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It has taken generations of game releases, but Pokémon looks like it is getting a major upgrade. The Pokémon Company revealed Pokémon Legends: Arceus during a video presentation today, and developer Game Freak is promising that it will break new ground for the franchise. It is launching for Nintendo Switch in 2022.

“Pokémon Legends: Arceus represents a new approach to the Pokémon video series,” said Pokémon Company chief operating officer Takato Utsunomiya. “Development is in full swing at Game Freak, with the aim to deliver a gaming experience that breaks new ground for the Pokémon series.”

Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes place in a historic version of the Sinnoh region. During this era, the area was still a wilderness, and the gameplay reflects that. While showing off the gameplay, The Pokémon Company emphasized open-world gameplay that looks significantly upgraded over its predecessors.

Based on what The Pokémon Company has shown so far, the obvious comparison is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That game took the Zelda franchise and put it into an open-world setting. Now it seems like Pokémon Legends: Arceus will do the same thing for the pocket monsters.

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The starting Pokémon are Rowlet, Cyndaquil, or Oshawott.

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