During Nintendo’srecent Pokemon Presents stream, the publisher announced that it’s working on two big new projects set in thePokemonuniverse. The first,a HD remake ofPokemon DiamondandPearlslated to debut this year, and the second, an open-world RPG take on the franchise known asPokemon Legends: Arceus.
The latter will be a prequel toDiamondandPealset in the Sinnoh region and looks to be a major departure for the series, trading out its typical turn-based battles for what appears to be an all-new style ofPokemongameplay. The title will ship next year and takes place in a very different time period to otherPokemongames, with a mysterious voice in the trailer claiming it will be set “when the Sinnoh region was still only a vast wilderness.”
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The teaser highlights several changes to thePokemonformula, with players venturing through large open-worlds and no longer having to capture pocket monsters through battles. There will seemingly be no transitions into battles either, with one section of the footage showing a trainer watching two Pokemon fight in the open-world. Early comparisons have been made toBreath of the Wild,specifically in regards to its more open-world design.
The trailer is capped off with an appearance from Arceus, who’s a mythical Pokemon first introduced throughDiamondandPeal.Unlike prior mainline games in the franchise, it seems there will only be one version ofPokemon Legends,with Arceus standing as the sole legendary Pokemon to grace the cover. It appears to be a substantial addition to the franchise and the beginning of a new chapter forPokemonfans.
The rest of Nintendo’sPokemonshowcase revealed details about the two other iterations of the franchise coming to Switch this year.Pokemon Snap,which arrives in April, took up a significant slice of the show, with Nintendo discussing the game’s core mechanics and what kinds of Pokemon players should expect to interact with in its world. Meanwhile, Nintendo went into detail onPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearl,which will be authentic remakes of the two iconicPokemongames. Both titles will return to the top-down perspective of the series' older entries, while they’ll sport spruced-up visuals similar to 2014’sPokemon Alpha SapphireandOmega Ruby.
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