Horizon Forbidden West's Settlements Reveal a Problem With Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Open World

gamerant.com:

When multiple titles within the same genre release at similar times, comparisons will naturally be made between the two. Open-world level design seems to be the latest example; and with Horizon Forbidden West refining the formula developer Guerilla forged some five years ago, mistakes or missteps that new open-world games make are going to be far more apparent.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the veteran JRPG franchise's first foray into a more expansive, «go anywhere» setting. Previous iterations of the series have shepherded players through a somewhat linear region. The title is far from how Grand Theft Auto or The Witcher 3 handle open worlds, but it started a trend that the Pokemon series may still look to explore. In doing so, developer Game Freak has much to learn, and part of the process could be to look to other games for inspiration, particularly for the way in which it approaches populating the area, as the barren world that Pokemon Legends: Arceus presents leaves much to be desired in that department.

Horizon Forbidden West's Metroidvania Elements Clash With Its Open-World Exploration

Horizon Forbidden West meticulously refines that which made Horizon Zero Dawn so great. The climbing is tweaked, setting is overhauled, and settlements are more plentiful, making the gorgeous locations feel all the more dense, and populated. The diverse landscape is littered with settlements that each feel unique to the area, so a map size that rivals Skyrim, or Red Dead Redemption 2 is never bereft of the potential to impress. For as pioneering as Pokemon Legends: Arceus is to the Pokemon formula, the somewhat bland open world looks all the more drab in comparison to Guerilla's, and is made even worse by Elden Ring's release as well.

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