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Photo: Nintendo / The Pokemon Company
No, shooting at Pokémon with weapons like in a recently presented fan project does not allow »Pokémon Legends: Arceus«.
While Nintendo is apparently trying to get the web video for that unofficial shooter game online, a new part of the game series, which is one of the most famous in the world, is appearing.
»Pokémon Legends: Arceus« is about to comprehensively modernize the series: with a more or less open game world, without random battles and with all sorts of role-playing mechanics.
For the series, such a step is a revolution.
Hardly anything has changed about her in the last 20 years.
Details may have changed, game mechanics have been refined.
A number of spin-offs such as »Pokémon Snap« also appeared, in which new things were tried out.
But the basic structure remained the same: a trainer goes out to catch Pokémon hiding in tall grass or dark caves.
On his way to be the very best, he competes against so-called gym leaders and earns medals.
Again and again.
That has changed
With »Pokémon Legends: Arceus«, the team at the developer company Game Freak is now breaking new ground.
And in the game itself, it's literally the paths that make the biggest difference.
The game world now consists of several areas that are selected from the base called Jubeldorf.
Players can move freely within these areas.
Unlike before, there are no set routes.
And for the main character to walk, run and roll, more options will be added as the game progresses.
With the help of special Pokémon you can now also ride, swim, climb and fly.
The creatures no longer hide in the grass, they run around freely.
A large part of the game is still training and catching the monsters.
You can now do this outside of combat.
Using a Poké Ball, players aim at the creatures, throw them, and hope they stay in the ball.
If you want, you can also try to remain undiscovered.
You can sneak up on them, catch a Pokemon in their sleep, or distract them with bait.
Collect, craft, grind
The semi-open world and always visible Pokémon are the most obvious innovations in »Pokémon Legends: Arceus«.
But even with the details, a lot has happened.
For example, the character itself can be attacked by wild Pokémon – and knocked out (see photo gallery).
Crafting plays a big role this time.
Pokéballs, bait or potions can sometimes be bought in shops.
But it is much more efficient to keep your eyes open in the game world, collect herbs or rocks and use them to make the desired products.
At the same time, the players try to fulfill the tasks in their so-called Pokédex.
It is no longer just about catching all the Pokémon, of which there are hardly any new ones in »Arceus«.
Players will also need to interact with creatures in a variety of ways to rank up and access new areas.
They catch about at night.
Or defeat them with an attack of a specific element.
This degenerates into extensive grinding quite early on - and without such phases there is no progress in the game.
An outsider with nebulous origins
Incidentally, in »Arceus« your own character falls from the sky into an unknown world.
It seems to be an area where Pokemon aren't domesticated yet, and people mostly live in gated communities in fear of them.
As misfits whose nebulous origins they must unravel, players help the community of Jubilee Village tame wild Pokémon.
So one question hovers over everything: Is it fair or at least justified to catch Pokémon, train them and use them for your own purposes?
Ultimately, however, the game answers this moral dilemma with a shrug of the shoulders, along the lines of »Why not?«.
As far as its story is concerned, the new game is more "role-playing" than the older parts of the series.
It is about mysterious powers, great dangers and the mysterious origin of the heroine or hero.
There are also a number of side missions to be completed around every corner, from catching certain Pokémon to finding a rare mushroom.
Finally free after two hours
It's all a lot of fun, although the first two hours of play are tiring due to a lot of explaining and virtual holding hands.
After that, however, »Arceus« lets you do it first.
Real challenges quickly arise as you delve deeper into the world and encounter increasingly powerful creatures as you discover.
When you spot a new Pokemon on the horizon that you haven't cataloged yet, there's a thieving delight.
What will it bring?
However, »Arceus« also has a clear weakness: its technology.
Of course, no one expects a "Pokémon" to perform brilliantly graphically.
But what is offered here - or rather: is not offered - reduces the fun of the game.
The landscape, for example, is barren and yet textures, Pokémon or trees suddenly pop into the picture.
And even within the individual areas there is hardly any variety.
Always the same textures, a repeating vegetation.
Plus monsters that move jerkily.
Caves in particular seem like the epitome of sadness.
A »The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild« looked a lot better and livelier five years ago.
There are also minor points of criticism, such as the lack of voice output and controls that are somewhat overloaded in stressful situations.
All of that, combined with all the grinding, makes Arceus a good new Pokemon game, but not the very good one that many fans were probably hoping for.