Pokemon Legends: Arceus is Pokemon’s future. For years, the Pokemon franchise remained stuck in the past, with entertaining gameplay that lacked bold, fresh ideas. For true innovation, you had to turn to the series’ spin-offs. Thankfully, Pokemon Legends: Arceus on Nintendo Switch reinvents the monster-catching series, transforming it into the modern game it should’ve been a long time ago. The game’s not perfect, but it’s an unbelievably exciting action-RPG.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus has many new elements, so your past Pokemon knowledge may not be as effective. Sure, you still fight other creatures in turn-based battles, and water still beats fire, but the expansive worlds challenge how to approach a Pokemon adventure. So, if you’re a would-be trainer looking to catch ’em all in the ancient Hisui region, leverage these tips to once again become a Pokemon master.
1. Run Away!
In the Hisui region, Pokemon don’t just attack each other, they also attack you! Wild monsters spit fire and charge at you in real-time. You recharge health if you avoid taking damage for a few seconds, but Pokemon gangs can still quickly ruin your day. So, if you find yourself facing an insurmountable foe, swallow your pride and end the battle so you can run for your life. Liberally use the new dodge mechanic, which you’ll need to master for the handful of action-packed boss fights.
2. Throw Poke Balls Quickly, But Carefully
Similar to Pokemon Go, Arceus doesn’t require you to battle and weaken a Pokemon in order to catch it. Many times, you can simply crouch, sneak up on a pesky Pikachu, and lob a Poke Ball from behind the bushes. Like a stealth game, you must be aware of your surroundings. If Pokemon notice you and become too agitated, you’ll have to battle them to catch them. You’ll also need to take your Poke Ball’s physical properties into account when aiming and throwing. Some balls fly farther. while others perform better up close.
3. Help Out Other Players
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a largely single-player experience. You won’t be battling other real-life players online like in a traditional Pokemon game. However, a Dark Souls-esque online social mechanic adds a sense of shared community to the experience. When players die (or “black out”), they leave behind a satchel filled with items. If you find that satchel on the map, you’ll return those items to that player and earn Merit Points for yourself. Use Merit Points to purchase rare items, particularly items that help Pokemon evolve.
4. Investigate All Research Possibilities
Pokemon Legends: Arceus revolves around researching Pokemon to complete the very first Pokedex database. At first, this can feel like a bit of a grind. However, you’ll have much more fun once you realize how many different ways there are to research Pokemon. Defeat them, capture them, rotate them into your team and watch them use certain moves. Basically any way you interact with a monster helps you improve your research score. So, ,play the game however you want to play it, and watch the research naturally roll in.
5. Never Stop Gathering
Like many modern games, Pokemon Legends: Arceus features gathering and crafting. It feels most similar to the Monster Hunter series; you even have an item box. You’ll want to gather a lot of material, because crafting is the quickest, easiest, cheapest way to gain many vital items like Poke Balls and health potions. Once you’ve earned enough money, you should also visit Baggin at the Galaxy Team headquarters to expand your satchel as much as possible. Beyond normal crafting items, also be sure to gather glowing purple wisps to unlock the end game, and frequently talk to villagers to unlock lucrative side quests.
6. Stuck? Summon a Mount
Pokemon Legends: Arceus may share the same painterly art style and spirit of reinvention as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but you can’t climb every mountain quite as easily as Link. Instead, if you want to go somewhere that looks impossible, summon one of your mounts. Ride Pokemon, such as Wyrdeer, Basculegion, Braviary, and Sneasler, to traverse harsh landscapes, swim the sea, or fly through the skies. Mounts can even transition into each other to make your trek more seamless.
7. Grind Beyond Time and Space
Pokemon veterans may be shocked by Pokemon Legends: Arceus’s difficulty. The world’s somewhat nonlinear nature means you’ll quickly be confronted by Pokemon way more powerful than you. Plus, even with the experience sharing feature, you’ll constantly want to mix up your time to help with research, preventing any one Pokemon from becoming too over-leveled. So, when it’s time to seriously train your squad, head to a Space-time Distortion Field. These trippy zones occasionally appear on the map, and when you venture inside them you’ll find rare, enhanced, alpha Pokemon to battle. You’ll have to work for it, but the rewards are so sweet.
For more on Pokemon, check out 7 Cool Tips for Mastering Pokemon Unite, 48 Hidden Tips for Pokemon Go Fanatics, and our review of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (set in the same Sinnoh region as Pokemon Legends: Arceus).
