7 big things we now know about Pokemon Legends Arceus

Game Freak finally revealed major details about Pokemon Legends Arceus during a special Gameplay Trailer in September 2021. Here are seven things you might have missed – including a hidden feature not shown during the Nintendo presentation. 

Despite being announced in February 2021, Game Freak has been tight-lipped about their open-world title Pokemon Legends Arceus. All of that changed when the developer revealed everything during a special Pokemon Presents conference on August 18th and a Gameplay trailer in September 2021.

From flying and riding mounts to new region forms, the two trailer’s are filled to the brim with new features and mechanics never seen before in the Japanese franchise. However, here are seven things you might have missed in the jam-packed videos.

7 things you missed in Pokemon Legends Arceus Pokemon Presents

7. Pokemon Legends Trading feature

Not shown in the trailer or during the Pokemon Presents, Legends Arceus actually has a trading feature. While this seems like a no-brainer, the open-world title has so far broken all the rules (including being a story-only title).

• Read More: Who is Arceus in Pokemon Legends?
  

Thankfully, Game Freak’s first major jump into the open-world genre will not abandon this classic feature. With players helping create the Hisui and Sinnoh region’s first Pokedex, the possibilities are endless.

Since Legends only has one version of the game, trade-exclusive Pokemon won’t be a thing. This means the 2022 project can get really creative with evolution trades.

6. Pokemon Legends Diamond & Pearl connection

When you saw Commander Kamado of the Galaxy Expedition Team, did he look familiar? He should because the new protagonist is actually the ancestor of Professor Rowan from Gen IV’s Diamond & Pearl.

Speaking of connections, it’s also clear that the Galaxy Expedition team is somehow connected to Team Galactic (which many fans guessed when seeing the awfully familiar-looking emblem in the debut trailer).

On September 28, Game Freak released a new gameplay trailer that showcased even more NPCs who clearly are the ancestors to characters featured in the original 2006 titles.

5. Pokemon Legends: Arceus character customization

Just like trading, the popular customization feature was not actually shown during the Pokemon Presents. Eagle-eyed fans spotted an image on the official website that showcases the Legends protagonists wearing new outfits.

• Read More: Pokemon Legends: Arceus preorder guide

Called the Hisuian Growlithe Kimono Set, players who pre-order the game will be able to score the snazzy new alternate costumes for free using the game’s online Mystery Gift feature.

Game Freak eventually confirmed in September that the 2022 title will feature full-blown customization options – including a variety of hairstyles, and a flurry of clothing items. The Hisui region may take place in ancient times, but the game will still include many modern features.

4. Connections to other regions?

In the Pokemon Legends trailer, we got our first up-close look at Jubilife Village which serves as the game’s main base. Interestingly, one of the chimney smokestacks in the village is identical to Weezing’s Galarian form – down to even having its face marked on the side of the structure.

Could the Hisui region have ties to Galar? At the time of writing, the Japanese developer has yet to confirm every single Pokemon that will be featured in the Sinnoh origins title.

Game Freak could purely just be giving a nod to Gen 8’s Sword & Shield with a neat easter egg. Still, it is a bit odd to have a building directly reference a Pokemon’s design so specifically, and we can’t help but wonder.

3. Battles against Trainers

While a Pokemon game featuring battles against other human NPCs isn’t too shocking, up to this point there had been no confirmation that Legends Arceus would actually include the mechanic. In fact most of the footage shown so far has put a heavy emphasis on exploring the wild and building up the first Sinnoh Pokedex.

Fans can breathe a sigh of relief, though. While not shown in the trailer, Game Freak updated their website to announce that the feature is coming back. Interestingly, it only states that the new Warden characters will challenge players.

So it’s still unclear whether there will actually be other NPC Trainers out in the wild to battle, or if most of the battling will be against wild Pokemon themselves. Still, the Wardens will at least give us a chance to show off our team of ‘mon.

2. Wardens hint at new Hisui form

Eagled-eyed fans noticed that the new Warden characters each have a bracelet that hints at their Hisui Nobles. Interestingly, Warden Arezu’s ‘mon has yet to be revealed, which has led players to try to guess her monster based off her bracelet’s design.

On the official website, a summary for the character states, “She is tasked with the care of a certain lady Pokemon.” Due to her bracelet having green and pink, it’s led some to speculate that it could be a Fairy-type. A Hisui Gardevoir Noble would be pretty incredible.

Based on screenshots, it appears that each of these powerful Trainers will protect a Hisui Pokemon and a special area of the map where the monster resides. Could they be the precursor to the series’ first Gym Trainers? It’s certainly shaping up to look that way.

1. Frenzied Pokemon Nobles can’t be beat normally

During the September 28th Gameplay Reveal, Game Freak officially announced “Frenzied” Pokemon battles. The epic, and to be quite frank, terrifying-looking battles actually have a lot more to them then meets the eye.

Unlike most Pokemon, Trainers will not be able to knock them out. They must use items such as balms and the Pokemon’s favorite foods to calm them down. The intricate fights look to have multiple phases to them, which is a dream come true for long-time fans who have been begging for a challenge.

Where it gets really interesting is that several screenshots have shown a “preferred food” section in the menu. This means players will more then likely be able to hunt for specific food items across the map, which will then aid them in catching Frenzied ‘mon.