence about it and need the +voice of a cartoon animal to convince you, you'll probably not be disappointed +with it. You'll know within an hour or two if you like it or +not.](conversation://Cadey/enby) + +Pokémon is a very important series to me. The Pokémon games were one of the +first places that I was able to do some form of gender exploration. I spent +hours crunching numbers and training up teams to battle competitively. I never +really got anywhere with this, but it was important enough to me that my YouTube +channel used to be nothing but commentary on Pokémon battles that I captured +with my DS and a cell phone camera, using a "tripod" that I assembled out of +legos. + +However, the Pokémon 20 years ago when I was in high school is basically the +same Pokémon game you can go out to the store and buy today. Most of the core +Pokémon formula was set in stone by the point that Pokémon Diamond and Pearl +came out. The core game loop was to talk to people to find out where to go next, +buy items, fight and enslave wildlife, battle against trainers that want you to +show your mettle and somehow end up preventing a CK-class reality restructuring +scenario after the latest evil group of the month tries to use the power of a +sleeping god to bend reality to their will. This core game loop has remained +unchanged, but along the way various gimmicks, features and iterations were +layered on top to give it a fresh coat of paint. Yet under the hood it was still +the same Pokémon game with the same battle rules and the same overall flow. + +[Not to say that the core game in Pokémon games _isn't fun_, it's more of just +that I've seen the same thing so many times that it's less new and exciting the +6th time around as it was magical and unique that first time. Also keep in mind +that as a competitive Pokémon battler I have a very different experience than +most casual players would](conversation://Cadey/coffee) + +Pokémon Legends Arceus is a defiant counter example of this same Pokémon game, +and it really shows what a Pokémon game _can_ be. It's a lot more like Monster +Hunter than other Pokémon games have been. Instead of Pokémon hiding in the tall +grass from you, you hide in the tall grass from Pokémon. You can get knocked out +when Pokémon attack you. Getting knocked out makes you lose _items_, which are a +lot more precious (money is scarce if you played the game like I did) and +limited then they have ever been. The battle system has almost been thrown out +and reinvented from a high level overview of how Pokémon battling should work. +So much cruft and baggage has been thrown away, leaving things to a much more +streamlined and enjoyable experience. + +However a lot of the initial fan reaction to the game went something like this: + +[But that one trailer showed the game running like ass at 24 FPS and the trees +look worse than they did on the 3DS. How can you praise this game if it looks +like babby's first Unity game for an ancient android +phone?](conversation://Numa/delet) + +I have a theory on why Game Freak makes "horrible" trailers: they can't run +their game on PC. They have to run it on dev units. They literally can't get a +4k60 trailer because they _do not have hardware strong enough to render that_. +Additionally, they're probably running a development build of the game before +all the optimizations are done. In a way Game Freak is actually the most honest +developer I've seen in a long time. They show the game off _with its graphical +flaws openly visible_ because they focus on the _gameplay_ rather than the games +themselves. And because gamers in 202x, honesty is punished so of course they +get the short end of the stick. + +

#PokemonLegendsArceus #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/fjj87nrVDr

— Within Screenshots (@withinscreensh1) January 29, 2022
+ +The game looks fine. The art style helps polish over some of the rendering +weirdness they needed to pull to get it to run on a Tegra X1. Sometimes I really +wonder what they could do if they weren't hamstrung to having to run the games +on Nintendo hardware though. I'd really love to see what they could do if they +had their games on Steam or at least without the overhead of emulation. + +You can actually see this in the kinds of changes that they make to the core +Pokémon formula over the years. Here's a high level list off the top of my head +as I compare Pokémon Diamond to newer games in the series: + +* Hidden Machines (HMs) have been totally ripped out +* New battle formats (triples, rotation, etc.) have been added +* Battle gimmicks (mega evolutions, Gigantimax, etc.) have been added +* Fully 3D environments don't constrain you to only be able to move on an + invisible grid +* Lots of downtime was streamlined away +* Gyms were streamlined out in favor of plot-based challenges which are the + moral equivalent of gyms anyways +* Soft lock and sequence breaking potential was removed + +Hidden Machines contain field skills which you need gym badges to use. In +Pokémon Diamond and Pearl there were 8 field skills you could get, and usually +you needed to dedicate two Pokémon in your party of 6 to be "HM slaves" so that +you could move around the world freely. This constrained your team building +choices for the main path of the game significantly. Later Pokémon games +streamlined these field skills out in favor of them just being things you could +summon in when needed. + +

#PokemonLegendsArceus #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/VvefsR9Fxg

