Pokemon Legends: Arceus
It’s a bit maddening that Game Freak put out one of the most significant leaps forward the Pokémon series has ever seen with Legends: Arceus, but hasn’t looked to it as a template for the future. Taking Pokémon to a historical period before Pokémon gyms and criminal organizations existed let Game Freak design an action/turn-based hybrid RPG unlike anything the series had seen before. Its catching mechanics are unmatched, the changes it makes to the turn-based battles add new layers of strategy, and its story is some of the best narrative work Game Freak has ever pulled off. Legends: Arceus marks the first time since I was a kid that the Pokémon world felt big and unknowable. I’m excited for Legends: Z-A, but I don’t know if it’s going to feel the same without all that historical intrigue.
