When the first Pokemon Legends: Arceus trailer was released in February 2021, fans instantly thought one thing: it’s the open-world Pokemon title of our dreams! Early PR and footage certainly gave that impression, and it has now been seven long months of fans getting their hopes up. After Joe Merrick, creator of the popular Pokemon website serebii.net, made a certain claim regarding the title’s map last week, more and more Pokemon fans have started wondering whether the sad news could be true. Now, The Pokemon Company has officially confirmed that Pokemon Legends: Arceus will not be open-world as such, but will be more reminiscent of titles such as Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Monster Hunter with segmented open areas.
In a statement made to Kotaku, The Pokemon Company states: “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.”
During the August Nintendo Direct, fans were given more information about the gameplay to be expected in Arceus. Players will venture out from Jubalife, the game’s central hub, to study the surrounding region and its Pokemon. Various NPCs will assign players missions, called survey outings, to be carried out in different areas of the Hisui region.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is scheduled to release on the Nintendo Switch on January 28, 2022. For those unwilling to wait that long for some Pocket Monster goodness, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are hitting the Switch next month, on November 19. The original Pokemon Diamond and Pearl titles were released on the Nintendo DS in 2006, so it’s about time for a glow-up.