— Within Screenshots (@withinscreensh1) March 8, 2022
+ +Pokémon Legends Arceus retains some of these, but it's much more focused on +movement (running around fast, finding buried items, climbing sheer cliff faces, +crossing water and gliding) than most of the other movement field skills in the +past have been. However if you really want to, you can catch 6 Bibarels and walk +across their backs to skip your way into high level areas. There is no way Game +Freak would have let you get away with this kind of madness in other Pokémon +games because you could soft lock yourself so easily that way. + +[Fast travel being unlocked right at the beginning really does change how you +handle being soft-locked eh?](conversation://Numa/happy) + +New Pokémon battle formats were added over the years. The most notable example +that comes to mind is how Pokémon Black and White introduced Triple battles +(each side sends out 3 pokemon at once) and Rotation battles (each side sends +out 3 pokemon on a rotating platform that you can rotate between at the cost of +a turn). Both of these lead to some really interesting and unique strategies, +and created very memorable experiences. Along the way they also added Mega +evolutions, Gigantimax and other gimmicks that can help you turn the tide of +battle, but is also fairly hard for me to keep track of (and probably banned in +Smogon grade competitive Pokémon anyways). The core battle system is still the +same though. You can be confused and then hurt yourself in confusion, sleep and +freezing are absolutely bullshit. Core parts of how your pokemon progress (such +as Effort Values) are hidden from you, needing you to either hack your game to +see them. If you try to run away from a fight, sometimes it doesn't work. + +[There's usually a consumable item that helps you recover from confusion, but +you usually only get access to it after you suffer through the slog that is +Zubat cave where I swear they programmed the AI with the express purpose of +using Confuse Ray as much and as often as possible, even to the point of +predicting when you'll snap out of confusion so it can re-confuse you instantly. +I am so glad to see that gone.](conversation://Cadey/angy) + +In comparison, Pokémon Legends Arceus ripped out most of the battle system. The +only battle option is singles. You choose if you want to battle a wild Pokémon +or not by yeeting that sucker right in the face with one of your team. If you +want to run away, you make your player character _actually run away from the +battle_ with no chance of failure. Confusion was ripped out of the game. Sleep +and freezing are like burns instead of making you totally screwed and they wear +off in a few turns. Special and physical attack/defense boosts and nerfs are +combined instead of specializing too much in one over the other. Swords Dance is +viable on special attackers. Pokémon that are 10-20 levels below you can be +threats and can cause a party wipe if you're not careful. Alpha Pokémon pull TM +moves into the movepool and can be a serious threat. + +[If this game allowed competitive battling against other players, the Resto +Snorlax strat would be even more powerful...](conversation://Mara/hmm) + +Effort Values (EVs) are shown to you in the the Pokémon status screen. EVs are +sort of like persistent stat bonuses, so them being visible lets you really +customize how you balance out your team's strengths and weaknesses. As someone +who got an Action Replay in part to see EVs of my Pokémon, this is an +earth-shattering change. It makes it _actually worth my time_ to try and raise +up a team. + +

#PokemonLegendsArceus #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/GLJjBHdnQG

— Within Screenshots (@withinscreensh1) March 8, 2022
+ +They also added move styles to the mix. Once a Pokémon levels up enough, they +gain mastery in moves. This allows them to either use the move in Strong Style +or Agile Style. Doing the move in either style costs two PP instead of the one +it usually does, but they let you manipulate the amount of damage you do. Use a +super effective move in agile style to avoid damaging it too much then throw an +ultra ball to catch. You're given a lot more freedom. + +Speed was totally thrown out and rethought from scratch. Speed controls the turn +order instead of just a race to see who wins. The turn order can also be +manipulated by strong and agile style moves. Strong style makes you slower in +the turn order and agile style makes you faster in the turn order. This can +change the tide of battle and can lead to you getting 3 or 4 attack turns in a +row if you play your cards right. + +

#PokemonLegendsArceus #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/105202D2k4

— Within Screenshots (@withinscreensh1) March 8, 2022
+ +[These are just more and more reasons why I want to see what PvP battles in this +game's engine would be like!](conversation://Cadey/enby) + +One of the biggest changes with the presentation is the fact that they made +everything fully 3D as soon as the hardware allowed. This arguably happened when +it did because the 3DS had an analog stick, which allowed you to move directly +in any direction you wanted. It made sense for the flagship RPG Pokémon to +follow suit. Pokémon Legends Arceus is a very vertical game. You _actually +explore_ the area. Walking into the Obsidian Fieldlands for the first time has +that Breath of the Wild moment where the camera pulls back and you can really +appreciate the scale of the area. + +

#PokemonLegendsArceus #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/7AhyNYYE53

— Within Screenshots (@withinscreensh1) March 1, 2022
+ +Pokemon walk around and go about their own business and then it's +up to you to either fight them or assimilate them into your fold. You don't just +run around, you dodge, roll and sneak your way over to Pokémon, baiting them +with berries and then throwing a ball into its back to capture it even faster. +Field Items let you make your own cover wherever you need it. Pokémon can knock +you out, and when they do you actually lose things. I've lost Nuggets, +experience candies and more to being careless. + +

#PokemonLegendsArceus #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/Km6xt32FPn

