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Game Freak’s first stab at a semi-open world Pokémon game is quite good. In some ways it’s shockingly so. How do I know this? In part because I and a bunch of other players got immediately hooked on Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ first area and wasted hour after hour there doing tons of stuff without even a thought as to what lay beyond it. It’s like Dragon Age: Inquisition’s Hinterlands, except it doesn’t suck.
I thought it was just me who had spent my first 10 hours in Pokémon Legends: Arceus schlepping back and forth across the massive Obsidian Fieldlands exploring, battling, capturing, and running away from terrifyingly overpowered Alpha Pokémon. Not so! My editor confirmed she spent even more time there. And we are not alone either. Social media is filled with people who have been taking their time and squeezing every last drop out of Arceus as they go.
Anyone else 40+ hours into Pokémon Legends: Arceus and still haven’t beaten the game yet? Not including even a minute of shiny hunting? ?
— Elliot (@GalacticElliot) February 2, 2022
“I was there for 25 hours and my Dex level was 4 or 5,” one player, who goes by DigiAtlas, told Kotaku. They’ve played over 60 hours total at this point and still haven’t progressed past Arceus’ third area. “This has basically been my entire play style for the whole game. I get to an area (on my own or through story progression) and comb through it looking for rare Pokémon, pushing my galaxy team level, etc.”
“I take my time,” another player, who goes by thebrokenbirdy, said. “I’m still in the first map, exploring the world. It’s so refreshing to experience a world where pokemon feel like true living creatures you have to respect instead of annoying spawns you slaughter to gain levels.”
One of the big selling points for Arceus has been the fact that you can walk around an open field and bump into wild Pokémon just like players of the decades-old series have always dreamed of doing. A less discussed aspect of the game, but one that’s no less important, is how it turns that simple experience into an incredibly satisfying grind. One that has kept players busy without burning them out.
Read the full article on Kotaku
