REVIEW: Pokémon Evolved: New game takes steps in revamping 26-year-old series

For a series that boasts creature evolution as a core element, “Pokémon” games have largely stuck to the same tried-and-true formula.

Since its debut in February 1996, that formula has produced a host of best-selling games and made the series’ core character, the adorable lighting-infused rodent Pikachu, a pop-culture icon.

It has also started to show its age, with the monster collecting and turn-based combat the series is known for struggling to keep up with more innovative takes on the role-playing game genre.

The challenge for longtime developer Game Freak in its most recent offering, the recently released “Pokémon Legends: Arceus” was to find a way to breathe life into the decades-old series without stripping away the essence of what made it popular. While the resulting game is not without its blemishes, that challenge has been substantially met.

Previous “Pokémon” games had a tendency toward a linear design, with players going along set paths between towns looking to catch and train creatures known as Pokémon, eventually challenging other trainers when their roster was up to snuff.

“Arceus” breaks from that mould by putting an emphasis on exploration. The game’s world is split up into five regions, each with its own distinct geography and climate — and rife with wild Pokémon to capture and study.

Why are we trying to catch these poor creatures in the first place? “Pokémon” games haven’t amazed with their narratives in the past, and while “Arceus” won’t set any new standards in storytelling, it does offer a more engaging plot than some of its predecessors.

The game takes place in the past in the region of Hisui, which is the precursor to the Sinnoh region of the “Diamond” and “Pearl” entries in the series.

The protagonist is cast through a rift in the fabric of space and time to an age when Pokémon and humans had an adversarial relationship.

Upon arrival in this strange land, the player meets Professor Laventon, who tasks you with creating the first-ever Pokédex — a compendium of the Pokémon found throughout the land. Along the way players will meet members of the rival Diamond and Pearl clans and work with them to subdue powerful Pokémon that have been driven into a frenzy due to the rift.

Capturing Pokémon is more satisfying in “Arceus” than in previous instalments. Players can still use the traditional method of battling a creature to a weakened state before trying to catch it in a little round contraption known as a Pokéball. But it can be more rewarding to take a more tactical approach.

Hiding in tall grass and hitting an unsuspecting critter with a Pokéball, luring a monster out into the open with its favourite food before making a move or even catching a Pokémon as it slumbers are all viable methods of adding to one’s roster.

Once a Pokémon is caught, it is given an entry in the Pokédex, which will list tasks to complete in order to continue research. These duties could include catching more of that creature without being seen or at a certain time of day, or seeing it use a certain move in battle.

As players flesh out the Pokédex, they gain favour with a group called the Galaxy Expedition Team and eventually get a promotion in rank, authorizing them to use more potent Pokéballs and allowing them to control Pokémon of higher levels.

The Pokédex-based progression system and scouring the region for creatures to catch are the highlights of “Arceus.” The world itself is more of a mixed bag.

While the sub-regions of Hisui are expansive, they are also visually uninspiring, especially in the first couple of areas players encounter. Huge swaths of forest or swamp will stretch before the player, with little variation to break things up.

Traversing the world is less intuitive than it could be. While players can fast-travel between camps within a sub-region, they have to return to Jubilife City, the only major settlement and the world’s hub, before visiting another area. It’s a minor pain, but better game design would have cut down on the number of loading screens to sit through.

The game’s issues ultimately don’t hamstring the improvements, as the Pokémon themselves take the starring role. “Arceus” has 242 different Pokémon, each with their own personalities. Some Pokémon encountered in the wild might run away from players, some might regard them with curiosity and still others might shoot a laser from their mouth and blast would-be captors into a fast-running river.

What ultimately sets “Arceus” apart from other “Pokémon” games is the unpredictable — even dangerous — outcomes players can face on their hunt to “catch ‘em all.” While there is still plenty of room for growth, “Arceus” is a solid first step in a long-awaited evolution.

“Pokemon Legends: Arceus” is available for the Nintendo Switch and retails for around $80. It has an ESRB rating of “E,” meaning suitable for gamers of all ages.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2024.