Pokémon Legends: Arceus Releasing In January 2022

Announced alongside the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remakes in February, Pokémon Legends: Arceus will also take players back to the Sinnoh region. However, the latest entry from developer Game Freak appears to be the most drastic change to the franchise in years.

Set in a time before Leagues, Gyms and even Pokémon Trainers, Arceus does retain some of the series’ traditions — starter Pokémon and a professor who is keen to learn about the vast array of wildlife — but otherwise it appears to be a vastly different experience.

Wild Pokémon can be caught simply with a throw of a Poké Ball and you can battle them with monsters of your own, but the game appears to take the form of a much larger action RPG. Whether it is the long-anticipated Pokémon equivalent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is yet to be seen.

The legendary Pokémon Arceus will be a key part of the story that’s for sure, but just how remains a secret. How (or even if) the game will tie into the rest of the series is also unclear, but that’s what makes this latest addition to the decades-old franchise so exciting.