During Nintendo's recent Pokemon Presents stream, the publisher announced that it's working on two big new projects set in the Pokemon universe. The first, a HD remake of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl slated to debut this year, and the second, an open-world RPG take on the franchise known as Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
The latter will be a prequel to Diamond and Peal set in the Sinnoh region and looks to be a major departure for the series, trading out its typical turn-based battles for what appears to be an all-new style of Pokemon gameplay. The title will ship next year and takes place in a very different time period to other Pokemon games, with a mysterious voice in the trailer claiming it will be set "when the Sinnoh region was still only a vast wilderness."
The teaser highlights several changes to the Pokemon formula, with players venturing through large open-worlds and no longer having to capture pocket monsters through battles. There will seemingly be no transitions into battles either, with one section of the footage showing a trainer watching two Pokemon fight in the open-world. Early comparisons have been made to Breath of the Wild, specifically in regards to its more open-world design.
The trailer is capped off with an appearance from Arceus, who's a mythical Pokemon first introduced through Diamond and Peal. Unlike prior mainline games in the franchise, it seems there will only be one version of Pokemon Legends, with Arceus standing as the sole legendary Pokemon to grace the cover. It appears to be a substantial addition to the franchise and the beginning of a new chapter for Pokemon fans.
The rest of Nintendo's Pokemon showcase revealed details about the two other iterations of the franchise coming to Switch this year. Pokemon Snap, which arrives in April, took up a significant slice of the show, with Nintendo discussing the game's core mechanics and what kinds of Pokemon players should expect to interact with in its world. Meanwhile, Nintendo went into detail on Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, which will be authentic remakes of the two iconic Pokemon games. Both titles will return to the top-down perspective of the series' older entries, while they'll sport spruced-up visuals similar to 2014's Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus will come to Nintendo Switch in 2022.