In a statement issued to Kotaku, The Pokémon Company described the upcoming Nintendo Switch-exclusive’s typical gameplay loop: “In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Jubilife Village will serve as the base for surveying missions. After receiving an assignment or a request and preparing for their next excursion, players will set out from the village to study one of the various open areas of the Hisui region. “After they finish the survey work, players will need to return once more to prepare for their next task. We look forward to sharing more information about exploring the Hisui region soon.” It sounds a lot like Monster Hunter’s structure, and a lot less like the open-world design of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which some had wondered (hoped?) Arceus would emulate. The statement was prompted by fresh fan discussion sparked by the latest round of Pokémon Legends: Arceus screenshots. As Tom wrote this week, in the past Nintendo has described Arceus as offering “natural expanses” and “untamed landscapes”, with trailers suggesting the inclusion of the series’ largest spaces to date. As a result, some fans had hoped Arceus would provide a Breath of the Wild-esque experience, with one enormous map available to traverse with the ability to go anywhere at any time. The Pokémon Company’s statement puts this debate to bed.