— Within Screenshots (@withinscreensh1) January 30, 2022
+ +[It's worth noting that you can get those items back eventually, but in the +moment being without your healing items can fundamentally change how you play +the game.](conversation://Cadey/enby) + +Pokémon has a lot of downtime in its core event loop. When you enter a wild +battle encounter in Pokémon, you have to wait for the opening animations while +you send out your Pokémon and then wait for the move animations and then wait +for the health and experience bars to drain down and scooch up. This makes for a +lot of downtime that adds up a lot. Most of your time spent playing Pokémon +Diamond is waiting to do things. Future games removed a lot of the waiting (and +even gave you an option to disable a lot of the animations), but there's still +waiting in the core formula of the game. + + + +It feels like the game designers behind Pokémon Legends Arceus recognize how +much downtime Pokémon has at its core and went out of their way to get rid of as +much of it as possible. You can run around, have a battle and then win it in +less than 30 seconds. If you aren't spotted you can catch 4 Pokémon per minute +easily. As someone that grew up on the wait-heavy formula of older Pokémon +games, this is unheard of to me. Here is an _entire battle_: + +

#PokemonLegendsArceus #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/TTOUzkDwmC

— Within Screenshots (@withinscreensh1) January 30, 2022
+ +Yeah, that's it. Things that don't need to block the gameplay loop don't. +Battles start and end quickly. It's glorious. You don't have to go to a move +eraser or farm heart scales to have your Pokémon relearn old moves. Leveling up +doesn't instantly present you with the choice to forget moves, you choose the +moveset you want when you want to make that choice. + +One of the main points where the game is lacking is in the story department, +however in comparison to other Pokémon games the story both does and doesn't +make sense. Pokémon Legends Arceus goes for a generic fantasy isekai\* vibe. + +[\*Isekai is the blanket term for all those "I got transported to another world" +type stories. Think A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Space Jam, The +Good Place, The Legend of Narnia and Konosuba.](conversation://Mara/hacker) + +You are some random 15 year old that noclips out of reality and has Pokémon God +pull them into the past to catch 'em all. For a Pokémon game, this actually +works a lot better, but it could be a lot better if they took the time to really +make it a proper isekai. You just show up out of nowhere, are shown to be an +absolute Pokémon prodigy and suddenly accepted into the fold of a fairly +isolated village. Then you go about slowly discovering the CK class reality +restructuring scenario at play while also following the commands that Pokémon +God texts you. + +[You criticize Pokémon for doing things that most isekai media does? Look at +Konosuba. Kazuma basically shows up in that poor village out of nowhere and +eventually works his way into be accepted into the community (after sleeping in +horse stables) and occasionally getting instructions from Aqua and Eris. Space +Jam has Micheal Jordan come out of nowhere and save the Looney Tunes from Space +Capitalism with the power of a chaos dunk. If that ain't like the typecast +definition of what an isekai is, what the hell do you +WANT?](conversation://Numa/delet) + +[Okay yeah, you have a point. I guess that the story really does get the +intended vibe across and most of the reason I think it's a negative thing is +because I've been on a bit of an isekai kick as of late. If I wasn't like 15 +animes into isekai stuff I'd probably like it a lot +more.](conversation://Cadey/facepalm) + +The story doesn't really get in your way too much though, movement options are +restricted by the story but this is how it is in every game these days. Most +story progression is done through either getting enough Pokédex points to go up +a ranking level in Team Galactic (the moral equivalent of gym badges) or +completing story-based missions. + +Another big thing they changed was the Pokédex. Catching them all isn't the +end-all-be-all anymore. Now you actually have to experiment with them. Try +feeding them berries, catch them without them spotting you, beat them using +moves of a certain type, watch them use moves or styles of moves, learn more +about them with side missions (the game calls them "requests") or the like. You +actually feel like you're _learning_ what the Pokémon do instead of just going +down a list, even if you are fundamentally just going down a list. + +

#PokemonLegendsArceus #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/Bei0c201wk

— Within Screenshots (@withinscreensh1) March 8, 2022
+ +I hope future games in the Pokémon series are like this game. My greatest hope +for this game is that in comparison the the future games in this series, this +game will be _absolute garbage_ because the newer games will have polished and +ironed out the rough sides in this game. They do exist and you can notice them +pretty easily if you are looking for them, but most of the time I can appreciate +the limitations as setpieces and focus more on the gameplay. + +The biggest graphical issue I found was a bug in the anime shader in caves with +water pools in them. It can make the borders render weird like this: + +

#PokemonLegendsArceus #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/0PQhWLmpql

— Within Screenshots (@withinscreensh1) January 30, 2022
+ +Note that I have really had to go out of my way to find that. The 99% case is +that things look great. The game has such a beautiful aesthetic that I can +forgive a fixable shader bug in a case that happens very rarely. + +

#PokemonLegendsArceus #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/JbPooCsM0K

— Within Screenshots (@withinscreensh1) February 4, 2022
+ +Overall, if you're burned out on the sameiness of Pokémon games, give this one a +try. It is not earth-shatteringly good like NieR: Automata or Xenoblade +Chronicles 2, but it is a step towards [the perfect Pokémon +game](https://reddit.com/r/theperfectpokemongame). It's worth a play.