I Can't Wait To Hold Hands With The Big Pokemon In Legends Arceus

thegamer.com:

I gosh dang love Pokemon, but like all turbulent loves, I’m not sure I trust it. Pokemon has played it safe for so long - prior to Legends Arceus, the only major risk in the base games has been Let’s Go, and some would argue that’s not a main series game anyway. Plus, it’s just Pokemon Yellow mixed with Pokemon Go - in many ways, it was as safe a bet as ever.

In Pokemon: Legends Arceus though, Game Freak is betting the farm. Granted, it’s one of a conglomerate of 134 farms as part of a self-sustaining capitalist network of agriculture, but still, Legends is a risk. We’ve wanted open-world Pokemon for a long time, and Arceus looks set to deliver, albeit in a concentrated Monster Hunter-style way. There’s also a few new battle mechanics, as well as a new plot that doesn’t just involve beating eight gym leaders to become the very best, like no one ever was.

Related: Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Marketing Has Been Sparse And I Love It

I’ve tried to avoid the leaks, but as is inevitable with Pokemon games, they’re everywhere. People are already streaming it, for Arceus’ sake. With that, I’ve come to a bit of a revelation. I don’t care if it’s good. I just want to hold hands with the big Pokemon.

I am the reason Pokemon has stagnated. Sorry Pokemon fans. I’m not the sole reason, but I represent the series’ biggest problem. Sure, in my job as a critic, I analyse these faults. I bemoan the lack of voice acting, point to how the spin-offs are better at experimenting, and highlight how New Pokemon Snap was the major evolution Pokemon needed as a whole - only to criticise the several steps back BDSP took. Still, I will buy Pokemon: Legends Arceus day one. I’m very sorry.

Pokemon has its claws in me like no other game. Snap, Go, and